With F9 soon approaching, I’ve decided to do the only logical thing. Going through life a quarter-mile at a time and watching the entire series from start to finish, something I haven’t done in a long time. Sit back, grab a Corona and enjoy the show.
The Fast & The Furious. Release Date. June 22nd, 2001. Director. Rob Cohen. Box-Office. 207.3 Million. Rotten Tomatoes. 56%
Los Angeles police officer Brian O’Conner must decide where his loyalty really lies when he becomes enamored with the street racing world he has been sent undercover to destroy.
Simpler times, remember when this was just a semi rip-off of Point Break. Corona beers, an undercover cop, and a badass yet likable villain. Honestly, I can’t even say Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) is a villain, he’s just misunderstood? Brian (Paul Walker) even falling for Mia (Jordana Brewster) is classic Point Break material. Going back and watching this, it’s like looking at a basic Pokemon. It hasn’t evolved yet into something so grand and epic in scale. Remember this movie revolves around street racing and stolen DVD players. Reading and writing that sentence sounds preposterous when you think about it. One DVD player (LOL) and I truly believe the whole street racing angle of this franchise was the lamest thing about it. This screams the early 2000’s, the soundtrack, the fashion, the technology (I’m not joking, there’s a floppy disc at one point), the god-awful-looking cars, and the fact that Brian and Dom actually ride in a taxi.
The cast is so young and good-looking, something that is still a reoccurring theme of these movies. Leti (Michelle Rodriguez) has come a long way from her being kind of a throwaway character. They even have a hilarious Ja Rule cameo and I could be wrong but he might have the only F-Bomb of the entire franchise (I’ll report back on this later) I’m back and Brian actually drops an F-Bomb in Fast 4!. He’s probably so pissed off that he didn’t become a larger part of this universe with the success of both Tyrese and Ludacris in future movies.
The building blocks of this whole franchise are right here in the first one. It’s remarkable, that 20 years and 8 films later those themes are still present. I’m talking about BBQs and the concept of nothing is bigger than family. Slinging back Corona’s and enjoying the little things in life, are concepts that are deep-rooted in this franchise. Even Dom sounds like normal in this. For some reason as these movies have gone on, his voice becomes more horse and unrecognizable to a certain degree.
Some things work so well from the very get-go. The perfect casing of Walker and Diesel. The immaculate chemistry between Walker and Brewster is something that is a real driving force in the movie. It hits hard when it wants to, it becomes emotional in key moments, it’s just not a movie at this point but a movement The thrilling highway sequence that is actually pulled off really well, is child’s play compared to the future, but nonetheless, the over-the-top dynamics are a part of this franchise from day one.
A tiny seed was planted in 2001 and has grown into a beanstalk. A beanstalk that is going to the moon. I can’t believe what this franchise has turned into.
Rest easy to Jesse, the first heartbreaking death of the franchise.
Final thought. Did Fast & Furious create the post-credit stinger?
75/100
2 Fast 2 Furious. Release Date. June 6th, 2003. Director. John Singleton. Box-Office. 236.3 Million. Rotten Tomatoes. 36%
Former cop Brian O’Conner is called upon to bust a dangerous criminal and he recruits the help of a former childhood friend and street racer who has a chance to redeem himself.
First things first. Amazing title. Like as sequels go, it’s one of the best ever. As for the movie? Perhaps the worst of the bunch. The only movie in the entire franchise that does not involve Vin Diesel and is iconic Dominic Toretto and that is felt without a doubt on this rewatch. This whole franchise is built upon the shoulders of Diesel and when you think back on it, maybe it was the best thing for the franchise that he stepped away for a movie. After the success of the first, Diesel felt that it was a “classic” he didn’t want to ruin the legacy of that movie and what he felt he stood for by what he called “sequelizing” the entire thing. So he decided to part ways and it wasn’t until his cameo at the end of Toyko Drift and becoming a producer on the 4th film did this franchise really understand how important he was.
Now, as for this movie, well, you take out the heart of something, it will usually die. John Singleton steps into the director’s chair and he put his little spin on the franchise, but ultimately the movie is doing doughnuts. Tej (Ludacris) and Roman (Tyrese) join the party, who become part of the fast team and really the comedic duo of the franchise going forward. But with this installment, they kind of feel like replacements. With Vin Diesel sitting this one out, this movie almost felt like a soft reboot, a spin-off almost. New city, this taking place in Miami instead of LA, and these guys felt like the new crew. Obviously, at this time they didn’t know what the Fast franchise was going to be, so it’s not their fault, but when you go back and rewatch it, that’s exactly how it appears.
It’s great seeing the team being built from the early days. Very Oceans 11 inspired, each one bringing their own skills and flair to the team. Friends become enemies and enemies become friends. Not only do our characters and their skills evolve but the movies they’re in. Dom and Brian only work with the very best. James Remar even shows up and does his best asshole cop routine.
One thing that this movie does nail in my mind is the villain. One thing you can always count on with these movies – a great bad guy. They rarely miss when it comes to the people wanting to kill our friends and Cole Hauser is no exception. He brings the necessary cheese, but also the badassness. Without Mia, Brian needs someone to latch onto, he’s a pretty boy after all. So in comes Eva Mendes as another undercover cop Monica, and let’s be real, she could never replace Mia Toretto.
This just feels so disconnected from where the franchise went afterward and you can’t help but think this is the weakest of the Fast franchise.
58/100
The Fast & The Furious: Tokyo Drift. Release Date. June 16th, 2006. Director. Justin Lin. Box-Office. 159 Million. Rotten Tomatoes. 37%
A teenager becomes a major competitor in the world of drift racing after moving in with his father in Tokyo to avoid a jail sentence in America.
The official start of the Fast Universe? Looking back it sure seems like it. Also when you look back you realize that this might have been the 3rd movie released but when you line all the movies up this takes place after the events of Fast 4, 5, and 6. Crazy right? Maybe a little loophole to bring our dear friend Han back from the dead, but also a way to make this movie, that felt like potentially the end of the franchise way more relevant. That being said, Han had already been through so much, I can’t believe we are to believe that he would give a rats ass about this high school drama. When you think about it, it’s a great idea but in the end, it doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense.
This movie is probably the most immature of the bunch, seeing how this is about a bunch of high school kids, then you realize, why is Han hanging out with a bunch of high school kids? Brad Taylor from Home Improvement shows up at the beginning and he’s pushing 30 in this movie and it shows. Our new guy Sean (Lucas Black) is again a worthy addition to the crew, as we know he will pop up in later installments. He’s got heart, he can drive and he really doesn’t back down from anyone. He’s kind of like the white trash version of Brian. We even get Bow Wow in this thing, and I’m not going to lie, he does a pretty good job here. It appears that Twinkie is actually making a comeback in F9 which should please everyone.
The movie is fine, the premise is wild, but again we are talking about the Fast & Furious here. Drifting became a part of driving lingo forever and considering the first three movies are about street racing, this has by far the coolest driving sequences. They feel way less cartoonish than in the first two and it was refreshing to see. Justin Lin steps in as director and you can thank him for that.
Tokyo Drift actually holds up after all this time and again we have a worthy villain in DK (Brian Tee). We get the most forced love story in any movie between Sean and Neela (Nathalie Kelley) and again it’s just not needed in these movies.
Can’t wait for the return on Han.
66/100
Fast & Furious. Release Date. April 3rd, 2009. Director. Justin Lin. Box-Office. 363.2 Million. Rotten Tomatoes. 28%
Brian O’Conner, back working for the FBI in Los Angeles, teams up with Dominic Toretto to bring down a heroin importer by infiltrating his operation.
You know what this movie feels like? Like the boys finally graduated high school and left the house for college. The very opening scene of this movie lets you know that things are about to be different. This ain’t about stealing DVD Players no more. The whole mood is different, and things have matured. This is without a doubt at this point the best-looking movie of the franchise. It’s well made and the cinematography is terrific. I wasn’t a big fan of this franchise before Fast Five, I can honestly say I hadn’t really seen any of these movies except for Tokyo Drift. But this certainly feels like the start of the new era of Fast movies. I was kind of in disbelief during the opening sequence.
Just remember, it’s ride or die!
Fans must have been so confused seeing Han pop up. But it’s quickly revealed this is taking place before the events in Hong Kong. They don’t wait long to drop an atomic bomb on you. Letty is murdered. That’s right, Dom’s woman is killed, and he ain’t too happy about it. You get the sense that after almost a two-movie hiatus, Vin Diesel is back and these movies are going to be about him. He became a producer and things revolving around the movies are very Dom centric going forward. We all know that in this universe, no one is really dead…….
On the other side of this bromance, we get our first look at Brian who is now an FBI Agent (said in a Johnny Utah accent). He’s working Shea Whigham! That’s all I will say, come on now, he’s so underused here it’s infuriating. The bromance hasn’t truly bloomed yet between Dom and Brian, in fact, it’s still Brian vs Dom. They haven’t become brothers just yet, it takes this movie and them finally putting aside their differences to come together.
They can’t do it alone, so with Dom, we get the return of Mia. Low key the most underrated character in this universe. She and Brian just work so well, and it’s great to see the band coming back together. Enter Gisele. Played by the incredible Gal Gadot. My god, what a different time this was. Gal Gadot before she became a titan. This is her coming-out party for the world and it’s crazy to think how big of a star she has become. They need to bring her back because again, no one ever really dies and makes her the villain for F10. It would be absolutely bonkers. As for this movie, she’s actually pretty great. She’s a worthy addition to the family and she adds that strong female presence this franchise needs. My guess is they brought her in to replace Letty, but Michelle Rodriguez wanted back in, so the more the merrier. Even Leo (Tego Calderon) and Santos (Don Omar) make their first appearance in the franchise, a brief introduction in the beginning, but they are part of the Fast family for life.
We get John Ortiz and Laz Alonzo as our villains and again, not too shabby. Especially Laz Alonzo has the man responsible for the man who “kills” Letty. He also has the best death scene so far in the franchise, with Dom crushing his lower half with a car, immediately followed by Dom calling him a pussy.
Without a doubt the best so far, and you can even tell by the box-office numbers. Things were on the up and up, and then they decided, let’s go all-in and bring in the Mother Fucking Rock.
79/100
Fast Five. Release Date. April 29th, 2011. Director. Justin Lin. Box-Office. 626.1 Million. Rotten Tomatoes. 77%
Dominic Toretto and his crew of street racers plan a massive heist to buy their freedom while in the sights of a powerful Brazilian drug lord and a dangerous federal agent.
They brought in the big dog for this one. In the immortal words of Martin Lawrence in Bad Boys, “Shit just got real.” Brian has decided its brotherhood over the badge. He’s no longer a cop and is on the run just like Dom and Mia. I would say they finally put their big boy pants on for this one and Fast Five really solidified this franchise into the zeitgeist for the rest of humanity. This movie knocks you on your ass on several occasions and was the real turning point for the franchise.
There’s only one person that can bring these two men to justice, and that man is Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson). Like this man needs an introduction. Hired to bring Brian and Toretto in, he’s oiled up and ready to kick some ass. It’s no coincidence that this is the most violent movie so far. Hobbs is snapping necks and cashing checks. A very high body count and people are just getting mowed down. The first staredown between Dom and Hobbs is glorious, it’s building to the inevitable, the ultimate throw-down. All good things come to those who wait. And wait we shall. He also drops the 3rd F-bomb of the series! Seriously though, adding Dwayne Johnson to this franchise is probably the best casting and addition to an already standing franchise I can ever remember.
Vince! Our boy Vince returns and you know that time is just a flat circle. With Vince we get the just incredible car jacking train sequence, that really let us know, these people are now full-blown superheroes. Again, this is the movie where the TEAM is finally built. Their own Oceans 11 impression and everything just falls into place so perfectly. We get the Chameleon (Han), the fast talker (Roman), the person good with circuits (Tej), the guys who will punch through the walls (Leo & Santos), and the utilities and weapons specialist (Gisele). We have our team, obviously, Mia, Dom, and Brian round it out. This is where this franchise really starts to break out and grow and truly shine. This cast and these people are having so much fun and it shows on screen. It’s terrific chemistry between everyone and tossing Dwayne in the mix makes it a tasty recipe. I’ll just say this about the team, Han and Gisele forever! We need them back together, again we need Gal Gadot back, make it happen.
Tensions build, Dom becomes involved with another lady, Elena (Elsa Pataky) and all roads lead to the ultimate showdown. Now, we all knew that this fight between Vin Diesel and Dwanye Johnson was going to go down. We also all knew that neither man likes to lose. In fact, they even have crazy things in their contracts for such movies about getting hit a certain amount of times and all that nonsense. The fight hits hard and it’s entertaining as hell. I think in the end, it goes to Dom, which makes sense, these are his movies.
We all know what happens next. A little friendship starts to blossom between Hobbs and the gang, we sadly lose Vince. Rest easy big fella and the great 3rd act that involves them driving a god damn safe through the streets of Rio. I still can’t believe how well this holds up after all this time. I think this set piece is the crowning jewel of the franchise and you know they had to take a page out of the Oceans 11 playbook with the old – fake safe trick.
Dom’s Dad LOVED BBQs just as much as anyone. We have that man to thank for all the family scenes and where Dom gets his foundational love for all things family and BBQ. Thank you, Mr. Toretto.
What a movie!
96/100
Fast & Furious 6. Release Date. May 24th, 2013. Director. Justin Lin. Box-Office. 788.8 Million. Rotten Tomatoes. 70%
Hobbs has Dominic and Brian reassemble their crew to take down a team of mercenaries: Dominic unexpectedly gets sidetracked with facing his presumed deceased girlfriend, Letty.
We get the first Fast baby! Little baby Jack enters our lives and our friends are growing up right before our eyes. He isn’t the only person coming into our lives. Dom, fresh off his retirement, is happy with Elenna living their best life when Hobbs shows up to drop a NUKE on him…..
That’s right, Letty is alive and well, and she’s running with a new crew. The hunt for Letty is on and the ultimate tag-team of Brian and Dom is once again back in action. This time the shoe is on the other foot and it’s Hobbs who needs help. He wants Dom to resemble his team and bring down Owen Shaw (Luke Evans). One of the best parts of this movie is Shaw and his team, like Roman points out, they are almost the evil doppelgangers of our heroes. Roman also drops the 4th F-Bomb of the franchise! They go all out for the villains in this, I love the mirror images of Shaw’s team, especially the brick shit-house Firuz (Thure Lindhardt). He actually manages to do something spectacular, which makes Dwanye Jonhson look small.
This is the movie that you really felt other actors truly wanted to be a part of it. We get new and old faces back in the mix, for me, most notably, Gina Carano (Riley Hicks). She plays Hobb’s sidekick, until a great heel turn in the final act which I didn’t see coming at all the first time I watched. I mention her, because sorry Fenix, she takes the crown for the most epic death yet in the series. Getting shot with a harpoon gun all while being tossed from a moving plane (Wrong team bitch). Owen Shaw can roster his own amazing team and his introduction, driving a Formula 1 car through the streets of London is as badass as it gets. He’s a formidable foe for our team and the best villain yet. He doesn’t mess around and doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty himself.
One thing this movie did a great job with, the fights. They up the ante with really great hand-to-hand combat. Something severely lacking in the franchise prior to this movie. Everyone is throwing it down at some point, and it just works so well. For me, the middle of this movie is just a ton of fluff, but it all leads to a pretty remarkable last hour. It starts with the tank highway chase scene, which sets up one of the most amazing moments in the series history. Dom flying through the air and catching Letty before landing himself on the windshield of a car. That’s right, there’s a goddamn tank in this movie.
I love that no matter how big or how small your role is in one of these movies it matters. You’re a piece of a puzzle and you need all pieces to complete it. Callbacks to previous movies are always a theme in the Fast franchise and that’s what makes it so special. It means they care.
All roads in this movie lead to the never-ending airstrip sequence. But we don’t care about things like that when it comes to these movies. Everyone is doing their part and everyone is throwing down. Dom’s the fucking Terminator in this scene, from his epic headbutt to him walking away from his horrific car wreck, Dom truly is a superhero here. We also have to say goodbye to Gisele, with her tragic passing, as she sacrifices herself to save Han. Again, we do not see her or her body, and no one is truly dead, we have to bring her back. It’s by far the most emotional death of the team so far and it sucks they decided to kill her off.
Can’t have a Fast movie without a street race and a good old fashion family BBQ. Family, BBQ’s and ride or die, are the staples of this.
Setting up the ultimate stinger, where we finally see the other side of Han’s death and none of than Jason Statham walks out of the car, setting up F7……..and we all know what happens next.
83/100
Furious 7. Release Date. April 3rd, 2015. Director. James Wan. Box-Office. 1.516 Billion. Rotten Tomatoes. 82%
Deckard Shaw seeks revenge against Dominic Toretto and his family for his comatose brother.
Good guy or bad guy, never mess with another man’s family. The movie opens up with our new beloved brothers, Owen, and Deckard Shaw. Owen is somehow alive and well, after his tumble out of an airplane and big brother is by his side declaring war on whoever did this. The biggest foe our team has ever faced, Jason Statham enters the chat and my god is he unbelievable in this! He gets just a rip-roaring introduction, after an onslaught in a hospital.
This movie comes with a very heavy heart, Paul’s farewell. It was emotional at the time and still is on a rewatch. He has a lot to do in this movie, showcasing all of his skills and this movie just feels like the perfect sendoff. From kicking Tony Jaa’s ass to his crowning moment in the series, his amazing, slow-motion run up the bus while it’s falling down the cliff. The team is doing well, but Letty needs some time to herself to find herself, leaving Dom heartbroken, and without any women in his life.
The movie doesn’t take long for us to realize the stakes are at an all-time high. Deckard goes to get the information he needs and comes face-to-face with Hobbs. Now when Dwayne has a busy schedule it’s obvious because he kind of takes a major back seat in this one. But nonetheless, it didn’t take long at all, well, one scene really, for fans to witness the amazing chemistry between Johnson and Statham. They have a kick-ass fight scene, where we see Round 1 go to Shaw (He fights dirty). Shaw gets what he needs and it leads him to Tokyo, and we all know how that ends……….
Shaw “kills” Han and almost blows up the entire Toretto family and now Dom means serious business. The Shaw brothers do not mess around, and when Dom and Deckard finally meet, Deckard lets Dom know that he isn’t playing any games here. Again, Dom has gone from DVD stealer to now need the government’s help. Kurt Russell ladies and gentleman, that’s right, this legend is in a Fast movie. Wild times. Acting as Mr. Nobody, he needs the help of Dom and his team to acquire something known as “God’s Eye.”
He brings the team together once again, and it’s obvious that they are a little short-handed, so Roman is trying his best to carry the load of comedic genius and plan maker. I think this is Tyrese’s best performance out of any of the films, he’s almost the best part of the entire movie. He decides that falling out of a fucking airplane in a car, strapped with a parachute is a good idea. This leads us into our flying parachute mountain car sequence, and that is a mouthful to say. We see the team recuse Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel), and she instantly feels like part of the family.
When you watch these movies you almost feel like you’re on vacation. Great cars, beautiful women, amazing music, and exotic locations around the globe. We head to Dubai where our team needs to recover the God’s Eye and we get the bat shit crazy skyscraper scene. It’s moments like these, why I love this franchise so much. It’s always something new and fresh and just when you think they have gone off the deep end, you end up watching Dom and Brian drive a car through three different skyscrapers and things just don’t make sense anymore. They legit fly and somehow manage to not kill anyone and not kill themselves and it’s without question one of the most iconic most in the entire franchise. Meanwhile, Letty is throwing down with Ronda Rousey and she may be a terrible actor, but this fight goes hard!
Dom and Deckard play a few games of cat and mouse, we see Kurt Russell being an absolute badass. We finally head back to the streets of LA. Where chaos ensues, we get Hobbs FLEXING his way out of an arm cast and carry a mini-gun through the streets. Dom literally shows us once again that he is a Terminator when he Hulk smashes the pavement with his foot causing it to break and we watch as Deckard falls to his untimely capture.
James Wan really brings it with this one and it’s no wonder why it made 1.5 BILLION fucking dollars. This movie goes so hard and it’s just so much fun. It even leaves you at the end wiping away those tears. We watched Paul Walker literally grow up before our eyes with these movies and they do a beautiful job honoring him at the end.
84/100
The Fate of The Furious. Release Date. April 14th, 2017. Director. F. Gary. Gray. Box-Office. 1.236 Billion.
When a mysterious woman seduces Dominic Toretto into the world of terrorism and a betrayal of those closest to him, the crew face trials that will test them as never before.
Don’t mess with a man on his Honeymoon. Dom and Letty are trying to peacefully enjoy their time alone, Dom is even street racing. In a sequence that involves him driving a flaming car, that’s right, Dom has once again upped his game and is driving a car that is literally engulfed in flames. Happiness doesn’t last forever has Dom soon realizes that the world that he once knew is about to be shattered and changed forever when Cipher (Charlize Theron) enters the chat.
Again, the Fast franchise is like, you thought Deckard Shaw was a great villain, well, get a load of Cipher. Charlize won an Oscar, but she doesn’t care, she’s having so much fun here and she’s quite terrific. She does the one thing the world isn’t ready for, turn Dominic Toretto rogue. Dom vs. The Team, something I didn’t think I wanted, but something we desperately needed.
Hobbs is back! This time we get more of his Dad side as he is the ultimate Soccer coach, it’s great having him full-time unlike the last movie. This is where we all realized he and Shaw needed their own spin-off. From the amazing prison fight scene, to their terrific chemistry, every time they are together on screen. These two just elevate the franchise so much and Deckard becoming a good guy is such a great move for the franchise. His mom even gets involved and it’s the LEGEND Helen Mirren. I love it, everyone loves it, Helen herself loves being present. She even drops an F-Bomb and the term “Devil’s Butthole.”
Dom turns his back on one family to save another. Dom is a Dad! Elena has his kid, but Cipher has them both. We get the soul-sucking Elena’s death which is going to haunt Dom forever, but we get his son Brian and that is something. The airplane sequence that involves the Shaw brothers rescuing the baby is one of the most fun scenes in the entire franchise.
The New York chase scene is one of the most insane things I’ve ever seen. Dom somehow getting away when the rest of the team shoots harpoons into his car is to this day perhaps the craziest thing I’ve seen in any of these movies. It’s short-lived when the team forms a car circle around Dom at the end of the movie to protect him from a giant explosion. But, it’s these kinds of things that keep our fans coming back. We get cars driving on ice our running an iceberg, with Hobbs stopping a torpedo with his arms and passing it along the ice like a goddamn hockey puck. These are things we need in our lives and this franchise is the only one willing to give it to us.
It should be illegal to end a Fast movie without a family BBQ. In fact, all movies should end this way, it just feels so right.
80/100
The latest entry was epic and I can’t wait for F9. I’m not doing Hobbs and Shaw because it just doesn’t fit the mold and isn’t fair to the rest of the family. In no time we will all be gathering around like family and watching F9 and it will probably be the highlight of the summer.
Remember. Nothing comes between family, ride or die, and always live your life a quarter-mile at a time.
Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot reunite for a worthy sequel to 2017’s Wonder Woman. Leaning on the 80’s nostalgia and cheese, Diana Prince finds herself confronting her biggest threat to date.
Rewind to the 1980s as Wonder Woman’s next big screen adventure finds her facing two all-new foes: Max Lord and The Cheetah.
What is your deepest desire? The one thing that if you had in your life, that would make you the happiest? Would you sacrifice a part of yourself in order to obtain this? This is what’s at the centre of WW84. Love was a large theme during Wonder Woman and this time around it’s truth. Being true not only to yourself, but the other people in your life. The most powerful weapon a person can possess, isn’t something you can wish for or something you have to obtain, it’s something you already have but just never truly realized it until now.
Times sure have changed, we aren’t in the nitty gritty of war anymore, and we have moved on to the craziness of the 80’s. Diana has been living on Earth for a long time now and she feels alone and isolated. The truth is, she hasn’t fully recovered from losing Steve Trevor and now she’s afraid to get close to anyone. Not letting anyone new into her life means she can’t possibly feel the pain of losing someone again. It isn’t until she stumbles upon a mysterious artifact and a new friend Barbara Minerva (Kristin Wiig), that she embraces her one wish, to bring back her one true love. Little does she know that when you get the one thing you want most in this world, it will come with a consequence. Enter Max Lord (Pedro Pascal), a down on his luck TV sales man who sees the promise with the “Dreamstone” and wants it all to himself. In fact, he wants to embody the stone itself, and start fulfilling wishes. He’s a con-man and starts wrecking havoc across the world, because he is hungry for power, but he also desires attention.
WW84 is very different from its previous outing. The tone has shifted just as much as the time. I think some people are going to be thrown off by the amount of campiness and cheese that is thrown into the mix and the over-the-top characters but even with all of that going on, it still has its core values at heart. Hope, truth, love and kindness lead this movie forward and once again, the chemistry between Diana and Steve Trevor propel this forward.
As much as Wiig and Pascal were refreshing with their villain takes, Wiig could also be completely removed from this movie and you wouldn’t even notice. She doesn’t really serve any real purpose in the plot and that was a let down because of how important the character of Cheetah is in the Wonder Woman mythos. She’s kind of just always in the background and I found it incredibly weird that she first wishes to be “just like Diana” and when Max Lord asks her if she wants “more” she becomes a cat. It didn’t really sit well but that was how she needed to become ultimately Cheetah. The action set pieces aren’t nearly as rewarding or fun to watch as Wonder Woman, but the movie does a great job at showcasing all the things Diana can do. Gal Gadot loves this character so much, she embodies everything that makes this hero, super. The 3rd act is when this movie really gets to shine and spread its wings. By far the strongest aspect of the film and really makes up for a weak first 2/3s.
Patty Jenkins wants to embrace what makes Wonder Woman special. Just something doesn’t fit at the end of the day. It could be the watered down action, but that’s not what this movie is about. They dive into what it means to be a true hero, which is letting go of things that hold you back and learning to live with your weaknesses. Using them as strengths and learning that the truth will indeed, set you free. Certain demographics are going to love it and others will not. Theres a fine line drawn in the sand, and we will be getting another dose of Wonder Woman in March with Zack Snyder’s Justice League. So everyone should be happy.
I just wish they used Cheetah more and developed that relationship a little bit more because Wiig actually surprised me with her portrayal and I know she can do so much more. I’m certain she will return in future movies and maybe even pop up in other DC flicks. But what saves this movie is Pine and Gadot working together. It’s emotional to see Steve Trevor return and they have honest to god top-notch chemistry. Which was never in doubt and I’m glad they were able to bring his character back without making things to difficult when explaining it to the audience.
At the end of the day, WW84 is a fun movie, with some entertaining moments, but it’s the performances that carry the film. From top to bottom, everyone brings it, and Maxwell Lord is one of the more intriguing DC villains we have seen so far. It’s full of hope and laughter and will make you smile and at the end of the day, sometimes that’s all that matters. There’s no propaganda or any nonsense like that going on, no political message, it’s just a movie that wants everyone to look deep within themselves and realize they are perfect just the way they are.
It’s a big day for movies. DC FanDome has kicked off and it started with a bang. The newest trailer for Wonder Woman 1984 is out and we finally got our first look at Kristen Wiig’s Cheetah!
What a start to a terrific day! It’s been a while since we have gotten any sort of DC movie news. But this past week has been chock-full of goodies. Yes, Wonder Woman was already supposed to come out, but things change so instead we get this brand new trailer and everything seems right in the world!
We pick up in 1984, and the world is drastically different from the last time we saw Diana Prince. It’s the 80’s and everything is much more colorful, but that doesn’t mean that all the bad is gone in the world. This time around she will be taking down both Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal) and none other than her arch-nemesis The Cheetah (Kristen Wiig). I was excited about this trailer, mainly due to the fact that I knew we would be getting our first look at Cheetah in all of her glory and she didn’t disappoint. They are going toe-to-toe at the end of the trailer and it looks great! Chris Pine is back as the love interest Steve Trevor and he appears very confused and excited about the 80’s lifestyle. He’s brought back into her life under some weird circumstances and I’m sure that will come to a not so happy ending, but only time will tell. It’s bright, it’s funny and everyone seems like they are having fun. Wonder Woman is the heart and the soul of the Justice League and Gal does such a great job encompassing both of those traits.
Director Patty Jenkins is still unsure when we will see this enter theatres with everything going on with Covid-19, but expect news soon and in the meantime enjoy the trailer below!
You know a trailer is pretty dope, when you have to watch it on your phone a few times and it still tickles your fancy. Been waiting a long time for the newest JusticeLeague trailer to drop, and it didn’t disappoint. Pretty much perfect if you ask me. a
First things first, the past few days, it’s been rumored that my boy the Batfleck is leaving the cape and cowl. He’s got some serious personal problems, so at the end of the day, it’s just a movie and fans should understand if he wanted to step away. But today at San Diego Comic-Con, he nipped those claims in the butt himself and promised fans that he isn’t going anyway. That’s a huge sigh of relief for me anyways. He’s the best part of the DCEU, and it really needs him to stick around.
Back to the trailer, everything about it was really well done. I’m glad they didn’t show too much or ruin any big surprises. Still no Superman, and they haven’t really shown off the villain Steppenwolf either. The less we know going into this movie the better. The Flash is hilarious, the little gag at the end of the trailer about everyone just vanishing was fantastic and it’s so true. He’s got a great sense of comedic timing and will give the DCEU a much-needed comedic boost. Aquaman continues to be a rock-star, he actually came on stage today at SDCC playing his trident like a guitar, so Jason Mamoa remains to be a beauty. Like he surfed on a Parademon, what more do you want from the man. Even Cyborg looked way better than he did in the first trailer. So hopefully that will shut some people up that were complaining about the CGI months ago.
Happy we got to see Alfred in this. He seems to be playing a vital role in the movie and well I’m going to come out and say this, he’s the best Alfred we’ve ever had. He didn’t nearly have enough screen time in BvS. His Penguin reference was also interesting, that’s two Batman villains the DCEU has teased now, with The Riddler and now The Penguin. Commissioner Gordon appears again, in what seems like his only scene of the movie, but it’s shaping up to be one hell of a scene.
Listen WB has a ton riding on this movie. But it feels and looks so much different than anything that has come before it. I mean that in the best way possible. I think Zack Synder and company really listened to fans and changed up not only the tone of the movie but added in some colour as well. I’m sure we will get one last trailer in the upcoming months, but I’m sold on this movie and I’m sure everyone else is too. Let’s just hope Ben Affleck isn’t pulling a fast one on us because I need the Batfleck in my life.
No surprise here, women can make incredible movies and it needs to happen more often. Wonder Woman is simply delightful.
(WARNER BROS.)
Well it only took 75 years, but the world finally got a Wonder Woman movie and boy it didn’t disappoint. Wonder Woman has so many things to be proud of. It’s the first superhero movie with a female lead in almost a decade (but we really shouldn’t count Catwoman), it’s the first ever superhero film directed by a woman (Patty Jenkins) who is a goddamn rock star, and it’s the first movie to gross over 100 million dollars in its first weekend with a female director! It took awhile, longer than it should have and this was a momentous and important weekend for woman and their role in the film industry. Along with the fact, it’s the first funny, and overall one of the best DCEU movie to date, with a staggering 93% on Rotten Tomatoes and universally loved by critics and fans alike – this movie was a grand slam for Warner Bros. The financial and critical success is wonderful, it’s exactly what the DCEU needed, but it shouldn’t over shadow the significant cultural impact this movie will have on the world. Wonder Woman has breathed new life into the superhero genre and certainly into the universe where she comes from. After last years Batman v Superman when the world got introduced to Gal Gadot and her portrayal of Diana Prince, I honestly knew then and there that this was a casting decision made in heaven. I had a blast watching this movie and when I left the theatre I couldn’t stop thinking to myself, “why don’t more women get the opportunity to make great movies.”
First things first, THIS MOVIE IS COLOURFUL PEOPLE! Holy moly, I was blown away by the entire thing, but the DCEU is kind of known to be dark and very “doom and gloom.” This movie had that stuff in it, but so much more, and some of the colors, and visuals throughout WonderWoman are breathtaking. The movie opens up with a young Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) in Themyscira as she watches over the other Amazonian warriors train, and she is mimicking their movements, she is determined to be the greatest warrior ever. When her mother Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen) forbids her from becoming the warrior princess she wants to be so badly, it’s up to her Aunt Antiope the fiercest Amazonian ever (Robin Wright) to secretly train her. Themyscira looks stunning, it has a real Troy vibe to it, dealing with the Greek Mythology background. The set pieces and on set locations are terrific and the first action sequence takes place on a beach and it’s epic. Robin Wright steals the show during this scene, showing an acting side we’ve never seen before. She also has one of the coolest moments on the movie during this scene where she shoots three arrows at once, at three different German soldiers. Before this epic battle, we have our male hero, Colonel Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) crash land in the waters of Themyscira. Now this place was hidden from the outside world, but not anymore, and the Amazonian’s are in fear, that everything they love and protect could be in danger. When Steve Trevor tells them exactly what’s going on in the outside world, that the ‘war, to end all wars” is going on, Diana feels the need to help. I should mention that the reason why they have been hiding all this time is due to the God of War himself, Ares. Now with this war going on, they believe it’s Ares behind it, and he needs to be stopped. I just want to talk about Chris Pine for a second here, and just how good he was in this movie. Without a doubt, this has the best love interest/relationship I think I’ve seen in a superhero movie. The chemistry between Gal and Chris was incredible, and even though this was a war movie, it had a lot of rom-com feels to it, and they played off one another extremely well. There are a few scenes that feel like they are straight out of a rom-com and when I say that, I mean the best of what a rom-com has to offer. The last scene of the movie between these two characters was so well done, and so brilliant and just nothing seemed forced between these two. You know that they will fall in love, but it’s really special how they go about doing it. These movies always have a love interest who is always finding themselves getting into trouble and need to be saved or it’s just cheesy and doesn’t really make sense, but with Chris Pine’s character none of that happens, and he’s a big part of the movie, he’s almost the driving force for the whole thing. So shout out to Chris Pine, who just continues to give really good performances, and I hope he returns to the DCEU.
So when Diana decides she is the only one who can stop Ares, she leaves with Colonel Trevor and heads for jolly old London. This is where the movie really opens up, and we get to see the side of Diana that’s very naive and innocent. One of the things the movie does so well, and Patty Jenkins did such an amazing job, at capturing the spirit and essence of the character. Diana is such a strong, independent and passionate woman, but now that she’s in the real world, she quickly realizes just how little women are appreciated or respected. She just wants to explore the world, and she loves the simplest things. There are a few great moments, one involving a baby and she just falls in love immediately, and another is actually taken from one of the animated movies, where she eats ice cream for the first time and her reaction is priceless. It makes sense, imagine going your whole life without ice cream and just think of what your reaction would be. It was just little things, and little moments like this, that truly made this movie special. Gal Gadot was born to play this role, and I know she might not be the greatest actress working in Hollywood today, but she owned this role, and has come a long way in such a short period of time. Usually when people get casted as a superhero, you spend some of the movie thinking if someone else could do better or someone that is more suited to play the character. That never happened once for me, at times, I felt like Gadot was ripped straight from the pages of a Wonder Woman comic book. Zack Snyder has really casted the DCEU perfectly, when you think about it. She owned this movie, and I really hope that puts all the haters and doubters of Gal to sleep, because she really gave it her all and it showed in her performance.
Once they arrive in London, they meet Sir Patrick Morgan/Ares (Professor Lupin!), and three of Trevor’s running mates, Charlie (Ewen Brenner), Sameer (Said Taghamoui) and Chief (Eugene Brave Rock). We also get to meet Steve’s secretary, Etta Candy (Lucy Davis) who was really funny in her role. From the little screen time she had, she did the best with it. She makes a routine shopping trip, into one of the funniest scenes in the movie. All the side characters work in Wonder Woman, just another reason why this movie worked so well. Honestly they all had something to do, and they are given just enough background and development that you end up caring about them. So when all of them arrive at the front lines of the war, known, as “No Man’s Land” which I thought was clever and smart. Diana wants to stay and help, but Steve insists they keep going, and that no man has ever crossed these lines and made it back alive. She tells him that ‘she’s no man’ and we have the best moment of the movie. When she walks out of the trenches in her Wonder Woman outfit, I had some goose bumps. This is where the colors of her suit shine and it’s just a really beautiful moment. Which leads into one of the best action sequences, it’s Wonder Woman’s warehouse scene (from BvS). Not only that, but from this scene I got a little Saving Private Ryan vibe, and whenever you can compare a movie to that one, well you’re only singing praises at that point. The whole second action sequence is something I will want to watch over and over again, it’s perfectly done, and they really show off just what Diana can do in combat. I loved how the lasso of truth looked, and how she used it throughout the movie.
With every great hero comes a villain, and in Wonder Woman we get a few bad guys. Not the greatest of villains but they were okay. Danny Hutson plays Erich Ludendorff; he’s a German general who does not want to see the war end. I got a Red Skull comparison in mind from Captain America, and he was hopped up on some sort of gas the entire time, but his character felt a little stale to me. His sidekick was actually a side chick, a chemist, Doctor Poison (Elena Anaya) who is creating some horrible toxic gas, which looks to end the war and kill millions of people. I actually really liked this character, I just think they didn’t fully utilize her, and she had some layers to her, and I wish they had explored her just a little bit more. It’s really hard to have a great villain these days, but they all did the trick. Now for Ares. He was okay, but he comes at the end of the movie, and really my only problem with this entire thing was the ending. Wonder Woman was doing such a great job at not being like every other superhero movie, and then it becomes just like every other superhero movie in the end. You know, the big CGI-filled fight scene with the big bad guy at the end. They didn’t need to do that, I understand why they did, but they had something really special going on, and it just takes you out of the movie. I also just found the fight scene to be really dark, and I had a hard time figuring out what exactly was going on. Honestly though, that was really my only nitpick of the entire thing.
A lot of movies in the past few months have been very forgetful, and I don’t really think about them too much a few days after I have seen them. This isn’t the case for Wonder Woman. I’m just amazed how this thing turned out; obviously going into it I had my doubts. The DCEU hasn’t been on the best of tracks lately, and the last movie they released was Suicide Squad, and well I’m just not going to go there. Gal Gadot and Chris Pine did their thing, they were the stars of the movie, but Patty Jenkins needs to get a lot of credit for this. I really hope executives from movie studios take note, and start to let women direct bigger budget movies. I just felt happy the entire time watching it, there are so many laughs and great moments throughout the movie, and I’m just really happy for her, because this is a really big deal, and I hope people can understand that. This isn’t like a top 5-superhero movie, but it’s the second best DCEU movie, but I have a feeling I will end up liking this more than Man of Steel in the long run, but it’s just a really good/well made movie. Wonder Woman is such an incredible character with great morals, and values and I’m glad that we finally got to see all this on the big screen. I don’t know if she becomes the driving force of the DCEU going forward, or can be the Captain America for the Justice League. I know I’m much more excited for the Justice League movie now, I just hope they can continue with this great momentum they have built. All I’m going to say, is this movie is way above average.
Also I’m fan casting Sofia Boutella as Cheetah for Wonder Woman 2.
“Sometimes, old friend, I wonder if I’m really doing any good out there”
(WARNER BROS.)
Let us keep this party going! We’re almost in the top 50 here folks! Hopefully you have enjoyed reading this so far, and are coming back to each part! Here are numbers 62-43!
62 – The Last Laugh. Season 1, Episode 4. Director: Kevin Altieri, Story: Carl Swenson
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It’s April Fools Day in Gotham, and you know what that means. Joker is going to try and kill a bunch of people, by making them laugh to death! Talk about a punch line! It’s got one of the greatest April Fools jokes ever, remember when Alfred “drew Batman a bath” and shows him a picture of a bathtub, classic Alfie! But when poor old Alfie gets infected by this laughing gas, Batman has a little more incentive to stop Joker. It’s weird, but I really dig the background music in this episode, it’s pretty catchy, and overall it’s a great Joker story. It’s got a giant clown robot that Batman fights, and just a boatload of puns, and who doesn’t enjoy a good pun. It’s even got Batman smiling and cracking jokes, and that is a super rare thing to come across. Seriously though, look at Batman in that picture, isn’t it adorable!!! Grade C+
“Oh, that’s a joke, right? Batman finally told a joke!” – The Joker
61 – Lock Up. Season 3, Episode 26. Director: Dan Riba, Story: Paul Dini
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Lyle Bolton is his name, get it BOLT-ON, and his alter ego is Lock Up. Wow, I don’t know if that’s extremely clever or corny. This guy is a grade A psycho, I’ll tell you that much. See Lyle was a prison guard, one of the best, but he wanted more, he wanted the prisoners to fear him, and he felt like they were all the scum of the Earth. When the inmates complained, they get Lyle fired, and boy does he not take that lying down. Some time passes and he is now, Lock Up, and is kidnapping some of Gotham’s finest (Summer Gleeson, Commissioner Gordon, Mayor Hill) and wants to punish them for creating a poor justice system. He’s even got some cool lock gadgets that are pretty handy. I kind of wish this guy was in more episodes, he’s huge and pretty damn smart, but when he gets stopped by Batman in the end, since he’s so psychotic, he can now watch all the criminals inside Arkham. Maybe this guy is just a pure genius who knows! Grade C+
“Just what this town needs, another psycho in a Halloween costume.” – Harvey Bullock
60 – Fire From Olympus. Season 3, Episode 7. Director: Dan Riba, Story: Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens
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Maxie Zeus, just another wack job in Gotham. See he believes he is the reincarnation of Zeus himself, and thinks he can wield thunder bolts. When he wants to steal an experimental weapon from Gotham and use it to destroy the city. I’ll admit, if I did these rankings years ago, this might be a bottom 10 episode, but there’s something about it. It grows on me with each new watch, and I don’t know if its because I’ve come to know the character more, or because I’m realizing it’s actually just a great episode. The ending of this one, when Zeus is being taken through Arkham and he’s comparing all the rogues to well know Greek Mythology characters is actually so brilliant, and it’s just a really cool scene. Grade C+
“To the depths of Tartarus with you!” – Maxie Zeus
59 – Deep Freeze. Season 3, Episode 28. Director: Kevin Altieri, Story: Paul Dini
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Awe, imagine if Walt Disney, had gone batshit crazy and wanted to be immortal. Well I guess, he did freeze himself, and I don’t know if this episode has anything to do with that, but it reminds me of that, so back off! Grant Walker a billionaire with way to much free time on his hands, breaks Mr. Freeze out of Arkham, so he can help him become just like him. Not only that, Walker wants to turn the world into a skating rink, and start the next ice age, man Gotham really has some sick people in it. Maybe I’m to hard on this episode, but anything that’s not Heart of Ice, has a lot to live up too. This episode just doesn’t really do it for me, and to be perfectly honest, I was always so pissed they waited like 60 episodes to bring Mr.Freeze back. So in the end Freeze helps Batman and Robin, so he can help get his wife back. I just wish we would have gotten a few more Mr. Freeze episodes, but there’s just something about this episode that doesn’t feel right to me. Grade C+
“She’ll wake up in a dead frozen world, that you helped destroy. She’ll hate you for that!” Batman
58 – You Scratch My Back. Season 4, Episode 5. Director: Butch Lukic, Story: Hilary J. Bader
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Boy, is there an awful lot of sexual tension in this episode. Hilary wasn’t holding back on this one. Nightwing wants to get out of Batman’s shadow, so he decides to take down a smuggling ring all by himself. Or so he thought, because Catwoman joins in on the fun, and wants to help the boy wonder. She also seems to want to make Batman jealous by having a somewhat of a sensual relationship with Dick (see what I did there). Meanwhile Batgirl and Nightwing got their own thing going on, and it’s just a cluster of emotions going on. Being the double crosser Catwoman is, she is just using Nightwing, to get to some rare antique. He ends up double crossing her, by secretly working with Batman the whole time, he even pulled one over on me the first time I watched it. Pretty mature episode for being a kids cartoon, so I’ll give it props for that. It’s also just an enjoyable episode! Grade C+
“The only cucumbers in there are .38 caliber” Nightwing
57 – The Cat & The Claw. Season 1, Episode 15/16 Director: Kevin Altieri, Dick Sebast, Story: Sean Catherine Derek
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We made it, to the first two-part episode! It happens to be Catwoman’s origin, and it happens to feature Red Claw (BOOOOO). If I’m not mistaken these were the first two episodes ever aired, but I go by the box sets, but that’s a fun little fact! So Batman is dealing with this new cat burglar in town. And it just so happens Bruce Wayne has been swept off his feet by the new gal in town, Selina Kyle. Coincidence, I think not! So Selina is pretty pissed because this mountain lion exhibit is being destroyed, by The Red Claw, so both Catwoman and Selina are doing everything they can to stop it from happening. Bruce Wayne is falling for Selina, and Catwoman is falling for Batman, it really is quite the conundrum. When things start to go wrong for Selina, Bruce is there to help, and Batman is also trying to protect Catwoman. When Red Claw steals a deadly plaque on a military train, it’s up to Batman and Catwoman to stop her. Once Batman finds out who Catwoman really is, he has a hard time controlling his emotions and knowing what the right thing to do is. The Catwoman origin stuff, and her arc with Batman in these two episodes are so fantastic, but they get penalized because of the Red Claw. She’s such a horrible villain, and she just was such a buzz kill for these two episodes. The dynamic between Batman and Catwoman is compelling to say the least, and they arguably have the most intriguing relationship in the show, it’s just to bad they couldn’t of had a better baddie to go up against in their first episodes together. Grade B-
“I’m an equal opportunity crime fighter!” Batman
56 – Christmas With The Joker. Season 1, Episode 2. Director: Kent Butterworth, Story: Eddie Gorodetsky
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One of my all time favourite traditions. Watch this episode on Christmas Eve! This episode gives us a lot of good moments, I feel like I’m screwing up majorly by putting it this low on my list. We get the Joker rendition of ‘Jingle Bells’, which is an all time classic. Him riding through the roof of Arkham on top of that christmas tree is something special. But overall it’s just not the best of episodes. So it’s Christmas Eve, and Batman is not satisfied with his nightly patrol with Robin. When Robin finally convinces him to head home and put on “It’s A Wonderful Life,” Joker interrupts the broadcast, to declare madness on Gotham! He has capture some people, and it’s up to the dynamic duo to stop him. I feel like if it were December this would be higher on my list, I don’t know what it is, I think I’ll regret putting this episode here. Grade C+
“They don’t call ya Batman for nothing!” Robin
55 – Zatanna. Season 2, Episode 26. Director: Dick Sebast, Story: Paul Dini
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Talk about a little sex pot. Zatanna and Batman have all sorts of tension and chemistry between them. When Bruce Wayne visits with Zatanna’s father to learn the ways of illusion and to become a great escape artist, he meets his daughter Zatanna. When he learns all that he can, he leaves and never sees Zatanna again. Until she comes to Gotham, as she grew up to become a great magician. When the final act goes horribly wrong, and she is framed for stealing a lot of money, Batman will stop at nothing to prove her innocence. It doesn’t take her long to figure out that Batman is “John Smith” the man from her past, when he uses an old nickname. They work together to bring down an evil illusionist Montague Kane. I like Zatanna, she’s a great character and I thought she was well portrayed in this episode. I just wanted a little more from the episode. She’s another character they bring into the show and never come back to, which was a total bummer. Batman also cares deeply for this girl and cared for her father, and I love the bond they share, and how close they still are, despite being away from one another for so long! Grade B-
“What do you care about some leggy dame in nylons- or have I just answered my own question?” Zatanna
54 – Appointment In Crime Alley. Season 1, Episode 26. Director: Boyd Kirkland, Story: Gerry Conway
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One of the more emotional episodes of the entire series. Batman’s yearly tradition of visiting the site of his parents tragic murder. Crime Alley, a place that Batman hates, yet holds so close to his heart. Well it’s that time of the year, but Roland Daggett is doing everything he can to stop Batman from making that appointment. Daggett is planning on burning Crime Alley to the ground, with or without its residents still living there. He needs the land to build his empire even greater, and will stop at nothing to do so. Batman is also getting held up with various other crimes going on around Gotham, and his head and his heart are not in the right mind frame. The ending to this episode is just so powerful, they really don’t have cartoons like this any more. Like not even close. Once the day is saved, finally Batman and Leslie Thompkins head to Crime Alley, so he can deliver his roses to his parents. He kneels over and Leslie puts her arms around him and it’s just such a powerful scene, that sometimes even Batman is vulnerable and needs compassion every so often.
“Good people still live in Crime Alley” Batman
53 – Blind As A Bat. Season 3, Episode 3. Director: Dan Riba, Story: Mike Underwood
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Imagine Batman was like blind. Bats are blind, so why shouldn’t Batman be blind. Well in this episode, that’s exactly what you get. Penguin steals some military badass helicopter from the Gotham airshow, and Bruce Wayne happens to become blind, when he gets caught up in some cross fire. But you know Batman, he never quits, so he uses some sweet technology to give himself sight, but it has a few problems. Watching Batman be completely blind and trying to fight people, is actually hilarious, and I can’t help but laugh every time he falls into those barrels! His glowing red eyes, actually make him look more terrifying and menacing as The Dark Knight. Just kind of a meh episode for me, obviously he gets his vision back….. Grade C
“You’re blind as a bat. Sightless and helpless.” Penguin
52 – Heart of Steel. Season 2. Episode 10/11. Director: Kevin Altieri, Story: Brynne Stephens
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Seriously, Bruce Wayne really knows how to pick em. Imagine going on a date with a woman, to only find out she’s a robot, and wants to kill you. Robots! Lots and lots of robots. So these episodes are kind of all over the place. So there are a ton of robberies going on around Gotham, and Batman discovers it to be a mechanical briefcase (I’m not kidding). So he tracks down his old pal Karl Rossum, who is an expert in robotics and has lived a sheltered life, after his daughter was killed in a car crash. There he meets the lovely lady/robot assistant Randa Duane. He doesn’t know she’s a robot, and now that I’m thinking about it, why would Karl even let that go on for a second? He must be a sick guy. Any who, he also shows Batman his most prized possession, H.A.R.D.A.C a super computer capable of incredible things. Things that even Rossum doesn’t know. Like make robotic duplicates of some of Gotham’s most important people! I almost forgot, we get introduced to Barbara Gordon in these two episodes, and she’s awesome. When her Dad gets taken away and replaced with a duplicate, she knows something is wrong right away, there’s also a moment when she thinks she has killed Bullock, but it turns out to be a duplicate also. Imagine that wasn’t the case though, and she straight up just killed a guy! So when Bruce Wayne goes on a date with a robot lady, she sneaks into the batcave and tampers with the bat-computer. When Batman investigates he gets attacked, and realizes something is severely wrong in Gotham. With the help of Barbara, they head back to Rossum, to confront him, but he doesn’t even realize what’s happening, and together they free all the kidnapped citizens, and destroy H.A.R.D.A.C once and for all. This is a two parter that I find myself disliking with each viewing, I’m not sure why, so that’s why its so low on the list! Grade B-
“His human imperfection endangers the plan. He must be improved upon.” H.A.R.D.A.C
51 – A Bullet For Bullock. Season 3, Episode 11. Director: Frank Paur, Story: Michael Reaves
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Thee Harvey Bullock episode! Finally, one of my favourite characters from the whole show. A tortured soul, a good cop, but simply misunderstood. He believes we don’t need Batman, and in this episode, Bullock finally comes around to the idea of Batman, and hell even thanks the man. Someone is trying to kill Bullock, and wants him dead bad, and well he doesn’t have the slightest of clue as to who it is. So like any desperate man, he turns to Batman for help. This is a really character driven episode, and us as the audience and even Bullock himself learn a lot about this guy. He realizes that his demeanour and his behaviour has created some of the unlikeliest of enemies. He becomes self aware of how he treats people, and maybe realizes it’s time for a change. They scour Gotham, and pinpoint someone from his past as the culprit. That wasn’t the case, it was Bullock’s landlord who wanted him dead, and even pulls a gun on him at the end of the episode. He had driven this poor guy mad, and you just learn to really love the guy by the end of the episode. I really want to see this guy in The Batman movie. Grade B
“You wanted my apartment? You mean, this whole thing was about rent control?” Bullock
50 – It’s Never Too Late. Season 1, Episode 12. Director: Boyd Kirkland, Story: Tom Rugger
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There’s a crime war going on in Gotham, between Rupert Thorne and old timer Arnold Stromewell, and it is sweeping through the city. When Thorne wants a “truce” Stromwell shows up thinking that this is really happening, meanwhile it’s a trap! You gotta know better old man, but Batman is on the case and saves Stromwell from an exploding building. He needs Stronwell’s help, and needs him to testify against Thorn. He pulls out all the stops, Batman tracks down his son, who is a drug addict but is getting the attention he needs. See Arnold had a trouble upbringing, when he was a boy, is brother lost his leg, when the pair of them were playing on the train tracks and he’s never forgiven himself for it. Now a priest, with the help from his brother and Batman, Arnold swears off crime and even helps bring down Thorne. This is another emotional episode, with all sorts of emotional baggage and layered story telling. Dealing with some serious subject matter for being a kids cartoon. An episode that honestly only gets better with time. Grade B-
“Stay away, Michael! The last time you tried to help me, you lost your leg!” – Arnold Stromwell
49 – Never Fear. Season 4, Episode 6. Director: Kenji Hachizaki, Story: Stan Berkowitz
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Imagine Batman without fear. His deepest fear is becoming what fights every night in Gotham. He never wants to cross that line, and become one of them. Well we kind of get that in this episode, when Scarecrow makes a new toxin that eliminates fear as we know it. So when Batman gets exposed to the gas, he thinks nothing of it. Until he starts acting radically and is being more dangerous and reckless. Sensing this, Robin decides he must do this on his own. Knowing Batman is a threat to not only Gotham city, but to himself as well. Probably the weakest Scarecrow story, but the idea behind Batman losing control is a really neat idea, and something that should be taken seriously. Doing this again, but making it a little more edgy could be awesome to see, because Batman without limits, is a scary man to think about. There is a great exchange between Robin and Batman in this episode. Where Robin knows, that Batman is now such a threat that he needs to stop Scarecrow alone, it’s just a really powerful scene between the two. Considering Tim Drake is just a kid, and he’s not afraid of Batman, even when he is unhinged. Grade C+
“Untie me, you little… UNTIE ME!” – Batman
48 – House And Garden. Season 3, Episode 14. Director: Boyd Kirkland, Story: Paul Dini –
(WARNER BROS.)
This episode is just straight up creepy. Poison Ivy is a broken woman in this one. We see her “building a new life” becoming free of crime and Batman is in shock. She’s turned a new leaf (plant pun!) and decided it’s time to settle down and start a family. She meets a nice professor that teaches at Dick’s school and together they raise his two sons. Batman at first is skeptical, and starts to spy on Ivy, but when he comes away with nothing, he even feels bad for pressuring her so much. Meanwhile, a giant plant like man is terrorizing Gotham, and it would appear that all fingers lead to Ivy, but Batman simply can’t connect the two. At one point in the episode Ivy tells Batman “She’s the happiest, she’s ever been”, and Batman tells her that he believes it. When it turns out, that Ivy is in fact making “people” and that her family isn’t real, Batman and Robin are able to put a stop to her insane plot. She eventually flees Gotham and is seen on an airplane, looking through photographs of her family, with tears in her eyes. Just an emotional episode, showcasing that even though her family and life weren’t real, it was in fact the happiest she’s ever been. Sad stuff. Grade C+
“She’s done nothing more incriminating than return an overdue video – even paid the late fee.” Batman
47 – If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t You Rich? Season 2, Episode 12. Director: Eric Radomski, Story: David Wise
(WARNER BROS.)
The Riddler! One of my all time favourite Batman villains, and guess what? They do him such proper justice in this show! The episodes before the revamp that The Riddler is in, are just quality stuff. His origin story episode however, is my least favourite. The way he looks, speaks and intellect are all so on the money, it’s not even fair. So kudos to the guys for really nailing this character. So Edward Nygma creates a world famous game called “The Riddle of The Minotaur,” and is on top of the world. But when his boss, Daniel Mockridge fires him, so he can keep all the profits of the game for himself, Nygma vows revenge as he leaves the building. Fast forward two years, and Mockridge is getting riddles all across Gotham, and he knows it can only be one man. The Riddler ends up kidnapping Mockridge, and swears to put an end to Mockridge. Batman even feels a little for Nygma, knowing he was the creator of the game, and got screwed over. But they have to stop him from killing Mockridge, who he has hidden in the middle of a life size replica of the game he created. This is where the episode takes a downturn for me, I’m not a fan of the life sized game, it just seems so unrealistic (I know it’s Batman, but you know what I mean). It feels so out of place, and this is when we learn that Batman is a terrific riddle solver, and it damn near pisses Riddler off every time. Mockridge is saved, but he ultimately ends up living in fear for the rest of his life. Side note: I love how they got a guy who’s last name is Wise to write this episode…… Grade B
“My, my, my, can we actually have a brain beneath that pointy cowl of ours?” The Riddler
46 – Mad As A Hatter. Season 1, Episode 27. Director: Frank Paur, Story: Paul Dini
(WARNER BROS.)
Jervis Tetch, a Wayne Enterprises scientist, is madly in love with one of his secretaries Alice. You know where this is going, he eventually snaps, and becomes his alter ego Mad Hatter. I like this character, I enjoy the play on the whole Alice in Wonderland thing. Jervis is a broken man, who just wants to be loved. When he can’t have that, he makes it happen, by mind controlling those around him. He can actually be a pretty worthy advisory to Batman, with his mind controlling devices, seeing how anyone can be targeted. So when Alice gets engaged to her boyfriend, Jervis doesn’t like that one bit, and sets off on a rampage to win her back. I’m a big fan of the end to this episode, with all the characters from Alice in Wonderland being involved, and I just think Mad Hatter is a really interesting and unique Batman character. Just an overall, really well done episode in my mind. Grade B
“You’re mighty in Gotham, Batman, but in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter reigns supreme.” Mad Hatter
45 – Fear of Victory. Season 1, Episode 24. Director: Dick Sebast, Story: Samuel Warren Joseph
(WARNER BROS.)
Imagine being afraid of just about everything and anything. Well Scarecrow’s newest toxin does just that. When he’s intoxicating star Gotham athletes and making a fortune off their poor performances, he thinks he has it made. He even gets Robin’s roommate, quarterback of their universities football team, and at the same time Robin becomes infected. He doesn’t know until he’s on patrol with Batman, and finds himself, afraid of heights all of a sudden. This episode is all about facing your fears, and being master of your own mind. In the first season, Scarecrow is involved in 3 incredible episodes, and I really wish they didn’t go away from that character in later seasons. He is always testing Batman’s limits, and in this episode, Robin feels like he is a burden to Batman. Once Batman finds the connection between the athletes and Robin, he knows it’s the professor of fear behind it, and when he goes to confront him in Arkham, well guess who broke out. There’s a great part, when it appears he’s in his cell, just rocking back and forth on his rocking chair, but it’s just an actual Scarecrow. Like just how bad is security at this place? Grade B-
“I need the money, Batman. You know the cost of chemicals these days.” Scarecrow
44 – Night of The Ninja. Season 2, Episode 7. Director: Kevin Altieri, Story: Steve Perry
(WARNER BROS.)
Kyodai Ken, man this guy was so cool! For being a lesser known rival to Bruce Wayne and later Batman, this guy was pretty badass! He’s only in two episodes of the show, but honestly they are two of my favourites. The reason I have it only at number 48, is well, remember what show we are talking about here. So when Bruce Wayne goes to Japan to learn the ways of a samurai, he meets Ken, who is a formidable foe. He is better than Bruce in the dojo, but he has his heart on a rare sword, and tries to steal it. When he is stopped by Bruce and their master, Kyodai Ken swear revenge. Some years later, robberies are happening all over Gotham, and to Wayne Enterprises subsidiaries, he comes face to face with a worthy opponent. When trying to get away, he notices a back tattoo, the same one that Kyodai Ken has. Fearing that he might not be able to beat him, like he could never do in the past, Batman is a little on edge. One of the reasons I love this episode so much, is there’s also a great Robin story in here too. That Robin sometimes feels like Batman isn’t proud of him, or that he isn’t grateful to have him around. Towards the end of the episode, it is Bruce Wayne that defeats Ken, but needs the aid of Robin, due to the fact that he’s fighting him in front of Summer Gleeson. He can’t defeat him with her watching, because it might start to raise unwanted questions. I think I’m really screwing up by making this episode 48, but the truth is, the next time Kyodai Ken comes around, it’s even better! Grade B+
“I have to be the best there is, no matter what it takes!” – Batman
43 – See No Evil. Season 1, Episode 17. Director: Dan Riba, Story: Martin Pasko
(WARNER BROS.)
This episode for me at least, has it all. A great story, animation and a really good character. Lloyd Ventrix is a fresh out of jail father, who can no longer see his daughter. So he makes a suit, that’s made up of a special plastic that can bend light. He’s therefore invisible, and when he’s invisible he can see his daughter. See she thinks it’s her new best friend Mojo, and there’s something about this, that’s both sweet and creepy. He’s also using the suit to commit various crimes around Gotham, and when Batman goes up against him, and realizes what exactly he is going up against, he digs deeper into this matter. When he finds out the plastic is toxic and will eventually kill Ventrix, he tries to console him about losing his daughter. All the animation with him being invisible is incredible for the 90’s and they have some stellar fight sequences in this as well. Towards the end when Batman uses a dripping water tank to see Ventrix, and it’s just really well done. He’s only ever in one episode but man I just love that character, it’s a real mature story for a kids show. It really only gets better with each viewing in my opinion. Grade B
“See you ’round, Batman! Too bad you can’t say the same!” – Lloyd Ventrix
So that was awesome right! Today is a tough day for me, well for most of us. It’s the one year anniversary of the release of Batman v. Superman, and obviously that movie wasn’t met with the greatest praise from fans or critics. But a lot can change in a year and here we are exactly one year later and Zack Snyder, that dirty dog drops this badass trailer for us to see. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m extremely nervous for the Justice League movie, the DCEU hasn’t really gotten off to a flying start, well they really haven’t even gotten off the ground yet. But that could all change with one simple trailer. I was absolutely blown away by this trailer, and maybe things could finally be turning around for Warner Bros. and the DCEU!
Now for the trailer itself, they did a fantastic job giving us fans a little bit of everything here. You can’t expect them to change their formula completely so the darker tone is still present in the trailer, but that’s okay because it does seem a little bit lighter and certainly more fun and humorous. It’s a great thing that they are clearly addressing certain problems from previous films and taking the fans and what they not only have to say, but what they want to heart. Ezra Miller who will be suiting up as the fastest man alive, The Flash, looks like the comedy pillar of the movie, and not only does it suit the character, he seems to be pulling it off with ease. Even Ben Affleck’s Batman looks like he’s having a lot more fun in this trailer, yeah we don’t need our Batman to be cracking jokes every scene, but a little light hearted Caped Crusader will go along way for fan service.
Ray Fisher the new comer who’s playing the football star turned half-man half-machine Cyborg looks pretty damn cool if I say so myself. He’s such a lesser known character but being the nerd I am, I know him for the badass character he truly is. He acts as a pseudo leader of the group and takes control usually when Batman isn’t around. I’m excited for the world to see this character come to life because he simply is awesome. Gal Gadot again looks great as Wonder Woman and the more I see her portray this character the more I like her. Time will tell, when her solo movie hits theatres June 3rd. She’s the strong and powerful female superhero this world needs, because right now there aren’t too many of those in the movies.
Now let’s chat about the stand out of the trailer, Mr. Jason Momoa himself who’s playing the King of Atlantis Aquaman. For myself, the fish talking, trident wielding, hero is my second favourite in all of comics. He’s never taken seriously because of some old school jokes that are made, but this guy knows how to throw down, and it shows in the trailer. He’s just such a cool character with great mythology and backstory and he’s got insane powers, and I can’t wait to finally see him on the big screen come November.
I had to watch this trailer twice, on my phone and I was still blown away and that’s not even me going through it with a fine tooth comb to find every little Easter egg and timbit that’s probably inside. The Parademons, those flying bug like creatures look so cool, and I’m really looking forward to seeing the League squash them. This is just a teaser too, so they didn’t really given away anything important plot wise, just little snip-its here and there. Aquaman and Batman look to have a serious bromance going on, and that will be a sweet dynamic to see. My two favourite superheroes best friends in the Justice League movie, brings tears to my eyes. Batman is also looking like a somewhat of a father figure for The Flash which is also neat, so I’m looking forward to going home and putting this bad boy up on my Apple TV, and watching it over and over again. November can’t get here soon enough.
