Daredevil Season 2 Review

(Warning: I spoil stuff.)

Daredevil has returned to Netflix for it’s second season. This time as well as continuing Daredevil’s story we get introduced to Matt Murdock’s college girlfriend and current assassin Elektra, and New York’s newest vigilante the Punisher. This season was structured differently than season 1. Where last season was one ongoing story. This season had several arcs running throughout.

The first arc introduces the Punisher, and damn does he enter with a bang, (pun mostly unintended.) In a lot of ways this season doubles as a Punisher origin. While we don’t see his origin. He do see his journey from vengeance seeker to skull shirt wearing  Punisher from the comics. I like how the show set him up as a monster but then flipped it by making him one of the more sympathetic characters, well to a point that is. This might be the best Punisher we’ve gotten. While I don’t think a solo series could work, I would welcome it. The Punisher feels like a character who just shows up and tears things up and leaves. He certainly could only work on these Netflix shows where we can see how brutal he is. The only negative is maybe his origin is a little convoluted.

After the end of the Punishers intro arc, we get introduced to Elektra. She was a bit mixed for me. I liked the performance but some of the writing was a little off to me. They never bother to really explain what the Black Sky is and it kind of hurt a lot of the tension for me. It just made Stick sending someone to kill her beyond excessive. But I suppose it could be seen as a bit of a self fulfilling prophecy. I also found it pointless that they decided that her sai were something she needed to obtain instead of just already having them. I get that they like to slowly build these characters. But her just stealing them off an assassin felt forced to me. Her costume when she finally gets it is okay. She has one of those costumes that doesn’t work in live action and the replacements used generally fall into the okay category.

 

I can’t help but feel a little let down by the climax. Granted it was good but it felt set up for more. We saw the Punisher enter a room filled with guns. I was expecting him to show up and mow down a ton of ninjas. Instead he just snipes a couple and that’s it. And because she died in the comics it wasn’t hard to guess that Elektra could die. When Elektra and Daredevil have that little moment where they talk about running away together I rolled my eyes slightly because it reminded me too much of a similar beat in the Amazing Spider-Man 2.

The Hand were our big bad this season, and while Daredevil fighting ninjas is awesome there wasn’t anything engaging about them beyond their physical threat. The returning Nobu is their figurehead here but he isn’t much of a character. This was only magnified when the Kingpin made a brief but awesome return. Which is too bad since having stand out villains has been one of the best aspects of these shows. Especially with it still being a consistent problem in the Marvel movies.

But same as in the first season, the action is spectacular. In the third episode we get a fight that will give the hallway fight from season 1 a run for it’s money. They also seemed to have amped up the gore this season. There are some really brutal moments that stand in stark contrast to the rest of the MCU which usually plays things light and fun.

While some details were lacking the positive more than outweighs the negative in what was another great installment in Marvel’s Netflix shows. Definitely looking forward to Luke Cage.

My rating 8.9/10

Deadpool Movie Review

This is a movie I had given up hope on ever seeing the light of day. I even read the script when it leaked because I never thought they would make it. But then that test footage was leaked and now here we are. There is a Deadpool movie in theaters, it’s making a lot of money and it’s pretty damn awesome. From the opening credits you can see that you’re in for something different. Twisted, vulgar, but not without heart. In the wrong hands this movie could have went the direction of the last time we saw a Deadpool in a movie. But it was made with love and care.

The story is fairly straight forward. Deadpool is out for revenge against the man who made him what he is. We get Deadpool’s origin which is fairly close to the books. Though there are some minor changes. There is no sign of Dr. Killebrew though, instead his role seams to be given to Ajax. There is no hint of Vanessa becoming Copycat. Blind Al is merely Deadpool’s roommate, and not also his hostage and they don’t have the complicated relationship they do in the comics. Weasel is just Wade’s bartender friend and shows none of his comic counterparts tech skill. These changes are minor and in the grand scheme of things.

We got a pair of X-Men to help sort of connect this movie the the rest of the X-Men movies. Colossus in this one movie has more lines and personality than he had in all of his previous appearances put together. I also enjoyed how Deadpool broke down Negasonic Teenage Warhead’s character.  Ajax, flanked by Angel Dust are serviceable villains. But the real focus of the movie is Deadpool. Now Deadpool is the kind of character that some writers don’t quite get. Many go too far with the insanity and the fourth wall breaking. I love the fourth wall breaking, but it shouldn’t be overdone. This movie does just the right amount. If I had one issue it would be that no one ever reacted to Deadpool doing it. A missed joke in my opinion.

Ryan Reynolds was born to play Deadpool. He just owns the role. As he has pointed out before Deadpool once described himself as Ryan Reynolds crossed with a Shar Pei. It’s practically his destiny. His passion and the fact that he never gave up on trying to get this movie made makes both it’s quality and success all the more satisfying.

8.5/10

Supergirl “Hostile Takeover” Episode Review

(Warning: I spoil Stuff.)

Supergirl has reached it’s fall finale and it ended on a fairly strong not. This episode had some of the strongest action in the series to date. I liked the homage to Man of Steel’s Superman, Zod fight. If that fight had showed Superman saving at least one group of people from some rubble maybe people would have complained less.

One of the most interesting developments is Cat Grant figuring out Kara’s secret. Which I’m okay with because it would get ridiculous if she couldn’t figure it out. That was something Lois and Clark was guilty of. While it was hilarious when a time traveler made fun of Lois for being so stupid to not figure it out. The fact is it was ridiculous how often the main cast would interact with Superman and never put two and two together. Now in this show anyone that could identify her knows. So she just needs to hide her identity from strangers.

It was interesting to hear that it seems Superman is aware of Martian Manhunter. So why does he not tell Kara? Then again I still don’t get why Alex can’t. Seems like secrets that only exist to make people mad at each other later.

We also finally met Non who seems like he is going to be the real big bad this season. Which is fine Astra hasn’t been a very interesting villain. Though her status as a more tragic figure can hold more dramatic weight. While the show has shaken off most of it’s early problems good villains is something it still lacks, and hopefully Non will be a step toward that.

I feel like ending in the middle of a fight was an odd way to end the fall finale. But since it’s going to be back on January 4th it’s forgivable. I guess I’m used to how Flash and Arrow are laid out and even if they don’t share continuity the shared DNA is there. Still, it was another fun episode. My Rating 8/10.

Supergirl “Human For A Day” Episode Review

(Warning: I spoil stuff.)

Supergirl had it’s first real holy shit moment this week. It’s just to bad it didn’t involve the title character. When Henshaw seemed to display some kind of psychic sense I began to suspect who he really was and I was not disappointed. J’onn J’onzz also known as the Martian Manhunter finally gets to be seen  properly in his full form in live action. Previously his Martian form was seen in the unreleased JLA pilot, and Smallville only appeared in human form. Though I suspect that since his Martian form appeared to be done in CGI we won’t see too much of it. Even though I began to suspect it the twist was very well done and completely changes the dynamic of the DEO stuff which always felt like deadweight to me, and while I still hope the show moves away from it the presence of Martian Manhunter makes it more interesting.

The main plot where Kara has to deal with not having her powers was enjoyable albeit familiar plot-line. The Flash did a similar plot last year and I believe Smallville, and Lois & Clark did it as well. But that’s okay, seeing a hero have to struggle and step up without their powers is a classic story trope of the genre. Kara’s helplessness as someone died right in front of here, and the scene where she talked down a gunman who could have killed her were very good.

Minor DC villain of the week Jemm was fairly uninteresting but did prove enough to set up the episodes big reveal. I’m enjoying the strong character development they’ve been giving Cat Grant who is now coming off multi layered while still retaining her more eccentric behaviors.

I’m not sure why J’onn would want Alex to keep his true identity a secret from Kara. I feel like it would solve a lot of their trust issues. Winn’s random freakout over a simple hug was a little unrealistic. It was also strange that Kara would waste any amount of time to change into her costume to save James. The show is finding it’s footing for the most part but the villains need an upgrade.

My Rating: 8.1/10

Arrow/The Flash Legends of Today/Legends of Yesterday Review

The second annual Arrow Flash crossover happened and things have definitely escalated since last year. Then we had the Arrow, the Flash and Arsenal. This year we have Green Arrow, the Flash, Speedy, Black Canary, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, and whatever Diggle is supposed to be.

This year the crossovers main job was to set up Legends of Tomorrow. Though several episodes in both the Flash, and Arrow have been doing that. We get introduced to Vandal Savage, who is making his live action debut. Here he is a actually a composite of Savage and Hath-Set as opposed to being a caveman. Though meteors still play a role in his immortality.

We meet Hawkman, and Hawkgirl. Though we’ve met Kendra in two previous episodes of the Flash it’s here that she learns of her powers. They’ve opted to just go with the mystical reincarnation route, so no Thanagar in this universe. I felt that Hawkman was a little stiff but wasn’t bad.

Unlike last years crossover which told two separate but connected stories, this was one story. The subplot in the first part while continuing the main arc of the Flash stuck out a bit. Arrow opted to just focus mainly on the crossover. I also don’t know why they made Oliver’s son not Connor Hawke, especially since Hawke is gonna show up in Legends of Tomorrow but not as Oliver’s son. That just makes no sense to me.

Just seeing this many DC heroes in live action together was a lot of fun. The action was cool and throw in one of DC’s more interesting villains and you get one hell of a crossover/backdoor pilot.

My Rating 8.9/10.

 

 

Jessica Jones Season 1 Review

(Warning I Spoil Stuff.)

Marvel and Netflix unleashed the second series in the Defenders series and the second MCU production to center on a woman. And much like their first joint venture this was an astounding success. Much like it’s sibling show we see the dark and ugly side of Marvel’s universe. Make no mistake much like Daredevil, Jessica Jones is not for kids.

Krysten Ritter is fantastic as the title character. She’s a very much a broken person because of what happened to her. suffering from PTSD and alcoholism. They take a while to really explain Jessica’s backstory. Which is forgivable with the Netflix model. We never get a full explanation as to how she gained her abilities other than she got them in her accident. Though they left a few threads for a possible second season which seems like it will involve learning more about how exactly that happened.

It doesn’t take long to feel like Mike Colter’s Luke Cage can definitely carry his own series. Though it doesn’t seem like Jessica will appear in Luke Cage’s series which is too bad considering how connected they were in this show. I really enjoyed their fight in Cage’s bar and the fight where Kilgrave is controlling Luke.

Once again Marvel’s Netflix outdoes most of the feature film villains with the Purpleman called only Kilgrave in this series, played by David Tennant. Much like the Daredevil series they don’t introduce the villain right away. I liked how Jessica’s PTSD flashes of Kilgrave were lit with purple. He is with out a doubt a complete monster who also happens to have the temperament of a petulant child. Though how exactly his powers work is a little suspect at times. We’re told his powers are like a virus and towards the end of the series his powers get enhanced. If it just meant he could spread his influence over a wider area that would be one thing. But he controlled someone over the phone which is a little ridiculous.

There wasn’t much to not like with this show but there was a weird subplot involving the lawyer Hogarth having an affair. It felt out of place for most of the season. The twins that were Jessica’s neighbors were weird and the sister was kind of annoying.

There wasn’t a single reference to Daredevil until the finale when Rosario Dawson’s character showed up, and I appreciate the restraint. This show is definitely on par with Daredevil though I still prefer the later as I’m more a fan of action crime drama over the noir thriller that Jessica Jones is. But this is a great show and a great edition to the Defenders series.

My Rating 9/10.

 

 

The Flash “Gorilla Warfare” Episode Review

(Warning, I spoil stuff.)

Gorilla City. Wow, holy crap I can’t believe they did that. I swear I find myself thinking that a lot when it comes to these shows. This week we got the long awaited return of Grodd whose CG looks to have been upgraded.

After he got his own Knigtfall moment last week Barry spent most of this episode rebuilding his confidence more than his body. A pretty standard story, shades of Peter Parker loosing his powers due to sadness in Spider-man 2 though not as inexplicable.

Thanks to Cisco’s vibing we got our first glimpse at suited up Hawkgirl with wings and it was pretty awesome. Why is it that the Flash seems to have suffered the least when it’s come to setting up Legends of Tomorrow? Both this and last season of Arrow have devoted a large chunk of time to it but the Flash has done a bit less. Thankfully after the big crossover they no longer have to worry about setting up another show and can instead just focus on coexisting.

In showing that Grodd targeted Caitlin I’m glad this show is good enough not to go for a cheap King Kong homage. Though Cisco not referencing it is a little surprising I suppose. I really like Earth-2 Welles dressing up as Reverse Flash. Watching Tom Cavanagh do that I couldn’t help but remember a quote from Robert  Downey Jr’s character from the movie Topic Thunder. “I’m a dude playin a dude disguised as another dude.”

One can’t help but wonder how long until Joe finds out about his son, and if Barry will tell Patty his secret before he ruins his relationship with lies. This was a solid episode that left me wanting more. Specifically more Grodd and Gorilla City, because I want to know if they can pull it off.

My Rating: 8/10.

Supergirl “Livewire” Episode Review

(Warning: I spoil stuff.)

This week due to understandable reasons Supergirl had to skip to it’s fifth episode. Though for the most part . The only major thing missed was a more proper introduction for Lucy Lane and her and James reestablishing their relationship. Also Red Tornado apparently, which I was looking forward to. I’m sure this episode will be shown at some point.

One thing I was hoping to see in this show was Livewire getting a proper live action debut. It certainly didn’t disappoint. He fights with Supergirl were probably some of the coolest the show has had so far. If only because of Livewire’s powers.

It was good to see Cat Grant start to become more three-dimensional while still retaining her wit. Her history and guilt over Livewire was interesting. Her demoting her felt rushed. They should have had her defy her first, and then get demoted.

Kara’s adopted parents finally got some extended screen-time. Though we learn that her adopted father apparently died in a plane crash while working for Hank Henshaw and the DEO. Of course it’s implied this is a lie. What actually happened to Mr. Davners is the latest in the shows mysteries which include Henshaw’s glowing eyes.

The show I guess will likely move away from the whole DEO element which I haven’t really cared much for. The pacing still felt a bit off to me, at one point Livewire opens her eyes in a hospital bed then she’s outside. I felt abrupt to me. She also figured out her powers way too quickly. Some of the family stuff dragged a bit but wasn’t too bad. The action scenes were more than enough to make this an enjoyable episode though.

My Rating: 7.8/10

Supergirl “Stronger Together” Episode Review

(Warning: I spoil stuff.)

Usually you can tell a show is going to be good from it’s pilot. But it’s the job of the next episode to build on what the pilot promised and improve as well. I’m happy to say that Supergirl’s second installment tightened the pacing that I felt hurt the pilot but now that most of the set up is out of the way.

I really like the idea that just because Kara’s super-strong doesn’t mean she can win against other opponents with super-strength. It’s logical and gives the character something else to work towards. It was odd to learn that Kara had no idea what Kryptonite was until the pilot. Why wouldn’t Superman warn her about it. A pretty big dick move on his part. Which kind of says a lot about this unseen version of Superman.

We had another so-so villain of the week but he was merely a means to bring Kara into contact with her aunt. She was okay. A little too generic and seemed evil for the sake of it. Hopefully we learn more about her. Part of me thought that maybe Kara didn’t know she had an aunt and would that it was her mother for a bit but I guess that would be a bit of a stretch. The pilot seemed to make her out as the big bad but this episode had her talking to someone else who was off-screen. Either a superior or a partner. Perhaps the recently announced Non.

The action was really solid and fun to watch again. I enjoyed the shout outs to Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Perry White, and unlike the pilot no-one tried to avoid saying Superman. The show has shown improvement from the pilot and the future looks good. Or bad if you focus on Han Henshaw’s glowing eyes of doom. I’m curios if they’ll go full on Cyborg Superman with him.

My rating: 8/10

Arrow “The Candidate” Episode Review

This episode started off with an pretty cool action scene with the new incarnation of team Arrow in full force. A nice little touch with Felicity wanting a code name and thinking that Diggle should have one too. It was also cool to see that Darhk has some morals. Albeit a very small amount.

This week had a bit of a logic gap that at the new possible mayoral candidate’s speech that they didn’t have Diggle and Laurel there just in case something would happen. It was pretty easy to guess given the characters comic history that Oliver would decide to run for mayor. Weird that both Gotham and Arrow are doing election storylines this season. Though this isn’t Arrow’s first. I wonder if they will actually have Oliver become mayor.

This week past Oliver got a haircut. It’s kind of interesting that Oliver in the past has found himself reluctantly working for some kind of mercenary group the same way that Yao Fei did in season 1. I assume that this year we’ll see Oliver’s first dealings with the supernatural but I hope they only do a thematic tie in this year. The last two seasons have had direct tie-ins between the past and the present. You’d think that someone would draw attention to this after a while.

The TV DC universe got expanded a bit more this week with the introduction of the future Mr. Terrific and Anarky. I’m not familiar enough with Mr. Terrific but he seemed likable enough. Anarky though seemed to go the same route that Beware the Batman took the character by making him a straight up villain. Whereas in the comics he was always younger and more of a gray character.

And finally Laurel is taking Thea to Nanda Parbat for her to get help, and to resurrect her sister. Which is weird because seeing the damage that it did to Thea who wasn’t even dead, what does she think it’ll do to her sister who has been dead for a year. Also jeez I was shocked to actually see her body. Very creepy, very appropriate for October I suppose.

My Rating: 8/10