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- Review count41
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- First reviewJuly 27, 2018
- Last reviewSeptember 6, 2018
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- Average rating3.5
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![Justice League Dark [Blu-ray] [Only @ Best Buy] [2017]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/prescaled/500/500/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/304b2327-370a-41e7-956a-951dd4939472.png)
Posted by: Xeno
from Central MN
When something’s strange in the DC Hood, who you gonna call? Obviously Batman, but Justice League Dark introduces audiences to some other DC heroes that hair from the mythic/magic side of the Justice League.
The story kicks off with people experiencing massive hallucinations. They see demons. Driven to insanity, some go on killing sprees while others are willing to take their own lives to escape. This leads Batman to be contacted by a spectre who sends him to meet with John Constantine. With the help of Constantine, Batman assembles a team of experts in the supernatural …. as well as Swamp Thing.
What I enjoyed about this movie was the background given on characters I’d only seen in passing in other DC properties. You’re given a glimpse into Etrigan’s pain of always being used by humans never came up in previous shows or movies. Like Cyborg in the 2017 Justice League movie, I would’ve liked to see this more flushed out. Zatana hid her powers in plain sight by mixing cheap theatrics with real magic. Even Deadman (Boston Brand) gets a backstory reveal that gives you just enough to be interested in the character.
What bothered me about the origins is that it’s just enough. Not all of their origins play into the larger narrative. Sure Deadman was a trapeze artist who was killed then resurrected with a karmic debt, but his karmic debt has no roll in the larger plot at hand. This makes for poor character integration.
The only characters that had any real development were Zatana and Constantine. Their romantic past fuels inter-team conflict. Batman has to step in to be the adult in this room of childish magic users.
I haven’t mentioned Swamp Thing more than once so far. This is much like the movie. Swamp Thing seems to have something against Constantine. He appears earlier in the film, but then drops off the radar. It’s not until the final showdown that we get an ex machina appearance by Swamp Thing in which he delivers on one of the better battles in the entirety of the DC Animated properties. This is a far cry better than Batman and Harley Quinn (2017), where Swamp Thing appears for less than 2 minutes of screen time and has no real purpose.
Sadly, the maze of twists and turns were no surprise. I found myself wondering if the plot was actually going somewhere, or if this was a glorified episode of Scooby Doo where Old Man Jenkins would be unmasked as the villain. Point in fact, the person you think might be the villain actually is. There were no surprises or plot twists that were not painfully obvious in the beginning.
While a fan of the DC Animated Universe, I found this to be another disappointing film. What could’ve been a solid match-up of second and third tier characters, turned into a hot mess of uninspiring plot devices with one cool (but short lived) fight.
Not Recommended
Mobile Submission: False
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Posted by: Xeno
from Central MN
When something’s strange in the DC Hood, who you gonna call? Obviously Batman, but Justice League Dark introduces audiences to some other DC heroes that hair from the mythic/magic side of the Justice League.
The story kicks off with people experiencing massive hallucinations. They see demons. Driven to insanity, some go on killing sprees while others are willing to take their own lives to escape. This leads Batman to be contacted by a spectre who sends him to meet with John Constantine. With the help of Constantine, Batman assembles a team of experts in the supernatural …. as well as Swamp Thing.
What I enjoyed about this movie was the background given on characters I’d only seen in passing in other DC properties. You’re given a glimpse into Etrigan’s pain of always being used by humans never came up in previous shows or movies. Like Cyborg in the 2017 Justice League movie, I would’ve liked to see this more flushed out. Zatana hid her powers in plain sight by mixing cheap theatrics with real magic. Even Deadman (Boston Brand) gets a backstory reveal that gives you just enough to be interested in the character.
What bothered me about the origins is that it’s just enough. Not all of their origins play into the larger narrative. Sure Deadman was a trapeze artist who was killed then resurrected with a karmic debt, but his karmic debt has no roll in the larger plot at hand. This makes for poor character integration.
The only characters that had any real development were Zatana and Constantine. Their romantic past fuels inter-team conflict. Batman has to step in to be the adult in this room of childish magic users.
I haven’t mentioned Swamp Thing more than once so far. This is much like the movie. Swamp Thing seems to have something against Constantine. He appears earlier in the film, but then drops off the radar. It’s not until the final showdown that we get an ex machina appearance by Swamp Thing in which he delivers on one of the better battles in the entirety of the DC Animated properties. This is a far cry better than Batman and Harley Quinn (2017), where Swamp Thing appears for less than 2 minutes of screen time and has no real purpose.
Sadly, the maze of twists and turns were no surprise. I found myself wondering if the plot was actually going somewhere, or if this was a glorified episode of Scooby Doo where Old Man Jenkins would be unmasked as the villain. Point in fact, the person you think might be the villain actually is. There were no surprises or plot twists that were not painfully obvious in the beginning.
While a fan of the DC Animated Universe, I found this to be another disappointing film. What could’ve been a solid match-up of second and third tier characters, turned into a hot mess of uninspiring plot devices with one cool (but short lived) fight.
Not Recommended
Mobile Submission: False
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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-1point
0of 1voted this as helpful.
Posted by: Xeno
from Central MN
When something’s strange in the DC Hood, who you gonna call? Obviously Batman, but Justice League Dark introduces audiences to some other DC heroes that hair from the mythic/magic side of the Justice League.
The story kicks off with people experiencing massive hallucinations. They see demons. Driven to insanity, some go on killing sprees while others are willing to take their own lives to escape. This leads Batman to be contacted by a spectre who sends him to meet with John Constantine. With the help of Constantine, Batman assembles a team of experts in the supernatural …. as well as Swamp Thing.
What I enjoyed about this movie was the background given on characters I’d only seen in passing in other DC properties. You’re given a glimpse into Etrigan’s pain of always being used by humans never came up in previous shows or movies. Like Cyborg in the 2017 Justice League movie, I would’ve liked to see this more flushed out. Zatana hid her powers in plain sight by mixing cheap theatrics with real magic. Even Deadman (Boston Brand) gets a backstory reveal that gives you just enough to be interested in the character.
What bothered me about the origins is that it’s just enough. Not all of their origins play into the larger narrative. Sure Deadman was a trapeze artist who was killed then resurrected with a karmic debt, but his karmic debt has no roll in the larger plot at hand. This makes for poor character integration.
The only characters that had any real development were Zatana and Constantine. Their romantic past fuels inter-team conflict. Batman has to step in to be the adult in this room of childish magic users.
I haven’t mentioned Swamp Thing more than once so far. This is much like the movie. Swamp Thing seems to have something against Constantine. He appears earlier in the film, but then drops off the radar. It’s not until the final showdown that we get an ex machina appearance by Swamp Thing in which he delivers on one of the better battles in the entirety of the DC Animated properties. This is a far cry better than Batman and Harley Quinn (2017), where Swamp Thing appears for less than 2 minutes of screen time and has no real purpose.
Sadly, the maze of twists and turns were no surprise. I found myself wondering if the plot was actually going somewhere, or if this was a glorified episode of Scooby Doo where Old Man Jenkins would be unmasked as the villain. Point in fact, the person you think might be the villain actually is. There were no surprises or plot twists that were not painfully obvious in the beginning.
While a fan of the DC Animated Universe, I found this to be another disappointing film. What could’ve been a solid match-up of second and third tier characters, turned into a hot mess of uninspiring plot devices with one cool (but short lived) fight.
Not Recommended
Mobile Submission: False
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Share this review:
-1point
0of 1voted this as helpful.
Posted by: Xeno
from Central MN
When something’s strange in the DC Hood, who you gonna call? Obviously Batman, but Justice League Dark introduces audiences to some other DC heroes that hair from the mythic/magic side of the Justice League.
The story kicks off with people experiencing massive hallucinations. They see demons. Driven to insanity, some go on killing sprees while others are willing to take their own lives to escape. This leads Batman to be contacted by a spectre who sends him to meet with John Constantine. With the help of Constantine, Batman assembles a team of experts in the supernatural …. as well as Swamp Thing.
What I enjoyed about this movie was the background given on characters I’d only seen in passing in other DC properties. You’re given a glimpse into Etrigan’s pain of always being used by humans never came up in previous shows or movies. Like Cyborg in the 2017 Justice League movie, I would’ve liked to see this more flushed out. Zatana hid her powers in plain sight by mixing cheap theatrics with real magic. Even Deadman (Boston Brand) gets a backstory reveal that gives you just enough to be interested in the character.
What bothered me about the origins is that it’s just enough. Not all of their origins play into the larger narrative. Sure Deadman was a trapeze artist who was killed then resurrected with a karmic debt, but his karmic debt has no roll in the larger plot at hand. This makes for poor character integration.
The only characters that had any real development were Zatana and Constantine. Their romantic past fuels inter-team conflict. Batman has to step in to be the adult in this room of childish magic users.
I haven’t mentioned Swamp Thing more than once so far. This is much like the movie. Swamp Thing seems to have something against Constantine. He appears earlier in the film, but then drops off the radar. It’s not until the final showdown that we get an ex machina appearance by Swamp Thing in which he delivers on one of the better battles in the entirety of the DC Animated properties. This is a far cry better than Batman and Harley Quinn (2017), where Swamp Thing appears for less than 2 minutes of screen time and has no real purpose.
Sadly, the maze of twists and turns were no surprise. I found myself wondering if the plot was actually going somewhere, or if this was a glorified episode of Scooby Doo where Old Man Jenkins would be unmasked as the villain. Point in fact, the person you think might be the villain actually is. There were no surprises or plot twists that were not painfully obvious in the beginning.
While a fan of the DC Animated Universe, I found this to be another disappointing film. What could’ve been a solid match-up of second and third tier characters, turned into a hot mess of uninspiring plot devices with one cool (but short lived) fight.
Not Recommended
Mobile Submission: False
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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0of 0voted this as helpful.
Posted by: Xeno
from Central MN
What do you do when Batman goes missing?
The obvious answer is to have someone fill in for him. This is where the movie starts. Batman is seemingly killed. Alfred calls on Dick Grayson (Nightwing) to cover for a time while trying to find the truth of what happened to Batman. Grayson is joined by Batwoman and Damian Wayne (Robin) as they defend the city in Batman’s absence.
Before this movie, I didn’t know there were so many Batman derivatives. Looking it up, Nightwing along with Damian Wayne, Tim Drake, Superman, and even Bane have dawned the cape and cowl. To add to the mix, Batwing (who I had never heard of prior to this movie) makes an appearance. I’m not sure if the goal was to introduce Batwing to a larger bat-verse or what. Given my love of the animated DC Universe, I haven’t seen Batwing pop up in any other movies.
What I liked about this movie was… well…. I honestly don’t remember much about the movie. I know the league of shadows plays a role in the movie. There’s also a few hints dropped about Damian’s origins. But ultimately, this was a very forgettable movie.
It’s not the voice acting that ruins the movie. It’s the writing. Everything you see could be pulled from another movie. Nothing stands out as unique to this film. Staying as spoiler free as possible. When the truth behind Batman’s disappearance is revealed, I found myself thinking back to episodes of the Batman cartoons from the 90’s and early 2000’s. Nothing to see here.
Ultimately, my purchase of this movie is laced with a bit of regret. There just wasn’t enough there to go back for a second viewing. At least I didn’t pay too much for it.
No recommended.
Mobile Submission: False
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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0of 1voted this as helpful.
Posted by: Xeno
from Central MN
What do you do when Batman goes missing?
The obvious answer is to have someone fill in for him. This is where the movie starts. Batman is seemingly killed. Alfred calls on Dick Grayson (Nightwing) to cover for a time while trying to find the truth of what happened to Batman. Grayson is joined by Batwoman and Damian Wayne (Robin) as they defend the city in Batman’s absence.
Before this movie, I didn’t know there were so many Batman derivatives. Looking it up, Nightwing along with Damian Wayne, Tim Drake, Superman, and even Bane have dawned the cape and cowl. To add to the mix, Batwing (who I had never heard of prior to this movie) makes an appearance. I’m not sure if the goal was to introduce Batwing to a larger bat-verse or what. Given my love of the animated DC Universe, I haven’t seen Batwing pop up in any other movies.
What I liked about this movie was… well…. I honestly don’t remember much about the movie. I know the league of shadows plays a role in the movie. There’s also a few hints dropped about Damian’s origins. But ultimately, this was a very forgettable movie.
It’s not the voice acting that ruins the movie. It’s the writing. Everything you see could be pulled from another movie. Nothing stands out as unique to this film. Staying as spoiler free as possible. When the truth behind Batman’s disappearance is revealed, I found myself thinking back to episodes of the Batman cartoons from the 90’s and early 2000’s. Nothing to see here.
Ultimately, my purchase of this movie is laced with a bit of regret. There just wasn’t enough there to go back for a second viewing. At least I didn’t pay too much for it.
No recommended.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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0of 1voted this as helpful.
![Gran Torino [WS] [DVD] [2008]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/prescaled/500/500/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/05591729-fd0b-4873-b8e5-2c0aa1e8cae1.jpg)
Posted by: Xeno
from Central MN
Every so often, a film comes by that challenges the way you look at movies and actors. Gran Torino is one that changed my appreciation for Clint Eastwood.
Gran Torino is the story of a dying breed of man in modern times. The story starts with Walt Kowalski (Eastwood) overseeing his wife's funeral. He's old and set in his ways. Walt's family is of little comfort in his time of grieving. Upon returning to his house, Walt notices a Hmong family moving in next door. This is the first of many racist comments to come.
The story goes on from here to depict Walt's life. Walt lives in isolation from his family and people like him. His unmistakably racist attitude pushes the character through the film. When Thao (Bee Vang), one of the Hmong living next door, attempts to steal his 1972 Gran Torino, Thao's family requires him to work for Walt as means of apologizing.
What I liked about this film is that it doesn't adhere to the standard gun slinger role that Eastwood normally plays. The character of Walt is very deep. A little something is revealed about him with every character he interacts with. While the commercials make this seem like he's cleaning up the neighborhood, the truth is that Walt just wants to be left alone. His response to the Hmong is to stay off his lawn, regardless of who they are. I found it easy to identify with Walt, minus the incessant racial slurs.
The supporting cast was mostly background noise. While Vang played Thao well, it was Ahney Her's portrayal of Sue that kept the film rolling. Sue drives a major portion of Walt's character development. Other than Sue and Thao, the remainder of the characters are very forgettable.
There are very few films that I set out to see. Gran Torino was a recommendation from a friend, and I now recommend it. The film explores racism in a light that hasn't been touched before. Eastwood's performance was astounding. The writing did an excellent job of exploring Walt's struggles without slowing the film's pace. The ending of the film is one that most may not see coming.
I strongly recommend seeing Gran Torino. This is a great addition to any library. It touches the subject of racism in an entertaining way that I haven't seen before.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![Gran Torino [Blu-ray] [2008]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/prescaled/500/500/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/b42cfb1c-cdcd-4569-8314-b976c013905e.jpg)
Posted by: Xeno
from Central MN
Every so often, a film comes by that challenges the way you look at movies and actors. Gran Torino is one that changed my appreciation for Clint Eastwood.
Gran Torino is the story of a dying breed of man in modern times. The story starts with Walt Kowalski (Eastwood) overseeing his wife's funeral. He's old and set in his ways. Walt's family is of little comfort in his time of grieving. Upon returning to his house, Walt notices a Hmong family moving in next door. This is the first of many racist comments to come.
The story goes on from here to depict Walt's life. Walt lives in isolation from his family and people like him. His unmistakably racist attitude pushes the character through the film. When Thao (Bee Vang), one of the Hmong living next door, attempts to steal his 1972 Gran Torino, Thao's family requires him to work for Walt as means of apologizing.
What I liked about this film is that it doesn't adhere to the standard gun slinger role that Eastwood normally plays. The character of Walt is very deep. A little something is revealed about him with every character he interacts with. While the commercials make this seem like he's cleaning up the neighborhood, the truth is that Walt just wants to be left alone. His response to the Hmong is to stay off his lawn, regardless of who they are. I found it easy to identify with Walt, minus the incessant racial slurs.
The supporting cast was mostly background noise. While Vang played Thao well, it was Ahney Her's portrayal of Sue that kept the film rolling. Sue drives a major portion of Walt's character development. Other than Sue and Thao, the remainder of the characters are very forgettable.
I was disappointed with the special features on the Blu-Ray. There was one that focused on the bond between a man and his car. While I understand the placement, I hoped for deleted scenes or something that added to the film. This shows that you can't add much to this masterpiece.
There are very few films that I set out to see. Gran Torino was a recommendation from a friend, and I now recommend it. The film explores racism in a light that hasn't been touched before. Eastwood's performance was astounding. The writing did an excellent job of exploring Walt's struggles without slowing the film's pace. The ending of the film is one that most may not see coming.
I strongly recommend seeing Gran Torino. This is a great addition to any library. It touches the subject of racism in an entertaining way that I haven't seen before.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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0of 0voted this as helpful.
![Gran Torino [SteelBook] [Blu-ray] [2008]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/prescaled/500/500/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/43810fe0-d055-4329-9c16-729405d0f10f.jpg)
Posted by: Xeno
from Central MN
Every so often, a film comes by that challenges the way you look at movies and actors. Gran Torino is one that changed my appreciation for Clint Eastwood.
Gran Torino is the story of a dying breed of man in modern times. The story starts with Walt Kowalski (Eastwood) overseeing his wife's funeral. He's old and set in his ways. Walt's family is of little comfort in his time of grieving. Upon returning to his house, Walt notices a Hmong family moving in next door. This is the first of many racist comments to come.
The story goes on from here to depict Walt's life. Walt lives in isolation from his family and people like him. His unmistakably racist attitude pushes the character through the film. When Thao (Bee Vang), one of the Hmong living next door, attempts to steal his 1972 Gran Torino, Thao's family requires him to work for Walt as means of apologizing.
What I liked about this film is that it doesn't adhere to the standard gun slinger role that Eastwood normally plays. The character of Walt is very deep. A little something is revealed about him with every character he interacts with. While the commercials make this seem like he's cleaning up the neighborhood, the truth is that Walt just wants to be left alone. His response to the Hmong is to stay off his lawn, regardless of who they are. I found it easy to identify with Walt, minus the incessant racial slurs.
The supporting cast was mostly background noise. While Vang played Thao well, it was Ahney Her's portrayal of Sue that kept the film rolling. Sue drives a major portion of Walt's character development. Other than Sue and Thao, the remainder of the characters are very forgettable.
I was disappointed with the special features on the Blu-Ray. There was one that focused on the bond between a man and his car. While I understand the placement, I hoped for deleted scenes or something that added to the film. This shows that you can't add much to this masterpiece.
There are very few films that I set out to see. Gran Torino was a recommendation from a friend, and I now recommend it. The film explores racism in a light that hasn't been touched before. Eastwood's performance was astounding. The writing did an excellent job of exploring Walt's struggles without slowing the film's pace. The ending of the film is one that most may not see coming.
I strongly recommend seeing Gran Torino. This is a great addition to any library. It touches the subject of racism in an entertaining way that I haven't seen before.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Posted by: Xeno
from Central MN
This review is NOT written by a Deadpool fan. Lets get that out of the way. I find Deadpool amusing, but easily annoying.
Now... Deadpool 2.
The 4th wall breaking, merc with a mouth is back in the sequel to his 2016 debut. If you're not familiar with Deadpool, he's a self-aware comic book hero that not only knows he's in a movie, video game, comic book, or whatever, but Deadpool uses that to his advantage. Additionally, Deadpool cannot die. His healing factor is so strong that being blown to bits only delays the inevitable.... he will find you... you will die.
The story starts off with Deadpool killing. He loves killing. As live would have it, his killing catches up with him. An incomplete contract comes back to destroy all that he loves. This propels Deadpool into a deep depression. Trying to end his own life, Deadpool realized he’s unable. He survives every attempt due to his healing factor.
As the movie progresses, Deadpool joins up with the X-Men, screws it up, goes to jail, then decides he needs to save the future from a psychotic mutant. Yeah… it’s confusing like that.
What worked is the many references to pop culture. Deadpool rips on Logan (2017), the Avengers franchise, DC movies, Panic Room (2002), and more. It’s a lot like watching Blazing Saddles. Audiences appreciate the references now, but years from now, the references won’t be pop culture.
A weak point in the plot was how the psychotic mutant enlists the help of Juggernaut. There was a quick scene that didn’t allude to much connection, but somehow they’re friends?
The end of the movie was supposed to be more touching, but amidst the many gags and punchlines, it was hard to take it seriously. While that’s sorta the point, it ruined what could’ve been a good ending.
A side complaint was Domino. The comic character was so much more epic than her representation in the movie. Yes, Domino is a side character, but it’s still better to stick to the source material than reinterpret the character as “Lucky Girl”. At least we didn’t get a Wolverine Origins Deadpool. Then again…. The movie addresses that.
I wasn’t a fan of the first Deadpool movie. It was raunchy and rude. Deadpool 2 toned this down to appeal to a wider audience. I’m not a Deadpool fan, but I did enjoy this movie enough to consider a purchase.
I would recommend it.
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