THE ANIMATED BATMAN #1 - 'Mask of the Phantasm' (1993)

Batman has had a long and storied history in the realm of cinema. There have been several live action films over the years. Also over the past several years, there have been several animated films featuring the Dark Knight. This series aims to take a look at most of these animated adventures.

There is no better film to start with than 1993's "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm". The movie was the first for Warner Bros. Animation and it was originally intended to be a direct-to-video film. Warner Bros. then decided that it would be released theatrically and this resulted in two things. The first was that the production team only had eight months to get the film together in a time when it took 3-5 years to complete an animated film project!

Secondly, it also didn't give the studio much time to market the film for its theatrical release. This meant that when it was released, it didn't do very well at all in the box office. Thankfully, when it was finally released on video, it became a massive success and has gone down as one of the best stories ever to feature the Dark Knight.

The movie is primarily based on 1987's "Batman: Year Two". In the movie, Batman faces off against the Phantasm, a new villain that is killing off old mob bosses. Batman is quickly to blame due to a series of unfortunate events. So, not only does Batman have to figure out who the Phantasm is, he also has to clear his name.

The case is also tied into Batman's past from before he donned the cape and cowl. In flashbacks, we learn that Bruce Wayne almost didn't become Batman at all. Despite being obsessed for most of his life with fighting crime, there was a brief moment where he became involved with Andrea Beaumont, a woman whose father appears to have been in league with the criminals the Phantasm is now trying to take down.

The movie came from "Batman: The Animated Series" that started in 1992. The show had become a huge success and was noted as also being even more serious than the live action films being produced at the time. This story is no different as it tells a darker story than what was being made for the box office at the time.

One of the big differences with this movie over the show, though, is that it doesn't have to deal with the Standards and Practices that regulated the television series. This meant that the Phantasm could kill their victims and they can even show a few drops of blood here and there. The filmmakers behind this movie took the material deadly serious and it shows.

The movie is still tied to its parent television show, but this is a good thing. The series is still one of the finest shows ever produced and this movie is a shining example during the show's most popular time. It should have stayed straight-to-video as these animated adventures seem to thrive in that domain, but it ultimately found its audience.

One final shoutout has to go to Shirley Walker, the composer of the movie's score as well as the composer for the show on which this film is based. In the show, she took the theme developed by Danny Elfman for the Tim Burton films and then developed her own style based on that iconic score. With this movie, she took the themes that she had been developing for the show and took them to the next epic level. Sadly, Walker died in 2006 due to complications related to a stroke, but her work will live on forever thanks to films and shows such as this one.

At the end of the day, though, no matter where the movie comes from, "Mask of the Phantasm" is still one of the best Batman adventures ever told on film. It is a tight yet strong film that should satisfy any Batman fan that happens to come upon it.

REVIEW - 'THE BATMAN'

Years ago, when I learned that Marvel had made a deal with Sony to bring Spider-Man into the MCU, I wasn't really all that excited by the news. At the time, we had already had two different cinematic versions of the character almost back-to-back and I was burned out. It was up to "Captain America: Civil War", the film where the MCU Spider-Man first appeared, to convince me that Tom Holland's Spider-Man was the genuine article and a Spider-Man I wanted to follow.

So, why am I mentioning this Marvel character in my review for a DC Comics movie? Because I had those same burned out feelings going into "The Batman". I had already seen multiple iterations of this character over the years and I was heading into this film without that usual excitement that I would have for a new Batman film.

I say this because that means that this movie had a tall order to pull me back into the franchise. Thankfully, director Matt Reeves delivers what I think might be the best film in this long running franchise. In this new iteration of Batman, the vigilante has been operating in Gotham for almost two years now and takes out his vengeful anger on the criminals who stalk those who can't defend themselves.

Unfortunately, there is a new villain in town calling himself the Riddler. He's a sadistic and anonymous madman that is targeting powerful people in Gotham including the mayor. The Riddler then leaves behind riddles directed at the Batman, seeming to indicate that the Dark Knight will have some sort of role to play in his sadistic schemes. Finally, Batman has a proper damned detective story to solve!

Meanwhile, Batman is feared not only by the criminals in Gotham but also by the citizens. His brutal tactics have criminals running scared, but what does his quest for vengeance mean to everyone else. The only one seeming ready to defend him is Lieutenant James Gordon, played perfectly by Jeffrey Wright, someone who I thought was perfect for the role the instant they announced his casting. Thankfully, he delivered and he may be my favorite actor to have ever taken on the role.

Now, how about our new Batman, Robert Pattinson? To be honest, I think that he may also be one of the best if not the best actor to play the role. He's not as connected to the Bruce Wayne side of things as much as other actors, but the story establishes that at this point in his career, Bruce is far more obsessed being a vengeful knight than trying to put on a good face as Wayne.

In addition to Pattinson's performance, Zoë Kravitz is good as Selina Kyle. Without spoiling anything for those not schooled in the comics, her story is mostly inspired by her role in Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's "The Long Halloween" storyline. In fact, most of this movie's story is inspired by that famous storyline so if you're looking for where Reeves got most of his inspiration, then look no further. There are other inspirations from the comics but to note them here would be to have more spoilers than I want to reveal here.

Like previous Batman films, there is plenty of action to go around, but what I loved the most about this movie is that it is also a compelling detective story involving the utterly creepy Riddler. This time, the master of riddles isn't messing around and is obviously inspired by the Zodiac Killer. On top of that, there are some genuinely creepy moments with this character and he is definitely one of the more effective villains found in a superhero film these days.

Finally, I will admit that the film's runtime could have been shaved here and there and there was no real reason for this film to be pushing close to three hours with its runtime. However, the runtime didn't affect me anywhere near as much as I thought it would. I can understand the runtime turning some people away, but it really didn't bother me by the time the credits rolled.

Truth be told, the more I thought about this film, the more I loved it. I dare say that I found it to be more enjoyable even over "The Dark Knight". That means that, yes, I'm saying that this is most definitely my favorite Batman film of all time. That means even more when considering how low my excitement levels were going into the movie.

"The Batman" is a fun and scary ride that pushes the boundaries of its PG-13 rating to deliver one of the Caped Crusader's best cinematic adventures!

A Quick Look at "Cyberpunk 2077" (Patch 1.5): Is It Worth Playing Now?

CD Projekt has finally delivered a decent game with patch 1.5 for 'Cyberpunk 2077'

When CD Projekt RED finally released "Cyberpunk 2077" at the end of 2020, the game was a bonafide hot mess. It also didn't help console gamers that plenty of the better reviews for the game didn't disclose clearly that they were reviewing the PC version of the game which had turned out the best despite the game still being glitchy even on the best of computers. When I initially bought the game, it was on a base PlayStation 4 and it was a gigantic dumpster fire on consoles.

Playing it for the first time, I encountered absolutely unforgivable glitches and plenty of game crashes. It was a heartbreaking experience considering how much I was looking forward to the game. I was relieved when Sony offered a way for us to get a refund for those who had bought it digitally. I got my money back and never looked back... until now.

CD Projekt RED had been releasing patches throughout the past 14 months, fixing all the numerous bugs and glitches. Still, none of those patches corrected the game enough for me to try the game out again. I had already been burned once and was not going to let it happen again. Also, I was waiting patiently until I had finally gotten a PlayStation 5.

Then, a few days ago, the developer released patch 1.5 and it was a massive upgrade. Not only did it add an extra 50GB to the gigantic game, it also provided a free upgrade for the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X. I went to the PlayStation Store and saw that the game was on sale for $25. That meant that it was time to take the risk and see if "Cyberpunk 2077" had gotten any better.

Now, first off, I'll talk about the game itself and go ahead and tell you that if you managed to play through the game before now, then you're not getting anything new here. If you enjoyed V's story and the game's first-person shooter RPG, then you'll still enjoy it here minus the glitches. If you did not enjoy the direction of the gameplay, then this will do nothing to change your mind... minus the glitches.

For me, I enjoyed the gameplay for what little I played before the game decided to take a giant crap on me. Therefore, I wasn't worried about whether or not I would find something fun within. I was worried about the game breaking problems the game had suffered over a year ago when I played it on my PS4 and hoped that I would not have to go through that again now.

The good news is that I've spent a few hours with the game on the PS5 and can say that I really wished this had been the game that CD Projekt had released in the first place. The graphics are better, the gameplay is smoother, and I've barely encountered any truly egregious bugs that plagued my first experience.

THE GRAPHICS

Night City is a gorgeous city to look at and it looks even better now that it plays at a smooth 60fps on the PS5. You could also change the settings to allow for ray tracing, though that will cause the game to drop to 30fps. I prefer skipping out on the ray tracing for the 60fps.

THE COMBAT

The combat is fast, furious, and fun for the most part. There have been complaints about the gameplay being shallow when compared to other action RPGs. I can't deny that the game is mostly a shooter and if that's not your thing, then you won't like what you find here. So far, though, I've been having a blast (literally) with most of the missions that I've been playing through.

THE RPG ELEMENTS

One thing that "2077" does suffer from is a seemingly overwhelming skill tree that is actually pretty simple to use but only looks daunting at first glance. The only real problem with this game is that there are so many weapons to choose from with each having their own powers and abilities. It kind of suffers from the same thing that the original "Mass Effect" suffered from in that you'll find yourself with an exceedingly large amount of guns, most of which you'll find that you'll want to disassemble or sell as you already have a more powerful weapon at your disposal.

THE DRIVING

This is a point where the game still suffers a bit for me. The handling of the vehicles is far better than it was originally when some of the vehicles were just not drivable. While the handling has been improved, I would still suggest either walking or running to your objective if you're close enough or using one of the game's many fast travel points to get to your goals instead.

THE STORY

I'm really digging the story so far, but if a post-apocalyptic cyberpunk setting isn't your bag, then what are you even doing here anyway. I also enjoy the fact that a pissed off Keanu Reeves is stuck inside your head and helping guide you along the way.

OVERALL

Overall, I'm very impressed with the few hours that I've spent in Night City and can't wait to dive back into more of the game. The game breaking glitches are gone for the most part and the few that have remained I can at least live with as most massive open world games often have a few unavoidable bugs. "Cyberpunk 2077" will never be the overly ambitious game that CD Projekt promised us before the game was finally released. Thankfully, with enough time and patches, they have at least delivered a decent shooter with RPG elements and a gorgeous open world.

It may never be perfect, but at least "Cyberpunk 2077" is a decent game now that is worth your time if you haven't played it or if you were screwed over the first time with the game's dubious launch.

OSCAR ROUNDUP #3 - 'Don't Look Up'

Of all the Best Picture nominees at this year's Academy Awards ceremony, "Don't Look Up" seems to be the one that split the critics straight down the middle. That is poetic when considering the film's subject matter. The movie stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence as two astrologers that have discovered a comet that is going to hit Earth in just over six months.

At first, it looks like they're alerting all the right people and that this may turn into another disaster film the likes of which you usually see from Roland Emmerich... then the politicians enter the picture. In this case, the politician is Meryl Streep as President Janie Orlean and her completely inept Chief of Staff son Jason, played by Jonah Hill. The midterms are coming up and they don't want to start a riot even if the science is showing that there is a almost 100% chance that the comet is going to hit Earth.

Both DiCaprio's Professor Randall Mindy and Lawrence's Kate Dibiasky then have to fight a 24 hour news media that actually doesn't give a damn about the actual news. They also have to face a public that is more concerned with their smart phones and fighting on social media than actually doing anything about this very real crisis. Oh, and there's also a tech billionaire that the government is trusting to resolve the situation at a certain point in the movie that has an alternative plan in order to get the rare materials detected on the comet that could benefit his company.

Now, on the outside, writer and director Adam McKay's biting and darkly comic satire may look a little ridiculous when you seen half the population ignoring the comet that is heading right for them. Take the comet and the rare materials and swap them with climate change and oil and the idea suddenly doesn't seem so absurd.

In fact, looking at the politicians in the movie and how people are reacting to the comet, I was surprised by just how much it wasn't coming off as absurd. When you go back to those critical scores, I bet you anything you could figure out those who want to listen to what McKay has to say and those who simply want to ignore the message because, maybe, it hits just a little too close to home.

In addition to McKay's masterful writing and directing, there are also the performances. DiCaprio and Lawrence are as dependable as they have always been, turning in award winning performances that I'm actually surprised that the Academy ignored this year. In addition to the leads, though, the supporting stars that includes Streep, Hill, and Mark Rylance are also exceptional.

My only real problem with the movie is a very minor one and that is that the ending takes one extra beat that I don't really think is needed, but it is darkly funny. That is another thing about the movie. It is still a satire, so there is still plenty of humor to be found throughout that helps you accept the message a little bit more than you would have if McKay had taken the material deadly serious.

He could have also fell into the trap of turning it into a generic action film, something that is made fun of in the film itself when Hollywood quickly turns around to make a big blockbuster based on the real world situation. There is also a funny little cameo during this moment.

The truth of this movie is that it comments on something that is very real and holds up a brutally truthful mirror to how our society handles (or flat out ignores) actual problems facing both humanity and the planet. There are those of us who want to actually do something about these problems, those who want to ignore it, and those who simply bitch about these problems on social media. To be honest, I had to admit to myself that I've been guilty of belonging to that last group and I've been trying to break myself away from it though I still slip up from time to time.

This film is a startling reminder that we all need to figure out how to come together and figure these problems out. If we don't, we may very well be doomed to extinction. This is a film that is not only worthy of your attention, it should also be considered required viewing for the lessons found within.

OSCAR ROUNDUP #2 - 'The Power of the Dog'

Once again, like with "Nightmare Alley", we have an ensemble period piece. This time, the story centers around four characters on a ranch in Montana in 1925. Benedict Cumberbatch and Jesse Plemons play Phil and George Burbank, two brothers that run a highly successful ranch. George is a soft-spoken and generous man while Phil is a rough-and-tumble and highly temperamental man.

One day, George becomes smitten with a waitress, Rose Gordon, played by Kirsten Dunst. They eventually marry and she moves into the ranch. Phil, unfortunately, is an uncontrollably manipulative person who doesn't trust Rose and tortures the young woman. Initially, he also makes fun of her more effeminate son, Pete (Kodi Smit-McPhee), before he also eventually starts to get close to the young man, though this is also suggested to be a manipulation to torture Rose.

To say much more would be to spoil the movie more than I've already had to, so I'll stop there with the synopsis. The first thing that I'll say is that if you don't like a slow burn psychological drama, then this movie is not for you. The movie methodically takes its time and you might find yourself wondering where any of this is going but it definitely gets there and sticks the landing by the end.

Now, this is the movie that is leading the charge in Oscar nominations this year with 12 nominations overall. It's the odds on favorite to win the big prize that is Best Picture. Also, I have no idea why they only gave Dunst a Best Supporting Actress nomination. It definitely should have been for Best Actress, especially when considering that it is Rose and Phil who face off the most in the movie and it is their conflict that drives the story.

While I don't necessarily know if the movie deserves the Best Picture award, the film's four leads definitely deserve their awards should they win in their categories. The performances all around are top notch, including Cumberbatch and Smit-McPhee.

Another aspect of the movie that works is the cinematography and setting. Now, director Campion couldn't actually shoot in Montana due to budgetary constraints, so she opted to shoot in her native New Zealand instead. She and her cinematographer, Ari Wegner, definitely did a great job of recreating Montana as I wondered if they actually shot on location or not. I'll be very surprised if Wegner doesn't win Best Cinematography.

After finishing the movie, I realized that I couldn't stop thinking about it. The movie has several layers that open up over time, including themes of jealousy, rage, and repressed sexuality. I didn't know what to expect from this movie as I had not seen much about it until I actually saw it, but this was not the film I thought I'd be getting.

Thankfully, though, it turned out to be quite the compelling drama and one that stuck with me long after I was done with it. Again, if you don't like extremely slow burns, then you may not like this one. However, beyond that, I can't think of too many other reasons for why you shouldn't watch this pretty incredible film from Campion and co.

OSCAR ROUNDUP REVIEWS #1 - "Nightmare Alley"

For the next few days, I've decided to write about the Oscar nominees for Best Picture at this year's Academy Awards ceremony. The first film I'm looking at is "Nightmare Alley", directed with loving care by the always impressive Guillermo del Toro and starring just about every great actor found in Hollywood's phonebook. The movie is a hard hitting film noir piece featuring an impressive lead, a few femme fatales, and impressive cinematography from Dan Laustsen and production design by Tamara Deverell and set design by Shane Vieau, all of whom have been nominated for Academy Awards.

The movie follows Bradley Cooper as Stan Carlisle, a drifter who happens upon a carnival after burning down a house with a body he places in the floorboards. Down on his luck, Stan takes a job as a carny and learns about the various shows. The one that impresses him the most is a clairvoyant act by Madame Zeena (Toni Collette) and her alcoholic husband, Pete (David Strathairn).

He is drawn to Pete's former life as a "mentalist" though Pete warns him about turning the act into a spook show about a target's lost loved ones. Eventually, Stan becomes attracted to Molly (Rooney Mara) and they eventually strike out on their own. Stan wishes to become a mentalist with Molly at his side.

Now, I'm going to admit that for the first hour of this movie, I was wondering just where in the hell it was going overall. During this time, we stay with the carnival and I began to wonder that this will be about the lives of those in the carnival. However, after Stan sees Pete's book of tricks when it comes to being a mentalist, I foresaw where the movie was going and I was there for the whole ride.

As I mentioned before, the style of this movie is spot on with brilliant direction by del Toro and its comparable in style to his earlier work (and Best Picture winner) "The Shape of Water" in 2017. On top of that, the movie also contains an impressive cast that includes the likes of Cate Blanchett, Willem Dafoe, Ron Perlman, Richard Jenkins, Mary Steenburgen, and Holt McCallany. I think it also goes without saying that they all bring their best to the film.

Honestly, I would say that "The Shape of Water" is a better film for me in del Toro's filmography. That movie hooked me a lot faster with its story while this one kind of dragged a bit too much in the beginning. Yet, by the end of the movie, I knew that I had watched something pretty spectacular and worth watching again to see what I may have missed the first time around.

The movie was rightfully nominated for Best Picture, though I feel that del Toro and Cooper were snubbed for the Best Directing and Best Actor categories. If you haven't seen this movie and you're a fan of good film noir period pieces and del Toro's distinctive visual style, then this movie is definitely for you!

UNEDITED - What I Want From 'Scream 6'

 

Welcome to Unedited, an article straight from my brain to the page. No editing... which means that you'll see all of the warts. These are quick articles where I just take a few minutes to write down a few thoughts and today, I want to share my thoughts on what I would like to see from "Scream 6", a film that was officially confirmed by Spyglass and Paramount Pictures.

Today, it was announced by Spyglass and Paramount Pictures that active development had begun on "Scream 6" due to the unexpected success of the recent film. The only thing announced beyond this was that the creative team behind this year's "Scream" would be returning to develop the new story. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett will return to direct the latest film and writers James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick will return to pen the new script.

Apparently, Paramount wants production to begin as early as this Summer. So, what do I want from another entry into this long-running franchise? Let's see...

NO SIDNEY AND GALE

It may come as a shock to some that I'm even suggesting that they let Sidney Prescott and Gale Weathers go, but let's face it, their story is effectively done. While it was great to see Sidney, Gale, and Dewey (R.I.P.) return for another outing, I found that I was actually entertained by the new cast members. I found that I really didn't need the "legacy characters" as much as I thought I did.

Also, it was good to see the original characters return in order to pass the baton down the line to the new kids on the block in Woodsboro. It really did feel like Sidney and Gale could ride off into the bloody sunset after the events of the latest film. Finally, these characters have survived five run-ins with Ghostface and it's time to just let them rest.

However, that's not to say that other legacy characters from other sequels couldn't return.

BRING BACK KIRBY!

I was talking to a friend of mine and a fellow "Scream" fan and she suggested what the internet has been after for awhile anyway. Why not bring back Hayden Panettiere as Kirby Reed from "Scream 4"? In the latest film, there is already an easter egg suggesting that her character actually survived the events of the previous film.

Also, there is a scene where kids at a party yell "For Wes!" It is known that the filmmakers got a lot of cast and crew members to record themselves saying that in honor of the late, great Wes Craven, the original director of this series. Panettiere was one of the actresses brought in to record the line, suggesting that she has a good relationship with the studio and filmmakers.

Another point is that she's not as big a legacy character as Sidney or Gale, so her safety in the new film wouldn't be as assured as it was for the original survivors that had already survived four encounters with Ghostface. Besides, the internet is behind bringing the character back and considering that the internet doesn't usually agree on just about anything else, I think there's a golden opportunity to bring back one of the better characters to come out of "Scream 4".

POSSIBLY TAKE IT OUT OF WOODSBORO?

Finally, the new movie doesn't necessarily have to take place in Woodsboro. Now, this point I'm not really that hung up on. If "Scream 6" is set in Woodsboro, then so be it. However, the series has proven in the past that the movie doesn't have to be set in the original film's setting. The second film was set at Sidney's college campus and the third film was set in Hollywood.

"Scream 4" commentated on remakes of the original film and the latest "Scream" commented on the idea of requels, sequels that have connections to the original film. Therefore, setting those films in Woodsboro actually made sense for the nature of their story.

I'll go ahead and say that whether or not "Scream 6" is set in Woodsboro is not a deal breaker, but it does depend on what direction that the filmmakers take the story in.

TRUTH BE TOLD, I'LL STILL WATCH IT NO MATTER WHAT

At the end of the day, though, these are just my suggestions. No matter what the filmmakers do, I know I'll go see the movie. I'm too big a fan not to go. Still, my only concern is that they manage to keep the new film fresh and with a great take on whatever horror films they decide to tackle next in "Scream 6"!