Superman (2025)

Well, that was just fantastic. This is the Superman movie I've been waiting for since I was a kid.

I loved the first three Christopher Reeve movies growing up, but everything went downhill from there. Superman IV was obviously a poorly-edited rush job. Then there was a long wait until Superman Returns, which had some good ideas but wasted them. Then we have the DCEU, which decided to take the most colorful comic superhero and turn him into an angsty broody mess. Which is too bad, because I think Henry Cavill did great in the role. It's just that Zack Snyder had no understanding of the character.

But the new Superman movie is a love letter to the comics. (Spoilers incoming.) I'm so glad it didn't bog itself down with another origin story. Instead it just has an opening text that explains he's been Superman for about three years. It also includes a few other heroes such as Green Lantern, Mister Terrific, Hawkgirl, and a couple of surprises.

It has a great cast. I particularly loved Lois Lane. She looks like she stepped out of the animated series, and her voice reminds me a lot of Margot Kidder. I also thought Jimmy Olsen did a good job. I wasn't sold on David Corenswet's Superman when I saw the trailers, but now that I've seen it in context, he does a great job. His Clark and Superman actually look and sound different, which is critical for a Superman actor. I mean, okay, maybe he wasn't as good at it as Reeve, but he was definitely a better Clark than Cavill.

But a good hero needs a good villain, and Lex Luthor does not disappoint. Not to dis on Gene Hackman or other past Luthors, but this is the grandiose Lex that Superman deserves. I mean, Hackman's Lex, while well-performed, was basically a greedy land developer. Kevin Spacey is persona non grata, and Jesse Eisenberg brought great shame to the DC universe. There were some really good Luthors on TV (live and animated), but I'm going to stick to movies here.

I can't say Nicholas Hoult is the perfect Lex. He did a decent job, but some of his megalomaniacal speeches fell a little flat. But that's okay, his actions spoke louder than words. His evil comes across in a way that I don't feel we've seen on-screen before, and he really shows us how money can be a superpower.

The elephant in the room: A lot of people (particularly former Superman Dean Cain) are complaining that the movie is too "woke". Of course, you know me, I'm all for woke. But even if I wasn't, I honestly don't see how this movie is more woke than any of the previous Superman movies.

Batman v Superman

Some are saying it's because it has a strong pro-immigrant message. Again, that didn't hit me as a major theme in the movie. There is a subplot where Luthor turns public opinion against Superman, and the fact that he's an alien is one of the bigger factors there. But this is an idea that was already explored in the Henry Cavill movies.

The only difference is that "woke" is currently the big buzzword that red hats like to use to decry anything that promotes common decency. So if you're conservative and avoiding this movie because Fox News told you to, I promise you're being lied to (as usual). The new Superman movie is no more woke than the previous ones, and if you like those you'll love this one.

Anyway, Superman (2025) is a fun, action-packed movie that feels like a comic book brought to life. Some filmmakers try to make comic heroes more realistic or gritty, others lean so far into the "comic book" aspect that the movies turn silly. But this movie gets it just right. It's silly enough to be fun, but real enough to keep you invested. Nothing's ever going to replace the Christopher Reeve movie in my heart, but damn if this doesn't come close.

Ranking the Superman Movies:

(Note, I'm just including movies where he's in the title. I'm excluding movies that just happen to include Superman, such as Justice League.) 

1. Superman (1978)

2. Superman (2025)

3. Superman II

4: Superman III

5: Superman Returns*

6: Man of Steel*

7: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

9: Superman IV

* Note I had a hard time deciding which should be higher between 5 & 6. I think Man of Steel is a much stronger movie, but Superman Returns is actually fun. Even Man of Steel's action scenes feel lifeless and dull.

Jurassic World: Rebirth

So, up front: I think at this point most people know what to expect when they buy a ticket to see a Jurassic Park movie. First you're going to see people making bad decisions, followed shortly by people getting eaten by dinosaurs. Other than the first one, none of them are really "fine cinema," but more like theme park rides. And that's okay. It's the same reason you'd buy a ticket to see a Godzilla movie (again, other than the first one) or even why you might go see a wrestling match.

So does Rebirth deliver? Oh yes. This is my third favorite Jurassic Park/World movie. It has great special effects and lots of exciting action scenes. Definitely worth a watch if you're not a cinema snob.

The opening text informs us that most of the dinos from the previous movies have died out, and no longer wander all over the Earth, because they couldn't acclimate to modern Earth's climate conditions. About two scenes later, two of the main characters talk about how most of the dinos from the previous movies have died out, and no longer wander all over the Earth, because they couldn't acclimate to modern Earth's climate conditions. The very next scene shows us part of an educational cartoon which informs us that most of the dinos from the previous movies have died out, and no longer wander all over the Earth, because they couldn't acclimate to modern Earth's climate conditions. My takeaway from this is that most of the dinos from the previous movies have died out, and no longer wander all over the Earth, because they couldn't acclimate to modern Earth's climate conditions. Also, I'm not sure why the opening text was necessary.

Anyway, the remaining dinosaurs live in the tropical regions around the equator. The plot reminds me a bit of the Lost World, or perhaps Jurassic Park 3. The writers came up with a fairly decent excuse to get these characters to the dino island. Basically they need some fresh dino blood for medical research, to cure heart disease or something. And then they have to get back out.

But it takes a long time for them to get to the dino shores, I'm talking "Peter Jackson's King Kong" levels of lollygagging their way to the island. Along the way you get a lot of backstory for the main characters, which pretty much spoils which characters are going to die. Hint: If all you know about a character is their name, they're probably destined to be dino jerky. 

The tension in this movie is incredible. As the characters wander though the jungle, you're constantly hearing distant growls or seeing leaves move in the background. The jungle feels incredibly dangerous, like you could be attacked at any time from any direction.

The soundtrack bothered a little bit. There was one bit in the score that reminded me a little too much of the Jaws theme, and it played at similar times. But also the original Jurassic Park theme kind of got on my nerves now and then, and it's hard to explain why. They'd use it in the same way they did in the original, in scenes that show the majesty of the dinosaurs. I don't know, it just felt a little unearned. It kind of reminded me of that Ian Malcolm quote: "I'll tell you the problem with the scientific power that you're using here: it didn't require any discipline to attain it. You read what others had done and you took the next step." It almost feels like sacrilege to use the "awe and wonder" theme for a series that's long since turned into action schlock.

But these are minor quibbles. Overall it's a really fun movie that hits all the right beats, while still showing you enough new stuff to keep you interested. There's a few dinos in here that haven't been shown before, including the (Spoiler Alert) big bad mutant they face at the end. It kind of looks like the lovechild of a Rancor and the Cloverfield monster, and while it's not pretty to look at, it definitely does its job at being frightening.

I saw Rebirth in 3D. Not on purpose, mind you, that was just the earliest showing I could get so I did it. I don't usually see movies on opening weekend, either, but I had a coupon that made it just $7. The 3D was really good. It's probably been a good ten years since I've seen a 3D movie, and while the technology doesn't seem to have made any leaps forward, it did a good job of adding to the aforementioned tension. Several shots really stood out, such as one where they fire a needle towards the camera, as well as several jungle shots where something is chasing them in the background.

Overall I give this movie a thumbs up, maybe 3.5 out of 5 stars. It's not a masterpiece, but it's a worthy entry into the series.

My ranking of the Jurassic Park/World movies:
1. Jurassic Park
2. Jurassic World
3. Rebirth
4. Jurassic Park III
5. The Lost World
6. Dominion
7. Fallen Kingdom

Thunderbolts

Eh, it wasn't bad. Thunderbolts has some great fight scenes and snappy dialogue. Beyond that, it doesn't offer much.

Going in, I thought it was going to be Marvel's version of the Suicide Squad. But while there are some similarities - the team is composed of former criminals, after all - it's really not the same kind of movie.

Spoilers:

Picking up the story right after Captain America: Brave New World, Elaine from Seinfeld is about to lose her job, so she tries to tie up all her loose ends at once. She gives each of her secret operatives a mission to watch one of the others, and sends them all to the same location so they can fight it out in a deathtrap. Then they figure it out, and team up to stop her.

But of course that's not all. Because another one of Elaine's scrapped projects wakes up and becomes super-powerful, and becomes the main villain of the movie.

My issues with the movie are thus:

First of all, I don't really like any of the characters. Most of them are Temu versions of older heroes. Yelena is Dollar Tree Black Widow, while Red Guardian, John Walker, and yes, even Bucky are all discount Captain America. I guess Ghost is pretty original, but she has no personality whatsoever. She needs a catchphrase or a personality quirk or something to stand out.

I'm also a little bothered by how much homework this movie requires. You'll want to watch the Falcon/Winter Soldier Disney Plus series to know more about John Walker. You'll have to watch Ant-Man 2 to know Ghost. Yelena, Red Guardian, and Taskmaster all came from the Black Widow movie, which several of my friends skipped. I'm really glad they brought back these secondary characters, especially since they spent so much time introducing them. But since Endgame, a lot of viewers are starting to skip movies that don't look good, so they might not know these characters yet.

But I guess my biggest problem with the movie was the humor. You either find Red Guardian funny or you don't, and the script banks heavily on his antics. I find him more annoying than funny, honestly, so a lot of the humor fell flat for me.

Bigger Spoilers:

The Taskmaster thing. If you've paid any attention to people online, you know what I'm talking about. One half of the fanbase was already annoyed because she isn't like the Taskmaster from the comics. The other half is now annoyed because she gets killed off early in Thunderbolts. Seems like that would make the first half happy, since it leaves room for a new Taskmaster in later films. But really all it proves is you can't please everyone.

Personally I'm with the half that hated to see her get killed off. She was brainwashed when she was a villain, so she really didn't deserve such a fate. But like Suicide Squad, they probably wanted to kill off one character early so the audience feels like anyone can die.

Biggest Spoilers: 

Following Brave New World, this is the second MCU film in a row where the final confrontation comes down to talking to the villain. In fact, the Thunderbolts literally save the day through the power of hugs. Personally I'm okay with this. It's nice to occasionally see a climax that doesn't involve punching each other to death. But people are going to complain about the Disneyfication of the MCU.

Captain America: Brave New World

So I finally got around to watching the new Captain America movie. I have to say, it's much better than I was led to believe. I kept hearing people call it a "hot mess" without really explaining why.

It has a pretty straightforward plot. General Ross is now president; he's trying to be a better person while also covering up the sins of his past. The Leader (who Ross had once kept prisoner and exploited) brainwashes a bunch of people to make Ross look bad. One of the Leader's machinations turns Ross into a red Hulk, leading to the climax.

I wish I could put spoiler tags in the above paragraph, but what's the point? The trailers spoiled everything this time. 

I like that there's bad guys on both sides, and that the villain has a good reason to be angry. The best villains were always the ones who had a point, like Magneto or Killmonger.

The action scenes were great, as were the special effects. It has plot holes, but it's a comic book movie. Show me one MCU film that doesn't have plot holes. I wish there was a little less exposition - sometimes there was a little too much time between action scenes.

Two movies are required viewing to fully prepare for Brave New World: The Incredible Hulk and The Eternals. This is sad because Incredible Hulk is 17 years old now, older than a lot of Brave New World's viewers, so some people might not remember who this "Samuel Sterns" guy is. And of course, The Eternals was a long, boring film that no one really wants to remember.

But I think the worst part is that Brave New World feels like a Hulk film. It 100% feels like a Hulk storyline, with Hulk characters galore. But no Hulk. Mark Ruffalo got cheated. Justice for Mark!

Some people complained about the Leader's design, but I think he looks great. And let's face it, he'd have looked ridiculous if they'd used his original comic book design. Other people complained that a non-powered hero like Sam shouldn't be able to go toe-to-toe with the red Hulk, and they're right. But those people didn't actually watch the movie, which addresses that.

This isn't the best Captain America movie, but that's a high bar, and it holds up with the others just fine. Honestly, I hate to throw the word "racism" around, but I do have to wonder about people who loved the first three Captain America movies and hated this one. No, it doesn't make you racist if you dislike Brave New World, but when people consistently only hate on the more diverse Marvel movies, it starts to paint a picture.

Has quality gone downhill since Endgame? Sure, overall, I guess. But there's still plenty to love in some of the recent movies, and I wish people would stop calling for the death of the MCU. Brave New World is proof that there's plenty of excitement still left in the series.

By the way, don't bother sticking around for the post-credits scene. There is one, but it's pointless.

Nomads of Zyden

I've just published my eight novel, a swords-and-sorcery fantasy called "Nomads of Zyden." A synopsis:

When a tribe of ghoulish monsters wipes out her mountain clan, a fierce warrior named Marta sets out on a mission of revenge. But while she grew up fighting giant beasts in the frigid wastelands, she isn’t prepared for the culture shock of meeting people from the lowlands.

During her epic journey she befriends a jester, a fairy, and a woman with whom she shares a magical bond. Together they take on a much larger quest in which they must explore ancient temples and fight ruthless monsters, all to retrieve a set of artifacts that will help them defeat an all-powerful evil. Their time is short and the fate of the world hangs in the balance.

 You can find it, and all my other books, here:

Books by Xine Fury

 

That New Superman Trailer

I’m really looking forward to this. Look, I hate to pick at old wounds (I’m lying), but I’m still bothered by the fact that some executive saw Watchmen and said, “Wow, Zach Snyder is really good at making grim, dismal movies about dark heroes, we should totally give him… Superman!” It bugs me to death that if you watch the entire DECU from 2013-2023, Batman has more laugh-out-loud moments than Superman.

That. Should. Not. Be.

The new Superman movie doesn’t look like it takes itself seriously at all, and honestly that’s exactly what we need right now. It looks like everything the Justice League movie should have been. And there’s a dog.

I’m especially excited to see Nathan Fillion’s take on Guy Gardner. He was always one of those characters I loved to hate.

Unfortunately this is going to be a make-or-break movie for the new series. They already have several movies planned after this one, but if Superman bombs, that could spell disaster for all those plans.

I’m gonna stay optimistic, though. I can’t wait to see where this new cinematic universe takes us.

Alien: Romulus

There's still only two good Alien movies, but this is one of the better bad ones. For the most part Romulus plays it safe, hitting all the beats of a standard Alien movie without trying to change the universe. That was the problem with Prometheus and Covenant - Ridley Scott wanted to reclaim his franchise and expand on the lore, but we already had mountains of lore in the comics and video games, and his additions simply weren't as good.

Some people complained that Romulus had too many easter eggs, but I thought it was just the right amount. A few of the refrences stood out like a sore thumb (like the "Rook" android, or Ripley's most famous line), but some of the so-called "easter eggs" were just to establish that it takes place in the same universe. Do you complain when the new Star Wars movie has lightsabers in it?

Much like Alien: Isolation, I felt Romulus did a great job making it feel like the Alien universe, with classic sound effects and set design. That was another problem I had with Prometheus - it was supposed to be a prequel, but it felt more futuristic.

The "final boss" could have used some work, but at least they kept it in the dark. Most of the special effects were great, and I loved the cinematography - all the sweeping shots and dynamic camerawork really made it exciting to watch. 

Overall, Romulus isn't great, but it's a fun ride.

Life is Strange: Double Exposure - Final Thoughts

This post contains spoilers.

I just finished Life is Strange: Double Exposure. I can't say I loved it, in fact it's my least favorite of the series, but I still enjoyed it a lot.

So, quick recap: Max is an adult now, and working at a university. She hasn't used her powers in years. As I mentioned in my previous post, you can choose which ending you picked in the first game, and whether Chloe was a friend or a sweetheart. Unfortunately, even if Chloe lived, the pair broke up off-screen between games.

It's easy to see why the writers felt they had to do this. They wanted to respect both endings from the first game, so they couldn't have Chloe play a major role in this one. It's one thing to have Chloe send you the occasional text, but it's another to record motion capture and tons of dialogue for a character only half the players will see.

So they had a good reason, but they still dropped the ball. They could easily have given Chloe an excuse to be away on a trip somewhere, so they wouldn't anger half their fanbase. But they also wanted to give Max some romance options, which is ridiculous itself given how skippable the romance is in Double Exposure.

The sad part is that it would be an easy fix even now. They could add a patch that lets you pick "we're still together" at the beginning, changes a few of Chloe's texts to explain her absence, and locks out both romance options. I'll be surprised if that isn't a fan-made mod by the end of the year.

But for the purposes of this review, I'm going to ignore the Chloe problem. Too many people are writing off Double Exposure for Chloe-related reasons, and I would rather judge the game by what's in it, rather than what's not.

So what's in it? Well, the game starts with a few scenes of Max hanging out with her new friends, including a woman named Safi. Then Safi gets shot and Max has to solve the mystery of her murder. Max soon discovers she has the power to shift between two alternate universes, and Safi is still alive in one of them. So she has the unique advantage of being able to solve Safi's murder with Safi's help.

Several characters seem to have a motive, but more weirdness is afoot. Doppelgangers of certain characters keep turning up and ruining their lives. Are these duplicates from alternate timelines? Things really come to a head at the end of chapter 2, when Max finds the last picture on Safi's camera: A pic of Max pointing a gun at Safi.

Max continues interviewing people on campus, using her power to get through locked doors, and rifling through desks for evidence. At the end of chapter 3 she comes face-to-face with herself, and has to chase herself down. Then we get a new revelation - the dopplegangers are actually Safi, who has a superpower of her own: shapeshifting.

Safi and Max talk about their superpowers, Safi explains why she hurt the people she hurt, and the two conspire to expose a local plagiarist. But then everything goes to hell. Safi loses her temper and breaks the minds of everyone nearby, Max's powers cause another storm to manifest, and there's another "Nightmare World" like the one in the final chapter of the original game.

Honestly, this is where the game lost me. There were an awful lot of "things happen because they happen" events, not to mention a good bit of filler. There was a part where Max kept going through hotel rooms that could have been lifted right out without anyone noticing.

Every game in the series has a signature "final choice," and some of them are more heartbreaking than others. The the original game presented you with a near-impossible decision, while True Colors gave you a more mellow "which happy ending would you like to view" choice. But the one in Double Exposure was so subdued I wasn't even sure if that was the final choice.

The ending seems to be setting up an Avengers-ish gathering. If this game makes enough money, the next game will definitely involve Max and Safi collecting more super-powered people. Maybe we'll see the return of characters from LiS2 and True Colors.

This might be wishful thinking, but there's also a line at the end of Double Exposure that implies that Max might get back together with Chloe (assuming she's alive in your game). Honestly, if the writers want to guarantee the next game sells better, they should announce Chloe's return right now. It could still respect the first game's ending. Maybe have an alternate character take her place (and a lot of her dialogue) if she died in the first game.

Note To Fans: If you ever want that to happen, then please stop threatening the staff of Deck Nine. They might just decide the Life is Strange franchise isn't worth it, and then Max & Chloe's breakup becomes permanent canon.

By the way, I bought the Ultimate version simply because I'd just gotten a bonus when Double Exposure was first announced. This version comes with some extra outfits and has a subplot where Max finds a lost cat. If you're on the fence about which edition to buy, personally I didn't find the bonus content to be worth the price. The cat is only in maybe four scenes.

Final Thoughts: Like every game in the series, Double Exposure is a beautiful game with difficult choices and a nice soundtrack. Unfortunately the plot isn't as interesting as its predecessors, and it contains some controversial writing choices. I like where the story arc is leading, though, and with a little luck the next game will knock it out of the park.

Ranking the Life is Strange Games:

1. Life is Strange

2. Life is Strange: Before the Storm

3. Life is Strange: True Colors

4. The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit

5. Life is Strange 2

6: Life is Strange: Double Exposure