In April of this year, Jonathan Majors was found guilty of assault and harassment against his ex-girlfriend. Marvel promptly fired Jonathan Majors, and what would become of Kang was now a mystery. There were rumors that Marvel would simply recast Kang, which seemed the easiest route, considering who Kang is. Still, Marvel recently announced that they’re abandoning Kang as the big bad of the Multiverse Saga. Dr. Doom will now be the big bad of the 5th Avengers movie, retitled Avengers: Doomsday from The Kang Dynasty. Oh, and get this – not only is Doom the new big bad, but Robert Downy Jr. is coming back to play Doom.
Naturally, quite a few fans on Twitter are upset about it, more so because RDJ is coming back rather than having a new actor play Doom. Me? I’m fine. I don’t know what route they’re going, but Marvel has entertained me more times than not, so I’ll be optimistic about it, as it’s still a fictional movie universe at the end of the day. Regardless, this broke a lot of Kang fans’ hearts. We never got to see him be an Avengers-level threat. The closest that we can get to seeing Kang in all his majesty is in the old cartoon, Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. I highly recommend the show aside from Kang. Before they rebooted it and made it more like the MCU with Avengers Assemble, this show could give the DC shows from the early 2000s a run for their money.
Just watch how beast Kang is
So, a couple of days ago, I came across a tweet on Twitter (and I do mean Twitter; you’ll never catch me calling it X). Twitter user @Exiledscoop3r made a thread that detailed how Kang would return and be a real threat to the Avengers in The Kang Dynasty. And after reading the thread, I have to say, we were truly robbed. This would have been the ultimate payoff after seeing him be humiliated by Antman, of all heroes. In fact, I was always against that being his first MCU movie because I knew how raw and powerful Kang could be. Check out the tweet below for Kang’s next steps in his MCU arc.
The Resurrection of Kang The Conqueror
His return from out of the Beyond Zone explained from the scrapped Avengers: The Kang Dynasty by Micheal Waldron and Jeff Loveness. pic.twitter.com/m13fFTU5HA
Reading through this thread, it would have been phenomenal to see it play on the screen. Kang would’ve gotten the Thanos treatment—making the audience understand his motivations, with some in agreement. His backstory alone already seems much more compelling than Thanos’. I really wanted to see how his story would play out, but sadly, that doesn’t seem to be coming to fruition.
Even with another actor in the role, I would have rather this than the current route. Sure, Jonathan Majors messed up and has to “suffer the consequences,” but why abandon the villain altogether? They could’ve easily saved Doom for the next saga if they really wanted him to be the big bad. And don’t get me wrong, Dr. Doom is just as beast as Kang, but this just feels like a cop-out. The characters that they choose not to recast in the MCU will never make sense to me, and it sucks that this has happened to 2 amazing characters at this point – Black Panther and Kang.
Again, I’m not upset about Doomsday or Doom being the big bad of the Multiverse Saga now, but I doubt what will happen will get me as hyped as I felt reading this and picturing it brought to life. I’m not 100% certain that this is based on the scrapped script for The Kang Dynasty, but if it is, Marvel better make Doom’s introduction to the MCU worth it all. Kang’s story is also said to be wrapped up in Doomsday, so we’ll see how they handle that. Until then, we’ll keep coasting and seeing Marvel’s course correction in real-time. We’ll find out in a couple of years if it pays off for them.
One thing to know about me is that I may not be a movie buff, but I’m a huge Dragon Ball fan. In fact, I’d admit I’m a bigger Dragon Ball fan than The Lion King and my love for the series might be on par with my passion for Sonic the Hedgehog. I’ve played a majority of the Dragon Ball games, read the O.G. manga through Dragon Ball Super, watched all 4 Dragon Ball shows, all 15 Dragon Ball Z animated movies, Dragon Ball GT’s movie epilogue, both Dragon Ball Super movies, and, unfortunately, the live-action Dragonball Evolution movie.
There are some animated movies created during the O.G. Dragon Ball era, but I didn’t watch any of those as they’re not canon and make some drastic changes to things already established within the continuity. There is a Dragon Ball film released in 1996 called Dragon Ball: The Path to Power that I’ve yet to watch, but I intend to watch it very soon. It will kick off my review series for Dragon Ball.
The review series will consist of 20 movies from Dragon Ball through Dragonball (the trash universe that Evolution was set in). Please find the full list of movies below:
Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball Z
Dragon Ball GT
Dragon Ball Super
Dragonball
Dragon Ball: The Path to Power
Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone
Dragon Ball GT: A Hero’s Legacy
Dragon Ball Super: Broly
Dragonball Evolution
Dragon Ball Z: The World’s Strongest
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero
Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might
Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug
Dragon Ball Z: Cooler’s Revenge
Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler
Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13
Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan
Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound
Dragon Ball Z: Broly – Second Coming
Dragon Ball Z: Bio-Broly
Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn
Dragon Ball Z: Wrath of the Dragon
Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods
Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F
One thing to note regarding my review series: This will be only the Funimation dubbed versions of the movies. There are multiple dubbed versions, most notably the Ocean Dub. I’m sorry, but those dubs suck. The voice acting was not it, and Funimation has the absolute best track record for dubs. I’m likely not going to feature any other dubbed versions besides Funimation.
I also like watching subbed DB, but I always prefer dubbed versions. If I write reviews for the subbed versions, they’ll be added quietly and not in another series run. I highly doubt the scores would be vastly different, and I’d likely be repeating points from the dubbed reviews.
Regular blog posts will be posted while this series is ongoing. Any specialty reviews, such as new movie reviews, will be posted on Tuesday evenings during the series. Once the series has been concluded, I’ll follow up with a blog post ranking the Dragon Ball movies from my least favorite to my absolute favorite. Be sure to look for the Dragon Ball reviews every Thursday evening starting next week. Enjoy!
The long-awaited Deadpool & Wolverine, the year’s biggest superhero movie, has finally arrived. Released on July 26, 2023, the film has received mixed reviews from critics. However, I found it to be a thoroughly enjoyable experience. It may not be perfect, but it’s a fantastic introduction to Deadpool in the MCU, and I believe it’s the best Deadpool movie we’ve seen so far.
From the very beginning of the movie, I got the same vibes as the previous films. A lot of people were worried that with Disney being over Marvel, Deadpool wouldn’t be as good as its predecessors, but I can assure you it is. The film is extremely raunchy and hilarious. I was crying laughing from the first action sequence.
Several people weren’t fans of the intro scene, and it’s understandable why, though I’m not one of those. I recall seeing Marvel state they wouldn’t “dishonor” Logan, too. Yet, they do it immediately upon the first few minutes of Deadpool & Wolverine. One of my good friends brought it up to me, and again, it’s understandable why you’d be upset, but I’m afraid I have to disagree with the reasoning. Logan was a phenomenal movie and will always be among the greats in superhero movies. However, it’s still a fictional movie, and more importantly, it’s extremely in line with Deadpool as a character. People cry about not getting comic book characters right in these movies, but let that character do something that is for sure something they would do in the comics, and it’s a bad thing. The scene might be my favorite scene of the movie, and I promise my friends and I were cracking up the entire time.
Hands down, the funniest opening from the Deadpool movies
The great part is that the movie starts incredibly funny and gets better from there. Deadpool and Wolverine, while not every joke sticks, this movie will have you laughing through the very end—even the end credits, in which there is only one end credits scene. But every character will find some way to make you laugh, even the supporting characters that may have one line. Deadpool’s interactions with every character is absolutely spot on to how he’d be in the comics, too. However, the movie makes it a point to show that despite his inability to die and being uglier than sin, Deadpool – Wade Wilson is still human. He has people in his life that he cares about, and he’ll do whatever it takes to ensure they’re safe.
This is ultimately what carries the plot. Deadpool is celebrating his birthday with his friends when the TVA shows up to take him in. He discovers that his world is dying due to Wolverine’s death in Logan and is offered a chance to join the Avengers on Earth 616. His friends would be doomed, which is something Deadpool won’t allow to happen, and he takes off to find his world’s Wolverine. After digging up Logan’s corpse and confirming that Wolverine is dead in his world, he heads off to find another Wolverine from a different universe. This leads to a reluctant buddy film full of notable cameos and the best multiverse movie out of the MCU so far.
I liked the plot. It wasn’t too simple, and it wasn’t too complicated. The cameos that were in the film worked for the context and did a great job of honoring the characters. The good friend I mentioned earlier who didn’t care for the intro also spoiled me on an actor who would be in Deadpool & Wolverine, but even with the knowledge of the actor in the film, it didn’t take away from watching it. It was one of my favorite cameos, and that actor was none other than Henry Cavill. It makes complete sense, too, since Henry admitted that he would love to play Wolverine. His wish finally came true, and I’m happy for him since DC screwed him over.
There were plenty of other cameos, but 6 surprised me. The first cameo I wasn’t expecting was Hulk. It’s not a massive spoiler, but the iconic Wolverine vs. Hulk was referenced, and I was here for it. The other four cameos were iconic in the world of Fox Marvel movies. See, Deadpool and Wolverine get thrown into the Void, the space where all things that the TVA has pruned go. While there, we meet some familiar faces in the form of Chris Evans’ Human Torch, Wesley Snipes’ Blade, Jennifer Garner’s Elektra, and Channing Tatum’s Gambit. The film also brings back Dafne Keene’s X-23, but the trailer already spoiled that, so I wasn’t overly excited. These characters play an integral part in the movie, and Deadpool has some hilarious commentary around Gambit. I enjoyed seeing these characters come back and get to play their character and have a happy ending after feeling useless due to being trapped in the Void for years. While Deadpool & Wolverine may be an introductory piece for Deadpool, it’s also a beautiful farewell to the Fox Marvel universe.
Cassandra Nova: No, it’s not a woke thing
Like all standard superhero movies, there’s more than one villain throughout the film. The first villain is a rogue TVA agent named Mr. Paradox, who aims to speed up the deaths of universes in an attempt to become head of the TVA. The second villain, the ultimate big bad, is Cassandra Nova, Charles Xavier’s twin sister. It’s a complicated history, but think of her as the antithesis of Charles. Having psychic powers herself, she’s an incredibly dangerous foe, and the film does an outstanding job of showcasing that. I didn’t know how they would beat her, but as usual, villains get a little too confident and try taking it up ten notches before ultimately biting the dust. And if the title didn’t give it away, she’s not taken out by Deadpool or Wolverine separately; they do it together. With the power of friendship, I might add, quite literally.
Ryan Reynolds did an awesome job, as always, playing Deadpool. Hugh Jackman may not have played Wolverine in almost a decade, but you wouldn’t be able to tell by watching this film. Pairing them together was the perfect way to go. They have such amazing chemistry, and it isn’t one or the other carrying the film, but both of them together. The movie keeps them together for 90% of the time, and it’s never a bad thing. With their healing factors, they go all out whenever they fight each other, though it does lead to questionable CGI sequences throughout the movie.
I’m begging Marvel to utilize them both more often
The one joke they kept up throughout the movie was Deadpool being the savior of the Marvel universe. And while it was a joke in the film, I believe it to be true about the MCU. MCU movies fell off after Endgame. Phase 4 had some banger movies and shows, but Phase 5 lacked tremendously. Before Deadpool & Wolverine, the best thing to come out of Phase 5 was Loki Season 2. It was a breath of fresh air to receive Deadpool & Wolverine, and I hope it’s not almost a decade before we see them again.
I’m not a fan who complains about the most minor things, either. It didn’t bother me that Wolverine didn’t have any shoulder pads on his costume or that Channing Tatum looked more like a cosplayer than an actor in a professional-looking suit. I enjoyed the movie for what it was, and it’s my favorite Phase 5 project thus far. If I had any complaints, it would be about the atrocious CGI at different points of the movie, and I wasn’t a fan of the Marvel Jesus joke, but that’s a personal preference. I love that it still felt like Fox Deadpool, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the MCU holds in store for Deadpool. Fingers crossed that we get that crossover film between Deadpool, Wolverine, and Tom Holland’s Spider-Man.
Deadpool & Wolverine
Story
Humor
Cameos
Summary
For Deadpool’s first foray into the MCU, it still feels like Fox’s Deadpool. An entertaining and funny story that gives fans much of what they’ve wanted for years also does a great job of paying respects to the end of Fox’s Marvel Universe and ushering in the characters to a new era—the MCU Era.
Our favorite butt-kicking panda is back! Back in August 2022, Kung Fu Panda fans received a very welcome surprise from Dreamworks. Kung Fu Panda 4 was announced, and I couldn’t have been more excited. I was a big fan of the previous three movies. The first movie has the best villain, the second movie has my all-time favorite quote from any movie, and the third movie has my favorite ending of the trilogy.
Kung Fu Panda 3 was very successful. But after some years of no news about a 4th installment, I honestly lost hope. I did have the recently released Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight to hold me over for a little bit. If you haven’t seen that, check it out ASAP. It’s on Netflix and it’s such an amazing show. However, it still didn’t fill the void left by an actual movie. Kung Fu Panda 4 was released on March 8, 2024. I saw it that weekend and needed some time to gather my thoughts.
Set to become the new Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace, Po must find his successor to become the new Dragon Warrior. While doing so, he must also deal with the new villain, The Chameleon, a villain who can bring back villains from Po’s past, such as Tai Lung. The premise sounds like peak fiction. Unfortunately, the execution wasn’t the best, making Kung Fu Panda 4 the weakest installment of the saga.
The movie starts off with Tai Lung returning somehow and terrorizing a mountain village. We then move over to Po, who’s late to the opening ceremony for a new restaurant his dads are opening. Of course, he’s late doing Dragon Warrior stuff and we find him battling an evil stingray before getting back on track. The opening just felt kind of clunky and there, not really giving too much weight to the story. Tai Lung just announces he’s back. And based on his past actions, people fear him, rightfully so, but he does nothing to anyone except be there.
After the grand opening, Master Shifu explains to Po that he must give up the title of the Dragon Warrior and step into his new role as the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace. That means he has to choose his successor and have someone else be the Dragon Warrior. Naturally, Po isn’t a fan of that. He’s finally found his footing and has built an entire persona around the Dragon Warrior. It’s understandable that he wouldn’t want to give up the action.
Refusing to pick a candidate for the role, Po ends up catching a fox bandit named Zhen who is trying to steal ancient weapons. Po sends Zhen to jail and finds out about Tai Lung’s return. Zhen proceeds to tip off Po and let him know that it is really The Chameleon shape-shifting into Tai Lung to scare the villagers. Zhen tells Po that if he wants to stop The Chameleon, he’ll need her help. And we’ve now arrived at an overused cliché that many shows and movies turn to. The old hero protagonist teaming up with a “bad guy” to stop a greater evil, only to be betrayed by the “bad guy” before teaming up again for one final showdown and the “bad guy” becoming a good guy now trope. Who didn’t see that coming? I sure didn’t and I’m being 100% serious when I say that.
In my defense, I was more concerned with just how Zhen was going to be chosen to be the next Dragon Warrior. That had my focus, so I just didn’t put two and two together to be like, “Oh, this is about to happen.” Zhen is such a small character compared to Po. But of course, no warrior is too small. Mantis is living proof of that. And what Zhen lacks in physicality, she makes up with her personality. Zhen is voiced by Awkwafina in Kung Fu Panda 4. I’m not the biggest fan of her. Her voice can be very obnoxious at times, and when it comes to animated films, voice work is high on the list for me. But she did a great job honestly. She actually sounded like Scarlett Johansson sometimes, believe it or not.
I won’t spoil the journey—just know that’s literally what makes up the movie. Po’s adventure to find The Chameleon with Zhen. The biggest mistake this movie makes is its pacing. It’s very fast-paced, and it doesn’t work for the movie. The pacing should be balanced to make the story work. Kung Fu Panda 4 suffers from a lot of rush work, and the quality just isn’t there the same as it is with the OG trilogy.
The characters that debut in this movie, the main ones at least, could be a bit more captivating. I wish their stories were a bit more fleshed out. There was just something holding me back from really like The Chameleon, who was voiced by the incredibly talented Viola Davis. Davis did a phenomenal job. The issue with The Chameleon has nothing to do with the voice. It’s the writing that robs The Chameleon from reaching her full potential.
She’s salty because she was rejected from every training hall due to her small physique and exuding insignificance. So she became a sorceress instead and used that to be able to shapeshift in the different masters. Obviously, taking someone’s body doesn’t give you all of their fighting prowess. In the world of Kung Fu Panda, their knowledge of the art of kung fu is tied directly to their souls. So The Chameleon decides to steal the souls of all the masters in the spirit world. To do that, she needs Po’s Staff of Wisdom to open the door to the Spirit Realm.
This is where the “bad guy” betraying the main protagonist comes into play. Zhen actually works for The Chameleon, having been raised by her since her youth. This takes Po, and myself, by surprise because he not only trusted Zhen but he also just gave the Staff of Wisdom to Zhen, who in turn gives it to The Chameleon. The Chameleon is now free to open the door to the Spirit Realm, stealing the spirit of each kung fu master that resided in the spirit realm and their kung fu abilities as well. Seeing just how bad it is, Zhen decides she is in the wrong and escapes The Chameleon to find Po.
This leads to the final battle, which I must say was lackluster as well. But before that, there’s the sentimental moment where Po gets some encouragement and begins to believe in himself while also inspiring the secondary character – in this case, Zhen. Po and Zhen team up against The Chameleon, who has the fighting styles of a multitude of different masters. She then decides to turn into this dragon-like creature composed of different animals, though she looked like Toothless from How To Train Your Dragon at different times. When the dragon isn’t enough, The Chameleon resorts to turning into a fake Po and duke it out with the real one. Po becomes outclassed by his double, thanks to The Chameleon using some of her own powers, and ends up locked in a mystic cage.
At this point, he once again gives his staff to Zhen to finish what was started and this marks the transition from Po to Zhen as the Dragon Warrior. Zhen is able to wield the power of the staff and strikes a mighty blow against The Chameleon while yelling out her own phrase, “Skablam,” which is a callback to a previous, unfunny moment in the film. The Chameleon doesn’t give up and in one final blow, Po knocks her out and lets Zhen know that the correct phrase is “Skadoosh.” All of the masters have their spirits returned to them, and in return, they all bow to Po in respect. This includes Tai Lung, Master Shen, and Kai. A lot of people weren’t happy with that, but I did see that coming, and it’s something that I’m happy about. I always enjoy seeing things like that and I don’t feel like it takes away from any of them as previous villains.
Once everything is wrapped up, Po officially decides on Zhen as his successor, and they begin their training. The training session is led by none other than the Furious Five after being absent for the entire movie. And although they’re back, they’re not going to say a single word. They’re just going to be a part of this training montage with Zhen that pretty much shows they were added at the very last minute due to the intense, yet justified, backlash of them seemingly not being in the film at all.
Honestly, it feels like a slap in the face, but it is what it is. The movie could have been much worse. At first, the movie was supposed to be a live-action/animated hybrid movie with The Chameleon and Zhen being humans from Hu-Man City. The plot was fairly similar, but just the prospect of this hybrid mess sounds horrible, and I’m so glad they didn’t go through with it. I honestly don’t feel like this movie was handled with the same care as the previous three movies. The tone was almost the same, but it didn’t quite get there. Maybe it’s because I’m growing up, but I can go back and watch the other 3 movies and truly enjoy them without nostalgia fueling the love. Those are truly solid movies. Kung Fu Panda 4 isn’t bad per se, but it’s not the sequel that a lot of other fans and I were hoping for. Regardless, it does set up the future of the franchise for some fun adventures. If we get them, I’m not sure. Jack Black doesn’t know if he’ll return as Po, but the directors have stated they’re definitely interested in moving forward. I just need them to get back on par with the previous installments.
I mentioned Awkwafina doing an amazing job on her voice work for Zhen, but I also have to give props to the rest of the cast. It’s a stellar one indeed. Jack Black as Po, Dustin Hoffman as Master Shifu, James Hong as Mr. Ping, Bryan Cranston as Li, Viola Davis as The Chameleon, Ke Huy Quan as Han, and many more. All of them did a spectacular job. The visuals were beautiful as well. These two areas are truly what helps the film shine. The action is almost there, but coming off the amazing action and fight scenes in Kung Fu Panda 3, the drop in quality is evident here and there. We’ll see if Kung Fu Panda 5 comes to fruition. If it does, I hope they go back and evaluate what made the first 3 movies so lovable and get back on track.
Kung Fu Panda 4
Story
Cast
Action
Summary
The Kung Fu Panda saga continues in this follow-up to the beloved trilogy. With a story that uses a tired cliche and action scenes that don’t quite reach the mark as they have in the past, Kung Fu Panda 4 comes off as the weakest movie in the saga thus far. That’s not to say it’s a bad movie, but it’s far from the best.
If you recall in my previous post, this movie review blog isn’t going to be the same as before. Of course, I’ll be giving my opinion on a good majority of movies, but there are so many movies out there that I won’t get to them all. It’s not a goal to do so, but the more movies to watch, the better – am I right?
That’s where you come in. I always enjoyed reading the comments on RoyalBeast Reviews. Your thoughts, whether you agreed or disagreed, were always great to read. Maybe you noticed something I didn’t or you interpreted a scene different than I did. It’s nice to get insight into the minds of my audience.
What can I do to help?
I won’t hold you. Comments are great, but they’re very limiting. Sometimes you want to say more. Sometimes I wish a commenter could expand on their thoughts. So, here’s your opportunity to do so. I’m not a movie buff, and you may not be either. But I’d still love to read a review from you and find out your thoughts on a movie.
This will be limited to movie reviews starting out, but once I expand into television that avenue will be explored. Please understand that not every review will be showcased. Each review does have to meet a standard and will be reviewed and considered carefully to determine if it will be published or not. You’ll also be responsible for making sure that it is formatted correctly upon submission.
How can I submit my movie review?
If you’d like the chance to have your review featured on Not A Movie Buff, simply click this link or head to the Contact Us page and fill out the form. Once your request is reviewed, we’ll reach out via email and discuss submitting your review for consideration. Please allow 5-7 days for review and response. If your review is chosen to be featured, we’ll discuss when the post will be published and you’ll be featured on the homepage as the featured guest review.
As stated previously, the reviews will be limited to movie reviews initially. It can be a movie that I’ve already reviewed on the site or one that I haven’t given my thoughts on yet. Your review might even push me to watch the movie and write a review in response to yours.
This is something that I’ve thought about for a while and I have some help getting started. However, who knows how big the team could grow and you might even be part of it in the future. Until then, continue watching those movies and get those pens ready. I’m excited to read your thoughts.
Alright, so I know I said the last post was an introductory one, but I’d like to take the time out to give a sort of run down of what Not A Movie Buff will be like. Don’t worry, there aren’t any rules like an online forum where you can get booted. However, we all can still interact here and there in the comments, so that has to be spoken to.
It’s simple – be kind, courteous, and keep an open mind. This is a movie review blog. The reviews and blog posts that you read about are simply another person’s opinion. We won’t agree on every movie that comes out. Some I’ll enjoy more than others and some you’ll enjoy more than others. If you see a review, post, or even a comment that you don’t agree with, let’s do our best to keep it civil and have a nice discussion about our differences.
As the title states, I’m not a movie buff. I just enjoy watching movies and giving my opinion of them once I’ve finished watching them. I’ll always be quick to point out any inconsistencies and I’m going to let you know exactly what I think, without any worry of what others may think of the movie. Once again, keeping the same vibe as RoyalBeast Reviews, but putting a fresh spin on it.
What’s different this time around?
You all are used to my sole reviews and opinions. Well this time around, I’m switching things up. I don’t want to just read about your thoughts in the comments of my posts. I want to read a review from you. There is a lot that goes into that, so the next post will be a deep dive into being able to have your reviews showcased on Not A Movie Buff.
In addition to reviewing movies, I’ll also be reviewing different television series. I do have a desire to expand and grow my audience, and this is one way I can see that goal being accomplished. I’ve never done a television series review, so please bear with me when my first one does come out. Regardless, I’ll be starting soon and growing with each post that’s made.
Why ‘Not A Movie Buff’?
There’s a reason why I chose the name, ‘Not A Movie Buff’. Obviously, because I’m not actually a movie buff, but more importantly I can’t do this by myself. There are a ton of movies that I’ve seen and enjoyed, and I’ll be updating my site with reviews for those movies. I’ll be the first to admit, though, that I don’t watch the same movies as everyone else.
That being said, I’ll need your help at times. Just go to the Contact page, fill out the form, and recommend a movie that you’d like me to review if it isn’t already on the Reviews page. Be patient, please. I’ll need to work in any recommendations into the schedule that’s in place for my reviews. Also, not every recommendation will be accepted. There are some movies I just don’t watch. However, with me not being the only reviewer, the movie could be passed on to another non-movie buff. Keep the hope alive.
At the end of the day, this will be a fun family-friendly movie review blog, and I’m so excited about the direction that this is going to go. Thanks to my audience thus far, again. I can’t make it without you.
Sometimes change is something that’s needed and you know it. It’s not always easy, but it is worth it in the end. I liked what I did. RoyalBeast Reviews was a fun little hobby when I first started it. I will always take pride and joy in my very first review – 5 years ago.
I want to continue forward with my movie reviews, but I recognize that if I want to grow to the audience I envision then some things need to change. I’m still the same RoyalBeast Extraordinaire – I’m going to always give my raw and unfiltered opinion on any movie that I see. However, I’ll never claim to know this and that about cinematography. I’m just a guy who likes to give my opinion on different films. In simpler terms – I’m not a movie buff.
RoyalBeast Reviews had a good run, but I’ve evolved and I understand that’s necessary to reach the audience intended. So consider this post an introductory one. It won’t be a long one at all. This and the next couple of blog posts will be short – a little bit of housekeeping. But always expect a review – at least once a week. The number of blog posts will vary per week, but you’ll be reading my thoughts outside of reviews as well.
I’ve still got a ways to go before I’m where I want to be, but I’ll get there. Until then, I’m going to continue churning out reviews and sharing my viewpoint week after week. Thanks for joining me on the ride. It’ll be a fun one for sure!
Would you be upset if I told you I liked this one more than the original?
Seeing the previews for Aladdin had me fretful, to say the least. The original Aladdin was amazing, but I honestly can’t say that it’s one of my favorites. However, it’s a classic all the same. My faith in live-action Disney movies had me second-guessing this one though. I’ve seen about three so far – The Jungle Book (which I loved), Beauty and the Beast (fell asleep on that one), and The Lion King (you all already know how I feel about that one). I wasn’t interested at all, especially when they showed a still image of Will Smith’s version of The Genie. Then they showed a clip of the song “Friend Like Me” and that’s what got me excited. I had to check it out, so I did just that and I’m ready to give my review.
Going into this after watching The Lion King, I knew there would be differences between this version and the animated version. Here’s where things change. The differences for the live-action version of Aladdin worked for the story. There were a few things I wasn’t happy with, but that’s to be expected. Jafar doesn’t trick Aladdin by disguising himself as an old man nor does he turn into a snake at the end during the final battle, but everything else is great. I like how One Jump Ahead is included with him on the run with Jasmine. Genie having a love interest was something that I felt was a great addition to the story, though it does make you wonder a few things. Jasmine wanting to be the Sultan instead of just wanting to have certain rights was also something I can see happening in “modern” times and the result was satisfying for sure. I didn’t mind any of the additions to the film, and the things taken away, though disappointing, didn’t take away from the quality of the movie for me.
Best song of the movie, by far
You know what they did wonderfully in this film? The songs. Every song in this movie was great, and I may be in the minority, but I like some of the songs better than the animated versions. One Jump Ahead, as I mentioned before, I liked that Jasmine was along for the run and that’s how she got introduced to Aladdin. Friend Like Me, slaps to the max! My favorite song of the movie by far, and for those who haven’t seen the movie, you’ll love the reprise of it at the end. Prince Ali, another great song in the movie. It was good to see Will Smith doing his thing as the Genie and not have to get creeped out by the effects team adding breasts to Genie when he dressed as a woman as they did in the animated version. A Whole New World – it was good, but to me, it sounded like they were just lip-syncing to the original song, they didn’t sound like they did in any of the other songs, but that’s just me. Jasmine’s new song, Speechless – good, great, awesome, outstanding, and amazing! It worked perfectly for the movie. It wasn’t just in there to be in there and that’s why I enjoyed it. It progressed the story how it needed to. I guess I just feel this film’s version of the songs are so much more lively and that’s why I have such high opinions of them.
A majority of the cast did a wonderful job. Mena Massoud was outstanding as Aladdin. I saw everybody and their mama complaining about Aladdin being played by a white actor…which he’s clearly not. Naomi Scott did a wonderful job as Jasmine. She embodied the princess’s personality and attitude amazingly and I have no complaints. Plus she has some pipes on her! Will Smith was just…wow. He killed the role of the Genie in my eyes. I was skeptical as can be when they first announced it, but I’m so glad they went with that casting choice. He had some big shoes to fill, and he filled them the best way he could. I don’t feel as if I can say he’s better than Robin Williams’s Genie because they’re not the same character. While Williams’s Genie was more for comedic fulfillment, Smith’s Genie was more serious than comedic and down to Earth, and once again, it worked perfectly for the movie. Will Smith is also the main reason why I love this version of Friend Like Me so much, he destroyed that part of the film. Marwan Kenzari did the best that he could with Jafar in the film. Unfortunately, Jafar wasn’t written very well in this version, and it shows. He’s a very one-dimensional villain, and although they attempted to dive into his backstory, you never get a true sense of why he’s the way he is. Nasim Pedrad was a new character named Dalia, Genie’s love interest, and she was great! She flowed with the movie and didn’t make you wonder why they decided to add her.
Will Smith absolutely destroyed in this movie
I honestly don’t have many complaints about the film. It’s not perfect, sure, but it’s a solid film with an amazing soundtrack to boot. It does end the same way as the original, and I do wonder how they’re going to do the sequel – talks are being had about it. I mean with Genie supposedly being human now, what’s going to happen in the second movie? I guess that would be explained, but that’s something I wasn’t too happy with. It ends as if a sequel isn’t needed. If they end up doing the sequel, I pray it’s on this same level and doesn’t ruin the quality like the animated sequel did. Aside from the blandness of Jafar and the unfortunate decision not to have him turn into a giant snake during the final battle, I was quite happy.
Aladdin (2019)
Story
Characters/Cast
Soundtrack
Summary
The original Aladdin will always be considered a timeless classic, however, this new take on it has done a great job of crafting its own identity. While some of the characters could’ve been written a bit better, the strong story and phenomenal soundtrack help to bring another classic to live-action.
90s Kids rejoice! Rocko’s Modern Life is back! You all remember this show right? If you don’t, you will as you watch the special. I’ve always loved this show. It was amazing and had me entertained through the entirety of its 52-episode run in the late 90s. So, when they announced that a reboot was coming in the form of a movie, you already knew I was here for it. As the posters and trailers were released I became so much more excited for this. My childhood was being reborn! I had no qualms with the synopsis of the movie either.
After 20 years in space, Rocko struggles to adjust to life in 21st century O-Town and makes it his mission to get his favorite show back on the air.
Rock’s Modern Life: Static Cling (2019)
With the original cast and creators coming back, I knew this would be an amazing gift to the fans, and that it was. Just so everyone knows as well, although they branded it as a movie, it’s only 45 minutes long, which is pretty good for Rocko’s Modern Life since each episode was only 11 minutes long.
The special started perfectly. With Heffer’s iconic line, “That was a hoot!” I exclaimed for joy as I watched with my girlfriend and she just smiled knowing that I was reliving my childhood. Even the theme song was brought back, although in a more modern form to blend in with the theme of the movie. There were so many Easter eggs and throwbacks to the original series. This was pandering to the fans and I loved it. They even showed CCH, Captain Compost Heap, from my all-time favorite episode, Zanzibar. That part alone made the special worth it for me. Seeing Conglom-O still running everything was a great throwback. All of the iconic characters that used to interact with everyone was just wonderful. The only thing that confused me was the fact that Rocko interacted with everyone and their mama on the show, but it seemed as if some of them didn’t remember him. I mean, Mr. Dupette was Rocko’s boss at one point, and Rocko even did a huge presentation so that O-Town could be cleaned up and Mr. Dupette was the one he presented to. It didn’t ruin the special for me, just had me questioning a few things.
Captain Compost Heap was crushed by Rocko’s home and confirmed dead in a news report. RIP to that guy
The voice cast – I know they had an amazing time getting back into their roles for this! Everyone did an outstanding job. The only one that sounded different to me was Mrs. Bighead, but it’s most likely because it’s been 20 years since the original voice actor did the work. Tom Kenny is just a voice-acting god at this point. He nailed every original role like it was nothing. If anything, the fact that literally every original actor came back for this special, is enough to make it the absolute best reboot to hit so far. Every character had the same personality and it still worked as far as entertainment goes. Really Really Big Man, the Chameleons, Heffer’s grandpa, and so many others made it all worth it.
Now as far as the story goes, it was solid. It was essentially a special based on the special – allow me to explain. Rocko’s Modern Life has been off the air for 20 years, they’ve been in space for 20 years. Most fans of Rocko’s Modern Life would’ve loved to see a special after so long, Rocko knew that a special would bring in the views and money needed to save the town from going to the pits. So many things have changed realistically in the past 20 years that they translated that to the show, albeit in an outrageously exaggerated way. The story was truly all about things changing faster than you know it. You can’t get stuck in the past just because it’s what you’re used to. Sometimes change is good and needed, and it can do way more good than harm. You’ve just got to be willing to accept it. Believe me, I know, change can be hard and it can take some time to accept it, but once you do, you see that it was a huge benefit. I loved the story simply because of my view on change and moving away from the past. My all-time favorite quote is about that, so a 45-minute special of one of my favorite shows from when I was a child all about the subject? I’m here for it.
You wanna know who was laughing the whole way through? Mr. Not A Movie Buff himself. The jokes were 100% gold the entire time. The over-the-top slapstick comedy that the 90s series was known for still works to this very day. Some new fans might not get the jokes, but we OG fans definitely will. Some lines make you flashback to sitting in front of the TV watching the show as a child. Even seeing Conglom-O’s tagline change due to certain events that happen is something that will make you chuckle as you remember that happening in the original show. Add the fact that nobody knows that Rocko is a wallaby and he keeps trying to correct them – go ahead and keep that running gag going! I loved it. Oh, and Rocko’s dog, Spunky’s love for mops? My girlfriend and I were cracking up when they showed Spunky looking at a mop porn site. Like what? Mops Gone Wild is just outta there!
Spunky has a problem that Rocko is ill-equipped to handle…
The creators have always been bold in what they intended for the show and that continues in this special. I tell you what, I did not expect Ralph to change to Rachel, but it worked for the story and the fact that more characters were accepting of it was a nice thing to see in a cartoon still meant for mostly younger viewers. Parents, for sure, will be able to relate to that specific point as it’s something that goes on at this very time. But the one line that everyone will attest to be true is one that Rocko makes early on.
The 21st century is a very dangerous century.
Rocko Rama – Rocko’s Modern Life: Static Cling (2019)
I’ll let you all decide why that statement is true to this day.
All in all, this special is where it’s at. The entertainment was solid, the characters were great, and the story was amazing and worked wondrously. I enjoyed it the whole way through and it honestly makes me wish for more episodes, but the special was enough. It spoke to the audience and got its message across in the way that it was intended. There was really nothing that I didn’t like. The special flowed and I’ll most likely be going back to take a look at it soon. This is how a reboot is done and I hope Nickelodeon keeps on this trend. The Hey Arnold! The Jungle Movie special that they did was great, this kicked it up to a whole new level, and I know they have a special planned for Invader Zim (I never did get into that show though). There have also been rumblings of the Rugrats making a return so we’ll see about that. But I’m content with this and I can’t wait to see what’s next.
Rocko’s Modern Life: Static Cling
Story
Cast
Nostalgia
Summary
While most reboots don’t know how to balance nostalgia, Rocko’s Modern Life: Static Cling handles it perfectly. With a wonderfully crafted story and the returning cast immediately transporting you back to your childhood, this is the absolute perfect special and will be sure to keep you entertained the whole way through.
It may not be the best animated Batman movie, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad one at all
Calling all Batman fans! A new movie has just been released. Not a live-action one though, even better – animated. When it comes to DC they have multiple universes, but 2 different movie universes. The DCEU, DC Extended Universe, and the DCAMU – DC Animated Movie Universe. The DCEU is for live-action movies, and as I’m sure you can guess, the DCAMU is for animated movies. The biggest difference between the two is that the DCAMU has amazing content almost the whole way through. So when word gets out that there’s a new animated movie coming out, it’s best to get excited. So when Batman: Hush was announced, the fans definitely made some noise of excitement, and when it was released I hopped right on it. One thing to note going into the movie is that while this is based on the Batman: Hush arc of comic books, it’s a slightly loose adaptation so not everything will be the same. I was okay with that as I’ve never even read the arc. But I’m here to review the movie, not the comic book.
So, the first thing that’s done differently than the previous Batman movies, and that I actually prefer, is the fact that we start the film off with Bruce Wayne instead of Batman. I know, they’re the same person, but every Batman movie in the DCAMU thus far has started with some sort of action scene and Batman fighting an iconic villain. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy that, but to not see it is a welcome change of pace. That’s not to say that the action the rest of the way through isn’t good and entertaining. It’s amazing! Almost every action scene/fight scene in the movie is top-notch. Looking back at the film, I think there was only one scene that I didn’t fully enjoy. My favorite was, of course, the last fight scene with Batman and Catwoman vs. Hush (his true identity was revealed which will be spoken about more in detail as I go on). The way that Batman and Catwoman were fighting in sync was too beast! It was like they could read each other’s minds. They knew where to connect after the other had landed a hit to continuously keep the upper hand. It was truly magnificent.
Now if you’ve read the comic book arc of Batman: Hush, then you wouldn’t be surprised to see Batman and Catwoman coming together as they do in this movie. It’s a concept that’s been explored many times in the comics and it was good to see it come to the DCAMU. Not only do they come together to fight crime, they come together romantically. I knew that was something just by reading articles here and there. It seemed like everyone close to Batman wanted him to pursue things with Catwoman – Alfred, Robin, and even Damian – in his own way. The DCAMU decides to take things a step further by exploring this relationship and having Catwoman move in with Batman. Now it seems the real reason that the movie is called Batman: Hush is because Catwoman is always silencing Batman with a kiss. Of course, those two aren’t the only ones sharing a kiss. Poison Ivy seems to be able to control others with a kiss, which she uses to control Bane, Catwoman, and Superman himself. She got Superman good if you asked me. Another fun and welcome change to see the almighty savior show he’s just as capable of being taken control of and succumbing to weakness.
Although it was great to see some human error on Superman’s side, the Batman vs Superman trope is getting old
With Superman showing up, the movie of course ties into the DCAMU by bringing up past events in previous movies, most notably the fact that Lex Luthor is an honorary member of the Justice League thanks to his actions in Reign of the Supermen. Another callback is Damian Wayne aka Robin. The last time we saw him, he was hanging out with the DCAMU Teen Titans and establishing his place on the team. That was 2 years ago. When we see Damian in this movie, he’s grown a bit, which is great. It shows that time is progressing instead of just staying where it’s at like most animated projects. Although Damian has grown, his personality is still the same, self-important and brooding, using lingo that kids his age just don’t use. It’s a funny part of the movie and sure to have most entertained by his cameo.
The comic book arc of Batman: Hush is notable for the appearance of a good amount of rogues from Batman’s gallery and the movie seems to be on the same spectrum. You know that Joker has to show up in some form, and when he does, it keeps your attention. He gets beat down by Batman and almost choked to death due to it being made to look like Joker shot Batman’s close childhood friend. This was something else that I enjoyed seeing. We’re so used to seeing Batman as calm and collected in these movies, so to see him lose control and almost murder Joker was something that’s appreciated. Now where there’s Joker, Harley Quinn is sure to be following closely behind. And she follows in a big way. Her fight scene with Catwoman was exciting, to say the least, and definitely let me know that she can have the upper hand when she wants to. Clayface shows up in Arkham Asylum, which I’m sure every Batman fan is familiar with, and he does a good job of overpowering Batman. Joker’s bit while Batman is fighting Clayface is comedic gold – the writers knew exactly what they were doing with his character. Scarecrow shows up, but doesn’t end up fighting Batman. His scuffle is with Catwoman and Nightwing, and it’s a rather mundane fight in my eyes. He gets the jump on Nightwing, but Catwoman easily puts him out of commission. But Riddler? He shows up in a big way in this movie.
I guess Hush means business
So on to the real reason that the movie is called Batman: Hush. It’s because the main villain’s name is Hush. He’s an imposing villain who seems to be obsessed with ruining Batman/Bruce Wayne’s life from afar. He’s also new to Gotham. Cue Bruce’s close childhood friend, Thomas Elliot. As mentioned before, I didn’t read Batman: Hush, but I do know that Thomas Elliot had a big role in this comic. So here I am thinking that Elliot was Hush, and there’s a scene in the movie that truly makes you think so. There’s even the fact that Elliot shows up in town around the same time as Hush. I couldn’t have been more wrong though. Once again, he was killed, but not by Joker – by Hush. But just who is Hush? Batman figures it out and I was shocked to find out that it was Riddler. He’d turned into a big-time villain! If he had actually succeeded then he most likely would have been Batman’s new arch-enemy in place of Joker. He almost got the best of Batman, too, until Catwoman came to his aid. Not to sound like a broken record, but it was a nice change of pace as we’re usually subject to someone like Bane or Joker as the big bad with Batman.
The only issue that I have with this movie is the way it ended. Needless to say, Batman and Catwoman don’t work out – who didn’t see that coming? But it was the way they broke up. Catwoman isn’t happy with Batman’s moral code. Batman doesn’t kill. But since he’s not willing to do whatever it takes, she can’t accept it and breaks things off. It’s implied that they’ll pause things presently, but who knows what could happen in the future? As Catwoman walks off, Gotham is shown once again, part of it on fire, then the credits roll. It’s not a bad ending, don’t get me wrong, but the way the dialogue was set up – it wasn’t captivating or easy to follow.
I really have no actual qualms about the movie, besides how it ended and the boring fight scene with Scarecrow vs Nightwing and Catwoman. It was, otherwise, another amazing entry into the DCAMU that had a captivating storyline and stayed mostly true to the source material while building upon the continually growing universe that it’s set in.
Batman: Hush
Story
Connectivity to the DCAMU
Action/Choreography
Summary
Another solo Batman film amongst the many that have come before it, Batman: Hush is another solid entry in the DCAMU. The action really shines for the most part, however the melancholy ending really could’ve used some work. A great Batman film, nonetheless.
