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I also found it refreshing to see an animated Marvel project that was literally adapting the comic arcs almost panel for panel at times. It was something that I had wanted for a long time from Marvel Studios and had not gotten since Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. After loving the first season and excited by the cliffhanger it ended on, I was pumped for when season 2 premiered. The question is, did it live up to its promise that the cliffhanger presented to us? That is what I intend to answer in this review. As the title suggests, this will contain spoilers for all of season 2.

There is a lot I loved about this season, particularly the character work that they did with the core cast. It is clear the writers of this show have read the comics as most of the main X-men get a chance to shine throughout the season. The standouts for me personally were Nightcrawler, Magneto, and Xavier, especially in the first four episodes. And this is one of my biggest issues with this season, the first half starts so strongly and then becomes a tangled mess of side plots the second half. The biggest example of this is the big bad Apocalypse himself, who I will address in bit.

I loved the dynamic we had in the first three episodes as the show built up just how big of a threat Apocalypse is to not only mutants, but all mankind, and the effect it was having on those fighting against him. We got to see Jean and Scott reunite with their son Nathan before he becomes Cable which was heartbreaking, especially as they contemplate disrupting time itself in order to be with their son longer. As a parent it hit me like a gut punch. I do wish they got more to do besides that though as it feels like this the one plot they had for them this season. Meanwhile Xavier and the other half of the X-Men interact with En Sabba Nur before he becomes the dreaded villain everyone fears. It is here where the writing really shined the most for me.

Magneto trying to live up to his friend’s ideals by mentoring Nur in order to change history and destroying their enemy, not with fists but with words, was done excellently. The tension of the group having to walk that fine line of not revealing the truth of where they were from while also getting Nur to trust them was done brilliantly. I appreciated that the show was willing to show that in the end, Nur was destined to become Apocalypse, not because of circumstances, but because of his own choices and evil within himself. It was a sobering reminder of how Charles’s dream for mutants to coexist with humans would always be met with resistance from both sides. And the way they killed Magneto (who will return I am sure) was shocking and a good payoff to that arc along with Charles’s monologue to Apocalypse afterwards which was brutal and raw. You can see something inside him break (Onslaught is definitely coming). To then see how that experience pushed Xavier to create X-Corp and use the Danger Room to deal with the trauma, just chef’s kiss. Lastly getting a Rama Tut/Kang appearance in this was cool and felt natural rather than a forced easter egg.

The problem is after that initial buildup we do not really see Apocalypse again as the show deals with the other plots it wants to set up. This could have possibly worked better if the season was given another episode or two in order to really allow those plots to breath before being pushed aside for the Apocalypse plot again, but because they are just thrown in it feels more like a detour rather than a well-earned set up and pay off. Season one was smart by having each plot build on top of the next one while here the focus shifts from Apocalypse to Wolverine getting his adamantium back, Sunspot and Jubilee joining X-force (which at least was Apocalypse related), Polaris joining back up with the X-Men after leaving X-Factor, and Nighcrawler saving his half-brother from Exodus and Colossus. Don’t get me wrong, they were fun as standalone stories but it felt really jarring to suddenly shift the focus back to Apocalypse the last two episodes.

I think they could have cut the Polaris standalone episode and maybe combined it with the Nightcrawler/Exodus episode in order to allow more room for build up to the final confrontation with Apocalypse while allowing the Wolverine meets Aliens episode (love how we even have someone say game over man) be the one detour this season had. It just felt like there was a lot of ideas the writers wanted to run with so they shoved them in where they could which meant some were underdeveloped, with the biggest one being the build up to the final fight with Apocalypse as I mentioned before. Offscreen we have X-Force join forces with X-Factor against the X-Men when they were opponents a few episodes ago which I found jarring. Meanwhile, the X-Men themselves do not seem to be focused on finding Apocalypse until X-Force finds him for them. This seemed weird considering how much they worried about him at the beginning of the season.

It also felt like the way they defeated Apocalypse was too easy at the end. Rogue just goes super sayian and beats him. Was it cool? Yes. Did it feel like all that buildup was was for nothing? A little bit yes. Though the reveal that Nighcrawler sacrificed himself was really well done and emotional. The speech he gives the celestial felt right off the page. He was my favorite character with his episode probably my favorite of the season. They nail his character and it was nice to see his faith written in an intelligent and genuine way. That is the part of the finale that worked for me along with Rogue reconnecting and trying to save Gambit. But at the end I found myself going, “Was that it?” It just felt a little lackluster.

Before I end this review there are a couple of other things that I liked which I wanted to mention. I really enjoyed the Black Widow (in her comic accurate 90’s outfit) and Captain America cameo with Wolverine. That being said, I do wish they were more consistent on which episodes were given after credits scenes but this is a small complaint.

With that Wolverine episode, I thought they rode that line of making it violent enough without feeling edgy. This feels like a show that knows its audience is teens/adults and I appreciate that it approached that with maturity. Also Morph was a great way to have easter egg appearances from the wider Marvel universe (though I still don’t understand how his powers work). And that setup with Mystique at the end of the season has me excited for what comes next. I really do think the groundwork is being set up for Xavier to become Onslaught next season, especially after losing Magnus and Kurt in a short time frame.

Lastly, the music by the Newton Brothers is stellar. They also did the music for Daredevil Born Again and I love all the synths they use for the X-Men. It gives me Blade Runner/Terminator vibes which fit perfectly with the story being told here. I would not mind them doing the score for the MCU X-Men movie when that comes out. Either way, when that Marvel Studios logo pops up for that movie this X-Men theme is showing up, I would bet my last dollar on that.

It may sound like I did not enjoy this season but that would be a lie. It’s not perfect and is unfocused in the second half but man did I have a blast watching it. It gave me the same feeling I get when I used to pick up my monthly comic haul and then starting reading the next issue of X-Men, only to then lament having to wait to see what happens next. This is a really fun show and I hope Marvel uses this as the template to make other shows just like this. Also just continue to adapt storylines from the comics. It would be really cool to see them get ten seasons in and doing their version of Hickman’s X-Men run or Avengers vs. X-Men or Whedon’s X-Men run with the cure. No matter what, count me in for season 3!

As always thank you for reading and if you wish to become a paid member for the extra perks or just to support my work, click the upgrade button on the page here! Right now, you can get 12 months of 20% off your monthly subscription. This sale runs through the end of August so don’t miss out. I will be back Friday with my news podcast!

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What lies at the end of Oak Street is an intense and satisfying dinosaur movie that somehow captures a little bit of that Spielberg charm and feel while also taking that idea in a different direction. Mild spoiler warning though I will mostly discuss what has been shown in the trailers.

The movie takes places in the suburbs of 1982 Michigan and one thing that instantly jumped out at me was the lack of focus on 80’s nostalgia which I actually appreciated. Sure, there are a few references here and there that remind you of the time period but it did not feel like it was constantly reminding you the way later seasons of Stranger Things or other media rooted in that time period did. When those references are brought up it is in service of the characters and story rather than just a “Hey remember this thing from the 80s?!”

At the beginning we are introduced to Denise and Greg Platt, played by Hathaway and McGregor respectively, who appear to have the perfect family on the outside but as we learn later, are having marriage struggles. Both of them harbor secrets from the other with Denise hiding the book she is writing that happens to reflect how close she is to leaving the family while Greg is dishonest with his job situation while trying to put on a brave face. This leads to tension that even their own children, Brian and Audrey, can sense. It is a dynamic that really brings a lot of that Spielberg feel with Denise realizing, thanks to some dinosaur and time travel shenanigans, how much she would miss her kids and husband once confronted by the possibility of losing them. It could have come across as sappy but for me it worked, though this does involve my biggest issue with the film (more on that in a minute).

Both actors play their roles really well and help sell the feeling that this a real couple which should not be surprising considering the caliber of actors playing them. Denise is the main character of this film and Hathaway does a great job of showing how scared she is for herself and her family while also being quick thinking. She also plays the wife who has become apathetic to her life in a way that doesn't make her unlikable which is a hard line to walk. There is one particular scene in the end where she is cornered by dinosaurs and she really sells me on the fear and adrenaline that the character is feeling as she accepts the inevitablity of the situation. McGregor is also great as the chill dad Greg who is always trying to make best of a bad situation while clearly showing a steadfast devotion to his wife and kids. They are a great pairing, even if the writing does not always give them a chance to expand on their characters.

The film is only an hour and forty minutes long and runs at a breezy clip without ever feeling like it is going too fast. My problem is that, due to the shorter run time, it leaves the central conflict in the film under-developed. We have two or three scenes between Denise and Greg where they argue but I never got a sense of what the root of the problem was. We see Denise as more of the realist/pessimist while Greg is the optimist which results in one of the clashes, especially after dinosaurs show up, along with one conversation of Denise wanting Greg to stay home instead of make some pizza deliveries for his side job. Then the big fight happens midway through the movie regarding her book but it doesn't really go anywhere. I am not saying I needed another thirty minutes of marriage drama but I just never got the sense that their relationship was on the rocks the way the movie tells us it is, especially because in the scenes we get of them they don’t seem on the brink. I bought them reconciling once they are thrown into literal life and death situations but I would have liked to see their relationship at the beginning fleshed out a bit more to make the end result feel like more of a payoff.

The kids Brian and Audrey are fine and for the most part not annoying, though I did feel as though the film/script made Brian act foolish in order to get the plot moving forward. I understand he is a preteen and that kids make dumb decisions at that age, but I just don’t buy a kid endangering himself for a dog. Also there is this random subplot between him and a bully that felt thrown in and resolves in a bizarre fashion. I wonder if there was more to it but was cut due to time constraints. Overall though, they do help make this feel like a real family and I found myself caring about their fate which is all you can ask in a movie like this.

There is another cast here I have not talked about yet and that is the dinosaurs themselves. Director David Robert Mitchell puts all of his horror skills to use to make these ancient creatures scary which is really where the film departs from the Jurassic Park inspiration. There is no awe and wonder to seeing the dinosaurs appear for the first time. Instead they are treated like the wild animals that they were, unpredictable and dangerous. The cinematography and atmosphere really help sell the idea of what was once a peaceful neighborhood is now a dangerous hellscape where just going onto your roof could spell your doom. This is where the movie really shines as it does not squander this premise. I appreciated that the movie was not afraid to show a lot of people get killed by the dinosaurs because it really helped sell the idea that there is not really any safe space for the humans now. We even see corpses getting chewed on and left out in the street as a reminder that danger is literally everywhere. It never felt gratuitous or unnecessary, though one person’s death was pretty shocking by how graphic it was but it worked for me.

I also liked how the dinosaurs are more accurate looking in this movie compared to the idealized versions in Jurassic Park, though those designs make sense for that film (Can’t insult the classics), specifically because they have feathers which was a neat touch. We also get a lot of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals that normally do not get screentime with these types of movies, including a giant snake that was horrifying. The cinematography frames them like slasher movie villains and zombies which works so well and what helps sell that is that we see even guns cannot take down a lot of the big dinosaurs so whenever one was just injured enough to give up the chase, it felt like a victory.

My only issue with the visuals is that there is a lot of noticeable green screen in this movie. It is very obvious that the actors in those scenes cannot walk back any farther because they would bump into it. It reminds me a bit of issues that have arisen with The Volume that Disney uses for a lot of their shows where you can see right about where the set ends. It did not ruin the movie for me though and the CGI on the dinosaurs looked good so I never felt taken out of those scenes.

Now it is that time in the review for me to talk about the score (look you know what to expect by now from my reviews). Micheal Giacchino, fresh off of Spider-Man Brand New Day, comes in with another great musical score that feels very Williams-esque. It makes sense considering he scored three of the Jurassic World movies which felt in line with what John Williams did for the first two original movies. He adds tension in the horror sections while also providing an emotionally sweeping main theme for the Platt family that is just wonderful. Down the line I definitely plan to add this CD to my collection. Just great stuff from Giacchino here.

Before I wrap this up, I wanted to talk about how the movie handles the actual time traveling aspect. Without getting too spoilery, all I will say is that I liked how vague the movie left it. We get what is most likely the reason as to why neighborhood got moved but there is no scene where all is revealed to us and the characters. That being said, as with most time travel stories there was some things the characters do at the end that had me had me asking “How does that work?”. It was not enough to ruin the ending but I was left scratching my head a little when the credits rolled.

I really enjoyed my time with this movie as it felt like another old-fashioned blockbuster where you could sit back and just enjoy the ride while also experiencing a nice reminder of the importance of family. I would not say that this is a must see in the theater but if you have the time and money, this is a great way to spend a couple hours out of the hot sun. If not, then definitely when it comes to streaming/Blu-ray.

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Before I proceed with my thoughts on Marvel Studio’s future, I want to examine the past seven years of projects to diagnose the issues that have gotten them to this point. In that time span they released thirty-seven combined movies and TV shows. For reference, between Iron Man and Endgame there were twenty-two films along with seven streaming/network shows. Mind you that time period is eleven years so the studio increased their output to an average of six projects a year after Endgame compared to the roughly two-three they were doing before. If you also look at the top twenty highest grossing MCU movies of all-time (here is my reference), only five of those are from after Endgame and all of them are sequels so none of the new characters seemingly excited general audiences.

With the increase in productions came drastic dips in quality, something the MCU had not really dealt with before in my opinion. Now sure, you had instances like Iron Man 2 and Thor: The Dark World but even those movies were more meh than objectively bad. They also performed decently at the box office (which is not a mark of quality I grant you) but after Endgame there were moments where I found myself genuinely wondering how a movie got greenlit and made, Thor Love and Thunder being the biggest offender. Even the TV shows quickly started to feel like no one had actually checked in with the showrunners (ahem Secret Invasion). Heck, you had Daredevil Born Again film eight episodes of a season before the actors had to tell Feige it wasn't working. This resulted in new showrunners being brought on and episodes getting stitched together for the first season from new and old footage. Was there anyone watching the dailies and thinking that something wasn't right?

That is not to say that I think that everything that came out was bad. I may be one of the few people that enjoyed movies like Eternals and Dr. Strange: Multiverse of Madness (though I acknowledge their flaws) and both Fantastic Four and Thunderbolts felt more like the Marvel Studios of old. The TV show Hawkeye may one of my favorite things to come out of this era because it feels so much like the comic it is based on (plus it's set during Christmas which I am a sucker for). There was still some of that Marvel magic there, but it seemed to be buried underneath mediocre scripts and filming practices.

More often than not, we still heard stories about productions not knowing what canon was, working with unfinished scripts or doing things that seemingly set up a future plot point only to never bring it up again. Remember Hulk’s son in She-Hulk? Yeah, neither does Marvel (not that I am complaining mind you). Or how about Dr. Strange meeting Clea at the end of Multiverse of Madness? Haven't heard any mention of that. The ending to Ant Man Quantomania, the movie that was going introduce audiences to the new Avengers level threat, was reshot a month before release and it was painfully obvious. It seemed that Marvel, and Disney along with them, were running by the seat of their pants and hoping that having that Marvel Studios logo at the beginning of projects would be enough to keep audiences engaged.

Then we come to the Kang and Doom of it all. I give the studio a bit of grace for this as it was not entirely their fault. My issue comes more with the lack up build up to Doom after the pivot which was in the works as early as late 2023. I have entire article on my feelings regarding Doom that you can read here. I know Feige and others have said there was not much buildup to Thanos and the infinity stones but I have to respectfully disagree. By the time we got to Infinity War we already knew where all but one stone was, that Thanos was coming for them, that he knew who the Avengers were, he was behind Loki’s invasion of New York, and that he was a big known threat in the galaxy. We know nothing about Doom other than rumors and speculation. The fact that Feige had to come out and confirm that Reed and Doom have a relationship is very telling in this regard.

I know all this may sound a bit harsh but my frustration stems from having seen what the MCU can do when everyone is at the top of their game. Avengers Infinity War and Endgame earned the hype and excitement in a way that Doomsday has not in my opinion. But does this mean they are doomed (pun intended)? I do not think so and here is why.

I think that Marvel has learned that releasing an average of six projects a year is not a formula for success as we have seen them pull back in recent years, which has led to better quality in projects like Daredevil Born Again Season 2, Thunderbolts, Fantastic Four, and Spider-Man. We also saw at Comic Con that they announced only two movies for 2028 while one is set for 2027 (Secret Wars) which tells me they do not want to overload their schedule the way they were doing so before. We also only have two shows announced in VisionQuest later this year and Daredevil next year. Ghost Rider and Black Panther 3 have the potential to be smaller and more personal stories rather than an end of the world threat which is also something I think that will help them stand out.

Another good sign is they seem have the movies in active development before announcing them (what a concept). Too much of that occurred the last several years which made it hard for people to trust them because they couldn't even be sure if the film was coming out. They should take a page out of James Gunn’s play book and have a finished script before shooting which should be obvious, but they were literally writing Doomsday as they were filming it so it needs to be stated. Then there are the mutants.

The show X-Men 97 is just incredible and happens to made by Marvel Studios. It feels like the people who made it love the comics (and have actually read them) and is written very maturely as well. I will have a full review in the next week or two but this show gives me hope that when the X-Men are rebooted in the MCU we could be in for something special if the show is any indicator. There are so many characters with rich backstories to tell as well as storylines that Fox never touched that Marvel could use in the MCU for years before running out of ideas. Plus you could have some kind of build up to a grand climax in an Avengers movie or something of that ilk which has been sorely lacking after Endgame. Between the focus on quality and bringing the X-Men back in new and interesting ways, I could see audiences really regaining their confidence in the MCU once more.

In the end what Marvel needs to do is remember what got them on top in the first place, good characters and good stories. Don’t just tell us we should like a particular character, show us why we should like and care about them. Have filmmakers who have passion for the project they are working on instead of ones that see this as a way to get their name out there or as just a paycheck. If they do all that, I think audiences will begin trusting them like they once did. We will see what the MCU has in store for us next when Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters in December.

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With No Way Home ending with everyone he loves forgetting about him, it created an interesting launch pad where the character could be taken in any number of directions. Enter Destin Daniel Cretton, director of Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, who brings a whole new flavor to Spider-Man in a movie that feels like an issue of the comic come to life.

The first thing that stood out in the trailers were the visuals and man does the movie bring it in this department. I did not mind the look of the other Spider-Man movies by Jon Watts but Cretton and cinematographer Brett Palak take it up a notch or ten with how good this movie looks. This may be because it is the most recent thing I have seen, but I daresay it may be the best looking MCU movie that we have gotten (Though Ragnorok, Eternals, and the last two Avengers movies have some good visuals as well). Every scene is shot and framed like it’s a comic panel and as a result we get some of the best visuals of Spider-Man and his world that had me grinning ear to ear. There was talk that they tried to do more practical stunts with this one, including the swinging, and it shows.

This also translated to the action which made it easy to see and I never found myself overwhelmed or straining to make out what was going on. The way Spider-Man moves in this feels like something you would see drawn in a comic and they are sure to use his full power set in order to show off moves fans have only dreamed of. There were definitely a few from the Playstation game that I recognized which made me geek out. I also noticed some obvious green screen in certain scenes but it did not take me out of the movie.

It helps that New York feels real and lived in. It’s grimy in certain places but it never feels over the top. You really feel like you could be walking around in this version of NYC despite all the comic book craziness going on. There are a few skyline shots that could be a painting. It reminds me a bit of how Gotham was depicted in The Batman, a city that feels real yet other worldly all at the same time.

The cast here is stellar with Tom Holland bringing all of his acting experience to bear in this one as we get a Peter Parker who has isolated himself from everyone else after the events of No Way Home, instead putting all of his time and energy into being Spider-Man. His arc here reminded me of Tobey Maguire’s in Spider-Man 2 (there a quite a few parallels to that movie that are here) but what I appreciated here is how Holland conveys Peter’s loneliness and depression in subtle ways while pushing forward as Spider-Man.

I will be honest, I do not like Maguire’s version of Peter Parker (sacrilegious I know) because of how put upon he was while also never really acknowledging that it was his choices that got him there. In contrast, Holland’s Peter knows he put himself in this position by choice which the movie deals with head on. It also helps that there was a buildup to this state of mind for Peter. There are still some light hearted moments that feel earned where that optimistic side of Peter shines through and make him easy to root for. Contrary to what Marvel editorial would tell you, Peter Parker is not, nor should he be, sad all the time and I am glad the MCU movies realized this.

Zendaya returns as MJ along with Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds in reduced yet important roles. Zendaya grew on me as MJ throughout the “Home” trilogy but here it finally fully felt like she was comicbook MJ. Obviously, she and Holland have chemistry but they do such a good job here as almost Shakespearian star-crossed lovers without ever making it feel like I am watching a soap opera, instead having mature conversations about what they once had like real people would do. They share a couple of scenes that almost brought a tear to my eye from how real the emotions felt between the two actors, especially the one involving the photo above. Without spoiling it, all I will say is that it was a roller coaster of emotions.

It is the same with Ned to a lesser extent, with a few scenes with him being important emotional beats as well. It is like all three characters know something is missing from them and it becomes obvious when they interact. It also helps that movie does not have the usual Marvel humor issue of ending a serious scene with a joke that comes out of nowhere so we get to let these scenes breath and impact the viewer.

MCU alum Mark Ruffalo and Jon Bernthal reprise their respective roles of Bruce Banner/Hulk and Frank Castle/Punisher here to great affect, especially Bernthal. Punisher never feels watered down which I appreciated and his banter with Spider-Man generated most of the films laughs in my screening, all earned in my opinion. He is the perfect foil to Peter in that he represents the end of the path Peter is going down by choosing to isolate himself. My only issue is that based on Daredevil and One Last Kill, Frank is wanted by the police yet here it seems like he is able to go around in his battle-van uninhibited. Just seemed a little weird to me after what had been established in those shows.

As far as Hulk goes, his usage was perfect. We get to see Peter and Bruce interact and then Spider-Man and Hulk fight it out but I never felt like he was shoved in for no real reason. Without going into spoilers, it is very obvious why they included him in this film. Not only does he reflect Peter’s own internal struggles, but he helps set up something big for the future. And yes their fight is awesome.

Before I get into my thoughts on the main villain and story, I wanted to mention a few more side characters that stood out to me. Michael Mando returns as Mac Gargan/Scorpion and he is so cool. I love his design and how he fights. I have been wanting to see this character in a movie and it was nice to see the setup from Homecoming with him finally pay off. Also Liza Colon-Zayes from The Bear plays Detective Jean Dewolf and she is perfect for the role. I loved her banter with Spider-Man and hope she shows up in future projects as she has great chemistry with Holland.

Lastly, even though they do not get much to do, I loved seeing classic Spider-Man villains like Boomerang, Tarantula, Tombstone, and Ramrod of all people, show up in this movie even if it was only for a few seconds. It’s clear the people who made this movie love Spider-Man and it shows. I will also only briefly mention that Sadie Sink did well in her role with what she was given but I will save the rest for my spoiler article.

My biggest issue with the film is with the plot and more specifically two major points. It has a strong first half as we see Spider-Man’s new status quo but it lost me a little in the second half as things really got going. First, we have the idea of Spider-Man’s powers evolving. It wasn’t horrible but seemed rather just unnecessary to introduce into this version of the character. It reminded me of Spider-Man 2 a bit due to the reason that they give as to why the changes are happening but the question that I found myself asking was why is it happening now? I get the thematic reason but the in-universe explanation was a little weak for me.

Secondly was the main villain. It felt very much in the vein of Iron Man 2 where my Spider-Man movie got highjacked to set up future movies instead of focusing on someone who is more connected to the hero I came to see. It did not help that they felt unevenly written. We are supposed to sympathize with them after seeing them do cruel things to the entirety of New York along with Spider-Man himself all because we are given a flashback to show why they are acting the way they are. The motivation is solid but it does not connect with their actions onscreen at times. It would have worked better if they had not gone so far in one direction before trying to move us back the other way. It reminded me of Scarlet Witch in Wandavision where the show seems to forget that she terrorized a whole town while yes, engulfed in grief (though they at least built on it and made her the villain in Dr. Strange 2 which I did like). I know this plot will be paid off in the future but I wish they did not have to use Spider-Man’s movie to set it up, especially when there are other actual villains from his rogues you could have used here.

The secondary villain, which I will also not mention was fine, though I did see some of the twist coming. Also I was a little annoyed at how the Hand were used after being displayed so prominently in the marketing. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed their fight scenes with Spidey but their function in the story did not fit The Hand that has been established in the comics or in the Daredevil show. Again, did not ruin the movie for me but was a bit of a letdown.

Lastly I have to talk about Michael Giacchino’s score (you knew it was coming). Yes I have preordered the CD for this one and yes, it is pretty good. What stood out to me is how he uses synths for the Spider-Man theme this time around, almost like it is evolving the same way Peter is. Adding them gives it a somber tone that fits well in this movie. It also does a great job capturing a lot of the emotional moments without feeling manipulative or beating me over the head with, “Hey you are supposed to be feeling sad now.” Great stuff though the lack of a theme for the villain further confirms my issues with the choices made around that part of the story.

Spider-Man Brand New Day is at its best when it is continuing the story of Peter Parker/Spider-Man and the people in his life. Thanks to some stellar performances and great action and visuals, I would say this is a must see on the big screen for fans of the MCU, Spider-Man, and blockbusters in general. Ironically this film reflects a lot of modern-day Spider-Man comics where there are tremendous highs and frustrating lows but the highs make it worth watching. I will be very interested to see how the plot threads left in this movie are dealt with in the future, both for Spider-Man and the MCU at large. Also, there is one after credits scene at the very end so stick around for that.

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Next week’s articles: Monthly Rewind Review-The Rocketeer (for paid subscribers) and Spider-Man Brand New Day Spoiler Free Review for all subscribers.

The J. Michael Straczynski (JMS for short) run of Amazing Spider-Man started in 2001 and was a bold new direction for the webslinger as it really delved into what stories you could tell with an adult Peter Parker. It is a run that has some high highs and some very low lows. It began with Peter and Mary Jane reconciling their marriage after being estranged along with Aunt May finding out Peter is Spider-Man. It also had Peter become a science teacher at his old high school and even move into Avengers Tower with Aunt May and MJ towards the end of the run. Unfortunately it all came crashing down, first in Civil War and then concluding with an editorially forced storyline called One More Day that had Peter making a deal with Mephisto, the devil in the Marvel Universe. Like I said, major highs and lows.

In between all this JMS had a major story arc woven into his run that he began in his first issue. That idea was this question, what if Spider-Man’s powers were maybe not a mere accident but the will of an otherworldly entity called The Other and it had chosen Peter to be its totemic representative? That question is posed to Peter by Ezekiel Sims (who was the villain in the Madame Web movie which I still cannot believe), a man who has the same powers as Peter but has used them for selfish gain, resulting in untold wealth. He also reveals that he knows Peter is Spider-Man.

We later find out that Ezekiel received these superpowers not through a lab accident, but a ritual in a spider temple. He warns Peter that because he is a spider-totem, he will start to attract new villains whose purpose is to destroy such totems. The first of these villains is an energy vampire named Morlun. Beyond being able to withstand any punch Spidey can dish out, he also can track Spider-Man no matter where he is, both in and out of costume. This leads to a near death knock out drag out fight between the two that emcompasses nearly half a day and finds them jumping all over the city. It is only through his brains that Spider-Man defeats Morlun, though it is not the last time Peter faces him.

Even after this experience Peter is still skeptical as to whether Ezekial’s story is true. Several issues later, Spider-Man comes face to face with another totem hunter in the form of the villain Shathra. While battling it out in New York City, Spider-Man starts to lose control of himself, with his basic instincts of survival and attack overtaking his normal nature of defend and protect, as if the spider part of him was in control. Towards the end of the battle, he gets paralyzed by Shathra’s venom. Luckily Ezekial, starting to be inspired by Peter’s heroism, saves Peter and brings him to the spider temple where he got his powers. It is there that Peter is able to defeat her and leaves her trapped in the temple. In the aftermath Peter still shows skepticism towards the idea of being a totem, though part of him begins to wonder if it is true because of what he has seen and experienced.

Later on in the run JMS would bring this storyline to completion through the arc called The Other or Evolve or Die. It is here that Morlun returns to finish the job he started at the beginning of this entire run as he and Spider-Man once again engage in a brutal fight that leaves Peter on death’s door. After encasing himself in a web cocoon, he is approached by the spider god and is offered the chance to enhance his powers to defeat Morlun by embracing his spider nature fully. Peter then emerges out from the cocoon after “dying”, with organic webbing and all the other enhancements I mentioned earlier.

These new powers stayed around until the One More Day storyline I mentioned before, which many fans including myself loathe to this day. Marvel editorial used Mephisto to reset Spider-Man “back to basics” so to speak. The reset meant he was no longer married to MJ, his identity which he had famously revealed in Civil War was back under wraps, Harry Osborn returned from the dead, and Peter's new powers including the organic webbing disappeared. Storylines involving Morlun and spider totems would continue to appear from time to time, including a big storyline during Dan Slott’s run called Spider-Island which saw everyone get Spider-Man’s powers and the Spider Queen arriving to control them. It concludes with Peter’s clone Kaine becoming the new spider totem and receiving the powers Peter had previously had. Morlun would also reappear in the Spider-verse storylines that continued to deal with the mystical elements JMS introduced in his run.

So what does this mean for Spider-Man Brand New Day? Well from the teasers we see Peter’s powers evolving as I mentioned before and the first teaser also had a voice over talking about the cycles of birth and rebirth for spiders so it feels like this movie is heavily inspired by this run at the very least. We have also had interviews from many people who have worked on this movie saying that this film is about Peter neglecting his civilian life in favor of Spider-Man, furthering that theme of struggle between the spider and the man. As far as whether they will go all the way with it, I would have to think yes because there is really no other explanation I can think of as to how they would justify the evolving powers without having to jump through hoops to do so. Maybe we won't get Peter talking to a full blown spider god but hints of its existence wouldn't surprise me.

I have mixed feelings about this because I do not like the idea of The Other at all. I think making Spider-Man, a story about an ordinary kid becoming a hero, into a part of a mythical legend is dumb and takes away what makes Spider-Man so appealing. So to see them inspired by this storyline has me a little concerned. That being said, No Way Home used elements from the horrible storyline One Moment In Time to great effect so I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.

The use of this storyline also has me thinking of who Sadie Sink could be playing. Marvel has been coy as to her identity and the trailers have followed suit. I know people are thinking she is Jean Grey but I have a different theory, one that I hope is true (no X-Men in this movie please). I think she could be Shathra. It would make sense as to how the mystery villain knows so much about Peter and why they would be coming after him personally. They would have to change her power set a little (which would be fine) to include the telepathic abilities but at least with Shathra you would have the villain connected to the changes Peter is dealing as well as the thematic idea of her also embracing her animalistic side and the consequences of doing so. I have no basis for this other than my knowledge of the comics and what we have seen in the trailers but it makes more sense to me than randomly introducing an X-Men that barely shares any history with Spider-Man in the comics.

Lastly we know Keith David is in this film (hard not to recognize that iconic voice). I have two theories as to who he could be playing. Shoutout to my friend Cameron who suggested that he could be playing Ezekiel Sims. We know his role has not been revealed yet and with his connection to this storyline in the comics it makes a lot of sense and David would be incredible for that role. Maybe Shathra is hunting Spider-Man and he follows the character in the comics and reveals the supernatural nature of the spider bite?

My other theory is he is playing the MCU version of Dr. Connors. Maybe Peter goes to him for help after Banner Hulks out? That would be a fun cameo and Keith David would make a great Dr. Connors. Heck make him Lizard in the future. Either way I cannot wait to see how he is used in the film.

Well I hope this long nerdy ramble was informative and that it provides a little extra context as to what may be happening in the new Spider-Man movie. I will be seeing it opening weekend so you better believe I will have a spoiler free review next Wednesday and a spoiler article the week after for paid subscribers.

Side note, as for the JMS run on Spider-Man, I recommend it if you are a Spider-Man fan. Despite those lows I mentioned before, it's really well written and refreshing in a time where Marvel seems uninterested in seeing Peter Parker grow as a character, or in some cases, act like a grown adult. Plus the way his relationship with Aunt May and MJ is written is top notch and you get prime John Romita Jr killing it on art. Do yourself a favor and give it a read!

As always thank you for reading and if you wish to become a paid member for the extra perks or just to support my work, click the upgrade button on the page here! I will be back Friday with my news podcast!

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Next weeks article: Spider-Man: The Other Storyline Explained

I expected it to be good and fun theatrical experience, but I was not ready for the next level Nolan went with this film. This may sound like hyperbole, but I think that Christopher Nolan may be the best director working in Hollywood right now and The Odyssey is just further proof of that. There are some minor spoilers here, mostly regarding a 3000 year old story but I wanted to give a warning just in case.

I will talk about the cast first which was the center of a lot of internet rage and gnashing of teeth. I always thought Nolan was approaching this production like an elaborate stage play. He wasn’t telling actual history here the way he was with Dunkirk or Oppenheimer. With The Odyssey he picked actors that he felt could play each part the best for his version of a three-thousand-year-old myth. It never felt like there was an agenda or point being made, it was just Nolan doing his own thing which he has done since he started making movies. So for me, I was only judging the cast based on how they handled the material and direction that were given to them. Now with that out of the way, I can happily say that the cast here is excellent.

Matt Damon takes on the role of Odysseus and owns it. There is a heaviness and humanity to his performance, as if Odysseus is crumbling under the weight of his own myth for his deeds in the Trojan War. He has a commanding presence and you buy why he is beloved by his people. I saw parallels between Odysseus and Oppenheimer where you have two men who are lauded for their achievements in war but have guilt for the destruction and ramifications as a result of said achievements. He is not the perfect hero, with his biggest flaw being pride which results in him constantly at odds with the gods on his journey home, but in the end he tries to save his men and protect his family and the people he rules over. Even though I knew how the story ended I still found myself rooting for him to get home despite the flaws that we are shown and a lot of that comes from Damon’s portrayal.

The supporting cast doesn't slack off either. Anne Hathaway gives an award-winning performance as Penelope, the wife to Odysseus. She faces her own struggle from carrying the weight of holding everything together at home and wondering if the man she loves is still alive, all the while having to fend off potential suitors and rebellion in her own house. There is a sadness and grief to her that rarely gets out thanks to the shield of quiet strength that she carries herself with. It’s a very layered performance and she sells it splendidly.

Tom Holland stands shoulder to shoulder with her as he gives what may his best performance as her son Telemachus. He does such a good job of showing how mature and ready he is to be a leader while still having moments that remind us of how young and brash he can be at times. It’s a hard thing to balance but Holland and Nolan do a great job of riding that fine line without making him seem incompetent or straight up stupid. Just really good stuff and has me excited to see what he brings to his next performance as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in a couple of weeks.

There are some memorable side characters in this as well. Jon Bernthal is good as Menelaus, the guy who was at the center the Trojan War with his wife Helen being abducted. He brings a lot of Frank Castle to the role but it works since Menelaus is a veteran of the war and its clear he has not recovered from his own journey home. John Leguizamo plays Eumaeus, the faithful blind servant to the royal family of Ithaca who still believes that his master will one day return and has some great emotional scenes.

Then there is Robert Pattinson who is fantastic as the antagonist Antinous as he just makes you hate him as he tries to weasel his way onto the throne. You can tell he is having a lot of fun and the same could be said for Corey Hawkins as Polybus. They never feel over the top but evil enough that you cannot wait for them to get what’s coming to them.

We also have Charlize Theron as Calypso which is inspired casting along with Himesh Patel as Eurylochus who is Odysseus’s right hand man on his ship and acts as the collective voice and face for rest of the crew which was a smart choice by Nolan and he plays that role brilliantly.

Before I end my discussion of the cast, I will address the three that were the internet’s punching bag for the last several months. Lupita Nyong’o is good as Helen/Clytemnestra though she gets a collective (maybe) five minutes of screentime maybe so there was not much to really analyze. Elliot Page as Sinon does fine with the very limited screen time he has. There is an exchange between Page and Damon that was really well acted and you could feel Sinon’s hurt and disappointment in every line, however I do wish we had gotten another scene with them before that moment because most of their relationship is developed offscreen which lessened the impact slightly for me. It works well enough in showcasing the guilt Odysseus carries but it would have worked better for me if I had been more invested in that friendship.

Lastly, Zendaya plays Athena and I think she is perfect for that role. She is given very few lines but every time she appears she adds the kind of etherial presence you would want for that role while also being another manifestation of guilt for Odysseus. Also the reason why Athena chooses that form hit me like a ton of bricks and Zendaya helps really sell that.

The biggest question I had going into this movie was how Nolan would tackle the fantasy elements. His movies always had a grounded realism to them, be it real science used in Interstellar to explain black holes and their effects or how every bit of Batman’s arsenal functioned, they felt like they could exist in our world. Here that grounded feeling is kept, yet we still see the son of Poseidon the Cyclops, giants, sirens, and a sea creature that snatches men right from deck of their ship. I appreciated that it was never played for laughs or joked on in that self-detrimental humor that you often see with things like this. Characters act like this is a normal part of the world and Nolan does not shy away from the fantastical elements that have helped make this story so iconic.

It’s also with these elements that Nolan goes in a more darker and horror filled direction than I expected. I knew it would be intense with the battle scenes and there would be monsters, but thanks to that more grounded feeling and some excellent practical effects they really help make certain scenes feel even more unsettling. The Cyclops is horrifying and the one time we hear it speak, it does so in a way that chilled me to the bone. That would later be topped by a scene with a woman and some pigs that had me shutting my eyes because of what I was seeing. It never feels unearned or just for shock value, but services the story very well and makes the threats that Odysseus and his men face feel real and other worldly.

The scale of this movie is enormous and really adds to that epic feel and Nolan provides a visual feast for the eyes. Between sweeping landscape shots that felt reminiscent of Lord of the Rings to all the boat scenes that reminded me of the original Pirates of the Caribbean movies, I felt like I was transported back to a different time in cinema. This is another area where practical effects really help with that. Whether it's most of the scenes on the boat being filmed actually at sea or the Cyclops being a giant puppet enhanced by CGI, Nolan creates a world that invites the audience to get lost in. I found myself thinking, “How did they do that?” which I don't often do anymore. There is an element of that old fashioned movie magic that has been missing in a lot of blockbusters and it was nice to get it back here. We even get the iconic Trojan horse and see what it was like for the men to be inside of it for days which is something we have never really gotten as far as I know.

This also may be Nolan’s best action movie. I have never been the biggest fan of the way he directs action scenes and there are times where it felt like to me that Nolan wasn’t very interested in doing them either. The action here however is very well done, with one scene at the end involving one guy taking out a room of attackers that had me at the edge of my seat. The battle scenes in Troy were excellent and I could see what was going on which was nice (thank God no shaky cam).

Finally, I have to talk about the score by Ludwig Gorransson. I loved his scores for Tenet and Oppenheimer so I was really interested to see what he would do here. Nolan had told him he didn’t want the score done with a traditional orchestra but rather the instruments that were used in that day. The result is a score that reminded me of Hans Zimmer’s Dune music where it is there to help create atmosphere rather than emotion. Do not get me wrong, there is still some of that to, but it does such a good job of transporting you into that world and added that extra layer to a scene that helps suck you into what is going on. I have the CD in my collection and, while I may like those other two score a bit more, this one's really started to grow on me.

In case you have not figured it out, I really loved The Odyssey. Nolan delivers a movie that has not been seen in modern Hollywood in a while and it is worth the cost of a movie ticket. Even if fantasy movies are not normally your thing, there is a human story here that will keep you invested even with giant sea monsters and Cyclopes growling onscreen. You do not feel the almost three-hour length and, while the editing is a little frantic at the beginning, it immerses you in a way that will have you breathless at times. While Oppenheimer is still my favorite and I think his best film, I cannot wait to add this to my Blu-ray collection.

As always thank you for reading and if you wish to become a paid member for the extra perks or just to support my work, click the upgrade button on the page here! I will be back Friday with the news!

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