Friday, March 25, 2016

Batman V Superman : Dawn of Justice Spoiler Free Review

Right out of the gate, we knew going in Zack Snyder had a monumental task of setting the ground work for what will become the definitive DC anchor saga of "Justice League." There is a wealth of comics, story arcs and graphic novels that Snyder pulled from in the creation of this film, and let's not forget the centerpiece of this movie, Frank Miller's epic "The Dark Knight Returns" saga from 1986. Most of which was inspired by the creation of "Batman V Superman."

Prior to going into the theater, I actually did take a quick peek at Rotten Tomatoes reviews to kind of see what others are saying about the film. Much to my surprise, as of Thursday night, I found a 33% review of the film, which has since declined to a 29% overall critic score. So I cleared my head of jargon, and proceeded into the cinema with an optimistic mind.


I just have to say for the record, this film was delightfully crafted, and we just can't begin to fathom where and why the critics are giving this film such harsh negative reviews. Perhaps, the critics have never opened a Frank Miller graphic novel, or read the "Death of Superman" with the introduction of Doomsday? It's no secret from the trailers that Doomsday is the super villain of the film, that's not a spoiler, rather common knowledge and directly in line with comic book lore. Perhaps, the weight and heaviness of the story line set in motion was just too much for the critics. They couldn't understand a film crafted with depth, rather than the typical Disney/Marvel movies. Or, and this is just my own two cents, people in the film critic review industry were paid off to write mundane reviews to trash the whole team at DC and Snyder for creating what will become the initial setup of the Justice League franchise. 

Sure, there are a couple parts of the film that seemed a little out of context. For instance the casting Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor seemed like a waste of a role. Unsure of what Synder's intent for Lex Luthor is in future films, this adaptation has Jesse Eisenberg roaming around more like a psychotic lunatic who is clearly on the mental playing field of the Joker rather than CEO of LexCorp. This just didn't seem to work for me, but it can easily be overshadowed by the amazing acting of Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck. Batfleck is here to stay, and I feel much like Ryan Reynolds has been officially redeemed with Deadpool, Ben Affleck has found a home in his new defining role as The Dark Knight. He's edgy, cunning and the suit is just totally awesome in fight scenes and closeups. Hands down, one of my favorite Batman costumes since Tim Burton's Batman series in 1989. 

The film score worked seamlessly as well. Hans Zimmer returns to score the new film, alongside Junkie XL. The tones and melodies from Man of Steel are prominent in the new film, and the theme music echoes in each scene in some way. I'm sure this Man of Steel score will live on in the future JLA movies as well. Hans Zimmer is one of my favorite composers, and he delivers again with a film score that matches the chaos of the film, as well as it's tender and climactic moments. Don't listen to the Rotten Tomatoes critics when they say the film score is loud, overpowers the dialog and is misplaced. This is all anything further from the truth. 

Overall, the film's plot was easy to follow, and this made it much more enjoyable to watch the cinematic glory of the epic battle between Superman and Batman. The setup for Justice League is now in forward motion, and we have a clear concise image of what we can expect in a couple years when the new film hits the silver screen. This film has a couple weak spots, like the casting role of Lex Luthor and one more small detail I can't mention without spoiling the film. But, it really doesn't matter because overall, the film stands as a stand alone film that simply introduces characters, sets up the foundations for future projects and gives us something to finally be proud of from DC Comics.


It's mindless bits like this clip circulating social media that are steering people who have yet to see the film for themselves, in totally the wrong direction. Do yourself a favor, stay off social media pertaining to the film until you have seen it for yourself, and can make your own analysis of the film. Some of these critics and parody clips attack and poke fun at the film, which in all actuality is really good.

So I leave you with this. Batman V Superman succeeded greatly in establishing the future franchise. Was it the best superhero ever? No. Was it the best movie ever? No. Did it surpass some of the more lackluster comic book movies in the past few years? Most certainly! Was there  a fun factor to the movie? Oh heck yes! I honestly don't understand the critic hate going on right now towards this film. I think critics need their own critics, and need to dive deeper into comic books from DC Comics from the past 25 years to truly understand what is going on in this movie. I got it. I get it. I applaud Zack Snyder's valiant effort. Will I see it again? You better believe it! 

Chief Editor POPXCAST
Joe Burke

Sunday, March 20, 2016

Episode 8 - A Conversation with Marvel, DC Comics & Disney Artist, Russ Braun

We talk with Marvel Comics, DC Comics and Disney Animation Studios illustrator Russ Braun, whose projects working on DC's "Legends of the Dark Knight : Venom" series, along with Marvel's "Where Monsters Dwell" have left fans wanting more. Russ' versatile style to draw any creature, any animal, any object with precision and detail makes him a much sought after artist in the comic book industry today.



Thursday, March 17, 2016

Episode 7 - History of Video Game Consoles & The Future of Gaming

We give the historical timeline of the video game industry, and how it evolved from the early 1970's, to the consoles of the giants of modern day. From the Magnavox Odyssey, the Atari 2600 and modern Sony PlayStation and Microsoft's Xbox One. We also discuss the future of gaming with introduction into VR - Virtual Reality.



Thursday, March 3, 2016

Episode 6 - The Arrow and Flash Rewind - Spoiler Alert

As both CW's Arrow and The Flash are on Spring hiatus, we take this time to reflect on the events currently going on in both universes and shows, and how each show is intertwined. From the event's leading up to HIVE and Damien Darhk on Arrow, to the introduction of ZOOM on The Flash, we get you caught up in time for the Spring premiere starting March 22nd. We also discuss how DC's Legends of Tomorrow is connected to both Flash and Arrow, and give some details about the upcoming CBS Supergirl and Flash team up.