Deadpool 2 (2018) Movie Review

May 24, 2018 ~ Alyxwrites ~ 1 Comment

deadpool-2

Summary: Foul-mouthed mutant mercenary Wade Wilson (AKA. Deadpool), brings together a team of fellow mutant rogues to protect a young boy of supernatural abilities from the brutal, time-traveling mutant, Cable.

So I’m not going to lie, I really liked the first one but I think I only saw it maybe once or twice in its entirety. I wasn’t really anticipating the second one, it wasn’t really one of those movies that I was like “I HAVE TO SEE” but I knew I wanted to since I had so much fun in the first one. Anyways, on to the review!

Pros:

Cast and Characters.

Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson / Deadpool. He is a wise cracking mercenary with accelerated healing but severe scarring over his body after undergoing an experimental regenerative mutation. In this movie, he has been DP for a while now, and his life seems to be pretty good as he has his girl with him. But he is put on a path where he meets Russell and things aren’t going so well. Throughout the movie, he’s trying to find his place, trying to find out what the dream he had means and he goes on this discovery, while also causing trouble as he does. We get to see a little more emotional side of Wade, which I really like, since it shows balance with his larger than life personality. Ryan Reynolds was meant to play this character and it shows just how much he loves it because I’m sure he ad-libbed as much as he could. It got a little over the top sometimes but he’s great in the role.
Josh Brolin as Cable. A time-traveling cybernetic soldier who is very different from Deadpool in that he’s very serious and he has a set plan for what he wants. I think the character could have easily been that “narrow-minded soldier” very easily but I think Josh Brolin manages to add humanity to the character and he’s very likable. What he does in the end shows a lot of emotion and I can’t wait to see what happens with him in the future, especially since he came from the future and his parents are around.
Julian Dennison as Russell Collins / Firefist. He is the older version of Russell from Up. A young mutant with pyrokinesis who is being hunted by Cable due to something his future self does. I would consider him a kind of villain through most of the movie, but the whole point is to save him, well it takes a moment for Deadpool to get to that point, but yeah. He’s pretty funny himself throughout the movie.
Zazie Beetz as Domino. Easily the best part of the film. She is a mercenary with the mutant ability to manipulate luck, who joins Deadpool’s X-Force team. Domino is sassy, unbothered and she just goes through life-like nothing can faze her, which nothing does. Considering she’s lucky, no matter what happens, no matter how dangerous it is, she’s fine. However, she has a tragic past buts she can definitely kick butt and takes names. She’s funny as well. I’ve never seen Zazie Beetz in anything but she’s great here and I really want her to have her own movie since she was the clear standout in this film. Her back and forth banter with Ryan Reynolds was great, they had great chemistry and I would love to see them team up again. She also just looks physically awesome.

Supporting Characters.

T.J. Miller as Weasel. He is Wade’s best friend and owns the bar that apparently all of the mercenaries frequent. He doesn’t really do much but he’s funny and makes jokes and has great comedic chemistry with Ryan Reynolds.
Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead. A teenage X-Man with the mutant power to detonate atomic bursts from her body. She seems to be more apart of the team now, she was more of a trainee in the first one. I loved her in the first one and I was excited to see her in this one. I was bummed she wasn’t in it that much. Her new relationship was cute, I liked her girlfriend, but we didn’t really get the chance to see much from either of them. The actress is still great in her unbothered persona as well, I think her and Domino would get along swimmingly.

The Opening Credits. It was hilarious and unique. I love how they used a song beautifully sang by Celine Dion and there were some crazy images going along with such a slow song. The picture at the top of the review is one such image from the opening credits. I also liked the fact that the credits pretty much tells you what’s going to happen in the movie lol very bold and it was funny foreshadowing joke.

The Action. It’s pretty nonstop for a good chunk of the film. The opening fight scene before he runs home to Vanessa is fantastic. My favorite is definitely the car chase scene, Domino fights Cable and she does this really cool move while in the truck AND she has great stunts period because she’s just so lucky. Plus, Cable is cool and we get to see him and DP go at it a few times and I thought the fight choreography was handled very well.

It’s Still Funny. Unfortunately, I’ll talk about this later too, but I still the movie was funny. Crude humor doesn’t bother me, if it’s funny it’s funny and if it’s not it’s not. Humor is subjective but I normally enjoy Deadpool’s antics, even in the comics, so there were a lot of times where he was still enjoyable to watch. The entire scene where he has to grow something back was probably the funniest of the movie. Also, Domino has some great humorous moments and lines, her banter with Deadpool when she’s “interviewing” for his superhero team was great. Also, the scene when his “X-Force” team does the skydiving. Hilarious. Oh and Russell was funny sometimes too.

The Heart/Emotion. It wasn’t like super emotional but it does have some sad stuff, especially in the beginning. However, the whole story with the kid and how Deadpool is reacting to him, especially the end, I thought it was sweet. Same with Cable’s story and why he’s there. I think there is a lot of heart in the movie, but it does get bogged down at times by the jokes.

Cameos. There are some great cameos in the film. There is one in the X-mansion when Deadpool is in there talking to Colossus. There is also an extended cameo in the end with a well known character that was pretty cool to see and to see them done correctly.

Cons:

Dead Horse. I felt about this movie the same way I felt about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2. The first movie was so funny and different that they wanted to do the same thing here just bigger and better and I don’t think it was better. Not all of the jokes hit for me, and some of them went on for way to long. There was a scene at the end, where Wade just keeps going on and on and on and I’m like… if you just don’t GO! It got really old really fast a lot of times and it was kind of annoying.

Enjoy the moment. I know with a comedy, it’s hard to let moments just be moments but I wish that when there’s an emotional part, just let it be emotional. You don’t have to make jokes, just let it happen and more than likely, I’ll actually feel something other than annoyance.

Boring. It’s weird to say this in a Deadpool movie but I was kind of bored at various times throughout the movie. I think my friend even fell asleep at a point, but I was disappointed that it just didn’t keep me engaged like the first one did. It was trying to hard and I could tell and it didn’t do it for me. It had some minor pacing issues, where we were really high for a while and then it was like a deep plummet and I was like sighs okay.

Wasted Characters. There were some characters introduced in the movie just for laughs, which is fine, but I was expecting to see way more of the X-men characters we saw from the first movie. I was a little miffed that they were just glorified cameos.

Overall, I enjoyed Deadpool 2. I liked all of the characters, they were all fun and it was easy to tell that the actors had a good time as well. Ryan Reynolds still is great as Deadpool. He loves the character and it comes through in the film. I enjoyed the little arc that he got to have in the film, he’s ultimately the same person just a bit more mature in the end. Josh Brolin as Cable was great, he was intimidating but awesome, Julian Dennison as Russell was also great to watch, he clearly had fun in his role and I thought he was funny, most of the time. Lastly, Zazie Beetz as Domino was the standout in the film and I think she should get her own film. The action is handled very well, it’s well choreographed and it’s awesome seeing how some of the characters get through some pretty crazy situations. The opening credits was one of the best sequences of the film, especially coupled with that song. The emotional heart in the film was also pretty well-earned. It’s also funny. Now, with that said, I do think this movie suffers from the “trying to hard” syndrome. I think because the first did so well that they tried to capture that again and it didn’t always work for me. Crude humor is never a problem for me, but when you beat a dead horse, or you just don’t know when to let the moment be a moment, that gets annoying. Yes, I know that’s how Deadpool is but that doesn’t mean it has to come off forced. I also felt a bored in some areas of the film, I wasn’t so bored that I pulled out my phone or anything, but I was bored that I wanted to get back to other scenes and I don’t really do that when watching a movie. My friend even fell asleep and she was looking forward to this way more than I was. I left the movie disappointed and the more I thought about it, I was disappointed. I enjoyed it but it was fine.

Rating: 3.7 out of 5 stars.

Have you seen Deadpool 2 yet? What did you think about it? Please comment and let me know your thoughts.

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Why Static Shock should be a Live Action TV Show

May 12, 2018May 14, 2018 ~ Alyxwrites ~ 2 Comments

So who remembers this guy? I’m sure a lot of you do because he was a big part of our childhood television experience.

I remember watching this show faithfully on Kids WB. This was among my first animated superhero shows that really got me into superheroes. I used to watch the Christopher Reeve Superman movies (1 & 2) all of the time, I watched Batman Returns (I did not know the first Batman existed), and then of course all of the animated shows.

HE IS NOT RELATED TO BLACK LIGHTNING IN ANY WAY.

Why It Should Be A Live Action TV Show

So I’ve always loved the idea of this show being live action because it’s so relevant. Now that we have the amazing Black Lighting on The CW and the success of Black Panther, there’s even more reason for Static Shock to be a show. Virgil is a 14-year-old African-American teenager. He’s definitely an ‘everyman’ which is always a great person to look up to on television. Virgil is smart, so he can think his way out of situations and he does well in school. He’s well-known but he’s not popular by any means, he gets bullied and teased but he usually takes it in stride because at the end of the day, he has people who love him and he’s really cool for that. When he gets his powers, of course the first thing he wants to do is be like the heroes in the comics. He does the suit montage and at first he’s kind of bad at it but he learns along the way and he evolves into a great hero. Virgil is likable too. He’d be the type of lead that everyone can see themselves in because he’s just like a normal teenager.

The Characters

Static Shock had a very unique roster of characters and obviously there is a lot to pull from which is why I prefer it to be a TV show instead of a movie because a movie (unless a series) limits how many characters can be introduced and used without the movie feeling bloated, or some characters not receiving the attention they deserve IE. the X-men films. Don’t get me wrong, I very much enjoy those, minus The Last Stand, but those movies either focus too much on Wolverine OR Mystique going forward that other characters that should get a strong introduction in movies, don’t because the movie wants to follow Logan or Raven. I get it, Logan’s popular and it’s Jennifer Lawrence, but honestly, Wolverine was never my favorite and Mystique is a villain, no matter how many times they try to act like she’s not. I don’t want that to happen with Static. He has a LOT of villains and most of them are teenagers who went through the same thing Virgil went through to get their powers. I would love the chance to see all of them come to life because they’re all so interesting. Well, there’s a lot of them but at the same time, there isn’t a lot of them. We see the same ones quite a bit.

Virgil Ovid Hawkins/Static (Phil LaMarr). Virgil is a high school student in Dakota City. He’s really smart, he loves comics and superheroes and he’s considered to be a bit of a nerd, which causes him to get picked on a lot. He gets involved with some gang nonsense that forced him to be on the docks one night. So, due to accidental exposure to an experimental mutagen he gains the ability to control and manipulate electromagnetism. The accidental exposure is later known as the “Big Bang” and Virgil becomes “Static”. Unlike other “Bang Babies” who were exposed to the mutagen and use their powers in bad ways, Virgil uses his powers to protect the city. Virgil is a happy-go-lucky kid, he usually finds the good in everything. He’s really intelligent and he uses his intellect to help him win against his adversaries as well. He’s the younger brother so he often has to deal with his older sister Sharon, he nags her and she nags him. He also has a close relationship with his father, but he very much misses his mother. He’s 14 so he does deal with girls, in the beginning he has a massive crush on Frieda but when he meets Daisy, they definitely develop a close friendship which transforms down the line. Phil LaMarr is the man! He does Virgil’s voice and he manages to keep the innocence about him even though he deals with some crazy stuff.

Richard “Richie” Osgood Foley/Gear (Jason Marsden). He is Virgil’s best friend and confidant. In the beginning, he’s more along the lines of the “man in the chair”, he makes gadgets for Virgil and even helps cover for him to protect his secret identity. Later, in the third season, it was learned that Richie was passively exposed to the mutagen, from Virgil which altered his brain and gave him enhanced intelligence. He was able to invent rocket-powered boots and “Backpack”, a highly intelligent multipurpose device worn on the back capable of surveillance and other semi-independent activity. With this equipment, he adopted the superhero identity “Gear” and becomes Static’s full-time partner in crime-fighting. Richie is Caucasian, and I loved the fact that he and Virgil had a strong friendship and that he was the “support” compared to the many times that the black kid was the support. But at the same time, when he became Gear, he was never treated like the sidekick. Sure, they had arguments about it, but they’re teenagers, it happens. Richie is also smart, loves comics and I always thought he was a bit more awkward then Virgil was.

Robert Hawkins (Kevin Michael Richardson). Virgil and Sharon’s dad, he runs the Freeman Community Center as the head counselor. He is a social worker and a widower. Robert strongly dislikes gangs and the destructive attitudes of most Bang Babies, but he believes that he can motivate teens to do good things, and he’s motivated himself, to counteract the bad influence of Bang Babies on other teenagers. Robert is a good father, there are times where he comes down hard on Virgil and I remember watching as a kid thinking he was being extra, but as an adult, he just wanted to protect his son. He has a great many seeds of wisdom and the episode where he finds out Virgil is Static is a lovely episode full of great father/son moments.

Sharon Hawkins (Michele Morgan). Sharon is Virgil’s older sister, she attends college but still lives at home. She volunteers at a hospital and counsels young people at the Community Center. Sharon is that typical, annoying and nagging older sister but it’s obvious that she really does care about Virgil (and vice versa). She will come to his defense quick fast and in a hurry whenever he’s in danger. After the death of their mother, Sharon took it upon herself to be the woman of the house, especially when it comes to giving out chores and cooking (which apparently she isn’t good at according to Virgil). I like Sharon though, yeah she can be very annoying, but I love when the Hawkins family has their Hawkins moments. It’s very sweet.

Adam Evans/Rubber-Band Man(Kadeem Hardison). He is a meta-human whose body structure is basically rubber. He can change his form. He is the younger brother of Static’s archenemy, Ebon. Rubber-Band Man first shows up as a tragic villain who just wants his due after a record producer stole one of his songs, but he is caught and sent to jail, only to later break out of prison. However, he decides not to become a criminal and instead have an alter-ego as a musician, date Sharon and kind of sort of, works with Static. They clashed a lot in the beginning but after a while, Virgil accepts Adam’s relationship with Sharon and they fight crime together without problem and Adam even at times becomes a brother figure to Virgil. I like Rubber-Band Man because his powers are cool, and he’s a nice guy but he still has a temper on him. He’s the character that we know could easily be a villain but chooses not to be one. I like characters like that. They’re in that grey area.

Ivan Evans/Ebon(Gary Anthony Sturgis). So Ebon is Virgil’s archenemy and Rubber-Band Man’s big brother. He the head of a large group of Bang Babies called “The Meta-Breed” and he’s the main antagonist. He is very powerful and extremely strong, probably one of the most powerful meta-humans. He is basically a living shadow. He is able to create inter-dimensional portals and can manipulate pure darkness and shadows. he can also transport others to various locations of his choice. Ebon is frankly quite scary. I think in the first two seasons though, or mainly the first one, he is at his scariest because we haven’t been introduced to other big villains yet so he really takes the cake. He’s really strong and he really puts Virgil through it. I think we got to see him one time before his powers, because I always wanted to know what he looked like lol and he just looked like some punk, so honestly his powers were probably a good thing for him lol.

Francis Stone/F-Stop/Hotstreak (Danny Cooksey). Francis was one of the gang members who was at the docks when the Big Bang happened. He was exposed to the gas and was given fire powers where he changed his name from “F-Stop” to “Hotstreak”. His powers added to his hotheadness where he is able to create fire and shoot fire blasts. At first, it seems a lot of his bullying is fueled by his crush on Frieda but let’s be real, Francis is a douchebag. He does some good things in the show, mostly in the episode where a lot of the Bang Babies are kidnapped and Hotstreak and Static manage to escape before being captured, but they work together to save the others. He has some moments but otherwise, he’s a giant bully with fire power. He was definitely one of Static’s first rivals and he probably is one of the villains who gives him a challenge every time they meet. Definitely personal in ways since they were rivals before the big bang. In the end, we don’t know if he survived because he and Ebon merged together when Ebon tried to stage a new big bang and Virgil and Richie had to fight them and blew them up, so who knows if he survived. But I enjoyed watching him.

Frieda Goren(Danica McKeller). She is one of Virgil’s friend and his first crush. Frieda is very lively, outgoing and popular at school. She is very feisty and be short-tempered, especially with bullies and impulsive. People call her “Hurricane Frieda”. She is also an active participant of the school’s newspaper. I’ve always liked Frieda, she does get pushed to wayside when Daisy joins the show but I think she would be greatly utilized if they did a live action show because I think it’s important to have a strong female who is her type of character. Plus, she was always Latina to me, so boom diverse cast as well. I read that in the original comics, she was more important and that’s what I want for her in the live action show.

Daisy Watkins (Crystal Scales). She attended Vanmoor Institute, which is an academy for the gifted and that’s where she met Virgil because they wanted to recruit him (see ya boy is a genius!) and after an event where two fellow students were culprits, she enrolls in the same school as Virgil. Daisy and Virgil create a strong friendship and she ultimately becomes the girl he crushes on.

My Casting

So obviously this is my opinion of who should play some of the key roles in the show. It would be fantastic if they hired unknowns, especially for Virgil and Richie but since I’m not a casting agent, these are my picks after doing some extensive research.

Nadji Jeter as Virgil Hawkins/Static

So, I’ve seen him in a few things, of course the Grown Ups movies, he’s in Wonder which I thought he was good and likable in and he’s in The 5th Wave but that doesn’t really mean much since I thought the movie was terrible and forgettable. BUT, while I was doing the research for young black actors, he came up and I thought “ya know, I kind of like him” and compared to the other young actors I saw, he’s probably my favorite. I can see him playing the awkward Virgil, who is a nerdy teenager just trying to make it through high school while also serving some witty quips and getting the job done as Static. I can really see it. So Nadji Jeter is my top choice. I think it’s important that since Virgil does start off being 14 (they can make him 15 or 16 if they need to), I want someone who looks youthful enough that as they get older, they don’t suddenly look like a grown man. I think Nadji still has a lot of youth on his face and he’s 21 so that works. I also want the locs. He needs to have locs. There are a lot of male heroes that have a close cut, so it would nice to have Virgil with nice locs because it would be different.

Other Choices:

Jacob Latimore. Ironically, he is also 21 but he just looks older to me. I thought he was older. It’s really because of Sleight, that I really started thinking about this. I’ve always had it in my mind but his character Bo, really reminded me of Virgil in ways that I was like “whoa”. So he’s not my first choice but I wouldn’t be upset. But again… locs.

Quincy Fouse. So, I’ve only seen him in Logan and I liked him in that, enough to make me tweet him and ask if he would play Virgil if the opportunity came. He tweeted me back and said he would! It was exciting! I could see him pulling it off, but he did say in his response, he was interested in Miles Morales, so I would be more okay with that than with Virgil but he’s still on my list.

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Algee Smith. Now I haven’t seen him in anything so I can’t attest to his acting ability but I have seen him come up a lot for people’s fan casting when it comes to Virgil. I mean, I wouldn’t be upset going off of physicality but he’s also 23, so I don’t know how much room he’d have with playing a teenager.

Skyler Gisando as Richie Foley/Gear

So when it comes to Richie, he obviously has to have good chemistry with Virgil, but he also has to be able to stand on his own because he does become a hero in his own right. He creates a lot of Static’s stuff and he later makes his own tools to be “Gear”. Richie also can sometimes come off “cool” but he definitely gets bullied, just like Virgil and I think Skyler is perfect. Of course, he’s not blonde but I would be okay with that because he would be Richie so well. I can even see him being all frazzled like Richie would be. I can also see him being really jealous just like the times Richie wanted powers. I think he’d be great.

Kevin Michael Richardson as Robert Hawkins

He did the voice on the show. Enuff said.

Shanice Williams as Sharon Hawkins

So, I really wanted to find someone who looked like they could be annoying but when I came across Shanice Williams in my research, I decided she looks like she would be related to Jeter and Richardson so that works. She was great as Dorothy in The Wiz Live! and I haven’t heard anything about her since. I would love to see her on tv and I think she’d have fun as Sharon. I would dial down her nagging and make her a bit more of an independent person. She is a college student so I would like to see her go to school and be studious as well. I think Shanice would be great at trying to be the mother figure, while also thrive on her own.

Stephan James as Adam Evans/Rubber-Band Man

I think Stephan James would be a good choice because for one, he looks a bit like him AND I think he could play that complex character. Someone who starts off bad because he’s been slighted but who later becomes a hero because he wants better for himself. Plus, I think he’ll have good chemistry with Sharon and Virgil and he has maturity about him that makes him seem like he’s been doing this a while, even though he technically hasn’t lol.

Kofi Siriboe as Ivan Evans/Ebon

I mean obviously Kofi is a gorgeous man but I think he can play Ebon to a T. I’ve seen him in Kicks and he was the main villain and he was scary. He’s bad from the get go and I really think that Kofi has the charisma that Ebon needs to even recruit people over to his side. I mean, the dude has a girlfriend who is pretty much ride or die (until she gets the chance to be human again)… he has to be good with people and words. Kofi definitely can do that.

Daryl Sabara as Francis Stone/Hotstreak

So Francis or “F-Stop” at first, was kind of hard to cast. I wanted to find a ginger so when I came across Daryl Sabara, I was like “hmm…” I liked the idea but then I wasn’t sure because he has to definitely be a douche. Francis is such a bro to me that I wasn’t sure about Daryl, but a friend agreed with the idea so it was confirmed. I think he could do it. He has played mean before and I think he would have fun. I would want Francis to be a bit more than just a bully since he is such a long time antagonist for Virgil. I would like to see him have some depth and other character than just being a bad guy who likes fire. He doesn’t necessarily have to become “sympathetic” but at least where it’s not just mindless evil.

Becky G as Frieda Goren

So I think in the comics she’s Caucasian, I’m not sure, but in the show, I always thought she was Latina so in my mind, Frieda is Latina. Looking for a Latina actress who I could see with red hair, if instead of having her be a redhead, she can dye her hair red. My friend mentioned her, I wasn’t sure because she’s a power ranger, but who knows what will happen with that. But anyway, I think Becky G can be sassy like Frieda, she has a big smile and she looks like she could portray the kind of personality that would make people like her but also be afraid of her. She’s supposed to be the super popular girl who is nice, she’s friends with everyone, she is involved in all the clubs and she’s very involved in the school. It would be awesome to see Becky G do that. Plus she can mean mug like no one’s business for when the times Frieda is upset. Plus, I think she would be a great best friend to Virgil and great chemistry since he does like her for a while in the beginning. Plus, I think she’d have great chemistry with my choice for Daisy since they become best friends. I also would want her to know Virgil’s secret earlier on. In the show her role is very small, I would definitely have her have a larger and more active role.

Other Choices:

Victoria Justice. She was my first choice because she can rock the red hair, but she can also have the darker hair. At first Frieda’s hair was more red, then when they upgraded the animation, her look changed a bit and her hair was darker. Frieda can be frazzled and all over the place and she can be intimidating which I think Victoria Justice can do. I just think she might be too old at 25, but she’s my close second choice.

Isabela Moner. I saw her and I wasn’t sure how I felt but I think she’s cute and she has the look I was thinking about for Frieda. She’s the youngest of the bunch being 16 and is basically the perfect age but ya know, it could also be a bit odd being that she isn’t technically an adult like the others. But she does have the look I was thinking of.

Jessica Sula as Daisy Watkins

So in the show, Daisy is biracial, her mother was black and her father was Asian, I think. So, I really wanted to make sure I kept that in my casting. Jessica Sula is a name I saw a lot for Frieda but I think, since I can’t really find a biracial actress that I liked, I decided that Jessica Sula would probably be a better fit for Daisy anyway. She is biracial of Asian, African and Latina descent which works for what I wanted. I think she would have great chemistry with Nadji, and since she’s practically a genius, I definitely want to show that, and give her a larger role in the show. Since it would be diverse, I want her to be seen having a family. She also has a motherly kind of personality, so I would also give her younger siblings. I haven’t seen a ton from Jessica Sula, only from Split and she was sweet for the most part. I think she would be a good fit.

As for all of the other characters, I could sit here and cast them but that’s a lot of work lol. I wanted to make sure I cast the main characters of the show. I think this group should be a good focus. Virgil and Richie are definitely the leads so I want them to get a lot of character development and growth, but since it’s a TV show, I think it would be beneficial to the other “main” characters to get arcs as well. All of the other villains, will be guest stars and reoccurring. There are a few that would require mini arc like Edwin Alva, but some would just be like lower level villains who could show up every now and then.

The Romance

So I believe in the Static Shock comics, it was confirmed, or at least after the run, that Virgil and Frieda got together. Sure, that’s fine. But I think in the show, it should be Virgil and Daisy. I liked them together more anyway. When I was a kid I thought that Richie and Frieda would be cute together but ya know that’s fine lol. Daisy and Virgil meet at the smartypants institute, and they immediately click and when she comes to his school, he’s happy to see her. In the show, I would want them to really develop Daisy. Show indications that they are crushing on each other, they were comfortable with each other and it would just naturally progress. Plus, I think Jessica Sula and Nadji Jeter would have great chemistry together, they look good together. Plus, they liked a lot of the same stuff in the animated show. That’d be so great!

The Action/Powers

So Virgil’s power set is to control and manipulate electromagnetism HE IS NOT RELATED TO BLACK LIGHTNING! Anyways, that’s really cool and different. He is very resourceful with his powers, plus he has to deal with static cling a lot, so that would help with the humor. But his power allows him to fly thanks to electromagnetic levitation. He has a lot of abilities:

Amplified Electrical Aura
Electromagnetism
Electromagnetic bolts
Electromagnetic force fields
Flight via Electromagnetic levitation
Static Cling
Taser Punch
Ball Lightning
Technology Manipulation
Nova Burst
Electromagnetic pulse
Radiowave auditory

Then of course he can be immune to mind control and electrocution which was shown when Brainiac took control of the Justice League with mind control technology but Virgil’s body shorted it out. However, his powers can be temporarily shorted out if he comes into contact with water. Unlike Richie, he did not rely on gadgetry unless he had to, especially during the solar flares which sometimes took his powers away lol. All of this would be sooo cool to see on TV, and if it’s handled correctly, it would be fun for him to use. Plus, he understands science so he’s able to use his powers in ways his villains may not really understand so he can out think them.

As for Richie, since all of his stuff is technology, all of that is pretty simple. Backpack would probably be the most difficult considering how it does everything lol. But it would be cool!

I can imagine that Rubber-Band Man’s power would be challenging, especially to keep it from being cheesy and lame looking but they do alright with Ralph Dibney on The Flash, I think it can be redone, plus, anything he turns into is always purple lol which I like because it’s different and his power isn’t perfect.

Ebon’s power is scary and he’s very powerful. He is a shadow. I don’t really want him to be CGI’ed but I think there are ways around him just being a physical shadow. I don’t know how but I really want to see how it would look on screen before I completely dismiss the idea especially since he’s so cool looking. sighs

I would really want them to take the action and fight scenes seriously. Yes, it’s a superhero show but whoever does the choreography for Black Lightning, I want them to do Static Shock as well. There should be stakes in the fights. I’m not expecting it to be dark and gritty since young people would be leading the show, but where I’m nervous for them while they fight because in real life, Ebon and even Hotstreak can do some damage. It shouldn’t always be easy.

The Music

Look, the music in Black Lightning is amazing. When I rewatched Static Shock, the music was always kind of R&B and Hip-hop and I think they should maintain that because it was unapologetically black and I don’t think the live action should shy away from that. Virgil is a black teen and his high school was mostly people of color, the music should also reflect that. I definitely want an awesome theme song, shoot they could find some way to incorporate the very first Static theme song in the show, they could even throw a nod at Lil Romeo’s theme song or just re-record it and BOOM. There’s really nothing wrong with that theme song lol. Also, Shanice Williams can sing, so they could use her if they need to lol.

Mature Storylines

So in the animated show, they did sometimes touch on some tough situations. It was a little “after school special” sometimes but they were important. The ones I remember the most, are the ones where Virgil has a run in with Richie’s racist dad (Robert was the MVP in that episode), the one with the kid who was bullied so much that he tried to shoot up the school and the episodes where Static went back in time to meet his mom and the whole thing with gang violence… powerful. Those episodes were deep, albeit cheesy in ways, but deep. I would want the show to carefully handle mature storylines. I’m not asking for them to try to “teach a lesson” because I find when you have that intention, it comes off preach and I don’t want that. I want them to handle it like its real life. These are very delicate situations and they don’t really have to be those I mentioned before, but when it comes to relationships, or prejudice and racism, bullying, domestic violence, sex, all that kind of stuff, I want it to be handled seriously. Yeah, they’re kids but it’s not like kids these days don’t see this stuff every day. I bet you’re thinking “dang, the show was lighthearted” and yeah it was and I’m not saying it shouldn’t be, I want it to be light-hearted but I also want it to be taken seriously.

The Heart

The main thing about this show would be the heart at the center. Virgil’s relationships are what matters because they’re important to him. Sure, he argues with his dad and his sister, but he loves them. The family dynamic should be a strong one. They should feel like a family and the dialogue and writing should reflect a real family. His friendship with Richie is also extremely important to him. He makes a lot of choices because of his love for his best friend. Virgil is a good kid. It’s his heart that makes him a hero and I think that’s important to be maintained. My biggest problem with The Flash is that Barry makes such egregious mistakes and sometimes the consequences are not really felt, or whatever, I mean terrible and there was a time where Virgil almost made a terrible one, he tried to save his mom from her fate but he wasn’t able to alter time and I don’t remember him trying again. Her legacy meant to much to try to change it. He was so emotional about it. cries Ugh so much potential.

Overall

I just want a live action show because I think Static deserves it. I did extensive research into his background and what happened with the comics and how DC bought him from the creator and pretty much everything that could have been got pushed back. The show just ended and while it has a lot of re watch value, it does look a little dated and I think a lot of people would watch the live action show because of the nostalgia and the diverse cast.

Look, I’ll write it lol.

Let me know your thoughts down below on Static Shock becoming a Live Action TV show. Who would you cast in these roles?

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The New Legends of Monkey (2018) TV Review

May 12, 2018May 18, 2018 ~ Alyxwrites ~ Leave a comment

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Summary: A new take on the story of the Monkey King, Pigsy, Sandy and Tripitaka the monk, on their journey to restore the world.

I remember hearing about this show because of whitewashing rumors. This show is based on Chinese legend “The Monkey King” and people seemed to be upset that the main cast were white actors. When I looked at the promo picture they displayed, I was kind of confused because everyone is a person of color minus the woman on the far right. I recognized the actor playing the Monkey King from Mako Mermaids and I remember he’s Australian-Thai. The other two actors look like POCs as well, so I was confused but I clicked off and didn’t think about it again.

When it was finally put on Netflix, I noticed it, and saw Chai Hansen’s face and I went “Oh yeah, it’s that show… sure.” So while at work, I decided to watch it on my break and I have to say I loved it. I literally finished it in a day. Then I watched it again in a day and a half. I love this show and I hope they get a season two because I’m not playing games with Netflix.

Don’t cancel this show.

Pros:

Cast and Characters. There isn’t a character in the show, regular or guest appearance that I didn’t like. I liked everyone. Everyone is written differently, they stand out from each other, and I think all of the actors (everyone is not always consistently good) do a good job for a majority of the show.

Chai Hansen as Monkey.

Monkey is a brash, childish and kind of arrogant young man. Not sure what his age is, I would assume somewhere in his 20s but in human years since he’s a God. He was supposed to be something great 500 years ago, but because the alleged crime he committed, he was seen as a traitor and thief and later sentenced to spend eternity in a rock. When Monkey was released, he lived on fanfare and there’s obviously much for him to learn but he doesn’t shy away from learning something. I mean, it might take a moment, but he won’t shy away. He’s always up for a fight, and he has no problem speaking his mind, he’s uncensored. I usually love characters like him, he’s kind of rude and arrogant but he’s sweet at the best of times. He’s also a source for a lot of humor in the show. I think Chai Hansen was a great choice for the character, his comedic timing was on point. He was charismatic, handsome in the role, and it’s easy to tell he enjoyed playing Monkey. He had great chemistry with Luciane Buchanan, which might mean something down the line, who knows, I won’t mind either way, but the chemistry is there if it does. His emotional moments were strong, and I can’t wait to see more into his back story. Also, the snarl lol, his snarl was great. He reminds me a lot of Inuyasha and I love that character so Monkey was easy to love.

Luciane Buchanan as Tripitaka.

We don’t know her real name. She is a young woman, I’m assuming about 18, who was left as a baby at a… school? I don’t know lol, but she’s been learning from The Scholar, until a demon comes on night, takes the Monkey King’s crown and kills everyone, including the real Tripitaka. So, when she finds the demon, after running to the nearby town, she steals the crown and releases the Monkey King. In order to escape the town after the demon causes ruckus, she receives help from a monastery. So, they help her pose as a monk, so she’s not only pretending to be a boy monk, she wasn’t named Tripitaka, she took it on herself in order to keep Monkey from leaving and preventing her from fulfilling the quest that Tripitaka is supposed to complete. I like her. I wasn’t sure at first because the first episode, her acting is a little meh, but as the show goes on, she gets better, she fills her role better and I definitely ended up liking her in the end. She’s like a mixture of Katara and Kagome, which I mean, they are kind of the same character lol. I love that she just takes on the mantle to get the job done, she’s headstrong, stubborn but also kind and tries to see the good in people… tries. The way she cares about her friends is sweet. She has no idea who her parents are, all she has is a letter from her mother, so there is an episode where she goes to find her old village and we learn a lot about her and she has to learn a lot. She definitely has a great arc throughout the show. I’ve never seen or heard of Luciane Buchanan before, but I think she does a good job. Like I said, in the beginning I was like meh, but she grew on me and I think she grew into the role.

Josh Thomson as Pigsy.

Pigsy is also a God, but he starts off working for the demon Princess Locke. He gets a little push into his morals and what he is, that he ends up going with Tripitaka and Monkey. He likes to eat and he almost is like the big brother figure in the group, he’s seen a lot but he’s been on the wrong side of things, so sometimes his ideas, are kind of crazy lol. However, he definitely grows to care about the others. He and Monkey have some great moments together and I we get to see them learn from each other even more in the second season (Not playing Netflix, second season). He also is a source for a lot of laughter, it just seems natural for the character and the actor. I’ve never seen Josh Thomson in anything but he’s great and likable as Pigsy, even when he was being “bad” I liked him. He’s just likable and his comedic timing is great.

Emilie Cocquerel as Sandy.

Probably one of my favorites in the show. Sandy is a God, perhaps a water God since she has the ability to control water. She lives in the sewers, and she meets Tripitaka when chasing after a demon that disguised itself as a little boy. We don’t really know much about her. She’s living in the sewers, but we don’t really know why. I think it’s okay to say that Monica at least knows her since she gives her food, or gives someone food. Sandy is always willing to fight and when she meets Tripitaka, she’s ready to go on the quest to find the scrolls to rid the world of demons. She doesn’t really fight the ideas, she might give her two cents but she’s always down. She’s sassy, but she grows close to Tripitaka and she’s like the eccentric older sister. Her back story is also a little sad, we learn about her in Tripitaka’s episode and it helps give an idea of how Sandy came to be who she is. I love her. Never heard of Emilie Cocquerel before either, but she’s great. She’s so likable and cute, that I can’t help but to love her character.

Supporting Characters. We meet a lot of characters throughout the ten episodes. There are a few that we see more than others, that have more to do than others.

Jarred Blakiston as Font Demon.

He is the demon we see from the beginning, he kind of reminds me of an evil Elf lol. The first episode when he faces off against Monkey, it’s hilarious because his facial expressions of being unimpressed are the best. His job is to hunt down and the find the others, mostly at the beginning, and we see him again later. I think since he’s a demon, he can be killed and then reborn as another “Front Demon”, it’d be interesting to see what happens with him in the second season.

Josh McKenzie as Davari. I don’t want to spoil anything, I kind of guessed his role but he is Monkey’s old friend from back in the day. He manages to have a lot of influence over Monkey, he’s like that hype man who doesn’t always hype for good reasons lol. I enjoyed him though lol.
Jordan Mooney as Raxion. He is a demon who is tasked to find Gods to bring back to Jade Mountain to translate the ancient scrolls. He first comes in contact with the others when he brings them to the shaman. We see a lot more of him throughout the season and he’s cool too. He feels ignored and glossed over by the boss and he wants to do something that will gain him favor.
Rachel House as Monica. I recognized her from the start, she was Moana’s grandmother in Moana and in Thor: Ragnarök as the Grandmaster’s henchwoman. She is the tavern keeper. She meets Tripitaka first, she even employs her. We see her a few times throughout the show. I like the voice she puts on for the character lol.
Daniel Watterson as Shaman. I feel like if this was a serious movie, Jared Leto would play this part because he reminded me of Jared Leto lol. But he creates this “Breaking Room” where he has the Gods that Raxion kidnaps and he buries them in their minds so they can mindlessly translate the scrolls. He’s cool, calm and collected. I’m interested to see what he does in the second season.

The Story. It’s a 10 episode show so it gets the job done pretty quickly and I think it’s handled so well. Of course it ended too soon but I think the fact that there is a consistent narrative and the story flows naturally, even the detours are for character development, it’s a fantastic adventure. I don’t think there is really any plot holes that are glaring. At least not that I noticed the first two times.

Emotional. There are some really good emotional moments throughout the show. We learn parts of characters backstories and most of the time it’s kind of sad. We learn why Monkey was imprisoned, and it’s kind of sad learning it. Sandy’s back story was very sad, she tells it to Tripitaka who thinks the Gods didn’t have families. We don’t know about Pigsy, but I’m sure it’s kind of sad. There are also some emotional moments during the episodes where they’re trapped in the “Breaking Room” because Monkey goes too far into his sub conscience, he says some heartbreaking things. The show has a LOT of heart and surprisingly it’s very emotional. I didn’t cry or anything but I felt those emotions.

Chemistry between Characters. I think the main four characters have great chemistry with each other. They go on the adventure together and spend the show together, they should be able to feel like a unit, and they do. They all have their strengths and they make up for the others weaknesses. They can bounce off of each other well. We don’t really know how long they’ve been trekking, I want to say like a week, but they trust each other enough where they will do things to make sure the other is okay.

It’s Funny! I cracked up a lot during the show. I thought it was really funny. I think all of our leads get to have chances to be funny. I think Monkey is the source for a lot of the humor, due to his arrogance and the trouble he gets into. The episode where they meet the Monkey Clan was a great one because the followers of the Monkey King were a bit eccentric and I very much enjoyed them. Or the interactions between Monkey and Tripitaka because he has to save her, or they get into arguments and his facial expressions are hilarious. Sandy has a lot of great humorous lines as does Pigsy. The humor is lighthearted and I think there’s laughs in there for everyone. I find it hilarious how Monkey has to summon his cloud and the fact that it doesn’t work, so he tries to either play it off, or act like it doesn’t hurt his feelings that his magic isn’t working right lol. It’s so cute!

Fun Adventure. It’s fun to watch. Being that it’s 10 episodes, it really gets moving and it’s kind of nonstop, I never felt a lull in the show. Maybe in the beginning but that’s to be expected. I love the fact that the villain was kept in shadows until we learned who it was. I loved the action scenes, the choreography wasn’t always good but the actors (and their stunt doubles) do a good job with making it look real. I also believe that Chai Hansen can do most of his own stunts so his stuff looks really good. Plus, just watching them go on their adventure, and the different places they go, the different people they meet, it’s just fun. It’s a good time.

Cons:

Cheesy. Not gonna lie, it’s very cheesy. I mean, it’s not like annoyingly cheesy but it’s endearing and cute cheesy. Some of the action isn’t always good so it looks kind of lame. The effects, like when the Gods are moving really fast is kind of meh sometimes too. Also, the Forest Kin, they should have been scary I thought but they were kind of meh too. So while there is a lot of good, it has some cheesy mehness too.

Inconsistent Acting. So I don’t think this is a problem throughout, mostly in the beginning but I think the acting gets hammy when they take themselves too seriously. It’s a fun show and I think for the most part, they know that’s it’s a fun show and when they do that, it just feels natural and the characters feel real. In the first episode the most, I think they try to do too much and I was like “meh” but it really picked up later.

Familiar. I don’t really find this a negative, at least not completely but I think this show feels a lot like other things I’ve seen. It has a lot of elements of Inuyasha, Avatar: The Last Airbender and something else that I can’t remember right now. Throughout the show, I’ll go “Oh that reminds me of…” and I’ll kind of be taken out of the adventure. For example, Tripitaka can “sit boy” the Monkey King with his crown and when it happened, I was like “oh, that’s like Inuyasha”, except I don’t find it funny like you would in the anime. “Sit Boy” is funny in that it just drops him to the ground, in this show, there is a chant she says, that if her intent is to teach him a lesson or something, the crown will kind of tighten or cause pain or something. He was shocked the first time and the second time he looked hurt that she did it. I mean, he was being rude so there was a lot of emotions going on in that scene. It’s still familiar but during my second watch, I was able to just enjoy it without comparing it to other stuff, but I can imagine someone being really annoyed by that if they’ve seen those other shows.

Overall, I very much enjoyed The New Legends of Monkey, I very much enjoyed all of the characters and their antics. I think all of the actors do a great job having fun and making these roles feel like real people even if some of them remind me other characters. Chai Hansen and Emilie Cocquerel are stand outs for sure. I think the main four have great chemistry with each other, being that they feel like a friend unit. I also thought the show was very funny and it’s just fun all around to watch. It’s a great adventure and I had a great time. It’s also emotional, not like cry emotional but it has some moments that gets you right in the feels. With that said, it does have some negatives in that it’s very cheesy in places, the acting was inconsistent in the beginning and it is familiar being that it reminds me obviously of other shows. But overall, I loved it and I can’t wait for season two. SEASON TWO NETFLIX!!

Rating: 3.80 out of 5 stars.

Have you seen The New Legends of Monkey? If not, seriously go watch it and have fun. It’s 10 episodes. If so, let me know your thoughts down below!

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On My Block (2018) Season 1 TV Review

May 3, 2018May 3, 2018 ~ Alyxwrites ~ Leave a comment

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Summary: A coming-of-age comedy about four bright, street-savvy friends navigating their way through high school in the gritty inner city of South Central Los Angeles.

Pros:

Cast and Characters:

Sierra Capri as Monse Finnie a headstrong, bossy tomboy of Afro-Latino descent who is the leader of her friend group. Raised by her single father, she is star-crossed lovers with one of her best friends, Cesar. In Season 1, she makes an attempt to connect with a woman she believes is her birth mother. Throughout the show, Monse seems to be the “leader” of the group, in that she’s the one everyone might look to. She’s bossy so she kind of just takes that role on as well but it works. She also seems to be a bit hot-tempered, in that she has to keep her anger in check because she seems like she’ll be ready to fight you if she has to. She also is holding a big secret in that she has experienced her sexual awakening and she’s a bit on the passionate side, it’s almost uncomfortable sometimes lol. I like Monse, she feels like a teenage girl. I think Sierra does well with balancing Monse’s maturity but also her immaturity because she can go from 0-100 real quick and it’s just too much.
Jason Genao as Ruby Martinez. He is a smart-aleck math whiz of Mexican descent often serving as the group’s conscience. I love Ruby, he’s probably my favorite. He’s the shortest of the group but he has a bit personality and a big heart. Ruby cares about his appearance, he wants to always make sure he looks good. He gets a little jealous of Cesar who is just cute without even trying. He’s very organized and a bit methodical in how he does things, but he does it for his friends. He spends like two episodes trying to throw a quinceanera for Olivia because he wanted it to be special for her. That’s so sweet. He is a ladies’ man but he’s awkward too so it doesn’t always work out. Jason Genao is just so great, I feel like Ruby could be very annoying but Jason manages to keep that from happening. Instead, I love him. Plus, he loves to talk, he thinks he can talk his way out of things and sometimes he makes things much worse. I love it. Plus, his little quirks that Jason does for him, like the way he’ll cut his eyes at something. AH! I just love him.
Brett Gray as Jamal Turner. He is the nerd of the group and African-American. He believes that there is a hidden treasure scheme surrounding Roller World. Jamal reminds me of a conspiracy theorist. Someone who just believes all kinds of crazy things, and who is even willing to go searching for it. He also manages to really dedicate himself to things that would be so much easier if he would just speak up, but ya know, teenagers are dramatic lol. His parents love football, his father used to play and he wants the same thing for Jamal but Jamal isn’t really into sports. He’s definitely the most awkward of the group, he is clumsy but he’s also really funny. The entire subplot with Roller World is just hilarious, especially all of the scenes with the gnomes. He can’t keep a secret so there is a great scene that deals with that. Brett Gray was great. He’s really funny and since he has a lot of scenes with Ruby, they really work well together.
Diego Tinoco as Cesar Diaz. Cesar is that kid who you often ask, “how is he friends with the others?” because he just seems too cool for them. He’s handsome, he’s suave but he’s also very intelligent which makes sense as to why he manages to find solace with the others. His older brother gets released from prison which puts pressure on Cesar, who is forced into gang life. A lot of his story, is him trying to find the balance between being in the gang but trying to live a normal teenage life with his friends and his new love interest. Things get a little rocky and he definitely relishes in some of the chaos. He doesn’t like it per se, but it’s like easy for him to exploit it. He’s super cute lol, and I very much enjoy watching him ruffle some feathers. However, he’s also a tragic character because he’s forced into something he doesn’t want and it hurts him but he does it. Diego Tinoco is great as Cesar, he’s likable even when you don’t want to like him. He has great chemistry with his love interest and their moments together can be sweet, and sometimes they can be… dramatic.
Ronni Hawk as Olivia. She is a friend of Ruby’s family, they take her in after her parents get deported back to Mexico and she becomes a member of the friend group. Olivia is like the pretty girl, she’s nice, she’s fashionable and she fits right in with the friend group. She ends up developing a crush on Cesar which in ways, causes some problems within the group, but nothing that she does intentionally. I like Olivia fine, she’s one of those characters that I could take or leave. If she wasn’t around, that’s cool but since she was, that’s cool too. I didn’t mind Ronni Hawk, I don’t know anything about her, but I thought her Spanish was terrible.

The Story is Mature. At its core it’s about friendship. Our group is getting ready to go off to high school and Monse comes back from summer camp to find that Cesar has made up a rumor about her and has left the group. She is determined to find out what happened, so most of the first episode is her reuniting with Ruby and Jamal and trying to find out what she missed over the summer. She learns that Cesar was forced into the same gang as his older brother who was released from jail that summer. So, the season focuses on them trying to find a way to rescue their friend, while trying to navigate high school, friendships, family and romance. It’s all handled really well, while I do think the school aspect does get a swept under the rug compared to everything else but I understand that that’s not as important as everything else.

The Humor. Being that it’s set in current time, a lot of the dialogue is just funny because I think the way teens talk is already hilarious. So put them in a show like this, where you have characters like Ruby comparing himself to a Ruben sandwich (since his full name is Ruben lol). It’s hilarious. Plus, characters are awkward and they get into situations that teens shouldn’t be in, but they find themselves in so they have hilarious reactions. Plus, Peggy Blow as Ruby’s abuela steals a lot of the scenes she’s in. Jamal has some great scenes with his parents and this creepy dude and his shop with a bunch of gnomes. Oh man, I was cracking up. Expect to laugh throughout the show.

The Friendship. I think the chemistry between the four main kids is really strong and they feel like they’ve been friends for a long time. They’re all different in ways, but they just fit together. When Olivia is introduced, she fits in with them as well. I also believe some of the drama they have, in a friend group, things are bound to happen and friendships will be strained, that’s just how life is.

Very Relatable. The show is very relatable in how the kids deal with their problems. I don’t think problems get solved and that’s that. A lot of happens and it has long-term consequences or it’s no solved so quickly. That’s life and I like the fact that the show doesn’t gloss over the problems. It feels authentic which I think a lot of teen dramas miss out on these days, I may enjoy them, but I know it’s fiction. On My Block feels real. All of the characters are relatable in that kids get older and experience physical body changes, pressure from parents, from friends, romance, gangs, family, it’s all very real. I also like the fact that they just live day by day. Yeah, they have plans for what they want to do tomorrow, but that’s not what they focus on. It’s all about that moment.

Mature Storylines. Even though these characters are like 14-15, their reality is legit. They live in an inner city Los Angeles neighborhood and they witness a lot. There are times where they hear gunshots and they’re scared about it but then to lighten the mood, they try to guess what kind of gun it was. There are gangs, violence, drugs, and that’s just their environment and the show doesn’t make a big deal about it, it just is. The sexual moments of the show are also handled well. They are minors so it can be a little squick but that’s legit too, teenagers do have sex, so don’t be afraid to talk about it. Also, the stuff about families and how Monse does a little research to find her mom, it’s really emotional and I felt that. It’s all handled very well and with maturity.

Cons:

The Acting. It wasn’t all bad, nor was it always bad but sometimes in certain moments or episodes, the acting got really over the top, or like they were trying to hard. I think this is mostly notable in Sierra Capri. Her character seems like the defacto leader of their little group and whenever she got invested in something, she liked to raise her voice or yell and it just was too much. Or certain expressions she would make. It was just weird. I even though that Brett Gray sometimes did too much but his character was kind of the “over the top” character in ways too so it wasn’t as noticeable.

Overall, I really really liked On the Block. I think the first season is worth the watch and I am super excited for season two. Every bit of this show feels measured, and carefully planned out. Nothing was wasted. The 10 episodes we got, showed so much but at the same time, left a lot to explored. It’s such a strong show right out the gate that I literally have no complaints other than the acting. I think all of our main actors are great in their roles, they have great chemistry with each other, and they bounce off of each other so well that I believe they’ve known each other for years. It’s really funny as well, none of the humor feels forced, it almost feels like the young actors ad libbed and the director just let them. It’s so organic. I love how it just feels like I’m watching the lives of real teenagers instead of a tv show. It’s very relatable, the mature storylines really help the show from veering into a dramatic teeny bopper show. My only complaint is that not all of the acting is the best, mostly from Sierra Capri, she’s a bit inconsistent but her best scene was definitely the one when she was babysitting. Otherwise the show is great and definitely worth the watch!

Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars.

Have you seen On My Block? If not, watch it. It’s on Netflix. If you have, let me know your thoughts in the comments below! Don’t forget to like and follow this blog for more reviews!

Avengers: Infinity War (2018) Movie Review

May 2, 2018 ~ Alyxwrites ~ Leave a comment

Summary: The Avengers and their allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.

Pros:

Cast and Characters. All of the characters we have met are pretty much in this film so it’s a lot. I feel like I have to talk about most of them. Some definitely have way more to do than others but they’re all important in their ways.

Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man. We find Tony in a different place in this movie, it’s been two years since Civil War and he and Pepper are talking about the future. However, Tony feels a threat coming and he wants to do whatever he can to protect Earth. But he still is a bit hung up on past things and sometimes can’t get out of his own way, as per usual. Throughout this movie, Tony is trying to be a leader, trying to work with everyone he comes into contact with and I think he has to learn that things don’t always out the way
Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America. Following the events of Civil War, Steve is a fugitive and the leader of a faction of the Avengers. Steve is always as unshakable as he always has been. When he gets the call about Thanos, he shows up and immediately gets into action, especially with the hope of not sacrificing anyone. If Steve can save you, he’ll do it. If he can throw himself on the grenade for you, he’ll do it and he does that here. I think it’s easy to tell that he’s a little different. After everything that’s happened, he’s seen a lot and he definitely seemed to be in a more “somber” place, not that Steve is ever really that upbeat, but he just seems different. I love his look, with the beard and the longer hair. I also loved how his uniform still had an air of his old uniform, but with darker colors because his whole story was him questioning everything he knew and loved. I think Chris Evans is fantastic as Steve and I’m going to be very sad when Marvel Studios finishes with our main heroes’ stories and we move on because Steve has just been this pillar for me. Chris Evans manages to keep Steve likable while also making sure his values, morals and ideals are never shaken. He’s a true leader. I’d follow him anywhere.
Chris Hemsworth as Thor. His story picks up right after Thor: Ragnarok which is an interesting place because he has super emotional motivations considering where we left off in that movie. He wants to protect his people, including his brother (where’s Valkyrie by the way?) and throughout the movie, he just wants to find a way to harness his power. He lost his hammer in the last movie, so now he’s on a mission to do something to help against Thanos. I’m so glad they allowed Hemsworth to really do some humor as Thor because he’s funny and I think Thor deserves to be a balance between funny and serious. I love his new look, I love all of his interactions with everyone, he always has great chemistry with the people around him.
Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner / Hulk. In this film, Banner starts off as The Hulk with Thor and Loki in the beginning. Heimdall uses his power to send him back to Earth, and Banner spends a lot of the movie trying to reintegrate with the Avengers since Hulk left in Age of Ultron. He keeps trying to tell everyone how dangerous Thanos is and I think the biggest thing is that we’re starting to see… is there that much of a difference between Bruce and Hulk these days? We really get to see more of Bruce in this one, see him become an Avenger over his giant counterpart. I love Mark Ruffalo, I think he’s a great actor and I very much enjoy him go between playing Bruce and playing Hulk.
Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow. She ends up being with Steve, despite being against him in Civil War, and not ending up with him in the end. She must have found them. She’s changed her look (I don’t care for the blonde) and she’s like Steve’s right hand, which I like because I do like the fact that they have such a great friendship. I don’t think she does much until the fight on Wakanda, where she kind of teams up with Okoye which is awesome in many ways. I’ve never been a ScarJo fan but she’s fine in this role. She does also have good chemistry with her coworkers as well.
Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange. Doctor Strange gets involved when Bruce falls into the New York sanctum. He also has the Time Stone so obviously he’s a target. Strange definitely is a bit more humble coming from his first film, but he’s still a bit of douche. Which is why his scenes with Tony were so great. Cumberbatch and Downey Jr. worked really well together. The thing about Strange is that his goal to protect the time stone and he doesn’t care about who gets in the way of him doing that. His character arc in the film I think is the most noticeable. Cumberbatch is still fine in the role, I think his American accent was better this time around but I really liked Strange a lot more in this then I did previously.
Tom Holland as Peter Parker / Spider-Man. Peter is back and I love him still. He’s a kid so it’s great to see him reacting to things and especially with him being kind of new to this, he throws himself head first (which is why I want him to really interact with Steve, he’s so much like him) and is willing to do whatever he can to help. He’s following Tony and Strange’s lead but he always pulls his weight. Tom Holland is great still, and he has a great emotional scene at the end that really got me.

Supporting Characters. I definitely thought there was a distinction between the characters we saw the most and the ones who would be considered “supporting”. I mean, everyone is good so if I don’t really go into detail about everyone, it’s kind of for a reason.

Don Cheadle as James “Rhodey” Rhodes / War Machine. The last time we saw him was in Civil War, where he was paralyzed. Tony creates an apparatus so he can walk again but it’s easy to tell that he’s a bit reluctant to put on his suit again after what happened. However, he also seems to be regretting the side he chose in Civil War, mostly since he was only on that side because he’s Tony’s best friend. I’m sure Tony feels responsible for his injury but they hardly interact in this movie, since Rhodey is with Steve most of the time. But I think he definitely is regretting things. Cheadle is fine as always, he has a commanding presence as Rhodey but I don’t think he has a lot to do in the film.
Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa / Black Panther. Picks up right after his movie, he’s the king of Wakanda. He’s housing Bucky Barnes, and Steve takes his team to Wakanda with the hope of Shuri being able to help remove the Mind Stone from Vision. T’Challa welcomes them and I think he and Steve could also have a great friendship. I also liked that while on Wakanda, everyone took the lead from him. Chadwick is great as always in this role. He’s regal, kingly, and he looks good while doing it lol.
Paul Bettany as Vision. He has the Mind Stone in his head so he’s definitely a target as well and important. He’s with Wanda and they’re attacked by Thanos’ lackeys for his stone. They fight but are overwhelmed, Steve, Sam and Natasha show up and Vision has definitely become way more human so he’s willing to sacrifice his life but Steve believes everyone can be saved. Vision is willing to do what he can to live, but at the same time, save the others. Paul Bettany is great as Vision because you can clearly see the conflict he’s feeling when it comes to wanting to be with Wanda but also not wanting to be a part of destroying the world. He’s really hopeful in this, he definitely doesn’t feel like an untouchable android.
Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch. I believe she is the youngest of Steve’s faction of Avengers. She can harness magic and she’s really powerful. I really hope they allow her even more to use her magic to its full ability because in the comics, Wanda can warp reality. But anyway, her goal is to save Vision without him dying because of love. I like Olsen in the role, I just wonder if they got rid of the accent because at times it was very faint and other times it definitely seemed like it was gone completely. She’s also great at emotional moments.
Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes. I LOVE Bucky, I just wish he was in these movies more but whatever. He’s been on Wakanda, living life, getting better and his hair’s all healthy and stuff lol. He’s the White Wolf lol. Once he’s told that he’s needed, he gets his new arm and gets right back in the fold. Sebastian Stan is also always good and he’s great as Bucky. Give him more to do!
Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson / Falcon. A member of Steve’s faction of Avengers, he doesn’t have much to do other than being a wingman (lol pun intended) and to fight from the air. I love Sam though and I hope he gets more to do later on.
Tom Hiddleston as Loki. He’s always great as Loki, so memorable and he has some great stuff right at the beginning. We’ve really seen Loki fluctuate through the last 10 years and I think he’s still an interesting character. Tom definitely understands him and made him not only a memorable and one of the MCU’s best villains, but also someone who can be a hero when he needs to be.
Zoe Saldana as Gamora. She is a Guardian but also Thanos’ daughter. We know that she has daddy issues period but this film really allows that to take shape in how she’s reacting to everything. Gamora knew this day would come and I think part of her hoped that he wouldn’t go through it, while the other part of her wants him to try to fail. Zoe Saldana had a lot of emotional moments in this movie and she does well. I really felt it.
Karen Gillan as Nebula. I guess she’s a member of the Guardians now, at least loosely lol. She is also an adopted daughter of Thanos but she doesn’t seem to be the favorite, or even one he truly cares about. However, her and Gamora have gotten closer thanks to Vol. 2 which Thanos exploits that relationship. I enjoy Nebula, she’s very entertaining and it’s interesting to see the opposite side of Thanos’ relationship with his daughters. I haven’t really seen Karen Gillan in anything but these movies, but I think Nebula is a bit sad in how her life seems to be, which works. Makes you feel bad for her even though she can have an attitude lol.
Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer. I normally find Drax annoying, however he was funny in this, I loved his “invisible” scene. It was really funny. He seeks vengeance against Thanos for killing his family. He can get a little “tunnel vision” because of that but his relationship with the other Guardians is great. They all have a great relationship period. Dave Bautista is fun when Drax isn’t being annoying.
Vin Diesel as Groot. Of course Groot is like a teenager in this film, so he has a bit of an attitude. His teeth even look like he has braces lol. Like you want to pop him for just the tone. He spends a lot of the time on a video game just so unbothered about everything happening around him, till he has to rise up and take initiative and it was so beautiful. Vin Diesel is still great as the voice. It’s fun watching him do behind the scenes of the voice and how he just does different things even if all Groot says is “I am Groot”.
Bradley Cooper as Rocket. A genetically engineered raccoon-based bounty hunter and mercenary, and is a master of weapons and battle tactics. I love Rocket, he’s my favorite of the Guardians and he decides, along with Groot, to travel with Thor and he gets to play Captain while Thor is thinking about the events at the beginning of the movie. Bradley Cooper is still great as the voice, he manages to put a lot of emotion into Rocket’s voice and Sean Gunn does great with his motion capture.
Chris Pratt as Peter Quill / Star-Lord. He is the leader of the Guardians. Quill starts off the movie with his group and they run into Thor. The Guardians split up among different missions and Quill goes through some things on his mission. He has to deal with what’s happening with Gamora and how she’s revealing things to him. He also does something really stupid that I’m still mad at him for. I don’t know if it was part of a plan or not, but still stupid. Chris Pratt is fine at Quill, I actually enjoyed seeing him bounce off of Downey Jr., Holland, and Cumberbatch. He also has good chemistry with Saldana.

The Villain. So Thanos gets his own section from our heroes because he deserves it. For a character that’s been teased for years and movies, I think he lives up to his hype. He’s threatening, he’s big, he’s scary and ironically he does have emotional moments. Thanos isn’t just trying to be a bad guy, in his mind, what he’s doing is for the good of the universe. I mean, it’s selfish because he think it’s his mission, he’s really doing it for himself. I think he’s a complicated villain. Josh Brolin does a great job with him as well. His movements and facial expressions for Thanos I thought were handled very well. Even though I HATE HIM, he’s fantastic.

I cried. So it’s emotional. I can’t say that everyone will cry, nor will you cry all at the same places of the movie. I think it depends on the person and on whether or you’re a crier. I’m a crier. However, I felt an array of emotions during this film. The first 20 minutes had me in my feelings, my friend had to constantly calm me down throughout the movie because I was so upset. Something else happened, I like that character so I was upset but I wasn’t like how I was in the first 20 minutes. Then… the big one, the ending. I know all about people’s contracts, and the movie lineup so it’s easy to sooth one’s feelings but in the emotions and turmoil of the movie, that stuff packs a wallop and I felt all of that. Upset. The theater was dead quiet, and I think I definitely heard sniffling, not just coming from me. After I see it again, and hopefully do a Spoiler Talk (those are so hard to do lol), I can go into more detail but everything they wanted me to feel, I felt it. I’m sure there will be people who will scoff at the emotions the movie wants you to feel, and that’s fine, but for me, I felt all of that. Anger, sadness, hope, confusion. All of it.

I laughed. I think Infinity War, has a great balance of humor and somber tones. It’s very funny which can’t helped considering the cast and the humorous characters. There will be a lot of laughter throughout and different kinds, so, if you don’t find Drax funny, which I normally don’t because he annoys me, you’ll see Peter Parker say or do something that is funny. It definitely varies from humor types and I loved that.

The Beautiful Visuals. Marvel Studios has been building up to this for ten years (Which I love the 10 in the Studios of their logo) and it definitely shows. Tony has a new suit and the way he uses it, it’s definitely his best suit yet. Also, Spider-Man’s Iron Spider suit, that thing was awesome, definitely reminiscent of that suit in the comics. There are a few parts where certain things happen, ugh spoilers lol, but there’s a scene on Knowhere that was pretty cool where the effects are used for Drax and Mantis and I was shocked because that was so different! Then of course I thought Thanos looked really good and real on-screen. There’s a really cool scene with Nebula, I mean it’s not cool for her, but it was cool to look at. Plus, the characters using their powers, or their weapons, or whatever, it’s all handled so well that you don’t get lost in who is doing what. You know it’s Steve running all super fast alongside Black Panther. Or that it’s Peter swinging around with his webs, or Doctor Strange using his sorcery to fight and warp dimensions. Sighs It’s so beautiful.

The use of Sounds/Music. What I mean by this is usually Marvel films start out with an upbeat, or some type of familiar music when the logo is on-screen. This movie starts out so ominous that it puts right into the head space of this film from the jump. I knew what I was getting myself into but I knew it was going to be a hard one. There are moments throughout where the music swells and you’re excited, or when you go to a location, for example Wakanda and drums are being played. Stuff like that. They’ve done so much world building that you know where you’re going when you hear the music. Plus, the music at the end… wow.

Cons:

The Story Narrative. So, I think the story was a bit weak. I mean, I get it. But it’s really just action moving forward more than the plot moving forward. Yes, the movie about our heroes saving the world from Thanos, while it’s also about Thanos, who probably can be considered the main character of the movie. We learn a lot about him, but it just feels like our heroes are just popping up, being introduced in the movie and teaming up. Compared to The Avengers, which I think has a more solid storyline, I think this movie kind of lacks a clear narrative. It’s not like it’s not there, I just think it’s weak. There’s so much being juggled that I think the story gets left behind, especially when we cut to different characters and what they’re doing.

Stakes. There were times where I was unsure what or who was going to happen, or whatever. They want you to feel like everyone is in danger, and while that’s true sometimes, I think it shies away from taking some bigger risks that it could have, and probably should have taken.

Overall, I loved this movie. My problems with it did not prevent me from enjoying it and having a great time watching it. I was very emotional from the beginning and remained in a heightened state of stress throughout the rest of the film. I think all of the characters we have come to know and love were all great in their own right. I do wish we got to see more of certain characters but there was a lot to cover and I think they did well. It was funny, the movie knew how to balance the humor with the emotion and I think the writing was handled in a mature way that didn’t make the humor seem juvenile. However, I did cry. It’s very emotional throughout the movie and the ending packs a wallop I think. I also loved the visuals, we got to revisit Wakanda which is just as beautiful (even though we didn’t see a lot of it) as it was in the movie, and all of the visuals were handled in a way that I’m sure would be great to see it in IMAX. Thanos was a great villain. He really came in and effed everything up which made me hate him, but I also liked him. I also think the way music was integrated in the film. It’s always important to have an engaging soundtrack and I think the movie does that. Plus, the way it took sound away so it was only the visuals, made me stress out even more. On the other hand, I did notice a few things, I thought the story was a bit weak and it just felt like a series of actions more than an actual plot flowing throughout the movie. The stakes are high but at the same time it doesn’t always feel organic. I think things would have been different if the ending was just a tad different, it might have been a bit more emotional. HOWEVER I love this movie and it destroyed me. I’m still upset about it now lol but it’s a great movie.

Rating: 4 out 5 stars.

Have you seen Avengers: Infinity War? What did you think about it? Let me know in the comments below and don’t forget to like and follow this blog for more reviews!

Black Lightning (2018) S1 TV Review

April 24, 2018April 24, 2018 ~ Alyxwrites ~ Leave a comment

black-lightning

Summary: High school principal Jefferson Pierce, who retired from his superhero persona Black Lightning nine years ago after seeing the effects it had on his family, is forced to become a vigilante again when the rise of the local gang called the 100 leads to increased crime and corruption in his community of Freeland.

There will be some spoilers ahead. I’m going to try to keep them minor because the show just ended.

Pros:

Cast and Characters.

Main Cast

Cress Williams as Jefferson Pierce / Black Lightning. Jefferson is a retired superhero with the ability to harness and manipulate electricity. He’s like a battery. He is the current principal at Garfield High School. Jefferson returns to fight crime after his daughters are kidnapped by a local gang. He immediately knows what he has to do and Jefferson will do whatever it takes to protect his family. Now, because he is a family man, he does protect his family but he considers his students to be his family as well. He’ll do whatever it takes to help them. He is stubborn, and can be a bit too determined sometimes but he always means well. Jefferson wants to protect his town from those who want to do it harm. Jefferson feels like a real person, it’s hard with superheroes sometimes, because they don’t feel human, like they don’t have human problems but Jefferson does. He has a family, even though he isn’t married to Lynn, he obviously still loves her and does whatever he can to protect her just as he does his daughters. He’s also very sad and angry about the death of his father and he even tries to take it upon himself to get revenge for it later in the season, but he’s never unreasonable. I like that about him. He gets his mind-set on something but he can still be talked down from it, it’s unpredictable, you’re not sure what he might do. Unpredictable. Cress Williams is fantastic as Jefferson. He’s also a beautiful man lol. He’s so… inspiring when he talks to his students but I also believe he’ll get you right.
China Anne McClain as Jennifer Pierce. Jefferson’s younger daughter, who is very independent, outspoken, smart and an athlete. She has a bit of a wild streak, but I think that was shown mostly in the first two episodes and then that kind of went away probably because of the kidnapping. She is a teenager so she does some teenagery like things, like wanting to go to the next step with her boyfriend, or being a bit of a smartass, and of course stealing her sister’s clothes. Jennifer in ways, reminds me of my younger sister (she’s in college now), but she loves her family even if they can be a bit hard on her. Jennifer gets her powers way late in the game, she shows that something might be different about her when she gets in a fight with this girl (who came at her) and she breaks her wrist. She has strong feelings for Khalil and even though he hurt her, she still loves him. When he comes back, she even is willing to see him but of course he comes back different. We finally see her gain her powers and she’s like a generator and I think she might be more powerful than her dad. I hope to see her use her powers more in the second season because I want to see some LIGHTNING! China Anne McClain is great, I’ve always enjoyed watching her, and she’s great as Jennifer. Her emotional scenes are definitely some of her strongest.
Nafessa Williams as Anissa Pierce / Thunder. Jefferson’s elder daughter who is in medical school and teaches part-time at Jefferson’s school. Anissa learns about her powers early on, she has the ability to manipulate her density, allowing herself to have superhuman strength and near invulnerability. She can also create powerful shock waves in which she can do that THUNDER CLAP!! She also has a rapid healing factor. She starts off fighting crime alone as Thunder because she thought she was alone in it (not knowing who BL was yet) but she eventually learns it’s her father and they become a team because she would keep doing it without him. Anissa is strong, determined, very stubborn and will do things her own way, especially in the beginning. We do see her grow to make more mature decisions on how things are handled which is great. Anissa also is bold in everything she does, from her hair to her clothes… I love her. She had a girlfriend in the beginning but she wasn’t feeling it, which I’ve noticed, if she’s not feeling it, then she’s not in it. She does meet Grace, later on, we’ll see what happens with that later on. Nafeesa Williams is great! She has great chemistry with everyone around her. She is strong and she answered my Twitter questions which was awesome. I love how she does the deep breath to allow her powers to do their thing. I also love her hair, I have hair envy every time she’s on-screen. Killing the game.
Christine Adams as Lynn Stewart. A neuroscientist at Bowman College and Jefferson’s ex-wife. Lynn is kind, loving but she will not take your crap. She will lay you out as well. Lynn still loves Jefferson and she of course loves her daughters, she is very much involved in everyone’s lives. She is intelligent and while she may not have powers (I think they should give her some lol), she is a strong part of the family by being the human backbone. She’s watched Jefferson be a hero for years, and now she has to see it again, with her daughters being caught in the mix. She doesn’t like it, but she has to accept it because it’s the reality of the situation. I also love the fact that she knows her family enough that she knows when something is wrong, but she doesn’t pry. Christine Adams is great! Whenever she’s being sassy, I’m like YASSS and whenever she is letting someone have it, I’m like YASSS! I also love her mother/daughter scenes with her girls, and her passionate scenes with Cress Williams.

Main Supporting Characters.

Marvin “Krondon” Jones III as Tobias Whale. A former politician who rose through the ranks of local government through corruption but was brought down by Jefferson’s father, Alvin. Tobias was exiled after killing Alvin but he became the leader of the 100. He also gets involved with the A.S.A in hopes of capturing and studying Black Lightning, but Tobias just wants him out the way. Tobias is an interesting character. He’s Albino and he definitely seems to hate black people, or at least the “typical black person”, whatever that means. He does have some great monologues though. He is super strong, seems to be aging slowly and has extreme anger issues. He trusts very few people, like his sister Tori and Syonide. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants. He’ll take everyone out. Krondon Jones is great! He’s a scary dude and his voice is awesome. I believe he’s gonna take over Freeland, and I also believe he could kill Black Lightning if he’s not careful. Dude can mean mug like nobodies business.
Damon Gupton as Billy Henderson. A veteran detective inspector with the police, he’s friends with Jefferson and I think he was an ally to Black Lightning previously. While he may help BL, he’s still a detective and he doesn’t care for vigilantism. However, he does his part because he sees that cops are corrupt. I like him, he can be a bit annoying but I think he’s a good man and I hope nothing happens to him in the future but I kind of feel like something will. Damon Gupton is fine in the role, he’s a nice guy and he doesn’t make me want to punch him so that’s good lol.
James Remar as Peter Gambi. Jefferson’s oldest friend who became a father figure and mentor to him and works as his “tailor” while having connections with Lady Eve. His real name is Peter Esposito and was a former member of the A.S.A. until he turned against the organization and gave information to Alvin Pierce, resulting in his murder.

Reoccurring Supporting Characters.

Skye P. Marshall as Kara Fowdy. She is Garfield High’s vice-principal. In the beginning, it’s easy to tell that she has a crush on Jefferson and that sometimes she tries to hard. She isn’t a major character but it’s imperative that viewers pay attention to her because we learn something about her later on, that I totally saw coming and it makes sense. However, she does seem to feel remorseful about her decisions but ya know, once you get in too deep, it’s hard to get back out. Kara Fowdy does well in her role, I’m curious to see if we see more of her in the second season.
William Catlett as Latavius “Lala” Johnson (mild spoilers). A member of the 100 who is in charge of the Seahorse Motel that 100 use as a front for their prostitution ring. I think he also does a bit of drug dealing. Lala used to be a student at Garfield High, so Jefferson feels a little responsibility for him in that he could get through to him but Lala has his “empire” and he’s not going to give that up. Something happens to him that when he shows back up in the show, something is definitely up with him and you have no idea what’s going on. It’s a bit weird but at the same time, it’s dope. He starts to show some changes himself. One of those changes is that he starts seeing the ghosts and these ghosts leave markings on his body. It’s really cool to be honest. He has some great scenes in the latter half of the season. William Catlett does a great job at making you really dislike Lala (his nickname is also stupid, I can’t always take him seriously) but later on, as things are discovered, he makes you really feel bad for him too.
Charlbi Dean as Syonide. Tobias Whale’s henchwoman and enforcer. She doesn’t say much but she will kill you with a look and she’s a bit scary. She has a great fight scene with Thunder and we really get to see her physical prowess as a fighter. She also talked in the season finale and I was like “Oh! She talks… weird.” Like she had full on sentences, when usually she just looks, smirks and threatens. Charlbi Dean is fine in the role, she manages to make me feel unsettled by her looks.
Jordan Calloway as Khalil Payne (mild spoilers). He is a track star at Garfield High and dating Jennifer. He is on the road to becoming something great with track. He has a great scene with Jefferson when Jennifer tells her parents that she might be ready to take the next step with Khalil. He’s sweet, a bit awkward and hopeful. He goes on a march with some residents in Freeland and he gets shot which paralyzes him from the waist down. Him losing the use of his legs, depresses him and he gets really moody and even treats Jennifer wrongly. I feel bad for him honestly, especially since his depression leaves him wide open for negative persuasion. He disappears for a while and when he comes back, things are definitely different. It’s a little jarring at first, mostly the appearance but it grew on me and I’m definitely interested to see what happens with him in the second season, I hope he becomes more prominent because he’s interesting. Jordan Calloway is not only *swoons* but he does a great job at playing the many faces of Khalil we’ve seen. The sad part of him, the mean part (though I’ve seen him be mean in Riverdale lol), and the part that he is currently.
Jill Scott as Evelyn Stillwater-Ferguson / Lady Eve. The owner of a funeral parlor who connects Tobias Whale with a secret group of corrupt leaders that gave him leadership over the 100. She is AHMAZING! She has some kind of control that allows her to be like this big boss in Freeland, but everyone also loves her. I can’t help but wonder how she looks and acts outside of her little corrupt group because the fact that people love her, and aren’t suspicious of her makes me wonder. Jill Scott is always a win and she killed it in the times we saw Lady Eve, every bit of line delivery was her just chewing it up.

Strong Family Dynamic. So Jefferson and Lynn are divorced but they have a working relationship that allows their daughters to still have that parent connection even though Lynn doesn’t live with them. They have Friday dinners where they all come together and eat dinner together and most times Lynn is there helping Jefferson prepare the dinner. Lynn and Jefferson also still have amazing chemistry and it’s easy to tell that they are still in love with each other, even though they divorced because Lynn couldn’t handle him being a superhero (the getting hurt part, not the saving part). But she obviously still cares for him. I also love how they are with Anissa and Jennifer. I think Anissa is in her early 20’s and Jen is 17-18 and they aren’t treated like children but in a mature way. They want to protect their girls but they also understand that they’re getting older and they must make their own choices. Nafeesa and China also have great sisterly chemistry, they feel like they’re sisters and I love their dynamic, especially in the beginning when Jen would steal Anissa’s clothes or when Jefferson and Anissa were being all weird and Jen knew something was up. I loved that they know each other so well that they know when something is wrong. I love the Pierce family. I also love how they look related, Anissa looks like Lynn and Jennifer looks like Jefferson, it’s really good casting.

Great Villains. The show has a main villain in Tobias Whale but we’ve seen a lot of people who are villainous in the show. They’re all great. Lala, Lady Eve, Tobias and Proctor are all very different villains, with different ways of going about their agendas but they’re all memorable. A lot of that is definitely the performances of these actors and how they deliver the dialogue. I can’t wait to see what Tobias does in the second season.

The Soundtrack. Now, I don’t always pay attention to the music in TV shows because I just don’t think about it. Unless it doesn’t go with the scene. But I think Blake Neely is the composer for the CW superhero shows, or probably all of the CW shows, and while the music is fine, it usually all sounds the same. Black Lightning’s soundtrack stands out because the music not only fits the show, fits the scenes, but it feels steeped in black culture. Kurt Farquhar is the composer for BL and the songs they choose for scenes, especially emotional and action scenes are so good. For example, in the season finale, they played “Stairway to Heaven” by the O’Jays, during an emotional scene with Jefferson and I teared up. Take a gander for yourself. There is a link below that has the music for each episode in Season 1. I really wish the CW would do what they used to where they would tell us who the artists and the songs were after each episode. GET BACK ON IT!! I would love that.

https://www.tunefind.com/show/black-lightning/season-1

Get Ready for the Thunder and Lightning! The action in this show is so cool to behold. First of all, whatever Anissa does as Thunder is freaking awesome. Watching her use her powers, especially when she becomes bullet proof (Look there is nothing like seeing black people be bullet proof), and she can just walk through a rain shower of bullets… or how she does her thunder-clap. I love it. Also, when she fights alongside her father, they work so well together AND AND AND he did this awesome thing where he made stairs out of lightning and Anissa uses them to go up before coming down and doing like a Thunder stomp or something. Oh man, it was so awesome. The season finale was also great, Jennifer did this great move where she uses her powers and like body slam this dude and just her whole move was great. Also, Thunder and Black Lightning squared off in a fist fight as well and that was pretty cool too.

The Messages/The Story. I think because it’s only 13 episodes, the first season had the ability to be more intimate and focus on the characters more (which I think is part of Riverdale‘s season 2 problem). We really got to know the Pierce family and our villains. We really got to see what makes them tick and we’re learning more about them in each episode. The story is realistic in that it’s not centered around a young hero making choices that people constantly judge for being stupid (looking at you Barry and Oliver). But it’s about a man, who was already in his prime, whose lived that life and returned to it to save his family. I like that. I also love that it’s focusing on a black family that isn’t in pieces, even though Lynn and Jefferson aren’t together, they’re still a unit. That’s positive. I also love how they are showcasing things that black people go through, just in the guise of a superhero show. I can imagine this might be hard for some people, especially if you only want to see superheros superheroing but it’s set in the real world, so I think that’s legit. I mean, drugs, relationships, gangs, gun violence, police brutality… all of that is real and I think so far they’ve handled it well, for the most part.

Not part of the Arrowverse. While this is a CW show, it’s not in the arrowverse, at least not yet, and I kind of hope it stays separate. It has a more mature and serious tone compared to the other shows, and I want it to stay in its own bubble because I really don’t want to see Oliver Queen try to tell Jefferson Piece what to do and how to do it. Nor do I want to see Felicity try to be nerd friends with Lynn. I just… don’t want it. Now, if somehow Iris could meet Anissa and become best friends, I’m down with that lol, but that’s it. I like how different it feels compared to the other shows. I like that it’s more serious and family oriented (some of the other shows kind of had that going for a while, but it’s been lost I think). I don’t want any type of Damien Darkh-like nonsense to seep into Black Lightning, it has it’s down magic and science thing going on… let it stay that way.

The Serious/Mature Tone. It definitely takes some risks, the show handles a lot of material that I can imagine some people find a bit too heavy-handed, or they feel like it’s “invading” their show because they just want to watch a superhero show. I understand that, but I think not expecting a show to tackle current issues, or to even talk about them at all is a bit ignorant. They’re not all just fiction, a lot of their stories deal with reality. A black superhero is still a black person, they still have to live as a black person. I like that about Black Lightning. I like that. I also like that it handles a strong family dynamic. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, I mean it does, but it doesn’t try to be all dark like how Arrow feels like it’s trying to do now.

Cons:

The Theme Song. I just want them to choose a new song. I don’t really care for it. It’s very… juvenile compared to the mature feeling of the show and how they use some of the other songs throughout. Let’s upgrade the theme song!

The Costumes. So I have a love/hate relationship with Black Lightning and Thunder’s costumes which is why it’s here and not in the “pros”. So Jefferson’s suit, is like a suit of armor, it’s bulletproof and it has lightning bolts down the front and they’re yellow and blue as shown below.

I don’t really like his suit, it looks kind of weird to me, it also fits him weird. I also do not like the yellow on his suit. Jefferson’s lightning is blue and I think his suit should just have a blue and maybe a kind of white going on, since lightning isn’t yellow. Or at least have the yellow only be the outline and not be so prominent.

Like how it is on this picture to the left. It’s there but it’s not so big and bulky looking. I definitely don’t want spandex because that doesn’t translate, but maybe something that looks more workable.

As for Anissa’s suit, in the beginning she went thrift shopping and found something to make work for a while. Then when she started working with her dad, Gambi made her suit and while I think she wears it very well and it does look good overall, there’s something about it I don’t really like. I think it’s the neck/collarbone part.

The picture on the left is the outfit she had at first, and while it’s cute, she looks like she’s trying to be Beyoncé in a spandex outfit but it’s not feasible for crime fighting which I think becomes evident when she first fights Black Lightning. Now, her official costume, the one on the right, I think looks good overall. I like the color and I like how it fits, but the little part above her chest plate, I think looks too big when she’s moving in it. It seems loose. Otherwise, I like it.

This is from an animated show and the comics, and I kind of like this look better. I definitely see the inspiration, but the one on the left, in terms of the top, I think looks better. Don’t get me wrong, I like realistic looking superhero uniforms, but I don’t think “realistic” means “unflattering” either. I can’t seem to find it but they showed a look at his old costume and I remember liking that one way more.

Heavy Handed. I don’t think this happens all the time but there are times where it feels like they’re trying to really hammer in some messages and they don’t really have to make it feel preachy. It only happens a few times, but those times do happen and I’m like “Okay, we get it, less is more.” I like the fact that it focuses on things that minorities, especially black people go through, but I do think, for a superhero show, it could fall into that thing that Luke Cage fell into where it hits a glass ceiling because it comes on too strong. This may seem like I’m contradicting myself from my earlier comment but I think I would be remiss to ignore that I have thought that.

Dumb Choices. There aren’t many but I hate, and it burns my grits every time, but I hate it when characters go and investigate stuff and DON’T WEAR GLOVES!!! You are searching for things, YOU SHOULD BE WEARING GLOVES! Ugh I drives me insane. Black Lightning was framed for a murder and Jefferson and Anissa are just running around all willy nilly, breaking into places and just touching stuff. sighs Also, Lynn is a neuroscientist, there are too many times where she’s doing science stuff with other people around, or she’s talking to her family in her lab like people can’t hear them. sighs There was a scene in a hospital I think, where Anissa and Jefferson or Lynn and Jefferson were talking but they were just casually walking down the hallway… I’m like “really y’all? It’s a secret!” sighs stuff like that man. They should really think about that.

Overall, I love Black Lightning. It’s probably my favorite of the CW shows right now. It felt fresh compared to the others, which I guess would happen since those have been on for a few years now. I just loved the family dynamic, I think that is definitely the strength of the show. Not to mention, I think all of the actors do a great job, it’s not always the best, but I think it’s overall good. I like the Pierce family and I like the villains. I think the music is used in a fantastic way in the show. It really amplifies the show and makes it feel so different. The action is handled very well, Anissa and Jefferson work very well together and I can’t wait to see them handle the villains even more in the second season. I love how they handled a lot of the messages, such as gang violence, drugs, police brutality, family issues, identity among many things. I don’t think it handles anything negatively but I can understand if people feel like it’s too heavy-handed and I can agree in some places. I also like that it’s not part of the Arrowverse, I hope that it stays that way. Now, I don’t really like BL’s costume and there are parts of Thunder’s that I don’t care for and I definitely think characters make some really dumb choices. HOWEVER! I loved this show! Second season whoooo!!

Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars.

Have you seen Black Lightning? What do you think about it? Are you interested in it at all? Let me know your thoughts down below!

There’s a spoiler below… don’t read any further if you haven’t seen the show or at least haven’t finished it.

So in the finale, Lala died, at least I think he died. He seemed to have been blown up, in that Tobias winter soldiered him and made him have a grenade or something inside of him that made him choke up the little pull thing. I don’t know but it was weird. I thought it was weird, how Lala seemed to be the big bad but I knew Tobias was going to be probably the biggest baddie, but then Lady Eve seemed to be even worse than him… then we have the A.S.A. So, I just hope we don’t villain hop anymore because while I definitely think Tobias is the biggest threat for now. I am curious though, is he going to be taken down in the second season and if so, who’s going to top him? They killed Lala, they killed Lady Eve and Proctor (the lead dude of the A.S.A) is dead now, so… I’m curious to see what happens next.

Annihilation (2018) Movie Review

April 17, 2018 ~ Alyxwrites ~ Leave a comment

annihilation

Summary: A biologist signs up for a dangerous, secret expedition where the laws of nature don’t apply.

Pros:

Cast and Characters.

Natalie Portman as Lena. She is a biologist and former soldier, Kane’s wife. It’s been some time since Kane went on his mission and Lena has dealt with his absence in a quiet torturous kind of way. She keeps to herself, she always seems sad and when he returns, she takes it upon herself, after she’s taken to the facility, to find out what happened to him. Throughout the movie, we see her think quick on her feet, use her military background to make tough and smart choices and we see her use her biologist brain to learn about The Shimmer. I think Lena is an interesting character in that she’s kind of quiet, and you’re not sure if you like her or not, but she’s a survivor and usually those types of characters can be a hit or miss and I think because Natalie Portman is likable, she keeps Lena likable. I thought Portman was really strong in this movie and share carries it very well. The action she had to do was cool, the emotions she conveyed I felt. I mean, I think she’s always good.
Jennifer Jason Leigh as Dr. Ventress. She is a psychologist and the leader of the expedition. She’s weird but she has her own agenda for leading the expedition. She’s also quiet, similar to Lena but you definitely don’t really trust her and what she might do. She seems really harmless but I would never let my guard down around her. We learn things about her,that reveal her reasoning and it begins to make sense. I don’t think I’ve really seen Jennifer Jason Leigh in much (outside of A Single White Female and I don’t know if I saw the entire film) but she has this uncanny ability to be very unsettling and she has a great scene at the end of the film.
Gina Rodriguez as Anya Thorensen. She’s a paramedic who goes on the mission because she’s one of the few who doesn’t have anything to lose. Anya is the cool one, who seems always up for anything, but she’s strong. She tries to protect her team, mostly Josie as she seems like the youngest and Cass. Anya is the first one to show being affected by their time in The Shimmer and it’s interesting to see that development. She has some pretty badass moments too. I’ve never seen Gina Rodriguez in anything, but she seems really likable and she is. This character I think is likable because she’s the tough one, but Gina really gives her some humanity and when we see the decay… she plays that really well.
Tessa Thompson as Josie Radek. She’s a physicist and I think the youngest of the group. At least it seems that way, everyone is very protective of her. We learn a few things about her too along the way, and I can’t help but to feel protective of her as well. I think Tessa Thompson does a good job making her characters stand out by being someone you root for even if she isn’t the lead. Josie is smart, but it’s easy to see that what she sees in The Shimmer unsettle her and she just wants to learn and understand. She also has a badass moment.
Tuva Novotny as Cass Sheppard. Cass is a surveyor and geologist. She seems like she’s the oldest of the group Lena meets. She, like the other women has a sad past, she’s at the site as a way of escaping just like the others. She is the one who reveals back story information to Lena. She was cool and though I’ve never seen the actress in anything before, I thought she was able to be this person who felt like she’s seen a lot.
Oscar Isaac as Kane, Lena’s husband and a soldier in a previous expedition. I love Oscar Isaac, no matter what he does, he’s such a great actor. When we first see him, he seems strange, like something is off about him which makes you want to know how he managed to make it out from the Shimmer. In the present, he spends a lot of the movie in a coma, but we do get to see flashbacks, as well as video footage of him inside the Shimmer. He’s always great and he always finds the balance of being a bit off and being the kind of guy who is adventurous and curious as he seems to be in the flashbacks.

Visuals. I think one of the best things about this movie is the visuals. It’s very beautiful in a lot of ways. It has some scary and gross imagery, and with me being a punk for nasty looking stuff, its gross. but a lot of it is also very beautiful. There is a scene where the group goes to this small town looking place, and you see these flower statue things and it was really weird but beautiful. Not to mention, what happened to Josie was handled really pretty. BUT like I said, the scary imagery, for me was definitely freaky.

The Soundtrack. I thought the music was handled really well. Especially in scenes of exploration, it had this kind of serene feel to it but at the same time, it was alien. There were times where the music overpowered the movie, where it was really loud, I don’t know if that was on purpose, but it definitely made me react to certain things in ways that I might not have without the music. Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow did a good job with the music.

Thought Provoking. This is the kind of movie that would leave people talking afterwards. Some will not like it, some will and some will see the depth of the story and create their own theories and ideas of the ending especially. I think that’s the making of an interesting movie in any aspect. My friends and I were definitely talking about the ending and what we thought it meant. We also chatted about what was really going on and what the aim was with The Shimmer. It was so interesting

Danger is Real. Inside The Shimmer is creepy okay. There were a lot of beautiful things that were evolved from things we know into something else but there were also some dangerous things that became even more dangerous. There are two scenes in particular that deal with the same thing that had me on edge. Between the acting, the visuals and the music/sound… it was so heightened.

The Lighthouse. Just the entire scene in the lighthouse is amazing. All of it. Probably my favorite sequence in the entire film.

Cons:

The Story. Now, I’m not the type of person to tell someone “Oh you just didn’t get it” because I think that’s condescending. Now, I may ask questions to get your thoughts on something but I will never say those other words. But, I do think the movie tries too hard to be… different that in ways it just feels like a giant question mark. Maybe that’s the point but it’s also really frustrating. Answers are not given and I think the movie thinks it’s giving answers, but instead it’s just vague and cryptic.

Boring/Starts off Slow. I do think this movie is really boring in the beginning. I like set up, I like to see characters in their natural element before they are suddenly put in a situation that it nothing they’re used to, but I still want to be interested in their life before. I don’t think the movie picks up until they go into The Shimmer. Everything before that, was really boring, really slow and while I was curious to see what was going to happen, I didn’t really care. If you like action and adventure, while this movie has that, that’s not the focus. Especially at the beginning.

The Flashbacks. Throughout the movie, we got these little flashback scenes of Lena and another man. Without going into detail, when we first saw it, I went “huh?” and when they showed it again, I kind of rolled my eyes. I get why it was there, it showed a bit more into Lena’s reasons BUT I don’t think we needed to see it. Honestly, the moment at the beginning was enough for a viewer to infer what might have happened.

Overall, I enjoyed watching Annihilation, I think it’s an interesting movie that I’m sure people will either love or hate, I don’t know how much middle ground there’ll be. I liked it. My friends and I did talk about it afterwards, with our own theories, and I even asked a coworker who read the book, some questions but after that, I moved on. I’m sure some people will talk about it for ages. The acting was very good, the characters were interesting and I’m curious to see what happened after the end, I hope there’ll be a sequel. The visuals were stunning and I bet seeing this movie in IMAX would be beneficial for the sight of it alone. I thought the music really helped set the atmosphere for the film, especially when in the Shimmer. The danger felt real. Also, the lighthouse, the entire scene was amazing. However, I do think the story is confusing on some levels, mostly because it leaves a lot of things open-ended, or open to interpretation, it’s hard to really get what the movie is saying. I think it’s talking about evolution in a lot of ways, testing the strength of a person but the journey to get there is a question mark at times. I also think it starts off slow and gets a bit boring as the pacing slows down. Lastly, the flashbacks of Lena and the other man, I felt were unnecessary. It just padded the film more. Overall, I liked Annihilation.

Rating: 3.4 out of 5 stars.

I read that the studio wanted this movie to go on Netflix. After watching it, I can see why they would want that, it does feel like it could have been an awesome Netflix movie but I think it’s worth seeing in the theaters… if it’s still in the theaters. This review is overdue lol.

But have you seen Annihilation? Do you think it should have been a Netflix film?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments and don’t forget to like and follow this blog.

Summary: Foul-mouthed mutant mercenary Wade Wilson (AKA. Deadpool), brings together a team of fellow mutant rogues to protect a young boy of supernatural abilities from the brutal, time-traveling mutant, Cable.

Pros:

Cast and Characters.

Supporting Characters.

T.J. Miller as Weasel. He is Wade’s best friend and owns the bar that apparently all of the mercenaries frequent. He doesn’t really do much but he’s funny and makes jokes and has great comedic chemistry with Ryan Reynolds.

Cameos. There are some great cameos in the film. There is one in the X-mansion when Deadpool is in there talking to Colossus. There is also an extended cameo in the end with a well known character that was pretty cool to see and to see them done correctly.

Cons:

Enjoy the moment. I know with a comedy, it’s hard to let moments just be moments but I wish that when there’s an emotional part, just let it be emotional. You don’t have to make jokes, just let it happen and more than likely, I’ll actually feel something other than annoyance.

Wasted Characters. There were some characters introduced in the movie just for laughs, which is fine, but I was expecting to see way more of the X-men characters we saw from the first movie. I was a little miffed that they were just glorified cameos.

Rating: 3.7 out of 5 stars.

Have you seen Deadpool 2 yet? What did you think about it? Please comment and let me know your thoughts.

Thank you for reading and please be sure to follow this blog for more movie reviews!

So who remembers this guy? I’m sure a lot of you do because he was a big part of our childhood television experience.

HE IS NOT RELATED TO BLACK LIGHTNING IN ANY WAY.

Why It Should Be A Live Action TV Show

The Characters

My Casting

So obviously this is my opinion of who should play some of the key roles in the show. It would be fantastic if they hired unknowns, especially for Virgil and Richie but since I’m not a casting agent, these are my picks after doing some extensive research.

Nadji Jeter as Virgil Hawkins/Static

Other Choices:

Skyler Gisando as Richie Foley/Gear

Kevin Michael Richardson as Robert Hawkins

He did the voice on the show. Enuff said.

Shanice Williams as Sharon Hawkins

Stephan James as Adam Evans/Rubber-Band Man

Kofi Siriboe as Ivan Evans/Ebon

Daryl Sabara as Francis Stone/Hotstreak

Becky G as Frieda Goren

Other Choices:

Jessica Sula as Daisy Watkins

The Romance

The Action/Powers

Amplified Electrical Aura

Electromagnetism

Electromagnetic bolts

Electromagnetic force fields

Flight via Electromagnetic levitation

Static Cling

Taser Punch

Ball Lightning

Technology Manipulation

Nova Burst

Electromagnetic pulse

Radiowave auditory

As for Richie, since all of his stuff is technology, all of that is pretty simple. Backpack would probably be the most difficult considering how it does everything lol. But it would be cool!

The Music

Mature Storylines

The Heart

Overall

Look, I’ll write it lol.

Let me know your thoughts down below on Static Shock becoming a Live Action TV show. Who would you cast in these roles?

Thanks for reading and don’t forget to like and follow this blog for more!

Summary: A new take on the story of the Monkey King, Pigsy, Sandy and Tripitaka the monk, on their journey to restore the world.

Don’t cancel this show.

Pros:

Chai Hansen as Monkey.

Luciane Buchanan as Tripitaka.

Josh Thomson as Pigsy.

Emilie Cocquerel as Sandy.

Supporting Characters. We meet a lot of characters throughout the ten episodes. There are a few that we see more than others, that have more to do than others.

Jarred Blakiston as Font Demon.

Josh McKenzie as Davari. I don’t want to spoil anything, I kind of guessed his role but he is Monkey’s old friend from back in the day. He manages to have a lot of influence over Monkey, he’s like that hype man who doesn’t always hype for good reasons lol. I enjoyed him though lol.