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.

February 18, 2025

Marvel, Reviews

Captain America, Falcon, Marvel, MCU, Red Hulk, Sam Wilson, The Leader, Thunderbolt Ross

NotAMovieBuff 2 Comments

Mufasa: The Lion King – An Unnecessary but Entertaining Addition

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.

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.

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

January 20, 2025

Disney, Reviews

Disney, Kiara, Kion, Mufasa, Nala, Pride Lands, Rafiki, Sarabi, Scar, The Lion King, Zazu

NotAMovieBuff

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.

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.

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.

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

January 4, 2025

Reviews, Sonic the Hedgehog

Gerald Robotnik, Ivo Robotnik, Knuckles, Knuckles the Echidna, Maria Robotnik, Miles Tails Prower, Robotnik, Shadow, Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog, Tails

NotAMovieBuff

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.

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

September 25, 2024

Dragon Ball, Reviews

Bulma, Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Goku, Kamehameha, Piccolo, Saiyan, Shenron, Tien, Tree of Might, Turles, Yamcha

NotAMovieBuff

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.

September 24, 2024

Dragon Ball, Reviews

Bulma, Dr. Wheelo, Dragon Ball Z, Gohan, Goku, Kamehameha, Master Roshi, Piccolo, Shenron, The World's Strongest

NotAMovieBuff

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

August 16, 2024

Dragon Ball, Reviews

Bulma, Chi-Chi, Dead Zone, Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Goku, Kamehameha, Kami, Master Roshi, Ox King, Piccolo, Shenron

NotAMovieBuff

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.

August 9, 2024

Dragon Ball, Reviews

Bulma, Dragon Ball, Goku, Kamehameha, Master Roshi, Oolong, Shenron, Yamcha

NotAMovieBuff

Deadpool & Wolverine – A Welcome Addition to the MCU

FULL SPOILERS AHEAD

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.

4.5

July 30, 2024

Marvel, Reviews

Deadpool, Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds, Wolverine

NotAMovieBuff

Kung Fu Panda 4 – Evolution of the Dragon Master

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.

3.5

March 20, 2024

Dreamworks, Reviews

NotAMovieBuff

Aladdin (2019) – One Jump Ahead Is Right!

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.

August 18, 2019

Disney, Reviews

Agrabah, Aladdin, Disney, Genie, Jafar, Jasmine, Prince Ali, Will Smith

NotAMovieBuff