Movie Review: "Avengers: Endgame" - The One We've Been Waiting For

Last year, "Avengers: Infinity War" was the beginning of the end of what would be called the "Infinity Saga", the collective name for the first three phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. "Infinity War" left such a major impact on audiences, from the character dusting practically becoming a meme to so many theories about how things would be resolved; it actually got ridiculous with how every character or item was believed to be the key to defeating Thanos. But we need no longer wonder, as "Avengers: Endgame" has finally arrived.

The trailers and commercials didn't show much, but if you think can piece together the story from that, you'd be dead wrong. There's plenty of twists and turns that will surprise you and keep you on the edge of your seat. As the story progresses, you'll find the surviving characters dealing with life after the Snap in their own ways. There are a lot of emotional moments, and you'd be surprised with where certain characters end up. It tonally matches "Infinity War" with its mix of serious moments and trademark humor. A lot of that is thanks to the investment we've had in the characters through these years, and we know these actors and characters well enough to expect magnificent performances.
While this is part two to "Infinity War", "Endgame" is where the real culmination of all the MCU films since "Iron Man", especially now that we have "Ant-Man and the Wasp" and "Captain Marvel" under our belts. The film is full of callbacks and payoffs to almost everything that came before it; I was even making my own callbacks in my head during certain moments. There are also multiple cameos from characters you wouldn't have expected to appear or even share the screen with. As we end one era and begin a new one, main characters have their arcs wrapped up (some in quite the poetic fashion) while others embark on journeys quite different from what we've seen previously.
Then there's the climax, which was the most exhilarating experience I've had watching a film probably since the very first "Avengers" film. The climax of "Endgame" is the moment that fans have been waiting for ever since the idea of a shared superhero movie universe was becoming more and more tangible, and even with how crowded it gets, each character gets a standout moment or two. I was damn near hyperventilating and the tissues I had brought in case I cried were used to wipe the sweat off my forehead. The climax and its aftermath are a testament to how large the MCU has gotten, and it's only getting bigger and bigger.

This review is going to be shorter than my usual ones because I don't want to go into any details and wish for everyone to experience the film for themselves. I'll just take this moment to thank everyone who made these last eleven years so amazing, not just for the stories told, but all the fans that were brought together because of these films. When I was younger, I used to feel like an outcast because of my love for comic books and superheroes. But now, even if not everyone's a hardcore fan, I know I'm not alone.
So thank you Kevin Feige. Thank you Russo Brothers. Thank you Robert Downey Jr. Thank you Chris Evans. Thanks to all the stars, directors, and everyone behind these films. But most of all, thank you Stan Lee for making it all possible; we'll always miss you.
Here's to the last eleven years, and here's to many more.

My Marvel Cinematic Universe Film Rankings:
1. Avengers: Infinity War/Avengers: Endgame
3. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
4. Black Panther
5. Captain America: Civil War
6. Thor: Ragnarok
7. Avengers: Age of Ultron
8. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
9. The Avengers
10. Guardians of the Galaxy
11. Doctor Strange
12. Spider-Man: Homecoming
13. Ant-Man and the Wasp
14. Ant-Man
15. Captain Marvel
16. Iron Man 3
17. Thor
18. Captain America: The First Avenger
19. Iron Man
20. The Incredible Hulk
21. Iron Man 2
22. Thor: The Dark World

Quickie Write-Up: Me and the TMNT

In June, we will see the release of the animated "Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" movie, which I intend to review. As it happens though, I've never actually talked about Ninja Turtles on my blog before. And rather than take a good portion of that review doing so, I thought it best to do a separate post and share my history with the Ninja Turtles franchise.

Like a lot of kids of the 80's and 90's, I was really into the Turtles, from the original cartoon, the movies, as well as the live action Next Mutation series (which crossed over with Power Rangers in Space).

As kids do though, I kind of outgrew the Turtles, at least for awhile. I barely remember the TV shows, and while the first two movies don't really hold up for me like they used to, they do still have rewatch value and I respect their place and impact in the franchise.

I never really watched the 2003 cartoon, but I did go see the 2007 computer generated movie.

I liked this movie when it came out, and I still think it's one of the best Turtle movies.

My outright love for the Turtles was revived though thanks to the 2012 animated series, which in my opinion is the definitive version of the franchise.

Well balanced wacky comedic moments with emotional and dramatic storylines. Stellar animation that makes for high stakes action scenes. Brilliant characterizations with iconic voice acting to match. In short...

It was definitely a show that was made for adults as much as children. In one regard, there are a lot of homages to old school pop culture, from classic cartoons like Voltron and Thundarr, to horror franchises like Alien and Friday the 13th. But more importantly, the show featured a lot of imagery and moments that I'm surprised Nickelodeon allowed through. Seriously, some of the mutants are either truly scary or just really hard to look at.

I loved this version of the Turtles so much, I even collected the complete series on DVD.

Admittedly, it takes up a lot of space since seasons three through five were collected in separate volumes compared to the complete sets for seasons one and two. I'm halfway expecting them to announce a complete series box set on Blu-Ray now that I've actually bought the whole series. Seriously, if you are or have ever been a Ninja Turtles fan, the 2012 series is a must-watch. (And just to throw it out there, the series is also on Hulu in its entirety.)

The series ended in 2017 in what I felt was an epic finale with the "Mutant Apocalypse" three-parter. Which made its replacement series, "Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" even more disappointing.

Needless to say, it's heartbreaking to see the franchise succumb to what I call the "Teen Titans Go!" effect. This is when a beloved show is rebooted in a manner that strips away what made it special, suffering from little effort, poor animation and pandering to a young audience; other victims of the "Go!" effect include Powerpuff Girls, Total Drama, and soon enough, ThunderCats. In short, the less said about "Rise", the better.

As for the live action reboot films from Michael Bay, I honestly thought the first one in 2014 was trash.

The Turtles' designs alone were meme worthy.

Besides that, I'm just going to list out some of my more egregious problems with the movie in no particular order:

* Any of Michael Bay's usual tropes.

* Megan Fox as April, basically being there for eye candy rather than character, which is bad considering she gets more focus than the actual Turtles; though to be fair, she seemed more invested in the first one compared to the sequel, mostly because the second one was actually about the Turtles.

* The lack of actual ninja-ing, from the Foot being criminals who use guns to the Turtles, who turn out to be bullet-proof, basically making them Hulks with shells.

* Mikey acting like a creepy Jonah Hill character and basically saying he had a boner for April. That is something nobody should ever have to hear from a Ninja Turtles story.

* Donnie having taped up glasses just because he's the nerd of the group.

* The villains wanting to infect the city with an airborne biological attack is ripped off from the Lizard's plan in the first Amazing Spider-Man film.

Its sequel, "Out of the Shadows", was a far better outing. While still suffering from similar problems of the first one, it felt more like a Ninja Turtles movie by comparison and I actually found myself enjoying it, especially seeing villains like Bebop, Rocksteady, and Krang. Of the 21st century TMNT films, this is actually my second favorite behind the 2007 one.

So with the end of the 2012 series, we are in desperate need of some decent Ninja Turtles. Will "Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" deliver? Well, the trailer alone is better than anything I've seen from "Rise", but we'll know for sure come June.

Movie Review: Shazam! - Fun For the Whole Family

There are a lot of unique superheroes, but there aren't a lot quite like Shazam (originally known as Captain Marvel in the comics). A young boy who can transform into a grown adult with superpowers? It's basic childhood wish fulfillment. It's been a long time since the character's last live action depiction, but here we are with a feature film and set within the larger DC Extended Universe. It can be best described as "Big" meets "Superman" as 14 year old Billy Batson learns the ins and outs of powers bestowed on him by an ancient wizard. If the trailers weren't any indication, the film is laugh out loud funny and is thus far the most fun entry in the DCEU.

Something I really found unique about the film is how it's very down to Earth compared to the other DC films so far. Our hero isn't rich or has their powers written into their DNA; Billy Batson is just a normal kid given great abilities. It's also worth noting that this film is set in a post-"Justice League" world and we get to see how accepted superheroes have become in normal society. We see kids wearing t-shirts and carrying backpacks featuring logos of Batman, Superman, Aquaman, and Wonder Woman, as well as a variety of toys based on Batman and Superman. It's very reminiscent of the post-"Avengers" MCU, and shows the DCEU's come a long way since the shaky trust people had in Superman way back in "Man of Steel". It also sets a standard Billy needs to aspire to in his journey as a hero.

As Billy Batson, Asher Angel does a great job as the troubled teen as we see him long to find his birth mother and slowly becoming close with those in his foster family. As Shazam, Zachary Levi is spectacular. It's absolute fun as we watch him slowly discover his various powers with childlike wonder; you can really believe he's a kid in the body of the adult. There's also good development as we watch him use his powers for fun and mostly being a superhero-in-name-only to becoming what it means to be a true one. The best contrast between the two is in their demeanor. Shazam is basically Billy's escape from the pain he feels inside, with Billy coming off as the more serious character while Shazam allows him to be a big kid with initially no worries.

While each of Billy's foster siblings are unique and entertaining in their own way, none of them steal the show as Jack Dylan Grazer does as Freddy Freeman (though Darla comes in second). In addition to being Billy's roommate, eventual best friend, and confidante, Freddy's superhero fanboy tendencies allow him to be Shazam's superhero coach. The excitement he shows in conjunction with Zachary Levi's as Shazam just adds to the hilarity of their scenes together. I think a lot of fans can relate to Freddy's encyclopedic-like knowledge from trying to instill superhero values into Billy and how to handle supervillains.

Speaking of villains, Mark Strong, who has previously portrayed evil characters in "Kick-Ass" and "Sherlock Holmes", delivers another great antagonistic role as Dr. Sivana. The flashback scene to his childhood shows a clear motivation, and the film does a good job at making him feel as if he's the hero of the story. His allies in the Seven Deadly Sins are also pretty monstrous looking, if not somewhat generically demonic.

This brings me to a parallel I saw between Billy, Freddy, and Sivana: they each want to feel like they matter with a sense of belonging. Billy seeks to find his birth mother, believing he matters to her as much as she does to him, closing himself off from anyone else who may actually care about him. Freddy has a hard time at school as no one seems to be able to look past the crutch he walks with to want to be his friend; wanting to be a part of Billy's journey as Shazam is both Freddy wanting to form a friendship and live out his own dreams vicariously through Billy. Sivana's family treated him poorly and he was denied the powers of Shazam when he failed the wizard's test, which lead to his alliance with the Sins, who are essentially using him for their own means. Between these three, I think the clear message of the movie is that family is important as long as it's the right one.

If there's one problem I do have with the movie, it's that certain characters who are technically meant to be abusive or bullies, but lack real depth. Sivana's father and brother are cruel to him as a child and continue to belittle him as an adult; it's no wonder why he turned out evil, but amazing he survived childhood. There are also these bully brothers who consistently pick on Freddy, with their first appearance in the film them grazing Freddy with their truck and start beating him when they notice his crutch scratched it. To reiterate, they are assaulting a kid who walks with a crutch; that's one dimensional "bully in a Stephen King story" levels of dickishness. And unlike Sivana's family, they never get any real comeuppance by the end.

There's definitely some set-up for a sequel, with an appearance from a villain I won't spoil here. If I have any hopes for future Shazam movies, it's that we finally see Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as Black Adam. Not only is Black Adam hinted at in this film, but Rock was cast in the role ELEVEN YEARS AGO; I think it's time for some payoff. Apparently they're wanting to debut Black Adam in his own movie, but I think it'd be much better to have him face Shazam and then do his own movie if it's warranted. Besides that, if we ever get another Justice League movie, it'd be pretty cool to see Shazam alongside heroes like Wonder Woman and Aquaman; it would definitely add a new dynamic to the group.

Overall, the best word to use to describe "Shazam" is just "fun", giving DC back-to-back movie victories. Its simple nature is a nice change of pace compared to the large epic scopes of other recent superhero films. With lots of comedy and action with a pinch of emotional drama, "Shazam" has something for everyone to enjoy and can most assuredly bring out the kid inside.

My DC Extended Universe Film Rankings:

1. Aquaman

2. Wonder Woman

3. Shazam

4. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

5. Man of Steel

6. Justice League

7. Suicide Squad