Logan Is The Wolverine Movie You've Been Looking For

Let me be the 700th person to tell you that Hugh Jackman's last outing as Wolverine is not only his best outing as the fan favorite character, but perhaps the best X-Men movie that Fox has ever produced. Logan is a truly great film that has brutal fights, relatable characters, and incredible emotional beats. Unlike last year's X-Men: Apocalypse, Logan lives up to the hype and cements Hugh Jackman's legacy as an amazing Wolverine. 

• Director James Mangold had shown he could make a kickass western with 2007's 3:10 To Yuma. Now a decade later, he used a similar western backdrop for his superhero film. The story and characters fit the setting perfectly and create a comic film that feels like no other. That's a good thing because if comic book movies want to continue their dominance they need to continue to dip their toes into other genres. Such as how CA:TWS is a 70's political thriller, or how Deadpool is an R rated action comedy. Keep spicing up our superhero movies. No one wants a generic hero origin anymore. That's how you end up with Green Lantern.

Screenjunkies hit the nail on the head

• Everyone has been praising Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart's performances and deservedly so. But two actors who also crushed in this movie were Boyd Holbrook, who played Donald Price, and newcomer Dafne Keen, who plays X-23/Laura. Holbrook was a real evil son of bitch and I appreciated whenever he was on screen. I'm excited to see him as the lead in Shane Black's new Predator. As for Dafne Keen, child actors are extremely hit or miss. Many fail on any level to be compelling. Dafne Keen does not fall into that category whatsoever. For most of the film she rarely speaks, but her body language says it all. As for when she does speak it hit you right the gut. Very impressive for a child to stand out in a film with so many experienced performers.

• "Logan makes the R rating fucking count. They fucking say fuck so many fucking times and Wolverine fucking butchers so many motherfuckers." That is my submission to Fox for the Blu Ray cover quote.

Overall I'm giving Wolverine an A. Great film. Great cast. Great ending. Go see it!

Go see if you love: Wolverine, westerns, sadness, loss of limbs, old people, bald people, body scarring, road trips, eternal pits of darkness with a tiny lights of hope that shine through that you can never actually reach, limo driver.

Follow me @cstrand73 on Twitter for all my dumb thoughts on everything from movies, tv, sports, and comics.

Guardians Of the Galaxy Vol 2 has it First Full Trailer!

Guardians Of the Galaxy was the surprise hit of summer 2014. So it was of no surprise that Marvel Studios locked up director/writer James Gunn for a second installment. Check out it's first trailer.

1. Baby Groot is everything and has been everything for about 3 years now.

2. The trailer gives away zero plot. A move which is totally uncommon by today's trailer standards.

3. I found the lack of Kurt Russell disappointing, but James Gunn is probably saving the reveal of EGO the living planet for the movie.

What did you think of the GOTG Vol 2 trailer? Are you excited for more wacky space adventures? Or do you really not give a shit? Sound off in the comments.

New Wonder Woman Trailer!

Wonder Woman!!! All the worlds waiting for you! 

Beautiful colors, amazing visuals, kickass looking fights, and some Chris Pine charm make this trailer a total winner. Check it out

Wonder Woman comes out June 2nd 2017. Directed by Patty Jenkins (Monster) starring Gal Gadot (Fast Five) and Chris Pine (Star Trek Beyond).

Deathstroke in Justice League and Batman Solo Movie?

The Batman himself, Ben Affleck (Justice League), dropped a cool piece of footage from what appears to be the Justice League (2017) set on all of his social media platforms earlier today. The footage appears to be confirmation that DC villain Deathstroke will be in DC's superhero team up. Check it out:

So this must mean that Deathstroke is in Justice League, right? Well maybe or maybe not because according to The Wrap's scoop master supreme, El Mayimbe, Deathstroke will feature as the main antagonist in Ben Affleck's Batman solo movie. Many had assumed that Jared Leto's Joker would face off with the Dark Knight in his new solo flick, but that appears to not be the case. Deathstroke could definitely cameo in Justice League and then star in The Batman. Or some are suggesting this could just be a costume test just for the Bat's solo film and Slade will not appear in JL.

Personally I hope to see the Terminator in both. Just imagine the fights Batman and Slade will have. Those will definitely rival the warehouse scene from Batman V Superman (2016). Or maybe Zack Snyder wants to recreate the moment from Brad Metzler's Identity Crisis when Deathstroke takes down the whole Justice League by himself. That would be sick. 

Are you excited to see Deathstroke in the DCEU? Who should play him? Which movie do you want to see him in the most? Sound off in the comments or hit me up on twitter @cstrand73.

5 Cool Possibilities For Season 3 Of The Flash

Last night The Flash ended its second season in style. "The Race of His Life" had lots of unexpected twists and turns. All of which led to a very excited cliffhanger. 

The future of The Flash will certainly be different. Here are some of my ideas of what could happen when the show returns in October. (IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED THE FLASH FINALE DO NOT CLICK THE JUMP, MASSIVE SPOILERS AHEAD!)

Captain America: Civil War (No Spoilers)

Captain America: Civil War is everything I wanted from Avengers: Age of Ultron while still remaining a Captain America centric film.

My buddy turned to me right after the end credits began and said "Dude, I just had a boner for 2 1/2 hrs" (really hope they put that quote on the back of the Blu Ray). That pretty much sums up how any comic book/Marvel movie fan will feel after they watch Civil War. The movie has so many incredible characters and the best (YES THE BEST) fight in a superhero ever.

The Russo Brothers (Arrested Development) are back at the helm and once again they take a Captain America movie to new heights. They continue the personal story of Cap + Bucky from Cap's last two outings and that relationship carries the movie that is stuffed with other superheroes.

• First and foremost THE AIRPORT SCENE! You have only seen 2% of it in the trailers. Every single character involved has their moment to shine and kick serious ass. This is this the closest thing to a huge crossover comic event that has ever been on screen. You will see characters match ups you had only dreamed about . I was smiling throughout. Without a doubt, it is the best comic book movie fight ever. 
• Spiderman is fantastic. Tom Holland nails it. He plays the part of the teenager among  the adult superheroes PERFECTLY. He also has some of my favorite dialogue in the film. Everything I saw from him just made Spiderman:Homecoming my #1 anticipated comic movie of 2017.

Holland really reminded me of this criminally underrated Spiderman cartoon

• Everyone will tell you Spiderman steals the show. And while I loved him, I feel Antman actually steals the spotlight. Will talk about why in my spoiler review.
• The movie has several comic references including a few actual plot points from the Civil War storyline. 
• Every audience member will understand why Cap and Iron Man are on opposite sides.  Their motivations make total sense thus making their confrontations more emotional to the viewer.
• Black Panther is an absolute beast. Chadwick Boseman introduces the King Of Wakanda in excellent fashion. He brings a regal attitude, but at the same time he has a vicious and unique fighting style. Let's just say you do not want to get stuck in his crosshairs.

YOU FORGOT THE PICKLES!

• There are a few more action beats besides the epic Airport fight that are great. The opening fight scene though had some shaky cam moments that made it difficult for me to follow. That also could have been because I was forced to see the movie in 3D and had to wear 3D glasses over my glasses. That shit fucks with your vision.
• The bromances between Falcon + Cap and Cap + Bucky are my favorite. They have each others backs no matter what. I love that kind of loyalty.
• I started out on Cap's side and ended on Cap's side. Chris Evans embodies what I have always felt a hero should stand for and be. Someone who will protect people no matter what.
• Scarlet Witch is the most powerful Avenger and she shows that off quite a bit.
• The villain is fine. His motivations make sense especially with the themes of the movie, but he is kind of just there.

There is so much more to talk about. This movie is stuffed, but the Russo Bros do a great job of making sure everything flows in the storytelling. Captain America: The Winter Soldier probably has a more sophisticated storyline, but Civil War has incredible set pieces and characters out the wahzoo. I'm giving Captain America: Civil War an A

How is Marvel going to top this one? Which superhero bout did you like the most? Did you like Spiderman as much as I did? Sound off in the comments and make sure to follow me @cstrand73 on Twitter and Instagram for all of my superhero insights. You can also check out my reviews for the first two Captain America movies below.

UPDATE: Out of all the questions Civil War leaves about the future of MCU, this was by far the biggest and it needed to be answered.

Tweet Credit to +Superhero Feed 

Rewatch Review: Captain America The Winter Soldier

Captain America: Civil War springs into theaters tomorrow. In honor of the Captain's third solo MCU outing, I decided to go back and rewatch his previous two films and see how they hold up or if I feel any differently about them from multiple viewings. Today's movie is Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014).

In my last rewatch review, I talked about how I never saw Captain America: TFA in theaters. That was not the case for Captain America: The Winter Soldier. I was so hyped that I saw the movie in a Thursday night preview screening. I even wrote a short review for the film on this site. Here is an excerpt:

"Last night the Informers got together to see the premire of Captain America :The Winter Soldier. Wow, was it great.  The group had a lot of praise for Cap's second outing and trust us that the universal acclaim is deserved."

I went on to list ten aspects I loved about the film and then two I did not. I didn't go into extensive detail on any of the 12 points (I'm a lazy bastard sometimes) so it's kind of funny to look back and try to remember what I was thinking. Here are those lists: 

What we loved

• Awesome fight sequences
• Great balance of action and comedy
• Very current themes
• BLACK WIDOW!
• The Cap and Falcon bromance
• Nick Fury's action sequence
• Mid Credits Scenes
• Winter Soldier's knife skills 
• HAIL HYDRA!!
• Cap and Widow at the mall

What we didn't like

• No Hawkeye
• Maria Hill's portrayal

Now after rewatching this movie again, I can tell you I still agree will a lot of my initial thoughts, but I really question what I was thinking when I picked out what I didn't like about it. So here is what I thought about the film this time around.

• The Winter Soldier upped the ante on action. We get to see Cap mow down countless bad guys in many different environments. The best part about it was Cap was not just running and jumping around like he was in TFA, this time he was beating ass in every way he could. He also gets a lot more use of his shield this time around. It's hard to pinpoint my favorite actions sequence so I'm gonna give you my top three fights. Each of one of these is a masterpiece:

1. Elevator Brawl

2. Knife Fight in the street against the Winter Soldier

3. The opening ship siege sequence

Solange vs Jay Z: Part 2

• Captain America's allies are a lot more interesting than his last movie. Look back at my last review and notice I do not mention the Howling Commandos once. That's because besides Bucky they are interchangeable and the movie never gives you a reason to give a shit about them. Now Cap has a different team in place for this outing. He gets to hang out old Avengers favorites like Black Widow and Nick Fury, while also being introduced to a new ally in Sam Wilson/Falcon. I really enjoyed the dynamics between all of these characters. Especially the comradery between Cap and Falcon. They are the kind of guys you would wanna grab a beer with.
• "Hail Hydra" is an amazing catchphrase (even though it basically confirms you are a Neo-Nazi). Shout out to the late great Gary Shandling playing a Hyrda supporting Senator. Here are some of the my favorite Hail Hydra memes.

• As every person who has reviewed this film has already pointed out, this movie is a 70's political thriller. It's just as much a spy movie as it is a superhero one. The opening ship siege is very reminiscent of a James Bond cold opening.
• Loved the scene with Zola as a computer. Gave the audience answers in a cool way while also giving a nod to Zola's comic book counterpart.
• Hydra's infiltration of SHEILD was an interesting path for this movie to take. It also helps fuel Cap's motivations for Civil War.
• The culmination of Hydra's plan leads to the end fight scene aboard the 3 giant death ships. It has solid action, but I find it less memorable than those 3 sequences that I listed earlier. Although Falcon's air acrobatics are pretty stunning. Actually fuck what I said, this scene kicks ass too.
• The only real problem (if you even want to call it that) is that this movie lacks a big comic book villain such as the Joker or Loki. Alexander Pierce is essentially the bad guy, but he is kind of barely in the movie. So the brunt of the evil workload is handed off to Pierce's muscle, the Winter Soldier. Now while The Winter Soldier certainly makes for an tough physical opponent for Cap and his crew the real nitpick I have is that I prefer a villain whose motivation is more than just that he is brainwashed and being told what to do. That being said he was still a cool presence throughout.
• Lastly, I have two questions about my dislikes from my old review. 

1. Was Hawkeye not in this movie because he was busy working on his farm that we saw in Avengers: Age Of Ultron? Seriously he is a high level SHEILD agent and he didn't show up when his place of work was being destroyed because he was too busy fixing a tractor? I call bullshit. Do your job Clint!

2. Who gives a shit about Maria Hill? Why did I care about Maria Hill's portrayal? I didn't create the character. She was utilized fine in the movie. Why did I give shit? That is an answer I would like to know.

I love this kick.

In the end I loved this movie two years ago and I still do. I nitpicked more than I did before, but in spite of that I'm going to give it a higher score than I did two years ago. My rematch of Captain America: The Winter Soldier gets an A

What did you think of Cap's second solo outing? Did you like the first one better? Do you Hail Hydra? Sound off and the comments and make sure to follow me @cstrand73 on Twitter and Instagram for all my superhero insights.

Today is the Day!

Rewatch Review: Captain America The First Avenger

In anticipation of Captain America: Civil War I decided to go back and rewatch some old Marvel Cinematic Universe movies to see how they hold up. Leading off this parade through the MCU is Joe Johntson's 2011 Captain America: The First Avenger.

Captain America: The First Avenger is the one MCU movie that I didn't get to see in the theater. In fact I didn't watch it until after I saw Joss Whedon's The Avengers in 2012. My college friends and I were so jazzed up about Marvel after watching The Avengers that we started talking about all the solo movies that came before it. What we quickly discovered though was that none of us had seen Captain America: The First Avenger. So without much hesitation I loaded the movie up my TV and we were off. 

Now I'm gonna tell you the truth. The first time I watched this movie I didn't like it. In fact all of my friends and I spent the majority of this film shitting on it. Now in retrospect that is probably because all of us had just seen The Avengers and we looking forward to this film being akin to that. 

In the 4 years that have passed since my first viewing I have seen (and loved) this movie's  sequel Captain America: The Winter Soldier and enjoyed another great Cap outing in Avengers: Age of Ultron. I have also read some Captain America comics and grown more fond of the character every time I've see him. In fact he is my favorite character on Marvel Studios roster now and I'm riding the #TeamCap train right into my Civil War screening tomorrow. So I think the combination of tempered expectations and more fondness of the character lead me to enjoying this movie a lot more in my second viewing. The first time I watched it I would have given it a D. Here is what I thought about it this time.

My Thoughts

• The movie is very much a character piece. It is fully focused on showing it's audience how Steve Rogers is a great guy and hero at heart. Overall it's a great intro to the character.
• Most of the action beats are solid though out, but full use of Caps fighting abilities (like kicking fuckers off boats and using his shield to take down a helicopter) are better showcased in The Winter Solider. This movie seems to be really focused on telling us that Cap can run fast and jump high. Now if this was a movie about how a shrimpy dude used a super soldier program to cheat his way into the Olympics then I would be fine with it. The problem is that this is a superhero flick and not The Ringer.

Watch Cap run and jump through the streets

• A criticism for the MCU as a whole has been that there are no good villains besides Loki. Red Skull continues that trend by being the very one note evil German guy. In his defense though his makeup looks amazing.
• Thorin Oakensheild, Margery Tyrell, and Damien Darhk are in this? That's cool. Also did anyone notice both of the announcers from the Hunger Games are competing German scientists? Coincidence I think not!

Hyrdra?

• Most of this movie is great set up. Setting up Cap for the Avengers. Setting up Zola for his return in The Winter Soldier. Setting up Hydra and their utter awesomeness (I do not like Nazis I just like saying Hail Hydra!). Through all this set up is one crucial mistake. That is the mishandling of Bucky's death. He falls off a train and is never talked about again.They Han Soloed him. It was like in The Force Awakens how Leia hugged Rey and not Chewie. There is never a moment of Steve morning or saying anything about his best friend for the rest of the movie. Because Bucky's death was so unmemorable, The Winter Soldier has to drill what happened into the viewers head over and over for it's big twist to work.
• The movie is poorly paced. So much exposition in the beginning then the end feels like a clip show of action moments. Don't get me wrong I liked a lot of the action and a lot of the exposition, it just felt like they were clustered together at the beginning and at the end.
• I totally forgot about Cap's budding movie career. The old movie within a movie. 

Final Grade: Overall Captain America: The First Avenger is more enjoyable than I remember. It has great character moments and does a good job introducing the Captain we all know and love.

I'm giving my rewatch of CA:TFA a B-

What do you think of Captain America: The first Avenger? Was there to much running and not enough punching? Sound of in the comments and make sure to follow me @cstrand73 on Twitter for all my takes on superhero stuff.

Cannot wait for tomorrow