Thursday, May 31, 2018

Cowboy Bebop 1.08

Waltz for Venus

Spike and Faye thwart a hijacking attempt aboard a passenger ship bound for Venus. Roco Bonnaro, who was sitting next to Spike had nothing to do with the hijacking but turns out to be a wanted man. Roco has a bounty on his head but he is also wanted by some mobsters who also have bounties on their heads.

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Atlanta 1.06

Value

Van gets the spotlight as she hangs out with Jayde, a childhood friend who is more successful than she is. Van doesn't approve of Jadye's line of work, hooking up with athletes. She walks out of their dinner together when Jayde's date shows up with a friend. Jayde ditches the guys, apologizes to Vanessa, and the two end up hanging out and smoking weed.

Monday, May 28, 2018

Justice League: Gods & Monsters (2015)

Gods & Monsters

This is the first DC Animated Universe TV show or movie that Bruce Timm produced which looks like the work he helmed from 1991 to 2006 (B:TAS to JLU). It has a similar look to his earlier work but it is notably different in that it is PG-13. There is lots of on screen violence, some cursing, and a little bit of sexual innuendo. I think these elements worked for me in large part because this is an Elseworlds story. It wouldn't feel right if this was played as a mainstream DCAU movie.

Kung Fu 1.01

Pilot

I watched Kung Fu when I was a kid, this would have been in the late 1970s or early 1980s. The show would have been in reruns by that point. No one pointed out to me then that the main character was Asian and the actor playing him was white, or if they did it did not register with me. I can clearly see now that the choice to cast David Carradine to play an Asian character is wrong or at best problematic. It has probably been more than 3 decades since I last watched an epiosde of Kung Fu. I watched this one because I wanted to see how or if it would hold up.

Friday, May 25, 2018

Deadpool (2016)

This movie is two stories in one. One is set in the present, the other is set in the past. There are lots of fourth wall breaking moments and an endless supply of jokes. This movie does not take itself too seriously.

This was the first time I watched Deadpool. I remember listening and reading reactions to the movie when it was first released. I wasn't sure if I would like it. I was prepared not to like it but I was very pleasantly surprised. It was light, easy to watch, and not too long.

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

Samurai Jack 3.06

XXXII: Jack and the Traveling Creatures

Jack's quest to return to the past and undo the evil that is Aku continues. This one is all about the quest although Aku does not make an appearance. Jack is helped along the way by three creatures who eventually lead him to a passage back in time but it is protected by a guardian who refuses to let Jack use it.

Saturday, May 19, 2018

Cowboy Bebop 1.07

Heavy Metal Queen

Spike and Faye cross paths with a trucker, VT, the Heavy Metal Queen. That's her handle or maybe that's the name of her craft. Spike meets her first. He is one of many bounty hunters hanging out in a bar looking for a bounty named Decker. No one seems to know what Decker looks like, just that he is hauling some dangerous explosives and has a dragon tattoo.

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Atlanta 1.05

Nobody Beats the Biebs

One episode, two settings, three stories. I really like the mix of humor and drama in this episode. They joke about things that are quite serious and make points at the same time.

Thursday, May 10, 2018

Young Justice 1.26

Auld Acquaintance

Red Arrow is on the run from the Justice League who are all being controlled by Vandal Savage, Klarion the Witch Boy, and other villains using Starro Tech. Batman tells Young Justice to not go after Red Arrow. After Batman leaves Red Tornado stops functioning. The team of young heroes investigates and figure out that something is wrong with the League.

Monday, May 7, 2018

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)

Reed's and Sue's wedding gets interrupted by a global disaster in the making. A silver skinned man on what looks like a surfboard is boring big holes in the surface of the Earth. Johnny tries taking on the Silver Surfer and gets infected with some radiation that causes him to switch powers with his teammates if he touches them.

Victor von Doom returns. He confronts the Silver Surfer and then convinces the US Army that he wants to help them deal with the alien. Reed is the one who figures out how to contain the Silver Surfer, who up to that point has seemed unstoppable but Victor is the one to take advantage of the situation. After the Silver Surfer has been immobilized Doom steals his board.

Friday, May 4, 2018

Casino (1995)

Sam "Ace" Rothstein (Robert De Niro) runs the Tangiers, a Las Vegas casino, for the mob. Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci) is a "made man" and Sam's friend from childhood. Nicky is there to keep an eye on Ace and make sure no one messes with his operation but Nicky spends most of his time robbing and stealing from whomever he can. Over time their relationship sours. Both grow to resent the other. Sam suffers because he is trying to keep the casino as clean looking as possible and his association with a known mobster doesn't help at all. Nicky tires of Sam questioning his business decisions.

Tuesday, May 1, 2018

The Punisher 1.01

3AM

Frank Castle is still depressed over losing his family. He has a new identity, Pete Castiglione, and a beard. He works at a construction site during the day. Most of his coworkers laugh at him because he doesn't talk to anyone. The only exception is Donny, a new guy who shares his sandwich with Frank after one of the other guys smashes Frank's lunch.