Captain America: Brave New World – The Future of the MCU Looks Bright

You can’t be Captain America without fighting a red villain

Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is coming to a close in just a few months. After a less-than-stellar start to Phase 5, Deadpool and Wolverine swooped in and gave us an extraordinary movie to enjoy, which seemed to signify that the MCU is back on the rise. Captain America: Brave New World continues this trend, and it feels like we’re back to getting consistently great movies again. Please don’t let social media fool you; this new movie is an excellent film, and I’m excited to see Sam Wilson’s Captain America continue in the MCU, whatever he may be doing.

While Brave New World is touted as a Captain America film, it’s much more in line with a spiritual sequel to 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. This entire film is due to the events of that movie. While one or two plot threads from The Incredible Hulk were resolved in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, none of those seem to matter in the grand scheme of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Instead, Marvel decided to make good on the tease of a villain at the end of The Incredible Hulk and have Captain America deal with the fallout instead of a true Hulk sequel. This, by no means, has any bearing on whether Captain America: Brave New World is a good movie, but it’s not something that I’ll agree it was best to go this route.

By the movie’s start, Sam Wilson has been Captain America for 2-3 years and is doing a fantastic job from what can be seen by the audience. It’s worth noting Sam Wilson’s Captain America’s durability is nothing to laugh at. He hasn’t taken any serum to enhance his sense or abilities, yet he takes specific attacks like they’re nothing. He even gets stabbed multiple times in one fight and manages to come out on top with the weapons still in his body. Sam makes his run at Captain America unique by combining his shield with the wings he used while going under the Falcon moniker. This allows him to fight as he’s used to and pull off some sick moves that would be impossible without using those wings.

The Wakandans came through for our boy with the Vibranium wings

The story is a simple one. Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross has been elected president of the United States of America. In his first 100 days, he aims to have a peace treaty signed between multiple nations to govern the mining and disbursement of the adamantium formed on the island from the body of Tiamut the Communicator in Eternals. However, in the background, Ross’s efforts are being sabotaged, and war is on the horizon for control of the adamantium. Meanwhile, Ross is poisoned and turns into the Red Hulk as he struggles to control his temper. Through all this, Captain America must uncover who’s behind the attacks and why, all while attempting to keep peace between the nations.

Simple as the story may be, it works. It’s a great story and does a great job of showing how different this Captain America is versus the Captain America we’re used to, i.e., Steve Rogers. Where Steve had the serum to enhance his abilities, Sam doesn’t and relies on his intellect more than anything. It shows, too, as Sam catches on to many things before a lot of other “resourceful” staff and agency members. Even when he seems outmatched, he finds a way to turn the battle in his favor, such as when Sidewinder ambushes him, and especially when fighting the Red Hulk.

Captain America: Brave New World did many things right, one of which is the casting. Most people can agree that Anthony Mackie does an outstanding job as Captain America. Those who don’t never give a straight, factual answer as to why he’s not good in the role, so there is not much credence there. But this movie does a great job of showing how Sam handles the mantle of being Captain America. He doesn’t have any super soldier serum, but his intellect is at its peak, and he always shows why he deserves the mantle of Captain America. Taking over the late William Hurt’s role as Thaddeus Ross, Harrison Ford debuted in his first-ever MCU film and did a phenomenal job. The tension was always there, and he commanded respect every time he was shown. Seeing him do some of Hulk’s signature moves, such as the thunderclap, was some of the most hype moments I’ve experienced. I know this isn’t the end of the Red Hulk, and I’m hoping it’ll be with the Hulk in a proper sequel next time.

How has it been so long since we’ve gotten a proper Hulk?

Giancarlo Esposito played Sidewinder, leader of SERPENT – the MCU’s take on the Serpent Society. Giancarlo was perhaps my favorite role in the entire movie. His aura was legendary, and I’m most excited to see his character return in the future. Shira Haas plays the character of Ruth Bat-Seraph. This character in the comics is an Israeli superheroine named Sabra. Sabra was initially written into the movie, but due to the conflict of the Israel-Hamas war, the appearance of Sabra was scrapped, and Ruth was rewritten to be a former Black Widow. Her character was okay; it had nothing to do with the actress, but the character seemed bland except for a few well-timed lines. There was a time in the movie when you could see her wearing a costume similar to her comic counterpart, but it was covered with a jacket. I thought that was a pretty cool easter egg.

Danny Ramirez returns as Joaquin Torres, last seen in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. This time, Joaquin steps up and takes over as the Falcon. Some found his character annoying, but I didn’t mind his character. He’s an outspoken, cocky kid, but he still knows when to show respect. He makes mistakes like all heroes and learns a lesson the hard way, but what he gains, in turn, makes up for all the pain endured. Also returning from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley – the first black super soldier. Isaiah becomes a pawn in Stern’s vendetta against Ross, and it’s painful to see. For those who don’t know, Isaiah was wrongfully imprisoned and experimented on for 30 years by the U.S. government. Watching him go through it all over again was heartbreaking and a subtle reminder of the injustice that’s alive in America, even in 2025.

Tim Blake Nelson returns as Dr. Samuel Stern from The Incredible Hulk. At the end of that film, Dr. Stern accidentally cross-contaminated Bruce’s gamma blood with his own, giving him superhuman intelligence. In the comics, he calls himself The Leader; however, throughout Captain America: Brave New World, he never refers to himself as anyone other than Samuel Sterns, so who knows if that will come about in the future? Dr. Sterns was the mastermind behind the sabotage of Ross’s treaty, having a vendetta against Ross due to his imprisonment for many years, among other things. Tim Blake Nelson did a good job in the role. He was extremely creepy on many occasions, which worked in the atmosphere of this political thriller. My big issue, which has nothing to do with the actor, is his appearance in the film. He looks absolutely disgusting, and it was tough to look at him during his scenes. Instead of an oversized head, usually very round or enlarged but smooth and shiny, the MCU version has a mutated brain, and Sterns is green with a mutated left eye. I get wanting to ground some elements in realism, but I feel like deciding to do that when there’s a red hulk in the movie cancels out the realism. Again, this is nothing against the actor, but it was not even close to being executed correctly and left a bad taste in my mouth.

While that was a very low point in the movie, there were much higher highs throughout the duration. I enjoyed most of the fight scenes. They weren’t on the same level as the previous Captain America films, like Winter Soldier or Civil War. The ground fights can sometimes come off as clunky, but this is just a regular man with professional military training, not a super soldier like Steve was. The air fights are stellar and are easily in the top scenes for post-Avengers: Endgame movies. Ground or air, there are enough fights to satisfy any Captain America fan.

Can’t wait to see how Sam handles leading The Avengers

I truly enjoyed this film. The political thriller tone was consistent throughout the movie, the action was constant, and the story was much more enjoyable than I expected. No, it’s not on the same level as Captain America: Winter Soldier, and that’s okay. The film isn’t meant to invoke feelings of nostalgia for the glory days of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Captain America: Brave New World serves to not only assist in moving the overarching story of the MCU forward towards the threat of the multiverse but also provide the gateway for mutants, namely the X-Men, being introduced to the MCU. It does what it’s supposed to do, and it does it well. I knew the movie would be a good one from the moment I saw the first trailer, and to be right about it feels gratifying.

There will be a lot of people on the internet and social media who will say that Captain America: Brave New World is not a good movie. But they’re wrong. If you go into the film and watch it for what it is instead of longing for the “good old days,” I promise you’ll enjoy it. You may not enjoy it as much as some of the older movies, and again, that’s fine. But that doesn’t make it a bad movie for one second. Decide for yourself whether you think the film is good or bad. It’s a great one in my eyes, and I’m ready to see Sam lead the Avengers as Captain America when they go up against the threat of Dr. Doom in Avengers: Doomsday next year. You better believe I expect him to be just as great as he was in Brave New World. Improvement is always the goal, and the momentum is too great for him to slow down.

Captain America: Brave New World

Story
Action
Tone

Summary

It’s much easier to enjoy Captain America: Brave New World without longing for the glory days of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Anthony Mackie does a fantastic job in the role, and I’m excited to see what the future holds for his character as he leads the Avengers against the next big threat.

4

Marvel, Reviews

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2 Comments

Mufasa: The Lion King – An Unnecessary but Entertaining Addition

Who asked for this?

Before reading this review, I highly encourage you to read my review of The Lion King (2019), as Mufasa: The Lion King is a direct sequel/prequel to this movie, and it does play a factor in my review of the film. Toward the end of my review, I speculated whether Disney would have the audacity to move forward with a sequel after the abysmal fan and critic reactions. However, critics play a tiny part in deciding whether to proceed with a sequel. Making over $1B in the total box office and acclaiming the title of the top animated film of all time for many years gave Disney all the more reason to move forward with a project no one asked for.

It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of The Lion King, mainly due to James Earl Jones’s performance as Mufasa. After losing James this past year, I’ve become even more protective of Mufasa as a character, but I understand I have no actual say in what’s done with him. That being said, I made sure to put my personal bias aside going into this movie, just as I did with the first film 5 years ago. I came out of this one slightly happier than The Lion King (2019), but that’s really the bare minimum to make a better movie.

Just as the first film was, Mufasa: The Lion King is a photorealistic animation movie, but it’s meant to look like live-action. One thing that everyone agreed on with the first film is that the scenery was gorgeous. Thankfully, Mufasa keeps that going, and I dare say it’s an even more beautiful film than The Lion King (2019). The colors are more vibrant, and the animation is smooth.

Mufasa had that royal aura even as a cub

The greatest improvement was the expressions of the characters. The characters in The Lion King (2019) came off as impassive since Disney intended to make the film mirror live-action as much as possible. It didn’t work at all and really hurt the film. This time around, the characters’ faces actually convey their emotions, and not in a subtle way. It’s clear when the characters are happy, mad, sad, etc. It’s something that the original animated movie benefitted from and does help make the movie more enjoyable.

Unfortunately, while they improved significantly in the expressions area, the music is another story. The music is by far the worst part of the movie. Sure, I Always Wanted A Brother may have become a sensation with the general audience, but there are no other memorable songs. Even the instrumentals don’t work for me. I don’t get an African or Swahili vibe, and it really sticks out.

The story does not sound like it will work on paper, and more importantly, it should not be considered canon. This story is not meant to be regarded as the same as the animated story and is strictly for the “live-action” Lion King series. In this series, Mufasa becomes orphaned due to a great flood and is found and saved by another lion cub named Taka, who would come to be the lion we know as Scar and a prince. Taka’s mother, Queen Eshe, took Mufasa into their pride, while Taka’s father, King Obasi, was vehemently against it as he didn’t trust any outsiders. As Taka and Mufasa grow together, a tragedy happens, and they are forced to venture out on their own for survival. This journey sets the path for Mufasa to become the king of the Pride Lands instead of Taka, as was his birthright. And while this may be called Mufasa: The Lion King, this is as much Scar’s movie as it is Mufasa’s.

I still don’t understand why they couldn’t give Scar his black mane

Before continuing, I will use Scar’s real name throughout the review. Although he did kill my favorite character, his real name is highly disrespectful, and his parents had to have hated him when they named him. Taka is the Swahili word for waste or garbage. If you ask me, that should be Scar’s real villain origin story. Sadly, his villain origin story is cliché and a pathetic attempt to garner sympathy from the audience for a character that doesn’t deserve redemption. Again, I write these words with no bias. I hate Scar for what he did to Mufasa in The Lion King, but here’s the thing. There was no sign that Scar had any ounce of good in him. He was a liar, manipulator, murderer, selfish, just the absolute worst a character could be. So, this attempt to Maleficentify Scar made no sense to me when it was reported that Scar was supposedly the rightful heir to the throne.

Mufasa: The Lion King switches between past and present, as Rafiki tells this story to Kiara, Timon, and Pumbaa while Simba and Nala welcome their newborn into the world. While I enjoyed Timon and Pumbaa in The Lion King (2019), they felt really annoying this time. They were selfish, trying to insert themselves into a story they didn’t have a place. Of course, Rafiki wouldn’t allow any of it, but they just weren’t funny to me, and it’s a shame because Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner had fantastic chemistry the first time around. However, the rest of the characters meshed together reasonably well. Not only do we see Mufasa and Scar’s journey, but Sarabi, Zazu, and Rafiki are also featured. It’s an all-star cast, and they all did a great job. Tiffany Boone was phenomenal in her role as Sarabi. She captured Sarabi’s fierceness and attitude from the original animated film and truly brought it to life as the future Queen of the Pride Lands. Kelvin Harrison Jr. worked well to capture Scar’s jealousy and conniving personality. Rafiki’s two voice actors, Kagiso Lediga and John Kani, were excellent. They were so excellent that I had no idea that he was voiced by two different actors as a young and old character because he sounded the same throughout the movie. Preston Iyman took over for the role of Zazu, and he didn’t annoy me as much as the first film, but I’ll credit the writers for that.

Princess Kiara makes her debut

Blue Ivy Carter makes her debut as Kiara in this movie, and while she did a great job at delivering her lines, whoever wrote for the character didn’t seem to grasp Kiara as a character. They kept presenting her as this scared little cub worried about her parents when she’s never been featured that way in The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride or The Lion Guard. It was repetitive, from beginning to end, but maybe she’s younger than she’s been depicted, and that’s where those traits come from.

Aaron Pierre – he’s NOT Mufasa. Look, he voiced the character in this movie and did a great job with line delivery. But it wasn’t Mufasa. The voice wasn’t deep enough. It didn’t get close enough to the hubris that James Earl Jones had when he voiced Mufasa. We were treated to a recording of James at the very beginning of the film, and it made me so happy to hear it. But I don’t understand how Aaron Pierre’s Mufasa doesn’t do it when he has the voice for it. I can hear it clear as day when he speaks in his regular British accent. But putting on the American accent takes away some of the bass and, unfortunately, detracts from the role.

Mads Mikkelson was the villain, Kiros, and the leader of The Outsiders. Kiros wanted to be the sole king of everything and was on a mission to kill all other lion prides. Mads was okay. I personally wish the villain had a deeper voice, but the sinister tone came through regardless. He was ruthless, and it was hard to see how Mufasa would win. Kiros is another lion that deserves no form of redemption. He’s pure evil, plain and simple. No further exploration into his past is needed.

Another issue that the film’s main character suffers from is a new ability or power bestowed upon him. Mufasa has significantly heightened senses, to the point where he can smell precisely how far away his adversaries are or where another lion is from by the smell of their fur. This gives Mufasa and his group a significant advantage in staying ahead of his enemies while on the run. However, this ability now presents a plot hole for The Lion King (2019) and is the sole reason why this movie should not be considered canon to the animated film one bit. If Mufasa had this ability, why didn’t it help him during the stampede against the wildebeest? He should’ve been able to sense it and save Simba in time, thus stopping Scar’s plan. I don’t believe that age weakens the senses to the point where they’re just gone, so it creates an issue where Mufasa’s death wasn’t necessary at all and ultimately shouldn’t have happened.

Everything the light touches…

Scar being made to garner sympathy didn’t sit right with me, and it still doesn’t. I’m not saying that characters don’t deserve redemption or sympathy, but make it make sense. And let it be unique and break the mold. Maleficent worked because it was new, showing that she wasn’t just some evil villain upset she didn’t get invited to a party. Scar’s path has been set and explored plenty of times, with it being clear that his hatred and anger stemmed from his jealousy of being in Mufasa’s shadow as children. There are books, comics, and even The Lion Guard touched on Scar’s origin in a much better way than Mufasa: The Lion King. Life wasn’t kind to Scar, but I refuse to give him a pass because he had a choice, and he very well could’ve chosen the other path.

Mufasa: The Lion King is a good movie. I’m happy to say that because I don’t want anything associated with The Lion King to fail or do horribly. It beat Sonic the Hedgehog 3 in the overall box office, and that’s an incredible feat because the fans have finally been humbled. While there were some issues with the story and portrayal of fan-favorite characters, the story worked and did a great job moving the story forward. Ending the story by introducing Simba and Nala’s son has me on the edge of my seat because the character should be none other than Kion from The Lion Guard. And while The Lion Guard was touted as a children’s show, it was pretty dark and did an outstanding job of expanding the world of The Lion King while explaining why Kion was nonexistent in The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride.

While Kion is hopefully being teased, Mufasa: The Lion King also set the stage for The Outsiders to reappear in the future. I don’t recall all of the lions meeting their doom, and The Outsiders were the villains of The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride, so we’ll see if they have a future. We know another film is in the works. I’ll never understand why, but I already know I’ll be checking it out. Hopefully, it continues improving, but let’s get the music right. Everything should work in sync, like the Circle of Life.

Mufasa: The Lion King

Story
Music
Visuals

Summary

While held back by an easily forgettable soundtrack, Mufasa: The Lion King offers a strong story backed by stunning visuals to give its audience a unique story of a lowly lion cub elevating to a king.

3.5

Disney, Reviews

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Sonic the Hedgehog 3 – Movie Sonic Has Finally Found His Footing

Sonic is about to live and learn a very valuable lesson

Some might disagree, but now is a great time to be a Sonic the Hedgehog fan. In 5 years, we’ve gotten three live-action movies, a spinoff show, and confirmation of Sonic Movie 4 coming in another 2 years. I’ve enjoyed almost all of it thus far. I wasn’t a fan of the Knuckles show like most Sonic fans I know, but thankfully, that was limited to 6 episodes of garbage. The Sonic movies, on the other hand, have gotten better and better with each entry, and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 doesn’t slow the momentum down for a moment.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is an adaptation of Sonic Adventure 2. Just as the movies have had different takes on things in the series, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 did some things differently. Some things worked, and some didn’t for me, but it all came together quite nicely. This third entry involves Sonic against his most powerful adversary yet, Shadow the Hedgehog. After being in stasis for 50 years, Shadow awakes to complete his mission for revenge against the military after a raid took away his best friend.

The Ultimate Life Form, Shadow the Hedgehog

Honestly, the story for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was phenomenal. Sure, there are some pretty significant changes, but it didn’t take away from the story for me one bit. If I’m being 100% honest, this story works so well because it actually feels like a Sonic story. The past two movies were good, but they had a large focus on the humans. The first movie was understandable because it’s an origin story, and world-building needs to be established. Sonic 2 was a slight improvement – the horrible wedding subplot in the middle of the movie works against it, but still an improvement. Knuckles just went all the way back to go and focused on the humans for almost the entirety of the show. However, in Sonic 3, the humans were only there when necessary. It was all about Team Sonic and the villains.

Regarding the villains, this being a Sonic Adventure 2 adaptation, you’d expect to see Rouge the Bat as she was a core member of the villain team alongside Shadow and Dr. Eggman in the Dark storyline of Sonic Adventure 2. That’s not the case this time around, however. As previously mentioned, Shadow is the primary antagonist, and of course, Dr. Ivo Robotnik is back after somehow surviving falling into an abyss alongside a giant exploding robot. Where Robotnik is, Agent Stone is sure to be close behind, but he soon becomes a third wheel when Ivo’s grandfather, Gerald Robotnik, shows up and becomes an idol figure to Ivo.

Gerald being alive after all this time was one of the biggest changes to the original story. Again, it works exactly how they intended it to. I hated him as a character, though. He wasn’t funny to me. I knew he was up to something. And I’m sorry, but if I were Ivo, he would’ve been on the ground as soon as he told me I’m no Maria. I say that to give an example of his character working as intended because he turned out to be a complete piece of garbage in the end. To be willing to sacrifice the entire planet to take revenge against a small group of your country’s military is pathetic. I understand grief can make you do crazy things, but I feel like there are much better ways to enact revenge in that situation.

Double the Eggmen

Jim Carrey plays Gerald in Sonic 3, so the audience gets a double dose of Carrey this time. I have to say that Jim Carrey did a stellar job. That isn’t surprising by any means, but you can see how much he enjoys playing the roles throughout the movie. The remaining cast that we’re familiar with was also great, as always. Idris Elba destroys as Knuckles every single time, and there can literally be no complaints against Colleen O’Shaughnessy’s Tails. If you have an issue with her Tails voice, you have to have a legitimate problem with it in the games as well, and she’s the most loved Tails voice I’ve seen in all my years as a Sonic fan. Ben Schwartz’s Sonic voice isn’t bad at all. My only issue is that it’s the same as almost all the other characters he’s voiced.

Paramount decided to go the route of a big-time celebrity again for Movie Shadow’s debut. Keanu Reeves is on the scene, and while he’s an outstanding actor on his own, he was easily the weakest out of the main squad. That’s not to say he did poorly, but it wasn’t consistent. He had some high highs but some extremely low lows. They want to have a celebrity voice for their prominent characters, but I wish Shadow could’ve gotten the same treatment Tails got. Tears would’ve welled up if I could’ve heard Jason Griffith in theaters.

This isn’t the Chao Garden I remember

Another front they improved on was the music. They finally incorporated some video game music into the movie, which was great to hear. It did get a bit repetitive because every time it switched to Sonic and Shadow in the climax, it would just be ‘Live and Learn’ playing, but I’ll take it. Apparently, it’s difficult to get video game music in the movies due to licensing, but they’ve had a Sonic Symphony tour for the better part of two years now, so how hard is it?

For anyone who says this next part is a spoiler, you’ll be alright. After adapting a game that’s 23 years old, you better believe I’m going to talk about Super Sonic vs Super Shadow in live-action. That was absolutely the most epic part of the movie, without a doubt. The Sonic movie crew got live-action Dragon Ball Z right before the actual Dragon Ball crew did. It’s crazy. But it was amazing to see – truly. The hype was there and didn’t stop until it was over. It was a privilege to see it come to life, especially how they both transformed. I can’t wait to get the Hedgehog Trio – they better bring all the sauce.

Sonic vs Shadow is epic the entire way through

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is a solid film through and through. My only real complaint was knowing that Tom’s speech to Sonic at the beginning of the movie would impact him at the end. And I was right. During the climax, Sonic uses Tom’s words to give him strength and overcome Shadow. I’m never a fan of predictability, but that’s the only part. I was slightly annoyed that Sonic didn’t face any real consequences with Tom getting hurt, but understandably, this is a children’s movie, first and foremost. Secondly, Sonic has already lost a parent – Longclaw. At this point, there’s no actual need for the loss of Tom or Maddy in the Sonic movie series.

Now, you might be wondering what exactly I meant by ‘Movie Sonic finds his footing’ in the title of my review. Most people don’t realize that Sonic the Hedgehog has an expansive multiverse of characters, just like Marvel and DC – SEGA just doesn’t know how to utilize it. But just like Earth-616 is the O.G. Spider-Man, Game Sonic is the definitive Sonic. The Sonic movies are good, and they keep getting better. But it wasn’t until the climax of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 that Movie Sonic began acting like Game Sonic instead of some happy-go-lucky wannabe version of him. It’s something many fans have wanted for a long time, and it makes me ready for Movie 4.

Sonic wasn’t letting Shadow get the last hit

FULL SPOILERS AHEAD

Stay in your seats until the very end because there’s not just a mid-credits scene but a post-credits scene as well. The mid-credits scene is the most hype of the two and has me wondering how they’ll tackle the villain in Sonic the Hedgehog 4. An army of Metal Sonics hasn’t been seen before from what I can remember, and I was hoping they’d go the route of Neo Metal Sonic and Metal Overlord, but they could surprise me. Of course, Metal Sonic being revealed was fantastic – his design is a nearly 1:1 copy of his game appearance, and it’s perfect. However, the second character revealed is what got fans screaming. Just as Sonic is about to be taken out by a multitude of Metal Sonics, a hammer comes crashing through the gang of robots to save him. A hooded figure catches the hammer, revealed to be fan favorite Amy Rose. It’s about time, and we can all agree that Sonic isn’t even close to being ready for the ultimate challenge – girls.

END SPOILERS

The post-credits scene was great but not unexpected. I won’t flat-out spoil this one, but anyone familiar with Sonic the Hedgehog could’ve guessed this was coming. Another character is confirmed for the future of the series. That’s all I’ll say.

The filmmakers would’ve had to drastically change the story for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 to be bad. Sure, it’s not a 1:1 adaptation like people hoped, but the story was as strong as ever. Movie Maria is a great character in her own right, though I didn’t feel anything for her like I do in the games. Her illness is gone completely in the movie and with that being removed, Shadow’s purpose for being is never explained. His origin changed as well, though I feel like that will be explored in another Shadow spinoff project. If you’re a sentimental one, be prepared to shed some tears. Some of the scenes can be a real tearjerker. It’s a wonderful story that does its best to teach you not to lose yourself to grief. Take the time to mourn the one you lost, but honor them with your life moving forward, don’t taint their memory.

Sayonara, Maria

I’ve echoed these sentiments throughout my entire review, and I’ll do it again – Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is an exceptional movie. It truly improved in every aspect of the series. It was focused more on Sonic and his crew. The story was cohesive and flowed instead of feeling like multiple stories going on at the same time, and the movie used music from the games – even just for little riffs and motifs. It feels good to say that it’s times like this when it feels great to be a Sonic fan. Three movies that have been some of the best video game adaptations compared to adaptations from the past aren’t anything to sneeze at. And with each movie improving with each release, I’m confident that Sonic the Hedgehog 4 will be another great experience. But for now, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is here and made its presence known, knocking a certain Lion King off his throne atop Pride Rock at the American box office. There’s no stopping the momentum.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Story
Music
Action

Summary

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is a phenomenal film from start to finish. With a story that tugs at the heartstrings, watching Sonic go up against Shadow on the big screen is just as fun as playing through the story over 20 years ago.

4.2

Reviews, Sonic the Hedgehog

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Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might – The Games Don’t Do It Justice

Those horns are the only thing differentiating Turles and Goku

It’s been a long time since I watched the Dragon Ball Z movies, and Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might proved that. There were a lot of events that happened that I didn’t remember. I have never gone back to watch The Tree of Might until now. Honestly, my memories of the film’s events were solely based on Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 because I played it so much over the years. But that game is a horrible reference after my latest rewatch.

Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might revolves around Goku and the Z Fighters working to save the Earth after a rogue Saiyan named Turles and his henchmen planted a seed to grow the Tree of Might. Once the seed is planted, the tree begins to grow and the roots start to suck the life energy from everyone and everything on the planet. The tree also produces fruit, which can give the eater a massive strength boost and revive organisms that have been dead for a long time with the fruit’s extract.

The Tree of Might

This movie focuses on the Z Fighters assisting Goku this time around. Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, and Chiaotzu all show up to give Goku a hand. Unfortunately, none of them get a chance to shine. Turles’s henchmen, the Turles Crusher Corps – think of them like a bootleg Ginyu Force, give all the Z Fighters a hard time. Gohan gets a good shot, and Goku obliterates them using Kaioken, but they are outmatched for most of the battle.

That’s not to say that each battle is terrible because of that, but it’s something that tends to happen often with these movies that I’m noticing. The Z Fighters going down so easy was one thing, but even Piccolo was getting rocked. I don’t mind Goku being the hero, but I like it when the supporting characters can actually support. Except for Chiaotzu – I don’t ever expect anything special from him. He’s been trash since O.G. Dragon Ball.

The Tree of Might gives Gohan a lot of screen time. This movie introduces a new friend for Gohan, a purple dinosaur named Icarus. Turles, at one point, comments on Gohan being engrossed with the purple dinosaur and berates Goku for raising Gohan too much like an Earthling. Nobody else caught it, but I’m here to tell you that that line directly references Barney. What other purple dinosaur do we know that had kids obsessed? I wouldn’t be surprised if Akira Toriyama knew about Barney back then, but we will never know. We can, however, create our own headcanon.

I don’t miss the Great Apes from Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z one bit

Thankfully, Gohan doesn’t end up saving the day this time. In fact, he almost ends Goku after being forcibly transformed into a great ape. One thing this movie doesn’t do well is explain certain events. Gohan’s tail suddenly grows back, enabling his transformation. And I know Goku’s tail grew back at random, but it just seems lazy. Especially considering when this is supposed to occur.

In my last review for The World’s Strongest, I stated that the movie was set after the Saiyan Saga but before Goku goes to Namek. It turns out that isn’t the case. I forgot that many characters, like Piccolo, died during the battle with Nappa and weren’t revived until the Namek saga. Goku also can’t turn Super Saiyan but has an excellent grasp on Kaikoen. There’s a reason that all but 2 Dragon Ball Z films aren’t canon, and this is a perfect argument for why.

The main villain of The Tree of Might is a Saiyan by the name of Turles. He used to work under Frieza but went rogue and started conquering planets independently. Turles is a powerful opponent, albeit very overconfident and delusional. He also looks almost identical to Goku. They have slightly different hairstyles, but they are a match in all other areas, down to facial features, height, and build. The explanation is that they’re both low-class and low-class warriors don’t have distinct characteristics to stand out in their race.

Goku Black is just some second-rate dilettante

Turles believes himself to be the mightiest Saiyan, which could be the case. But we know Goku will find a way to overcome him, and that’s simply overconfidence that he’s showing. Turles comments during the film, though, stating that a Saiyan never perishes. And I’m sorry, but he surely has to be older than Goku regardless of their similar looks. I don’t care if he went rogue, I have no doubt that he would have heard about Planet Vegeta’s destruction. And Saiyans aren’t invincible. Overconfidence mixed with delusion equals stupidity, and Turles displayed that with pride.

Turles was a good villain, though. Turles was the O.G. Goku Black. He was the antithesis of Goku in every way. He even gave Goku a challenge during their battles, but it was his overconfidence and stupidity that killed him. Turles’s victory was in place, but he had to be an idiot and let it be known that he got an extra boost from the fruit of the Tree of Might. Then, after a multitude of fruit is shown to have grown, he does an evil chuckle while making a note that he has an extra one as a backup. But Goku is still alive. So naturally, Goku will use that energy to come out on top. I did appreciate the ending, as it was the first time I’d seen the Spirit Bomb look so similar to the Budokai Tenkaichi 3 Spirit Bomb.

I have to say, the momentum hasn’t dropped one bit after The Tree of Might. I’m glad to have seen another fantastic story; this time, there were no similarities between this movie and the prior one. While coming to the realization that this has to be some other timeline-type storytelling, I can still appreciate The Tree of Might for what it is—worthy of being under the Dragon Ball Z banner.

Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might

Story
Timeline placement
Action

Summary

Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might offers an action-packed adventure that stands apart from the main timeline but doesn’t skimp on excitement. With its intense battles and gripping storyline, this movie is a must-watch for fans, delivering all the high-energy thrills and epic moments Dragon Ball is known for.

4.5

Dragon Ball, Reviews

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Dragon Ball Z: The World’s Strongest – They Almost Had Me

One of the more grounded movies in the Dragon Ball Z mythos

Coming off the heels of Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone is the second movie in the non-canon DBZ movie series, Dragon Ball Z: The World’s Strongest. This is one that I can admit I hadn’t seen and knew very little about. I was familiar with the character of Dr. Wheelo, but I don’t have many memories, if any at all, of watching this movie when I was younger. However, I wish I would have because this is a fantastic movie. Let’s get into it.

Dragon Ball Z: The World’s Strongest follows the evil scientist, Dr. Wheelo, and his assistant, Dr. Kochin, as they attempt world domination. To achieve that, they plan to swap Dr. Wheelo’s mind with the strongest fighter in the world so he can have the ultimate body – strong in mind and body. After they kidnap Master Roshi, thinking he’d still be the world’s strongest fighter after 50 years, they collide directly with Goku, who shows them exactly who the world’s strongest is.

You can always count on Krillin to make a creative entrance then proceed to get knocked out

The usual cast shows up this time around—Goku, Chi-Chi, Gohan, Piccolo, Krillin, Bulma, Master Roshi, and Oolong. The only character who seemed like they had no purpose for being there, as they literally contributed nothing to the story, in my opinion, is Chi-Chi. It was her usual spiel about Gohan needing to study and grow to be a great scholar. However, other than Chi-Chi, every character has some moment that ties into the story and helps it progress.

Going from Dead Zone to The World’s Strongest, it’s great to see how the movie quality doesn’t go down. Both movies have had the events flow together seamlessly, and the tone is definitely “early 90s DBZ.” Both movies are stellar in their rights, but you’d be surprised by how similar they are. Of course, the events aren’t a one-to-one match, but it all marches to the same beat.

Goku and Piccolo team up to take down the villain…again

I’ll give you an example at the very beginning of the movie. Dead Zone starts with Piccolo training and getting taken out by Garlic’s henchmen. The World’s Strongest begins with Piccolo training himself, and he gets taken out by Dr. Wheelo’s henchmen after saving Gohan and Oolong. As stated earlier, the events don’t exactly mirror each other, but they are similar enough. And that’s not the only instance either. Goku has a moment after he makes it to Dr. Wheelo’s base, where he takes on Dr. Wheelo’s Bio-Warriors, three powerful villains. Goku struggles briefly but becomes highly disrespectful and takes them out without another thought.

About 65% of the movie went in the same direction as Dead Zone. The villain successfully got their wish granted. One of Goku’s loved ones was kidnapped by the villain. Goku goes to rescue them and is joined by Krillin. Piccolo shows up, and Goku and Piccolo fight. Gohan becomes extremely angry due to the pain that Dr. Wheelo is causing Goku and Piccolo and lets out a tremendous roar with some powerful shockwaves that go straight toward Dr. Wheelo and Dr. Kochin.

To “survive” Dr. Wheelo’s brain is encased in a metal shell

That’s where I became exasperated because it felt like they were going to repeat Dead Zone with Gohan taking out the big bad and saving the day. Thankfully, they didn’t go that route. An epic final battle ensues, and Goku comes through with a Spirit Bomb. Keep in mind, this is the Saiyan Saga Spirit Bomb, so it’s not some big grandiose thing like the Spirit Bomb against Kid Buu or, admittedly, Omega Shenron.

The World’s Strongest is meant to be set shortly after the Saiyan Saga. Multiple things point to this being true. Gohan is a bit more brave. Piccolo is no longer evil. Goku uses Kaioken more than once. Goku uses the Spirit Bomb. It makes you wonder how they had time to do this before going to Namek because Goku was in the hospital for a good minute, and it was a very short while before he went to Namek.

Early DBZ wasn’t a party without these 3

I enjoyed the fights that were shown. Master Roshi held his own against the Bio-Warriors for a good minute, Piccolo gave Goku a good challenge in their battle, and Goku destroyed all his fights. It’s just amazing seeing Goku progress as he does. In every movie, he gets better and better.

There weren’t really any complaints I had besides feeling too similar to Dead Zone. It was a great Dragon Ball Z movie, and after only dealing with Dr. Wheelo in Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3, it was nice to understand the story. Next up is Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might. Let’s see if the movies can sustain this momentum.

Dragon Ball Z: The World’s Strongest

Story
Action
Pacing

Summary

Dragon Ball Z: The World’s Strongest is a solid follow-up to Dead Zone. While both movies seem similar for the most part, The World’s Strongest pulls a gotcha moment toward the end that sets things up for an epic final battle. Packed with an engaging storyline, thrilling action, and steady pacing from start to finish, Dragon Ball Z: The World’s Strongest easily ranks among the top-tier Dragon Ball films.

4

Dragon Ball, Reviews

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Thank You, James

January 17, 1931 – September 9, 2024

Reports have begun coming in that James Earl Jones has sadly passed away at 93 years of age. It’d be an understatement to say I’m devastated at the news. James Earl Jones was my all-time favorite celebrity. I wanted to meet him more than anything.

Most people and news outlets point out that James Earl Jones voiced Darth Vader, and he did a phenomenal job, as he did with every role he played. However, the role James played that impacted me the most was Mufasa. Hearing James as Mufasa’s voice is what got me interested in voice acting. I never pursued it, but I always dreamed of taking over as the voice of Mufasa once James stepped down for good.

A legend in action

Even in live-action, James bodied every single role he played. King Joffe Joffer in Coming to America and Coming 2 America, Mr. Mertle in The Sandlot and The Sandlot 2, James commanded respect on screen. Even guest starring as himself was fun to see. Seeing Sheldon fanboy on The Big Bang Theory and James accepting it and having a night on the town with him made me dream of meeting James Earl Jones even more.

People always mentioned Morgan Freeman’s amazing voice and smooth narrating skills, but I would always state that James Earl Jones was #1. And that will forever be a fact for me, even after his death. There have been articles calling him a smooth baritone, but as a choir kid, James was a bass all day long. In my eyes, his voice is the most iconic, and I will always be one of his biggest fans.

Another one of my favorite things about James Earl Jones was his love for the projects and franchises he performed in. James would reprise many of his prior roles years after he initially played the role. Hearing James return to voice Mufasa in The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar in 2015 was breathtaking. It was like he didn’t take a day off from the role. I never got into Star Wars, so I can only speak to him coming back to play Mufasa, but I know Star Wars fans love his portrayal of Darth Vader.

Many people don’t know that James Earl Jones was also a big theater guy. In one of his shows, Fences, there’s a scene where he completely dominates the stage. And watching him perform in Of Mice and Men was spectacular, which is funny because I didn’t even get through the book in high school. I’m going to miss it all.

Fences – 1987

Seeing Mufasa die in The Lion King was the first time a film has moved me to tears. And that’s primarily due to James’s performance. How he and Simba interacted reminded me so much of my father and myself. But James’s passing in real life, I never imagined would hit this hard. I knew it was coming, but even as a celebrity, it hurts.

This post honors James Earl Jones and shares my love for him as an actor. James will go down in history as one of the best actors, period, and I’m proud to have grown up seeing him act in many of the shows and movies I watched. James, I hope you’re up there laughing and carrying on without a care. You will never be forgotten, and I want to say one last time—thank you, James.

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It’s Finally Here! – Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Movie Trailer Officially Released

115 days until Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is released in theaters!

The wait is over! This morning, we were treated to the official release of the first trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which satisfied the craving of many Sonic fans. People have been begging for the trailer to be released for months, with some even speculating that the movie would be delayed. But I never lost hope. I pointed out to a good friend that Spider-Man: No Way Home’s trailer didn’t release until 119 days before it came out, and that movie was phenomenal. So here we are, 115 days before release, and I’ve no doubt that I’m going to truly enjoy this movie.

If you haven’t already seen it, I’ve linked the trailer at the top of this post. There’s a lot to unpack, but don’t take this post as a breakdown. I’m just going to give my thoughts, point out what popped out at me, and what I’m hoping we’ll see because this first trailer is just the tip of the iceberg.

This Isn’t Sonic Adventure 2: The Movie

First things first, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will not be a shot-for-shot remake of Sonic Adventure 2. Watching Sonic the Hedgehog 1 and 2 should be enough to grasp this concept, as neither of those films were direct adaptations of the source material. Sonic 1 was an origin story that borrows a minimal amount of things from the games. Sonic 2 improves on this and is closer to the games than the first movie, but still, that one took creative liberties and added things from Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles.

If you want Sonic Adventure 2: The Movie, check this YouTube video out.

Some fans want Sonic 3 to be an exact remake of Sonic Adventure 2 in live-action, and I’m sorry to say, but if you were expecting that, you let yourself down. Paramount has been playing it safe for years with these movies, and I don’t see them stopping just because it’s the third movie, and they’ve been successful with the past two movies. Sonic 3 will definitely be darker, and Movie Sonic will be more serious, but it’s still a Paramount Sonic movie at the end of the day.

Going in a Different Direction Isn’t the End of the World

With this being an adaptation of Sonic Adventure 2, there are a lot of things that will be different. Until we’ve seen the movie, we won’t know these things for sure, but it looks as if Robotnik isn’t the reason Shadow is released. Robotnik will work with Team Sonic to stop Shadow as he goes on a worldwide rampage.

But that’s not the most significant change. From what’s shown in the trailer, Gerald and Maria Robotnik, Ivo Robotnik’s grandfather and cousin, are still alive in the movie. However, I’m a little skeptical. I’m wondering if Maria is only shown alive in flashbacks, or perhaps time travel will be thrown into the mix. Maria will die in the movie, but she won’t be getting shot as she does in the game – much to the dismay of Sonic Twitter. Instead, it seems like she’ll be caught in an explosion that will be her ultimate demise.

Jim Carrey will be playing both Ivo and Gerald Robotnik in Sonic 3

Gerald Robotnik is shown approaching Ivo Robotnik, whom we’ve come to know in the past two movies. Again, I’m skeptical about this as well. In the Knuckles show, Chief Pachacamac, one of Knuckles’s ancestors, shows up as a hallucination to help “guide” the characters. They could go that route as well, but who knows? If it works for the story, then I’ve no real issue with either character being alive during the events of Sonic 3.

Some Characters Seem to Be Missing

Again, this isn’t a direct adaptation of Sonic Adventure 2, but even so, some important characters should be introduced in this movie. Amy Rose and Rouge the Bat played significant roles in the video game. After missing the chance to introduce Rouge in the Knuckles show, Paramount can do so in Sonic 3. With Team Sonic working with G.U.N. in this movie, this leaves the door wide open to Rouge showing up in some capacity.

But more than anything, Amy Rose must make her way to the Sonic the Hedgehog Cinematic Universe. SEGA has tried its hardest to show that Amy is just as much a member of Team Sonic as Tails and Knuckles over the years, arguably since Sonic Boom in 2014 – 10 years ago. Like many other fans, I’d like to see Paramount’s take on Amy. I genuinely hope Paramount is holding onto her and that we’ll be surprised by her appearance in Sonic 3.

Is This the End for Donut Lord?

Things look dire for Donut Lord

A scene in the trailer shows Tom, Sonic’s adopted father, on his face, yelling Sonic’s name in distress. Many fans speculate that someone close to Sonic will die in this film, either Tom or Maddie. I feel like Tom is the one to go. I’m not saying I want him to, but he’s had the most considerable influence on Sonic in the movies, and this is supposed to be a movie about loss and grief and dealing with it.

Unlike the other two movies, I don’t see this ending where Shadow is adopted into Tom and Maddie’s family. Something serious will go down, and if they continue with the franchise, I feel like this film will be a turning point for the StHCU. Also, Tom dying would get a bigger reaction from Sonic than Maddie, as Sonic is closer to Tom in both movies.

Keanu Reeves Joins the Sonic the Hedgehog Cinematic Universe

Long ago, a rumor was spread that Keanu Reeves would be voicing Shadow the Hedgehog in Sonic 3. However, it was never officially confirmed until about 2 or 3 days ago. With this first trailer, we get to hear Keanu’s Shadow, and I have to say, it did nothing for me. I need to hear more to form a valid opinion. He doesn’t sound bad right now, but it’s not blowing me away. Idris destroyed when he voiced Knuckles and it was revealed, but that wasn’t the case this time around with Keanu.

I need to hear more

I might have some bias contributing to my feeling this way as well. My favorite voice actor for Shadow is Jason Griffith. He’s the absolute GOAT, and he always will be. Since 2010, we’ve had Kirk Thornton as the voice of Shadow. He’s a phenomenal voice actor, but he’s a horrible Shadow the Hedgehog, and in 14 years, I’ve tolerated one performance. So I’m hoping Keanu grows on me and I get some relief on the movie side.

Shadow the Hedgehog May Not Be the Actual Villain

As stated before, the trailer shows Team Sonic teaming up with Robotnik to take down Shadow. And that’s slightly akin to Sonic Adventure 2, where Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Eggman, Rouge, and Shadow teamed up to stop the Biolizard from crashing the Space Colony ARK into Earth and destroying the planet. However, this is the movie adaptation, and I believe Robotnik will betray Team Sonic because that’s what he does.

A horrible decision on Sonic’s part

In exchange for Robotnik’s assistance, Sonic gives him one of his quills. Metal Sonic has long been rumored for this movie, and I believe he’ll be the final villain they all have to fight against to stop. I think Robotnik will build Metal Sonic using the power from Sonic’s quill, and he’ll be too much for Sonic and Shadow to handle. I may be reaching, and Metal Sonic may show up in a post-credits scene, but here’s hoping I’m right about him showing up in the actual movie. Just look at the trailer for Sonic 2; they all made Knuckles out to be the movie’s villain when Robotnik and the Death Egg Robot were.

Can We Be Realistic for One Second?

Y’all can’t be serious

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 releases on December 20, 2024. That’s the same day that Mufasa: The Lion King releases. Sonic Twitter believes that Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will demolish Mufasa at the box office. I’m here to let you all know that that’s not the case, and there’s not even a 10% chance of that happening. Mufasa: The Lion King is, first and foremost, a Disney movie. Second, it’s a sequel/prequel to the second-highest-grossing animated film of all time. The Lion King (2019) may have been hot garbage, and its sequel will likely be just as bad, but Disney always dominates at the box office, and this will be no different. I’ll see Sonic 3 before I see Mufasa, but I’ll still see Mufasa in theaters. I’ve got to know if it’ll get a worse score than its predecessor.

Sonic the Hedgehog movies are used to going up against abysmal comic book movies like Birds of Prey or Morbius. Sonic swept those movies quite easily as DC and Sony both were on a downward spiral. Sony still is, honestly. If Paramount were wise, they’d release the film on December 13, a week earlier. Kraven the Hunter releases on that day, and regardless of how more people know about Kraven due to Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 video game, I’m sure Sonic would still destroy Kraven at the box office. I’m not the only one who thinks that, either.

Sonic X Shadow Generations Might Help the Sonic 3 Box Office

SEGA has dubbed this the Year of Shadow due to Sonic Movie 3. To assist with garnering interest for Sonic 3, SEGA is remastering Sonic Generations, one of the best Sonic the Hedgehog games ever. But this time, Shadow is getting his own campaign that goes through his history. Sonic X Shadow Generations releases on October 25, just under two months before Sonic 3 comes out.

SEGA is doing great marketing this game, and if more casuals get interested in it, this could drive ticket sales. They’ll be getting my money, as I plan on getting the collector’s edition of the game. As soon as the movie tickets are on sale, I’ll be buying mine for the opening night. And I can almost guarantee I’ll see the film more than once.

Ultimately, this has brought the hype back for Sonic 3 for me and a slew of Sonic fans, both on Twitter and in the real world. I’m incredibly excited to learn more about the movie. We’ve got 115 days to go, and it’ll fly by. My review for Sonic 3 will be up within a day of me watching the movie, and you better believe a review for Sonic Movie 1 and 2 will be up before Movie 3’s release. But enough about my thoughts. Let me know in the comments what you think of the trailer. Are you excited for Sonic 3? Is there anything you want to see in the third movie? Let’s get ready for the biggest video game movie of the year. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 releases officially on December 20, 2024.

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Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone – It Was Almost Perfect

It’s a shame this isn’t canon. It’s a phenomenal start to Dragon Ball Z.

Dragon Ball Z had a multitude of movies that came out in the late 90s/early 2000s. None of these were considered canon, but many fans love them. You better believe I’m one of those fans. While I admit that there are a lot of issues with many of them, I’m a Dragon Ball fanatic and thoroughly entertained regardless. Last week, I shared my thoughts on Dragon Ball: The Path to Power, and this week, I have the pleasure of reviewing one of, in my opinion, the best Dragon Ball Z movies, Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone.

Although Dead Zone and the other DBZ movies aren’t considered canon, they’re meant to be viewed along the same timeline. Dead Zone is the very first Dragon Ball Z movie that was released. It’s also the only movie that is set after the end of Dragon Ball but before the end of Dragon Ball Z. I bring this up because it’s a Dragon Ball Z movie, but it does have a good amount of spirit that Dragon Ball had towards the end of its run. It was a nice balance that worked in the movie’s favor. The transition from Dragon Ball to Dragon Ball Z was smoother in this movie than between the two shows.

Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone has a really simple story. An alien named Garlic Jr. wants to wish for immortality in a plan for revenge, so he kidnaps Gohan to use the Dragon Ball on his hat. It’s up to Goku to save Gohan from Garlic Jr. and his henchmen. As I stated in my Path to Power review, Dragon Ball has always benefitted from having straightforward stories like this one, and it makes for an exciting story.

It’s not a DBZ movie without a Kamehameha

Another thing that works in Dead Zone’s favor with this being set before Dragon Ball Z is that the story isn’t a flashy movie with outlandish battles. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy them. However, I never mind a grounded DBZ story, as it gives certain characters a chance to shine. Goku, Piccolo, Kami, and Gohan each have an opportunity to do some fantastic work. Goku goes to town on Garlic Jr’s three henchmen, Ginger, Nicky, and Sansho – at the same time, might I add. At the beginning of the movie, Piccolo gets jumped but returns to the fray and gets a good lick back.  The Guardian of the Earth, Kami, is also shown to have some fight left in him as he tries to stand against Garlic Jr., even going as far as to try and kill himself to defeat Garlic Jr.

As for Gohan’s shining moment, know Goku isn’t the one to save the day. As for how it’s done, watch the movie and see what happens. This movie accomplishes something that I thought wasn’t possible. It made me like Kid Gohan. In Dragon Ball Z and even some other films, Kid Gohan is as annoying as can be. And don’t even get me started on how he is in the video games. But in Dead Zone, Gohan is legitimately a kid who’s been kidnapped. The movie does a great job of showing how similar Gohan is to Goku and hinting at Gohan’s potential inside him.

Beast Gohan has been there since the beginning

Krillin also shows up in the movie and saves Goku from an attack, but other than that, he doesn’t get much action. He’s essentially there to be Gohan’s babysitter. It’s understandable; I just would rather have seen Krillin get a good moment in battle, too. Bulma and Master Roshi briefly appear along with Ox King and Chi-Chi at the beginning. While they may show up on the screen briefly, they help move the story along. With their presence, it helps with the pacing of the movie. It’s not too fast, and it doesn’t drag. With how enjoyable the story is, it’s hard to believe how quickly the movie passes by. That’s not saying much, though; the movie is only 41 minutes long.

The one character I had an issue with in the movie is Garlic Jr. Think of a bootleg Emperor Pilaf from O.G. Dragon Ball or Dragon Ball Super, or even the trash beginning of Dragon Ball GT. Yes, Garlic Jr. resembles Emperor Pilaf and even shares the same voice actor with him. However, that’s where the similarities stop. Garlic Jr. is actually evil. He wants revenge for having his father trapped in a Dead Zone and will do whatever it takes to achieve his goals. He can even transform into a hulking version of himself. But for how determined and powerful he is, Garlic Jr. is an idiot.

I guarantee that head is filled with nothing but hot air

The one part of the story that bothered me was evident toward the movie’s beginning. As stated earlier, Piccolo was jumped at the start of the film by Ginger, Nicky, and Sansho, and they believe that they’ve killed him. Even Garlic Jr. believes it, delighting that Kami is dead as well. However, Kami is shown to be alive in the very next scene. With Garlic Jr. knowing that if Piccolo dies, Kami will die as well, it’s hard to believe that he doesn’t know that if Kami dies, the Dragon Balls will cease to function, which means that his wish for immortality would be unable to be granted. It’s a huge plot hole that I didn’t discover until I watched Dead Zone again.

Seeing Piccolo and Goku team up was great in this movie, and we almost got the rematch between Goku and Piccolo if it weren’t for Garlic Jr. having immortality. However, that presents another issue I found within the story. Goku and Piccolo began fighting as they believed that they defeated Garlic Jr. However, Garlic Jr. rises as they start fighting and yells that he can’t be killed, then opens a portal to his own Dead Zone, which begins sucking up the entire planet. It’s shown that Goku and Piccolo are still fighting when this is happening, and I’m sorry, but it’s ridiculous that they didn’t hear any of that.

Who doesn’t love a good Goku and Piccolo team up?

Aside from these small details, I really did enjoy this movie. The action was great. The fight scenes were animated wonderfully. The story was enjoyable, and the pacing was just right. For the first Dragon Ball Z movie, it’s a really good one. And I’d argue that this should have been the definitive introduction to Dragon Ball Z, but I’m fine with it not being content. I’m definitely going to check out the filler Garlic Jr. Saga in Dragon Ball Z in the coming days. Two excellent movies down, 18 more to go. Next up, Dragon Ball Z: The World’s Strongest!

Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone

Story
Action
Pacing

Summary

Being the first Dragon Ball Z movie, Dead Zone does a great job of ushering in a new generation of Dragon Ball. While not canon, Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone can easily be considered the de facto introduction to Dragon Ball Z, combining a strong story, great action, and solid pacing to entertain viewers of all ages.

4.5

Dragon Ball, Reviews

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Disney Didn’t Come to Play! – D23 Movie Announcements and Updates

D23 2024 was this past weekend, and Disney came in swinging. There were a lot of updates and announcements made, most notably on Friday evening, as several upcoming movies were either announced or an update was given in the form of a new trailer. I’ve had a chance to catch up on all the announcements and updates, and I’m here to give my thoughts on the majority that caught my eye.

Mufasa: The Lion King

An official trailer for Mufasa: The Lion King was released, giving a bigger glimpse into the movie’s actual storyline. This trailer succeeded in doing one thing for me: It provided me with the reason why I’m not excited one bit about this movie. A follow-up post is currently being written that expands on my thoughts on the current state of Mufasa: The Lion King.

Snow White

I’m so tired of live-action remakes. And yes, I understand it’s not fully live-action. It’s mostly CGI, but you get what I mean. Snow White, I don’t care to see this as I couldn’t care less for the animated movie it’s being adapted from. If a review does show up on this site for the movie, it likely won’t be as soon as it’s been released. The only thing I’m really curious about with this movie is how it will perform at the box office, as there’s already been some controversy. The dwarves are CGI and not being played by actual actors, the movie is described as “woke” due to its story direction, and people don’t care for the two lead actresses, Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, due to recent comments. So we’ll see how it turns out next year.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

I’m definitely ready for this one. I love the Fantastic Four. I watched the show from the 90s, read the original comics as a kid, and I honestly liked the first Fantastic Four film released in 2005. But that was handled by Fox, and I wasn’t a fan of how Fox handled their Marvel assets. Being rebooted in 2015 and having the latest movie be among some of the worst superhero movies released, this one has a lot riding on its shoulders. However, the MCU has an outstanding track record, and I’m incredibly excited to see how Marvel’s First Family enters the fray. Nothing can change my mind either. The MCU has done great with the X-Men so far, and I much prefer the MCU Spidey movies to the Raimi films and The Amazing Spider-Man films, so I’m almost sure this will be another hit.

Captain America: Brave New World

Another highly anticipated movie for myself. This is Anthony Mackie’s first big screen outing, and it’s a big one. The official introduction to adamantium, Giancarlo Esposito’s villain, and Red Hulk showing up have garnered a lot of interest in the movie. It’ll be the first Captain America movie without Chris Evans as Cap and without Sebastian Stan showing up as Bucky. This is definitely going to be an opening night movie, and I’ll be sure to have my review out as soon as possible once I’ve watched it.

Frozen III & IV

I wasn’t the biggest fan of Frozen when it was first released. Likely because it became Disney’s most successful animated film and kicked The Lion King out of its top spot. But I gave the movie a chance, and I did like it. I enjoyed Frozen II a bit more, but it’s been years since I’ve seen either film, so I’ll have to check them out again and write my review after a fresh viewing. From what I remember of the ending of Frozen II, I don’t see where they can go with Frozen III and even Frozen IV, but all this confirms is that Disney has found its latest cash cow in Frozen.

Zootopia 2

You all should know how excited I am for Zootopia 2. The first movie was stellar, in my eyes, a near-perfect movie. I can’t wait to revisit the world of Zootopia and catch up with Judy and Nick. Newcomers Ke Huy Quan and Ginnifer Goodwin will join the cast, and it sounds like they might be stirring up some trouble. If they can keep the same tone as the first film but not make it so predictable this time, they’ve got a sure hit on their hands with Zootopia 2. Another opening night movie added to the list.

The Incredibles 3

It took 14 years to get a sequel to the first film, and six years later, The Incredibles 3 is confirmed to be in development. No further details were given, but the logo was shown off and looks pretty nice. I’d like to see that the characters have grown some. Maybe Bob and Helen have gotten old enough for retirement, and Dash, Violet, and Jack-Jack must step up and save the day. I just don’t want to see this movie start right after The Incredibles 2.

Toy Story 5

Why is this being made? If Frozen is Disney’s cash cow then Toy Story is Disney’s cash bull because they refuse to let this series die. Toy Story 3 ended perfectly, and Toy Story 4, while unnecessary, just like Toy Story 5, wrapped up everyone’s story quite nicely again. The villains have been announced as the toys go up against electronics and a 50-toy army of malfunctioning Buzz Lightyear toys. I trust the writers and I’m sure this will be another phenomenal entry, but I hope this is it for Toy Story.

Moana 2

You all don’t know this, but I loved the first Moana. It was a great film, and Auli’I Cravalho did a magnificent job in her introductory role as Moana. The singing was everything, and the twist regarding Te Fiti was something I didn’t see coming at all. I’ve said this before at other films above, but I truly can’t wait to see the sequel in November. A review is certain, and this is another opening night movie.

Plenty of other films were announced or given updates, along with a slew of shows, but these are just the ones that caught my eye and will likely have a presence on the site – Snow White is doubtful. Disney has been going strong for years, and D23 2024 proves they have no plans to stop anytime soon. With properties under their belt, such as Marvel, Star Wars, Avatar, and the entire preceding history of the Disney library, there’s sure to be a lot more on the way. Let me know in the comments which movies you’re excited about and why. I’d love to hear it!

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Dragon Ball: The Path to Power – A Creative Reimagining

Get reintroduced to the world of Dragon Ball.

Growing up, Dragon Ball Z was one of, if not THE most popular anime on TV. Nerds and jocks were able to co-exist peacefully when it came to Dragon Ball Z. And honestly, you’d think that’s where it all started. Dragon Ball, the original show, wasn’t as big in America as overseas. DBZ, on the other hand, was all the rage due to the intense action and fight scenes. But don’t sleep on Dragon Ball. It’s an amazing show that does a great job of telling the origins of Goku and how he came to be the man we know him to be in Dragon Ball Z.

Dragon Ball: The Path to Power is a movie that gives fans a better understanding of the origins of Dragon Ball. It combines elements from two important sagas in Dragon Ball. The very first saga, the Emperor Pilaf saga, and the third saga, the Red Ribbon Army saga. I say these two sagas are important because they do a great job of not only introducing the audience to the world of Dragon Ball but also showing just how special Goku is in that world. But those are topics for another time.

The movie does a great job of mirroring the humor from the original show.

There are some major differences between the OG Dragon Ball show and this movie, The Path to Power. Goku and Bulma meet exactly as they do in the show. Bulma hits Goku with her car, Goku throws the car accusing it of being a monster, then Bulma shoots Goku which has no effect due to his unknown Saiyan heritage. However, that’s one of the very few similarities to the actual show. Instead of Emperor Pilaf being the villain, as he is in the very first saga, he’s not featured or mentioned in the movie. The Red Ribbon Army takes center stage for the villain role in this movie, but it works. Emperor Pilaf is a bit too cartoony, and you can tell the movie is trying to be more on the serious side for the most part.

If you’ve seen the original show, you should know the storyline. Goku and friends are on a quest to find the Dragon Balls, and so is the Red Ribbon Army. Goku and their friends want to wish for silly things to benefit their lives, such as a perfect boyfriend or the ability to speak to girls without fear, whereas the Red Ribbon Army wants to wish for world domination. This naturally sets them on a course to cross paths and come to blows. That’s it. That’s the story. It’s a simple one, and that’s why Dragon Ball has been so popular over the years. The straightforward approach of “I want to be the strongest” has always resonated most with the audience, and it’s still evident even in this movie. It’s not the exact case, as this is more a story of adventure and good versus evil, but it’s the same Goku we’ve come to know and love.

While some characters are missing from the movie, Krillin and Arale, it doesn’t take away from the movie. As stated before, Goku meeting Bulma is the same as the show. Most other introductions are relatively the same, with the only real difference being how Goku and Bulma meet Oolong. And it’s a miniscule difference. Instead of Oolong terrorizing a village and tricking them into giving him the girls of the village with his shapeshifting powers, he’s alone in a forest. He blocks Bulma and Goku from going any further, disguised as a giant robot. The same concept exists; he tries to use his shapeshifting to take Bulma, but we all know Goku is fearless, and Oolong’s ruse is up.

The voyage to find the Dragon Balls seemed easier in this movie.

Yamcha, Puar, and Master Roshi also show up in pretty much the same way as the show. Yamcha and Goku were originally rivals, and it’s crazy to see how strong Yamcha was back then. When he and Goku fight, he sends Goku flying a good distance. It’s funny that he’s become the laughingstock of the series when he was so beast back in the day. Puar is still always at Yamcha’s side, and they reference Oolong and Puar’s time in shapeshifting school, but Oolong is the only one to shapeshift in the movie.

Probably the biggest change to the established mythos is the character of Android 8. Goku met Android 8 in Dragon Ball during the Red Ribbon Army saga. In the show, Android 8 is a kind individual who hates violence. In fact, the only violence ever seen from Android 8, dubbed Eighter by Goku, is when one of the Red Ribbon Army generals, General White, shoots Goku. Android 8 is so upset by the thought of his friend being hurt that he punches General White out of a tower. Android 8 in The Path to Power is a bit different, being a mindless drone and attacking Goku from the start until he recovers his emotions. But even in the end, he comes to Goku’s rescue and helps Goku fight Staff Officer Black during the final battle.

Usually, I prefer more action than was shown during The Path to Power, but it was an entertaining movie the entire way through. Whenever there was action, it was done magnificently. Master Roshi’s Kamehameha was still epic. Instead of being used to put out a fire on a mountain, Master Roshi destroyed part of the Red Ribbon Army’s fleet with it. Mirroring the show, Goku mastered the move almost immediately, but the movie takes it to a whole new level. Goku’s first Kamehameha is a massive beam that takes out the rest of the armada.

OG Kid Goku wishes he was this proficient with the Kamehameha wave.

The movie also leans into Goku’s unlimited potential as a child. The feats that Goku achieves are insane and it seems like this movie highlighted Goku’s strange strength more than anything, especially during the final battle. Dragon Ball Z was when things became a screaming fest for powering up, but that’s exactly what happened in the climax of the Dragon Ball: The Path to Power. When Goku thought he had lost Android 8, he screamed and unleashed the mightiest Kamehameha – one that Kid Goku had never even come close to in the original show.

As many changes were made between the movie and the show, this is still a Dragon Ball film. It did an awesome job of introducing this world to a new generation, and it’s definitely a movie that I recommend checking out if you’re into Dragon Ball. The pacing could stand to slow down just a bit, but the show suffers from the same fate when it comes to how fast events happen. I’ll always prefer the OG Dragon Ball sagas, but I wouldn’t be opposed to watching The Path to Power again. Now I need a video game adaptation of Dragon Ball in the same vein as Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot.

Dragon Ball: The Path to Power

Sagas Retold
Action
Pacing

A Creative Reimagining

While taking creative liberties, Dragon Ball: The Path to Power does a wonderful job of retelling two pivotal sagas from the original Dragon Ball show. Things move a bit fast, and there could stand to be a bit more action, but it’s a solid Dragon Ball movie and does a great job of retelling the origin story of Goku and his friends.

4

Dragon Ball, Reviews

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