The DC Animated universe is back with its latest installment, Wonder Woman: Bloodlines. It’s about time the Amazon warrior got the attention she deserves. Wonder Woman: Bloodlines marks the second animated movie based on Wonder Woman since 2009. And while Wonder Woman: Bloodlines retreads a lot of the steps seen in both the 2009 animated movie and most recently Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman (2017) it does it with a fresh twist leeaving you wanting more at the end.
Story
Wonder Woman: Bloodlines is described as an origin story, but I honestly don’t see it as that. The origin aspect of the story only takes up the first 10 minutes of the movie. After that you get a time jump where Wonder Woman has become accustomed to life outside of Themyscira. But she eventually finds herself having to go back home to fight against potential world ending invasion. So the origin aspect of the movie isn’t as bad as some people have been making it out to be. As someone who considers themselves as a casual Wonder Woman fan I didn’t mind the retelling of her origin. After all, when it comes to characters like Batman I feel like I’ve seen his origin over a hundred times. With Wonder Woman: Bloodlines I like the way her origin is handled. Not much is changed about it making her story easy to follow. It’s great for people who are new to the character and once the story moves along it feels like its own separate graphic novel/arc which should appease most fans who love the character.
Voice acting
The movie is well-acted throughout as Rosario Dawson plays a kind, but powerful Diana Prince at the same time. Her chemistry with Jeffrey Donovan who plays Steve Trevor was one of my favourite aspects of the movie. You get a sense that their relationship is genuine and it’s one where you actually want to see them together because they play-off each other so well. Every one else is the movie is fine, but these two as to be expected, do most of the heavy lifting. In general, the voice acting is something I find myself always praising when it comes to these DC Animated movies, it’s become one of their staples. They have yet to disappoint me when it comes to this department in their movies.
Great action
The action in Wonder Woman: Bloodlines was one of the strongest elements of the movies. As it should be with a character like Wonder Woman. It shows just how powerful and brutal she can be in combat compared to her male counterparts such as Batman and Superman. It caught me off-guard in certain situations, especially during the final act. It definitely pushes the boundaries of the ’12’ rating and it’s refreshing to see. Although it was short, I really liked the fight between Diana and Cheetah. It just made me more excited about what their showdown is going to look like in live-action next year in Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman 1984.
One issue I did find during the fight scenes (especially the ones in the city) is that they kind of felt lifeless. This wasn’t the fault of the action itself, but more to do with how the environment was portrayed. The cities for the most part outside of the scenes in Themyscira are empty. You don’t see any civilians or cars driving past while Wonder Woman is fighting on the streets. It would have been nice to have seen a populated city in potential danger as Wonder Woman was fighting. I think it would have added a lot more stakes to the fights.
Overall, Wonder Woman: Bloodlines is another solid entry into the DC Animated universe. Not only is it a great standalone movie but it just shows how much potential this character has. Rather than see her team up with the rest of the Justice League in future animated movies I would love to see Wonder Woman receive her own trilogy of animated movies instead. As for Wonder Woman: Bloodlines being an origin story it’s a great reintroduction for both new and old fans. But they only scratched the surface here. There are so many more stories that they can tell and I cannot wait to see where they go next with Wonder Woman.
Wonder Woman: Bloodlines 8/10
Huge thank you to amazing people at Warner Bros UK for providing me with an early copy to review.
If you haven’t noticed I haven’t been posting that much on here lately. Writing has kind of taken a back seat for me. However, I still love talking about comic books/comic book movies. So I decided to start my own YouTube channel and talk about what I love over there. I started with my review of Joker! It took a lot of personal courage to upload this (I hate the sound of my own voice lol) But I had to give it a try. If I make a fool of myself then so what? At least I tried. So please feel free to check out my first review down below. If you do ending up checking it out please feel free to give me any feedback wether it be positive or negative. I would love to hear your thoughts on it and the movie in general.
FINALLY! After months on speculation we finally have our new Batman. Earlier this month Deadline reported that the search for the new Caped Crusader had dwindled down to Robert Pattinson and Nicholas Hoult. Yesterday, it was reported by The Wrap that both actors were doing screen tests for the role. And today, it looks like we got the results of those screen tests with Pattinson winning the role. This is amazing news, but the thing that got me most excited about this story is how Deadline in their report confirmed Pattinson will be the face of Matt Reeves’ trilogy. What a time to be a Batman fan! To have a trilogy directed by Christopher Nolan and Matt Reeves is truly a blessing. I also want to spare a thought for Nicholas Hoult for missing out because this is a role of a lifetime. However, since he done screen tests I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up playing a different role in the movie. Clearly Matt Reeves and the studio think highly of him. Either way I’m finally happy we got confirmation. It was also reported the project is set to start filming at the start of next year. So keep your eyes peeled this summer. I think we’re going to be hearing a lot more casting news for The Batman
Just an hour ago social media exploded when Variety dropped a bombshell on us. They finally gave us what we have been waiting for. Who will be taking over the mantle from Ben Affleck as the caped crusader? Variety are pretty confident Robert Pattinson will be stepping into the iconic role. They claim a deal hasn’t been made yet, but Matt Reeves had him in mind while writing the script. While I was just taking in this news Deadline also released their own report on the potential casting. Both outlets agree that a deal hasn’t been made final yet. But where they differ is Deadline claiming that Robert Pattinson isn’t the only person in contention for the role. Deadline states that both Robert Pattinson and Nicholas Hoult are at the top of Warner Bros. list. However, Deadline’s report does seem to imply that Pattinson is the favourite for the role by claiming “the bat suit isn’t filled yet and that they like both guys, with Pattinson holding the edge”. This is a bit frustrating isn’t it? We finally get the news we wanted, but nothing has been confirmed yet. I guess we gotta sit tight and be patient, as if we haven’t already been doing that for several months. I have a feeling it will end up Robert Pattinson taking the role. But you never know with Hollywood.
Let me know what you think of these potential castings
The cast for James Gunn’s upcoming ‘The Suicide Squad’ movie is all but completed now. Just in the last couple of minutes The Wrap have reported that Michael Rooker is in talks to play King Shark. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone since Michael Rooker and James Gunn have a great relationship from their work together on the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. Now it looks like that relationship is going to further blossom DCEU. Rooker is going to be joining the likes of Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Jai Courtney, Viola Davis, John Cena and Idris Elba in the newly formed Suicide Squad. I’m Just surprised we haven’t heard anything about Dave Bautista joining the cast yet.
James Gunn’s ‘The Suicide Squad’ is set to be released on August 6, 2021
Who is Shark King?
After making a brief cameo in “Superboy” Vol. 4 #0 in late 1994, Karl Kesel’s creation made his first full appearance in “Superboy” Vol. 4 #9. Born in Hawai’i as Nanaue, the humanoid shark that would become known as King Shark is actually the son of a shark god, who is in turn known as “The King of All Sharks.” Early on, his supernatural origins were doubted and King Shark’s appearance was dismissed as a particularly aggressive mutation, one that also gifted him with superhuman strength and endurance, regenerative tissue, and shark-like physiology. (He’s been designed with both Great White stylings and that of a humanoid Hammerhead, the latter seen in The New 52.)
Where the hell do I start with this review? I guess I’ll start with my initial thoughts after I saw Avengers: Endgame for the first time at a midnight screening on opening night. To be honest I wasn’t sure how to feel about the movie. Part of me left the theatres unsatisfied and borderline disappointed with what I got. As I started to play the movie over in my head again nothing changed. My feelings towards it got worse. But I felt like it was my duty to watch it again before I gave my entire thoughts. Maybe some things would change the second time round. Or maybe my initial thoughts would become solidified with that second viewing.
Honestly, viewing Avengers: Endgame a second time made all the difference for me. Just the personal viewing experience alone. I sat through that midnight screening tense and constantly on edge. My mind was going a million miles per hour with all the theories I had going into the movie. I can only speak for myself, but going in more relaxed with no pressure made me enjoy the movie a whole lot more. And even though I still have my issues with it. I found myself slowing falling in love with the movie. As I finished my second viewing I started asking myself “What the hell were you thinking when you tweeted out “the movie is just fine? Is this not everything you wanted from it?” And I hold my hands up. I’m happy to say that I couldn’t have been more wrong about Avengers: Endgame.
Given there is so much that goes on in this film it would be impossible for me to touch on every aspect. So, what I’m doing with this review is splitting it up in to three main sections which are dedicated to each act of the movie.
Act 1: Aftermath of the snap
Oddly enough, this is what I was looking forward to the most going into Endgame. We only caught a glimpse of how the Avengers reacted to the snap at the end of Avengers: Infinity War. But how would they feel/change once time had passed? For such a huge moment in the universe were they going to let the snap sit there and sink in? And boy did they. Seeing Tony like that after he returned to Earth was rough. I thought it was a great character moment. For someone that always has the answers it was heartbreaking to see him so defeated. Then I started to get concerned when the remaining Avengers went into space to kill Thanos. Although it was satisfying watching the Avengers show up to Thanos’ garden and straight up kill him I was so happy when I saw that ‘5 years later’ title appear shortly afterwards. I’ve seen a lot of people say the first act was too slow, but it was so important to me.
Seeing the Avengers lose AGAIN and hit rock bottom was needed for this movie to work. And I love how the snap impacted everyone differently. Tony gave up and focused on his family, Thor went into hiding, Cap was trying his hardest not to accept defeat and Black Widow was left to pick up the pieces with the rest of the Avengers. Oh, and Clint was in Tokyo being a straight badass. Then you have your everyday people. I really appreciated the scene of Scott Lang looking through the countless names at the memorial park. It just reinforced the impact of the snap for me. We have all witnessed this universe grow and expand over the past 20+ movies and throughout that opening act it just felt…empty.
Act 2: Quantum Realm
I remember Infinity War being described as a ‘heist movie’, but I felt that even more here with how the Quantum Realm was used to go back in time and collect the stones before Thanos. And even though I knew they were going to be revisiting major events in past movies I didn’t expect them to be interacting with previous versions of themselves. I thought it was a nice twist as it added to the already huge stakes. I loved this concept with Cap especially. As soon as he walked into that elevator I said “Oh, they’re about to do it aren’t they?!”. I didn’t get what I wanted, but the “Hail Hydra” line was a nice touch. However, for as much as I enjoyed the time travel aspect of the movie it did come with its issues. For me this is where the movie started to get muddy and kind of drag for me. It got to the point where it felt like they were trying to do too much. You start to jump from one timeline to another and one side plot to another with Thanos plotting in the background. On a second viewing it does start to make more sense, but I still felt overwhelmed by the end of the act. The whole time travel aspect has created some debate online since the release of the movie. So, I’m glad to see that I wasn’t the only who has issues with it.
Act 3: Assemble
With all of the stones collected and Hulk doing the snap it was all leading to this. What a third act! It did not disappoint at all. This might be my favourite final act of any comic book movie. Captain America, Iron Man and Thor teaming up against Thanos was enough for me. And you add in Cap using Mjolnir for the first time. Oh, I was more than content. Then they took it to the next level by introducing the “dead” characters. I was blown away by the shot of Captain America, Hulk, Black Widow and Black Panther running at the end of the Infinity War trailer. The Russos really just put that shot on steroids here. Seeing every single character in the MCU charging at Thanos and his army, I was just in awe the whole time. I just noticed I haven’t spoken about Thanos much in this review so far. It just shows how crucial the gauntlet was to him. Because throughout the movie he got his ass beat. I would’ve liked to have seen him put up a better fight. Maybe take out one of the Avengers during the final conflict. But that could’ve been too much now that I think about it, because we needed to sit with Tony’s death. Plus it was so satisfying watching Scarlet Witch nearly kill him all by herself. I came to the conclusion that Infinity War was Thanos’ movie and Endgame is the Avengers’ movie.
Goodbyes
This whole time I thought it was a given that Captain America would die in the final battle. I was so sure that Cap would die and Tony would eventually retire. I honestly didn’t think they had it in them to kill off the face of the franchise. And the way he went out was perfect too. Even when the snap happened and you see Tony laying there burnt up and barely conscious. I still didn’t think they were going to kill him. Knowing Tony I was just waiting for him to say a joke or something to break the tension. When Friday said his condition was “critical” it hit me like a ton of bricks. This is why I admire the first act so much. I loved seeing Tony as a father and for him give it all up to save everyone was beautiful. Also, Cap has questioned his selfishness since the first Avengers and for him to make the ultimate sacrifice was perfect for the character’s arc.
Now on to Captain America. If you didn’t know Captain America is my favourite MCU character. In terms of my all time favourite comic book characters he’s fourth on the list after Superman, Batman and Spider-Man. Once Tony died I thought was Cap going to stick around? Was he going to lead the next Avengers? Then I saw him preparing to go back into the Quantum Realm to put all the stones back. I knew he wasn’t coming back straight away. Again, like with Tony I thought Cap’s ending was beautiful too. He finally went and enjoyed his life for once. I know he’s a fictional character, but I was so happy for him in that moment. However, I didn’t see this movie as an ending for just Captain America and Iron Man. This was an ending for the Avengers as a whole. Or at least the original members. Tony’s dead, Cap’s retired, Black Widow’s dead and Thor gave ownership of Asgard to Valkyrie. I honestly have no complaints about any of these decisions. Nor would I change them if I had the chance. I just know then when we get that next Avengers movie way down the line, the line-up is going to look a whole lot different.
Closing thoughts
There you have it! This might be my longest review ever. If any movie deserved this much of my time it was probably Avengers: Endgame. I just had so many thoughts running through my head especially after the first viewing. Thankfully, I went for another viewing because I found myself appreciating the movie a lot more. Do I put it over Infinity War? I’m not sure yet. I might have to watch it one more time before I decide. Both Avengers Infinity war and Endgame are at the top of my MCU list. In fact they both have a spot on my all time favourite comic book movies list. Bringing in the Russo Brothers was one of the best decisions Marvel Studios has ever made. I just want to thank them for picking up the torch and giving me a beautiful ending to this saga that I have grown up with.
Avengers: Endgame 9/10
*BONUS*
Favourite characters:
Iron Man
Captain America
Rocket
Hawkeye/Ant Man
Least favourite characters:
Thor – I understand what they were trying to do with the character and how he dealt with grief/guilt. I understand people put on a brave face and laugh their way through pain, but I felt like they were being too comedic with it.
Earlier today Marvel released a new clip from their upcoming movie Avengers: Endgame. The clip shows us the remaining Avengers, plus new recruit Carol Danvers at Avengers HQ coming up with a plan to kill Thanos. Now, this clip dropped around midday. And I thought nothing of it. I mean I was still hyped and it was great to see these characters strategise and clash heads. But fast forward a couple of hours later, it seems like I missed a crucial part of this clip. And it turns out that I wasn’t the only one.
Just as Thor goes up to approach Carol you hear a voice say “I have telepathy”. Listen closely down below (Turn up your volume really high)
Crazy right? Once you hear it you can no longer unhear it. From this clip it sounds like Carol’s voice. I’m no expert on the Captain Marvel character so this came as a surprise to me. But it kind of makes sense in the context of the clip. Straight after that line is said she isn’t phased by Thor summoning Stormbreaker right next to her. Maybe she read his mind and saw it coming. Other people have said the voice could possibly be Scarlet Witch as she’s communicating to the Avengers from the soul world. I personally don’t buy this theory. But what do you think of this line?
It looks like Warner Bros./New Line Cinema already new they had a winner on their hands with Shazam! before the movie’s release. Yesterday the movie made a strong debut at the box office by making over $53M in its opening weekend. Now, it seems Warner Bros. are pushing already planning ahead for the sequel. The Wrapreported earlier today that writer of the movie Henry Gayden, will be returning to pen the script for the sequel. This is great news for me because I personally thought the script was the strongest aspect of the movie. And why change something that isn’t broken? Hopefully, this also means director David F. Sandberg will also be returning for the sequel. Warner Bros. seem to be on a role now. Earlier in the year they gave us a release date for an Aquaman sequel and now the wheels are being put in motion for the Shazam! sequel. It’s nice to see the universe growing without the likes of Superman and Batman at the forefront. Each character is big enough to hold their own.
Let me know your thoughts on this news down below.
Another entry into the DC Universe, another number one at the box office. The latest DC movie Shazam! follows the likes of Wonder Woman, Suicide Squad, Aquaman and BvS by making a strong debut at the Box Office. Forbes are reporting that Shazam! has made over $53M during its opening weekend. This combined with the numbers overseas means the movie has already made over $150M at the box office. Given the budget of the movie is only $90M, if this is any indication Shazam! is set to be a major success going for.
While fans were celebrating this early success someone else was quick to share his delight with the movie’s performance. The Rock, originally set to play Shazam!, now Black Adam shared his thoughts on this news. In case you didn’t know The Rock and his movie production company serve as producers for Shazam!
By the end of this video The Rock goes on confirm that the Black Adam movie will be starting production next year. Not only that, but he also hinted at the inventible showdown between Black Adam and Shazam. And possibly with some other DC characters as he claimed “That day of reckoning is coming for EVERYONE”. Could we see Superman and Shazam! vs Black Adam? I hope we do. The Rock, Zachary Levi and Henry Cavill all on the screen at the same time together would be amazing.
Shazam! is currently in theatres, go check it out now!
As expected the trailer for Todd Phillips’ Joker movie arrived today. And to take a phrase from Heath Ledger’s Joker for a second…it didn’t disappoint. I mean where do I start with this one? Before the trailer even dropped I was fascinated with the idea of this movie. Now this is my most anticipated movie of the year. I love the whole vibe I’m getting from this movie. It’s dark, tragic, crazy and will most likely be full of dark humour. Just as a Joker movie should be.
Here are my main talking points from the trailer:
Beautifully shot
Joaquin Phoenix is getting a lot of praise as expected and rightly so. But I want to start this off by giving Todd Phillips and the rest of the crew behind the scenes some praise. The way the movie is shot caught my eye immediately. There are some amazing shots in this trailer and I think they did a good job at capturing the 80s. Plus the music they chose fits the tone of the movie/trailer perfectly.
Joaquin’s Joker
On to the main man himself Joaquin Phoenix. I’m trying not get carried away here, but I think he’s going to kill this role. It looks like he went all out for this role. His mannerisms and the presence he commands on screen with the full make up on. I was in awe the whole time. His Joker laugh is great too. Again, I’m trying not to get carried away here, but it feels like they made a great choice by picking him for this role.
Origin
The most interesting thing about this trailer to me is the way they’re approaching the Joker’s origin story. From the moment this movie was announced people were automatically turned off because the Joker is someone who doesn’t really have an origin. But what they’re doing with this movie. I’m all for it. I’m not one of these gatekeepers. If you’re going to do it, just do it well. The way the trailer starts by showing us Arthur caring for his mother and seeing what the character has become by the end of the trailer had me hooked. I want to see this journey the character goes on. I want to see him start off as someone we can sympathise with and then it just takes a sharp turn to where we aren’t meant to be rooting for this guy. We should hate him, but love him at the same time. At the end of the day he’s a bad guy. And he’s going to do some crazy shit to people in this movie, I can guarantee you that now. I also love how they’re focusing on mental illness in this movie, something a lot of people can relate to.
God, I cannot wait for this movie. I’ve already watched the trailer more than 10 times. And I love it even more with each watch.
Here are some of my favourite shots from the trailer:
Let me know your thoughts on the trailer down below.
The Joker is set to be released later this year on October 4
