Top 5 Best Superhero Origin Films

Superhero films have certainly taken their place in Hollywood, for better or worse. But there is no question that the comic book industry is full of colorful characters that are just waiting for a big screen adaptation. One of the biggest and most popular characters, Wonder Woman, gets her own origin film this weekend for the first time in cinema history. While origin films have largely started to fade for comic book heroes but there were certainly no shortage of them over the last few decades, and these are the best of the best.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales - Review

Easily one of the most surprising franchises of the 21^st Century, Pirates of the Caribbean has taken a theme park attraction and created five films from it. Of course the first film remains the best, with each subsequent film dipping in quality from the last. And yet here is the 5th film, 14 years later, lead by the same Captain that captivated and entertained audiences with his cunning ability to always luck out.

Baywatch - Review

No one would deny that the original late 90s TV Show Baywatch was campy and knew exactly what it was. Never was it considered high art or anything other than a cheesy television show, a tone you can feel from just a few episodes. So that makes an R-rated, spoof-like comedy all the harder to do right. Very few films can be sharp and witty from start to finish especially when adapting from a different medium, and Baywatch can’t muster much of anything let alone smart comedy.

21 Jump Street - Flashback Review

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery as they say, then 21 Jump Street should feel pretty good right about now. The unlikely hit of 2012 has seen two other former TV shows revived for the silver screen in 2017, one that failed miserably (CHiPs) and one where the jury is still out (Baywatch). But the similarities are there from the start, a film that attempts to play with clichés; an element that 21 Jump Street absolutely nailed.

Alien: Covenant - Review

The long awaited return of the Xenomorph has arrived. Like the return of an old friend, the frightening creature is back to terrorize a handful of unlucky space travelers and delight the audience in a strange way. Alien: Covenant reverts back to a story more in line with the original 1979 film, Alien, and combines those horror elements with other features from entries in the franchise for a weird mash up that strangely works.

Everything, Everything - Review

With the flood of teen romances in Hollywood, what separates the good from the bad? Solid leads certainly help and a lack of sappy-ness will place more focus on the emotional elements that work. Everything, Everything falls frequently in line with the good films of the past, even though it does contain some of the more negative elements.

Top 5 Worst Young Adult Novel Adaptations

   Young adult novel adaptations have taken off over the past decade and half, coincidentally right around the start of a certain franchise surrounding young wizards. Another adaptation hit theaters on Friday with Everything, Everything and the verdict is still out.  Success stories have come along of varying quality throughout the years, but for every successful endeavor, there have been numerous failures, which is where we look today. From the critically panned to box office bombs, the world has seen it all but here are the worst of the worst in young adult novel adaptations.

Prometheus - Flashback Review

   With the newest entry to the Alien franchise hitting theaters this weekend with Alien: Covenant, it’s time to look back at 2012’s reintroduction of the franchise, Prometheus. The prequel that wasn’t a prequel according to its filmmakers, takes a deeper look into the world that the original created nearly 40 years ago and expands upon it to create something new and, for better or worse, unique.

The Wall - Review

   It’s not uncommon for filmmakers who started small to return once again to the indie, low budget films of their past. And who could blame director Doug Liman for wanting to make a more intimate war drama in between big action blockbusters? The Wall, while not completely unique, offers a small-scale narrative with the potential for some deeper themes and questions about war in general.

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword - Review

   There are certain classic stories that have a way of making it back to Hollywood every few years. King Arthur just so happens to be one of them and this year audiences are treated to Guy Ritchie’s version of the tale. This is the director’s second time taking a crack at a traditional literary character, the first being Sherlock Holmes of course. And while that film, and the sequel, was met with fair reviews, will King Arthur: Legend of the Sword be any different? 

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - Review

   

   The sequel to one of the bigger surprises of 2014, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 brings back everyone’s favorite characters for another intergalactic adventure. The first film is notorious for being immensely fun and full of cosmic weirdness, opening a whole new corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For everything that the first film did, this new film attempts to elevate these characters and continue their story, no small task with the expectations placed upon it.