Category: Movies

Random Thoughts on Spider-Man: Homecoming

Spider-Man: Homecoming is easily the cutest (damn you Baby Groot!) most innocent movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Unless your heart is made out of coal, it’s hard not to be charmed by the film’s “Aw Shucks” attitude. The captivating innocence is created by a combination of an inexperienced hero that’s eager to please, an idyllic high-school setting, and a wonderfully wholesome actor. In many ways, Spider-Man: Homecoming is the MCU equivalent of Glee (as a Gleek, I consider this an excellent thing).

Show choir analogies aside, Spider-Man: Homecoming is flat-out good and loads of fun. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is objectively one of the best MCU movies. Many geek tastemakers consider it one of the best superhero movies ever made. While I absolutely agree with that opinion, I’ve rewatched Captain America: Civil War much, much more. Civil War isn’t as good as The Winter Soldier, but it’s way more fun. What impressed me about Spider-Man: Homecoming was that it’s a top-tier MCU movie that’s also highly rewatchable. Prior to seeing this movie, I considered Guardians of the Galaxy to have the best blend of quality and rewatchability, as far as MCU movies go. Well move over Star Lord, because Spidey just stole your throne.

Whether you’re a hardcore comics nerd or someone with a marginal interest in teenagers that have been bitten by radioactive spiders, I highly recommend Spider-Man: Homecoming. It’s a great superhero movie that will enchant you with its innocence.

Now it’s time for some random thoughts on the movie, using the RPadTV battle-tested binary system. (That’s your cue to use your web shooters to craft yourself an arachnid spoiler shield.)

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Random Thoughts on The Fate of the Furious

The Fate of the Furious is the latest chapter in the saga of Dominic Toretto and his vaunted family (#family). Starting with Fast Five, the franchise has transformed from a tale about street racers to a tale of international adventurers. While there’s a race early on in the movie, the rest is about fast cars, ridiculous action, massive collateral damage, vicious punches, and diatribes about family. Although there are some new characters and major changes to old ones, nothing about The Fate of the Furious feels fresh. It’s loads of fun if you’re looking for big, dumb action, but I doubt it will create any new fans.

Here are some random thoughts on The Fate of the Furious, presented in RPadTV binary style. If you don’t want to see any spoilers then it’s time to hit the NOS button and drive on outta here.

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Random Thoughts on Logan (Wolverine, X-Men)

Logan is easily one of the two best comic-book movies Fox has ever released. It would be difficult to argue with anyone that says it’s the best. For me, it’s not (more on that later), but that doesn’t really matter. What does matter is that Logan is a fantastic movie that serves as a bittersweet farewell to Hugh Jackman’s take on Wolverine. Before I go any further, activate your X-gene’s spoiler-blocking abilities, because it’s time for some random thoughts on Logan.

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Five Reasons Why March 2017 Will Be an Awesome Nerd Month

March is going to a be a glorious month for nerds and people with nerdish tendencies. There are so many wonderful things to look forward to — potentially fantastic movies, a new videogame console, and an all-new, all-different television series from Marvel. While I’m still adjusting to life in America after a month in Asia, these things will certainly make the transition easier. Let’s take a look at all the brilliant nerd stuff coming in March 2017.

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CHiPs Will Be My Favorite Bad Movie of 2017

I’m very much excited for CHiPs, starring Dax Shepard and Michael Pena as California policemen Jon Baker and Frank “Ponch” Poncherello. Oh, I’m certain that it’s not going to be a “good” movie, but I’m also certain that it will have its moments. CHiPs is late to the party of ’70s television show remakes hitting the big screen. Charlie’s Angels, Starsky & Hutch, and The Dukes of Hazzard have already received Hollywood remakes. However, CHiPs holds a special place in my heart and I’m more excited for this movie than I was for any of its contemporaries.

Nostalgia is, of course, a tremendous factor in CHiPs’ appeal. As a kid, the show resonated with me for several reasons. First, motorcycles are frickin’ cool. My childhood friend Chris and I would ride our bikes as we pretended to be Ponch and Jon, substituting the bland sidewalks of New York for the exotic highways of California. The show was also the first time I saw a non-white lead. That was huge for me as a kid. All my other favorite TV characters were white (Batman, Buck Rogers, the Dukes, etc.). Sure, I wasn’t Puerto Rican like Erik Estrada (Ponch), but the fact that a non-white person could be the coolest guy on the show was a revelation.

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Coffee Talk #672: Emma Watson Will Rule 2017

Emma Watson is going to rule 2017. I’m fairly certain of this. This isn’t like the time I watched Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure and thought, “That Alex Winter has a huge future in Hollywood.” It’s not like the first time I saw The Rockers and thought, “Man, Marty Janetty needs to get rid of that other guy.” Shortly before the release of Beauty and the Beast and for the rest of the year, Emma Watson will own 2017.

The early clips of Beauty and the Beast (a pair embedded below for your convenience) look amazing. It looks like a frame-for-frame real-life recreation of the best Disney animated movie of all time. Emma Watson is an intelligent and beautiful woman in real life. Beauty and the Beast’s Belle is an intelligent and beautiful woman in the movie. The casting is perfect and the role should show off Emma Watson’s gorgeous spunkiness brilliantly. She even does a commendable job (for someone that isn’t a professional singer) paying tribute to Paige O’Hara’s incredible voice from the animated movie. I’m positive that the movie will rule and elevate Emma Watson’s radiant star to a whole new stratosphere (in the atmospheric sense, not like that crap Las Vegas casino).

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Coffee Talk #671: The Best of 2016

Another year is in the books! Thanks so much for making RPad.TV a part of your 2016. To celebrate and reflect on the year that was, let’s take a look back at some of the best things of 2016. Naturally, when I mean “best,” I really mean “favorite.” (The idea of a movie or a record being “best” is…stupid.) Below is a “Best of 2016” list of my favorite movie, vaping gear, album, WWE Superstar, and more. I’d love to hear about your favorite anything and everything of 2016. Please share your personal highlights in the comments section. Now let’s do this!

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Second Thoughts on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Yesterday, I caught Rogue One: A Star Wars Story for the second time. My first viewing was in IMAX 3D. The second time around it was in 2D Sony 4K. Naturally, I have additional random thoughts on the movie, as well as some points I forgot to make in my first story. Below are more musings on this fine film, directed by Gareth Edwards and conceived by the wonderful Gary Whitta. You may turn on your spoiler shields when ready.

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Star Wars 4K Exists, According to Gareth Edwards

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story director Gareth Edwards told Little White Lies that he watched a 4K Ultra HD version of Star Wars: A New Hope. Confirmation that Star Wars 4K exists is huge news for fans of the series. That said, there are several questions that fans will still want the answers to. Which version of the movie was converted to 4K? And when will Star Wars 4K be available? Before I dive into those questions, here are Edwards’ exact words.

We were in Lucasfilm in San Francisco with Industrial Light and Magic and John Knowles, our supervisor, he said that they’ve got a brand new 4K restoration print of A New Hope — it had literally just been finished.

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Not a Review of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a fantastic movie, but for fans that grew up watching the original trilogy, it’s something more. Rogue One has a Star Wars feel, but with more mature and more evolved sensibilities. For those longtime Star Wars fans that were kids when they first saw the originals, it’s a stellar experience. As their tastes have developed and matured, moviemaking has developed and matured. While I recommend the movie to anyone that’s the least bit nerdy, it’s a must-see (and see again) for sci-fi nerds of a certain age.

Having said all that, I had some minor issues with the film. As great as Rogue One was, I can’t help but wonder if it would have been a better movie with the original writers and without the reshoots. There were also some minor details that were convenient to the plot, but bothered me as a rational human being. That means, of course, it’s time for some random thoughts on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Lock your S-foils in spoiler formation and let’s blow this thing (and go home?).

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