TERMINATOR: THE BEGINNING OF A NEW/OLD FRANCHISE

So let’s talk Terminator! The franchise has had its share of issues.  The first two are iconic. The third one is forgettable at best and the fourth got more press for Christian Bale’s rant than quality of film. Here we go again, a much older Arnold and younger recast of the first films iconic characters. Is there still gas in the tank or are we better off just watching the original.

  The future is controlled by machines. Humans are on the verge of extinction, but one man teaches them to fight back. John Connor leads the resistance to wipe out the evil machines led by the super computer Skynet. The war is ending and the machines are losing, but Skynet creates time travel and sends back a terminator to kill the mother of its enemy.  John Connor sends back the lone soldier Kyle Reese to protect her. Stop me if you’ve seen this before. Things get interesting when we deal with time travel. This film gives a new take on the original story. 

What works is Arnold! He plays an old, but not obsolete cyborg. He delivers and they use his age well in the story. The special effects are on par and the robot fights are great. Emilia Clarke from Game of Thrones is a good Sarah Connor, but it’s tough to knock what Linda Hamilton did. Jai Courtney is a star, but I don’t think he’s found that role yet. He is ok as Kyle Reese, but Michael Bien still owns the role. That being said, I still really liked both of them. Good chemistry with Arnold and they seemed to handle the pressure of their characters pretty well.

What didn’t work? John Connor as he villain! It’s not a spoiler. If you have seen the trailers, you already know this. I like his crazy version of a terminator, but I don’t like the savior of the human race as the bad guy. I am not knocking Jason Clark, but I would have liked seeing this version of the terminator be something other than John Connor.

 The time line thing is still a little convoluted, but it is fun to watch. The nods to the original and its first sequel are fantastic. It is by far a better take than we have been given recently. It was fun to watch and fits nicely into the summer movie season. I hope it gets a sequel because I would like to see where they take things next.  One thing is for sure, if a sequel is green-lit, I’ll be back!

SPIDER MAN IS A HETEROSEXUAL WHITE GUY. PERIOD

I cannot believe I am taking the time to actually blog about this, but it is Sunday night and I am bored. Marvel Comics has struck gold in recent years. Their cinematic universe is on fire and they have characters that are global icons. Today this little nugget of news dropped: 

Big news, True Believers. The New York Daily News reports that, in the aftermath of Marvel's summer blockbuster series Secret Wars, Miles Morales will take center stage as the face of the company's relaunched Spider-Man title. The new series will be led by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Sara Pichelli, who created the character in 2011, and will effectively replace the Spider-Man titles that were recently cancelled in the run-up to the event.

"IT'S THE REAL SPIDER-MAN."

The decision to bring Miles to the fore reportedly comes as a response to calls to bring Miles to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While Peter Parker, the original Spider-Man, will still be behind the mask for the upcoming Spider-Man reboot, Marvel is taking the opportunity to make Morales that much more important to the iconic superhero's mythos, especially as it continues to strive for diversity. "Our message has to be it’s not Spider-Man with an asterisk, it’s the real Spider-Man for kids of color, for adults of color and everybody else," Bendis told the paper.

 It's not the real Spider-Man. The real Spider-Man is Peter Parker. The  news that he the character in the movies cannot be black or gay is accurate. Peter Parker is neither because that isn't the way he was created. Sorry. I am not looking to come across as insensitive, but when does this crap stop? 

 I am not knocking the character. I agree that we need heroes that are not just heterosexual white dudes, but stop with the mixed message. Spider-Man, Superman, Batman, and countless others are already heroes and role models for young kids. It has nothing to do with their skin color. It has everything to do in the way in which those characters are written to carry themselves. 

 I agree that there should be multi-racial and homosexual heroes, but here is an idea. Create one!!! Teach kids to use their minds and stop recycling and changing old ideas. The changing of a flagship character is sending the wrong message. Take a look at the world. The fact that we have become so ridiculously politically correct is part of the problem. 

 I don't have a problem with the Miles Morales version of Spider-Man existing in the same universe. I have a problem with the Marvel execs high five-ing themselves over what they think is the right idea. Our heroes are who they are because of what they do. Their skin color should never define them. Lesson not learned Marvel. 

JURASSIC WORLD: UNEARTHING A GREAT SEQUEL

     The original Jurassic Park really impressed movie goers. The effects, given the time, were considered amazing. It changed the way we looked at movies and left people with a pretty good impression of the franchise. It's two sequels did anything but. Hollywood is keeping with it's trend of reviving things over new concepts. Here we are twenty two years later and we are going back to the world of computer generated dinosaurs.

 Twenty-two years after the events of Jurassic Park, Isla Nublar now features a fully functioning dinosaur theme park, Jurassic World, as originally envisioned by John Hammond. After 10 years of operation and visitor rates declining, in order to fulfill a corporate mandate, a new attraction is created to re-spark interest in the park. A genetically engineered dinosaur that is truly the apex predator. Owen Grady is on the island to work with velociraptors and does his best to protect them from the impending military use. Enter a couple of young children trapped in the middle of the chaos and we are deep into Jurassic World. 

  The look of this film is incredible. The dinosaurs look real and the wow factor is still there. The film does a great job in not only referencing, but paying tribute to the original. Chris Pratt is a superstar. Make no mistake about it. There are rumors that he could be the next Indiana Jones and he really should be. He is by far the coolest character in the movie. 

  It's a movie with monster fights, drama, the right amount of comedy, and a decent pace. The franchise is definitely back. It quickly makes you forget about the other failed sequels. It has a good feel and sets up the next adventure. Jurassic World is everything a summer blockbuster should be. Get some popcorn and see it on the big screen.