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LIKES: Great Cinematography Cuts Through the Intro Fat Lots Of Characters Decent Performances At Times Funny Feels Like A Fresher Adventure Keeps to character Elements... Sort Of The Music Is Amazing The Action Scenes Pop Still Character Development Those Moments It Comes Together Entertaining Summary: DC has always been the more stylish movie when it comes to cinema work, potentially due to the darker undertones and worlds the universe creates. Superman plays well in the movie, blending dark and light into a film that feels like a comic book come to life, and is worth the investment they made. Stunning shots with a dynamic camera unfold, bringing the full splendor of the moment, finding just the right angles to capture the emotion, and best of all, with a stable camera. The CGI is respectful, various elements obviously fake, but so much of the film feels believable with fluid animation that doesn't look out of place like other films have taken shortcuts in the interest of time and money. Gunn keeps the sound effects popping, making the theater rumble with varying degrees of Hollywood magic that makes all the chaos that much more exciting. And the music, wow, I love Gunn's passion for finding an obscure mix of memorable songs that seem crafted for that scene with such perfection, be it a rock song for action, to a symphony smash for those heroic candid shots we love in a superhero film. Superman's latest film has several picture-perfect elements where all these elements come together, especially the ones with words of wisdom or inspiration that play to the legacy Superman has brought for decades.

In regards to the content, I enjoyed this particular film more than the last attempts at Superman. Gunn shifted his comic and movie focus to feel a bit more towards the classical, with dark and light elements mixing well to give me something that moved. Snyder's work certainly has the heavier elements that explore many facets of the human psyche and spirit, but this one feels more like an engaging movie. He sticks closer to the characteristics of Superman at this stage, alongside making many characters that feel in line with their counterparts that the New 52 has emphasized in their writing. Other characters make their introduction into this film, several I was not expecting to get the attention they did, but Gunn has taken his lessons from the MCU and has given more opportunities to get some spinoffs with characters we don't normally see. Mr. Terrific was my favorite, his character holding a lot more than I anticipated as comedy, story, and attitude culminate in a fresher entry that doesn't steal the show too much, and plays nicely with the content. Character development follows suit for many, moral qualities put under the microscope in this visual essay about heroism in the modern century, alongside this strategic chess game of big characters facing off in a convoluted tale of politics. This Superman tale has a lot of layers to it, and I'm glad we have veered from the origin story to instead get a fresher tale that feels familiar, but different enough to pursue. And even better, the action and comedy were much more my speed, with plenty of well-timed laughs that take on a variety of styles, again, Mr. Terrific and Krypto were my styles in this film, but I think you'll find other schticks to enjoy. And the action delivers the hammer with powerful blows, new moves, and strategies that are both ridiculous and comic-worthy as Superman is pushed to extremes. And helping guide many of these qualities are the cast, a cavalcade of actors that I feel are a mixed bag of tricks in terms of matching various elements of the DC crew, but still have good chemistry in the grand scheme of it all.

DISLIKES: A Bit Fast At Times Gets A Bit Preachy Lots Crammed Into One Movie Some Characters Get The Shaft Not Liking Some Of The Direction Boring/Bloated At Times Comedy Might Get A Bit In The Way/Much Summary: As good and entertaining as the pace is, Gunn's Superman is a tad on the fast side at times and feels like things get shortsighted or skimped to cram it all in. Several of the characters get uneven treatment, Green Lantern and Hawkgirl feeling the most underutilized of the group, despite some of their great moments. I get that this is merely a launch point, but with Mr. Terrific getting such grand treatment, I had hoped for a little more with the others, even if it required a bit more time. The various plot elements are all layered well into the movie, but it's a lot to handle, and it feels very much like a middle movie that introduces things, but seems like you might require some background research if you have no idea about the Man of Steel. What's ironic is that there were times the movie felt like a slog, especially at the beginning, as they try to set a few elements up that should have been streamlined a bit more, given what they did with the origin story. I don't hate it, and I felt there were better utilities for the time. In addition, some of the directions for characters felt a bit uneven, or not paired well as I thought they would. Primarily for Lex Luthor, Hoult has the menace and obsession with megalomania, but just doesn't have the same gravity and suave candor that other performances have brought. As for the action, I liked a lot of it, but I do feel there was some more time to help give some more pizazz, and not feel like it was one and one move. This gets better as the movie progresses, but I was surprised at the simplicity after the awesome scenes he has made with the Guardians. The more serious elements also get a tad preachy and cheesy for my tastes, a few lines getting a bit more of that in your face, political moments that feel noble, relevant, but a bit teenager-focused than some of the other lines. And finally, it wouldn't be a Gunn movie without the comedy sometimes getting in the way of things, a few moments getting a tad too divergent with a running joke, or perhaps a tad too aggressive with the cursing that little ears may not need to hear.

The VERDICT: Superman's return to the big screen was much better than I had been expecting it to be, given the turmoil on the Internet. Gunn's goals for making entertainment assist with alleviating the foreboding weight of the DC elements, instilling fun, flash, and hope amidst the darker qualities of the eccentric characters who test the Man of Steel. I loved the cinematography and audio combinations, making the film gorgeous to watch in theaters, especially during those key moments of heroism and action that this universe needed some touching up on. Plot-wise, Gunn sticks to the qualities of the comic book better than the first version and brings most of the characters to adequate or good use to get this universe further off the ground. Sure, there are some overkills with the comedy, and the action could use some more coordination and time for several of the key battles to have their full effects. I also feel that there is a lot in this movie, so all the arcs, stories, and characters feel a tad imbalanced at times, but overall acceptable with everything this film is trying to accomplish. In the end of it all, I do find this a worthy addition to the theater lineup, a fun, entertaining opening to the new cinematic universe, and worthy of being a theater watch for all the presentation and plot elements. My scores for this film are: Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi/superhero: 8.0-8.5 Movie Overall: 7.5.

LIKES: Beautiful Settings/Cinematography CGI is Mostly Decent Some Great Dinosaur Moments New Dinosaurs That Have Some Heart Good Comedic Moments Merchandising is Cute Moves Pretty Well Helps Tie Up Loose Ends Messages Are Deep Acting's Okay Fantastic Sound Editing/Musical Score Summary: I'll give Jurassic World one thing: they can continue to make a setting come to life and feel organic, as if we are coasting in the oceans toward the deserted islands. Rebirth continues the trend and returns somewhat to the environmental onslaught that poses as much danger as the creatures that roam about it. CGI and set pieces work in tandem well, the particular recreation full of immaculate detail that the cinematography awakens with dynamic shots, moving edits, and a finesse that Jurassic World executes well. Even the dinosaurs have got more movement, the fluidity of these gargantuan beasts is better than ever, with much more movement demands than when the Park series started so long ago. True, I miss the textures and sheen that the animatronics brought, but this worked most of the time for dinosaur designs and animation. Especially when they get to the exciting elements that Jurassic Park is known for, dinosaur rampages against the humans who brought them to life. The water scene in particular was my favorite, the most dinosaur-like moment that had that balance of human, beast, and excitement I hoped would carry throughout the film. Those moments are what make this series for me, and in the new age of CGI, it adds a little more splendor than some of the older installments did. These new dinosaurs also have a bit more personality to them, a little change to the usual DNA design of the classic reptilian form, and some that hold a menacing design that only humans could thread into an already imposing structure. Some of these beasts have a different level of heart, that touch of human undertones that pull your heartstrings at the beauty, or in the case of a cute mini creature, lots of laughs that will serve well to generate money. Alongside the visuals comes a great soundtrack laden with the powerful orchestral work of John Williams' classic work, and a few other bits that fit in and often stem from the works to give a musical overture that fits perfectly in the theater setting. The sound effects, as well, were great for me, the sound lab accomplishing much to make these monsters emanate their sounds to make their revival come full circle.

As for the rest of the movie, the film has an okay story that follows the classic infrastructure of how our band of humans winds up on the island cordoned off by the government. It ties up the loose ends (mostly) of the previous mishaps, while setting the stage for future adventures with some ambiguous elements to offer more stories to tell. There are some deep messages amid the adventure components, character development that has its moments of layering, some of which should resonate with the modern generation. Such statements are bold and serve as a reminder of things needing reminding. Fortunately, the film can keep things moving, the comedic moments more frequent to keep things fun, happier, which is a welcome change (to a point) from the last two set on what bordered on CGI-animal cruelty. Acting-wise, the movie accomplishes what it needs to, adapting the new age of this film series with over-the-top characters who seem to have one compass, sarcastic as hell, and like Star Trek, have an aura that screams whether or not they will live. It's entertaining, but I can't say they have the same pizazz that other protagonists held from the previous installment.

DISLIKES: Kind of Dull Conveniences Are Absurd The New Dinosaurs Feel Limited/Odd/Sequential Imbalance of Dinosaurs New Mutants Are Meh Predictable Lacks Suspense/Edge A Tad Preachy/Cheesy Summary: For all the entertainment value it holds, Rebirth still struggles with some modern-day limitations that many movies suffer from. The film is still kind of dull for me, a tired story that showcases human stupidity, greed, and impatience to once again end up in Dinosaur territory. The action moments hold less suspense than the past; a lot of them are very short in length and lack the full planning to optimize the match between man and prehistoric beast. Part of this comes from the dinosaur imbalance, old and new contesting for screentime, which leaves an imbalance that leads to these moments being truncated to put more beasts into the mix. Another part comes from the new mutants, nightmarish for maybe the young, but now too comical in design with their similarities and underutilized to fully unleash the terrors they can bring (like the Spinosaurus did in three). Most of these creatures feel very forced in, a sort of checkpoint stop that doesn't feel as connected as the first three worlds were. Then there comes the plot armor that mostly dilutes the horror factor that this series used to hold onto with its impressive jaws. Now, I found the predictable story giving too much away, with the dialogue becoming too preachy, the cheesy, Full-House moments that don't feel as real as the earlier installments. In addition, the movie has too many convenience factors that serve as plot armor, and sort of tears away from the gripping survival element these films are about, especially the one group who had way too much luck in their trek through the jungle. Such moments dull this film, and require some evolution to accomplish what I think they are trying to return to with this film franchise.

The VERDICT: Jurassic World: Rebirth has returned to more of the spectacle that the sixth film failed to achieve with how much they were cramming into one film. The island "paradise" served as a nod to so many of the original films, which served as a nostalgic bout of Dinosaur fun we keep coming back to. CGI elements give the creatures their best movement in some time, while the sound effects continue to make a theater visit half the fun in this franchise. With an entertaining pace, some comedic elements to lighten the load, and some heartfelt messages, this film accomplishes some things very well. For the dinosaur lovers, the new choices work for most, though your favorites take a lot of cuts with all the creatures they tried to put in. I don't think they are fully utilized from all the choppiness, and the predictability does little to add that horror/thriller element the first movie had all those years ago. Add in the conveniences and imbalance in one movie, and you accomplish another installment that is fine, but not the amazing entry the trailers are trying to sell you. Is it worth the theater visit? For the special effects and fun, sure! However, Rebirth feels like a movie most will enjoy the most at home in the comforts of their home entertainment system and with a group.

Factoring this in, I give the following scores Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi/Thriller: 7 Movie Overall: 6.5.

LIKES: Good Pace Character Development Impressed With Body Acting Acting Is Fine Same M3GAN vibes A Moral Lesson Okay Twists Some Fun Fights Very Comedic Owns Its Energy Summary: M3gan was at first a horror movie in the ads, but we all learned it's more like a third horror movie and two-thirds thriller/comedy/action mixture. Knowing how much that sold, they have owned that energy and given us a sequel that capitalizes on how much fun I had with the third movie. It moves at a good pace, keeping those entertainment elements at full focus as it crams as much self-aware robotic antics as you can, alongside her motorized mouth that charmed us all. M3gan paves the way for a lot of the elements in this film, driving a character development car that moves at breakneck speeds (perhaps a clever metaphor) that pulls the others alongside it. Surprisingly deep, the sequel manages to pull some engaging internal awareness into the band of techno geeks that extends far beyond the toy-making inventor from before. I liked the attention to the story, a moral lesson or two baked into the development, but never straying too far from the robotic womanhunt that is the primary story. A balance like that I can appreciate, especially with a few attempts at a twist to try and make some surprises that are fairly predictable about a third of the way through. As all of this occurs, those vibes from the first film, in regards to M3gan being her sarcastic self, hold steady throughout the film, unapologetically letting her thoughts fly, her personality soar, and doing what she needs to get her programming done. It's intelligently written and includes others who force some of their best lines out in the works. Both my friend and I agreed this was probably the best feature of M3GAN 2.0, especially how they own the comedic energies of the first film and unleash it to us in spades. Some extra positives that we liked were the action scenes and the acting in the film. The action is a bit more of the new direction, but the choreography is impressive in regards to some cool moves (many we have seen), but now holds M3gan's sassiness that upgrades it beyond stiff and fleeting choreography (it's very short in the long run of the movie). Acting-wise, you get more of the same, but with just a touch more maturity to advance the film beyond another mindless sequel. Williams is very much Gemma, but with some evolution and bitterness that one expects after the events of the first film. Clement seems a little high for the billing, but my friend and I enjoyed most of his actions and comedy with the potential he brought with his cheekiness. And young McGraw continues to be impressive in her line delivery, her sassiness and intelligence taking point in this film that harmonized well with M3gan like before.

DISLIKES: Contrived/Stretched Plots Cheesy Stupid At Times The Cinematography Is Mixed Computer Graphics Less Impressive The New Robot Had More Potential Could Have Used A Bit More Edge B Movie Feeling Overall Summary: Where the dislikes begin for me is that the movie's plot starts out very engaging, an intriguing concept that takes AI evolution dangers to a good point for the conniving M3gan to handle in her special way. As the tale continues, the plot starts to become contrived, stretching to levels that get very cheesy, rushed, and come off as lackluster as conventionality becomes present for the sake of time constraints. The ending alone was very chaotic, a lot of these plots starting to get too cheesy for me, with humor that was either stretched too far and long, or felt like it was bloating the movie. I get that's part of the charm, but sometimes the movie needed to pick a lane and minimize how many jokes have to be thrown in to give a bit more thrills.

My pal pointed out something very astute, in that the movie has this odd aura to it that seems to throw off the level of the movie. It could have been our theater quality, but I agree that M3GAN 2.0 didn't quite have the same caliber of storytelling and visuals as the first one held so well. For one thing, the cinematography is mixed in quality, sometimes artful and striking, while other times it feels limited with edits cutting into the flow of the movie. The visuals seem more CGI-heavy (again, a potential metaphor) with M3gan looking very fake at times, and Amelia herself having too much of the CGI sheen compared to the first film. I get it costs less, but that visual element added to this "finish" that did not vibe well compared to the first film. As for the new robot, her looks weren't the only things that got dulled, as Amelia's story could have had far superior elements if they weren't so messy. Her stunts are limited to time, her wordplay is overshadowed by M3gan's, and the mysterious elements come off sort of bland and conventional until they go down the cheesy pathway at the end. She was too much of a hub for the combatting storylines, and almost felt entirely useless by two-thirds, where something else takes place. I'll agree that the movie needed a bit more edge, not horror elements, but adding a tad more thrills and action impasses to better give that sheen the trailers warranted. When all of this comes together, my pal's observation of this being a B-movie feels somewhat true. It's not a bad thing per se, just a bit disappointing compared to the first.

The VERDICT: For me, the M3GAN franchise is a fun frolic into the fantasy/science fiction world where humor reigns supreme and other elements blend well with it. This sequel achieves much of what I expected, having fun with sassy humor, and trying to keep to the tones of AI ethics in the hands of a juvenile serial killer getting another shot. The writing and energy, especially with the robotic she-devil leading the charge, spearhead much of the entertainment, which should easily entertain most fans of the franchise, and even newcomers with lowered expectations. The pace is great, the moral elements are presented well, and the acting is par for the course to drive the points home, but (let's face it) not the most dynamic or mind-blowing performances outside of Amie Donald's body control. M3GAN 2.0 does have some upgrading to still do. The plot was not as cohesive as the previous installment, relying a tad too much on humor to fill the gaps that dulled suspense and thrills. Amelia's inclusion is mixed for me, feeling like some good utilization was overshadowed by a lot of convoluted turns that weren't needed. Finally, the movie looks a tad tarnished compared to the first, with CGI polish coming off a bit too much at times it robbing the spectacle. All in all, the movie is fine, and optimized at the theater by going with friends or a group, but I feel it is best watched at home. My scores for the film are:

Action/Horror/Sci-Fi/Thriller: 6.5-7.0 Movie Overall: 6.0-6.5.