Justice League non-spoiler review!

Ever since Man of Steel released in 2013 the hype engines were released! BatmanVSuperman followed in 2016 and the possibility of a Justice League movie excited many comic and movie fans. Well, that time has come, Snyders vision reaches its climax in hopes of creating the beginning of something very special. The idea of this movie is incredible for me personally being a DC fan and taking deep interests in the DC world and it's characters. However, critically the movies of the DC universe haven't done very well. So, you're wondering, is it good? Lucky for you, you are now reading (...and I can't believe I'm about to say this but...) my non-spoiler JUSTICE LEAGUE review!! You already knew that from the title, I just wanted to say it.

The good!

Right from the start, this movie does an awesome job at showing familiar themes and locations such as Gotham and Themyscira whilst also introducing new locations such as Central City, Star Labs, and Atlantis. It gives the audience a feeling that they're part of a growing universe. The movie introduces three new characters; Barry Allen aka The Flash, Arthur Curry aka Aquaman, and Victor Stone aka Cyborg. Considering the fact, the movie was only two hours, it did well to establish a strong background and potential background for these characters showing us who they are and where they have come from. The movie progresses quickly, the pacing is fast and never really slows down meaning there are no moments that drag. The team dynamic is the movie's highlight. The cast chemistry is brilliant and relationships are developed well through dialogue and purpose.

Each character is given their own style and time in the light, really giving you a feel this is a Justice

League rather than a 'Batman and the Justice League movie'. Bruce's character is coherent with the continuation of development since the end of BvS and Wonder Woman is still in top form, reproducing what we loved from her own solo movie. The Flash's humour works well and displays Barry's intelligence as well as his awkwardness. He is very much a hero with no experience yet. Aquaman is the 'rockstar' of the group who lightens moments as well as intensifies them. As for Superman... I won't say anything because there are no spoilers here! The movie also ties in really well with all the previous movies plots really giving the sense of its all come to this. Having said that, it leaves you with the feeling of it only just beginning.

The humour is mostly handled well creating a very positive and optimistic vibe and dynamic whilst not damaging the downfalls and imperfections that are key to the portrayal of the characters. It develops the characters, sets the mood and keeps the movie rolling. DC operate on moving from the darkness to the light and telling tales of victory from tragedy. Its a balance of light and dark that I don't don't feel BvS or Wonder Woman achieved. They were on the opposite ends of the spectrum but Justice League found the middle meet. The action was spread throughout, it was well done, organised and very well shot with mini team-ups and character spotlighting.




The Bad!

Nothing. It's perfect. Everything was amazing. No need for this section of the review. I'm joking of

course, just like every movie, there are things that didn't work in my opinion. The first stand out negative for me is the length of the movie. Scenes moved too quickly and jumped around various locations. The scenes were good, it's just that the audience isn't really left with much time to fully process them. It is pretty clear that the studio cut the movie down as some trailer scenes aren't included and I really would've liked to see some of those scenes extended. Maybe in an ultimate cut! This is particularly present early on. One of the other things that unfortunately was pushed a little too far was the humour. It definitely worked but there's a couple line where it was unnecessary and a little cringy.

The plot of the movie is well defined and explained. It's not awfully complicated or awfully simple. It's interesting and easily digestible. The villain, however, falls short in the movie. He gives the League a hell of a fight but is weak in the background and origin. His motive is clear but the absence of origin leads him to become a character who is one dimensional. This, of course, is a common negative for nearly every superhero movie nowadays. The way the villain is defeated is a very comic book cliche end and in this case, it seemed like a weak end the main villain.

Conclusion.

Overall the movies CGI proves to be a negative that just plays as an annoyance rather than a damaging visual. The reason for this is the team dynamic, action and humour. It is a great coming together of the things that we liked from previous movies and this leads on to feel like the beginning of an expansive DC comics world that may be able to find it's own lane. The villain was weak but was a good adversary to the team. The humour is a little hit and miss at a few points throughout but if it doesn't make you laugh, it still plays into understanding the characters more. Cyborg is a stand out character for me through Ray fishers acting and voice, I'm excited to see what happens to him next. The point of the movie was to progress and finish arcs for Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman as well as create new arcs for them all (except Supes because he's dead of course). The movie isn't fantastic and won't be the best movie you have ever seen but it is a very fun movie which ties together previous plots and creates new ones. It's the DC characters you have been waiting for and it's a very satisfying two-hour watch. The movie is a tale of optimism. A journey from the darkness into the light and the actualizing of destiny for all its characters. Justice League gets a blog of steel rating of 8/10. I am almost certain, if they release an extended cut, the movie would be even better.

That's all for this post! I hope you enjoyed reading it and I hope you go out there, watch the Justice league, have a good time and form your own opinions! My next post will probably be a Justice League spoiler talk post so make sure you have seen the movie before then. As always, if you like this post, share it on any social media by using the buttons just below. Follow me on google+ or subscribe by email at the top of the page and if there's anything you want to say, maybe have a discussion, use the comment box below or tweet me @Akash_Sond. Until next time!

Stranger Things 2: Review

Hey everyone! It's been a while but what better way to return than reviewing Stranger Things 2, the sequel to the widely loved Netflix original series Stranger Things. Does the second season keep up the standard or does it turn the show upside down? Find out now by reading my Stranger review! no wait that sounds weird, im not reviewing strangers I promise. Take two... Find out now in my Stranger reviews things! nope that didn't work either. There's a good punny title in there somewhere i'm sure. You get the point, read on to see my view on the shows highly anticipated second season!

Things only get stranger...

**Oh and huuuuuge spoiler warning if you have not seen the entirety of the show thats currently out and available. Theres also a few puns. You've been warned** 

When Will they give this kid a break!? Once again Will Byres has a horrid time because the evil of the upside down just won't let him go. The season kicks into action almost immediately by showing audiences the residue of the upside down is still very much looming in the dark and unknown. Will is very much an outcast off the back of last years events and is struggling to fit in. The shadow monster then uses his body as a vessel to help conduct a larger plan, which they never actually explain. It is, however, safe to assume that it was evil and people were in a lot of danger.

Who ya gonna call?... Jim Hopper!

The dynamic between the kids is great once again, I really enjoyed how the show didn't just rely on season one themes like the groups interactions. We know these kids now and we love em'! They build on the mystery, intelligence and they even expand the group with a new member, Max! Mike has changed since Eleven's disappearance last season which causes friction purposeful to the plot but not boring or too elongated. Plus it kept fans waiting for that all important reunion. Although the show didn't rely on past themes, it does stick to the same DNA that made season one successful. The kids start Dustin off their thinking caps and figure out what needs to be done. With only nine episodes, the seasons plot moves along intensely, pushing the show to it's Max whilst still having character building/developing moments that don't feel forced at all. This creates a very cohesive season where everything feels in place and nicely timed.

One of my favourite arcs of the season was Steve Harrington. The all popular school Jock turned all caring babysitter played a pivotal role in the show. Its moments that scale the huge wider-picture Demogorgon invasion down to a tale about a small town that really makes stranger things work. Last season it was just the main kids, but this season it was the dynamics between groupings of characters like the Max, Dustin, & Lucas love triangle, the adventures of Nancy & Johnathon, the father-daughter tales of Hopper & Eleven and the babysitter Steve Harrington. These subplots and arcs kept the show interesting and engaging whilst also furthering the shadow monster plot. Oh and quick shoutout to Lucas' sister, she was so funny in the few scenes she appeared in.

Speaking of the plot, it's a little strange. Good but strange. There's a big ass monster in the upside down that seemingly wants to kill everyone and uses Demo-dogs as its minions but it's never truly explained more than that. We see the Shadow monster but at the same time we don't really. The stranger thing, is how show almost uses a 'smoke and mirrors' tactic to make audiences feel like there's a real danger but distracts them away from fully questioning what the end game actually is. This means the season ends with fans having so many questions. SO MANY. What does the evil in the upside down want? What is the shadow monster? How intelligent are Demogorgons? Is Hawkins the only place this is happening? Where are the other kids like Eleven and Eight? And thats just to name a few.

The show features a super wide range of easter eggs and nods to the 80's of course as its the time which the show is set. Theres too many to list but i'll share a few of my favourites. The music is always a nice touch, some classically popular songs are played throughout, most featuring in the final episode at the Snowball. In the fifth chapter titled 'Dig-Dug', the range are playing an old arcade game called dig-dug. At first this may seem like nothing but 80's fun however the point of the game involves going deep into tunnels underground and battling monsters. In chapter nine, Nancy and Steve are digging through junk at the Byers' house to find anything useful, its hidden by distracting dialogue but Steve picks up Christmas lights. Yep! Stranger things just easter egged itself by referencing a throwback to season 1's famous scene where Joyce communicates with Will.

Ok so overall does the season stack up? Of course it does! It was very enjoyable, it expanded the stranger things world very well without losing its roots or DNA. There weren't any side plots I was not interested in and all characters developed really well. The two main cast additions fit the world well, Max immediately felt like a true member of the party and Billy... well... he was an ass but they gave us an insight to why he's like that and im excited to see where his arc takes him next season. The only major gripe I have with Stranger things 2 is chapter Seven. Yes, its basically Eleven's soft spin-off episode. In my opinion, it didn't fit the theme, feel or vibe of the show. I wasn't interested in Eight's story, the weird gang she was with or what their mission was. It felt like a weirdly edgy attempt at an X-men TV show that i wouldn't watch. With all this being considered Stranger Things 2 gets a Blog of Steel rating of 9/10 Aaaand Bob's your uncle!... actually no, Bob's dead, let's have minute of silence for the founder of the AV club.

Next season im hoping to see different groupings of characters, less of the stuff we saw in chapter Seven, the expansion of the knowledge of what the upside down is and what the Shadow Monster actually wants. Most importantly though, I want the show to keep the same DNA and keep it close to the characters rather than the plot. I'll leave you with one very interesting question... What will happen with the Demo-dog that was left in the fridge?... you have to remember, he likes it cold.

Well that's my review, I hope you enjoyed reading it! Agree or disagree with my thoughts? Let me know by commenting below or tweeting me @Cashman_97. If you haven't already, subscribe by email in the box at the top right of the page or click that follow button to follow me on google+. Use the buttons below to share this post to various social media sites. Until next time Stranger Thinglings!

Annabelle Creation Review

Remember that creepy doll from the Conjuring series and the disappointing spin off that followed? Well, it's back with a prequel! James Wan returns to produce the movie. He has directed many successfull horror movies such as Saw, Insidious, and most importantly The conjuring 1 and 2. Interestingly, James Wan was not involved in the first Annabelle movie... and it was not very good. So hopefully his involvement in Annabelle creation makes for a better movie! So do James Wan and director David F. Sandberg get the second attempt at an Annabelle movie right? Read on to find out because this is my Annabelle creation review! Creepy images throughout! Oh and i'll warn you before you get to any spoilers like usual.

Annabelle Creation is the spinoff prequel movie that, as explained in the title, tells the story of how the Annabelle doll was created and how it became evil. The movie focuses on a group of orphans cared for by a nun. They move into a very large house owned by a generous man, Samuel Mullins, who takes care of his sick wife. Things get dark very quickly when Mr. Mullins tells Janice, the young girl with the broken leg, that she isn't allowed into the locked room. Ever. In typical horror movie fashion, Janice enters the room and the main plot of the movie kicks into action. The movie seems fairly typical and cliche until the movie unexpectedly switches it's focus and point of view. It kept the movie fresh and prevented it from dragging throughout.

The characters of the young orphans have minimal but adequate development. Personalities and

dynamics are established quickly and this is another factor that supports the movies pacing and keeps it very consistent and smooth. As for horror tropes which is obviously one of the most important things in a horror movie, Annabelle creation uses the normal tricks, tropes and suspense but uses it well. It's something you have seen before but isn't boring to watch again. One thing I really liked about the movie is that it brings back scarecrows! Horror movies haven't used scarecrows for so long and its great to see the creepy fellas back in action. As much as CGI improves and horror movies try to change, a scarecrow in a barn that subtly moves as a character looks away and then looks back will ever get old!

The ending of the movie is the typical high intensity, scare after scare, sequence where the evil is let lose and basically tries to kill everyone. The scene is good and probably beats out most of the other recent horror movie end sequences. The movie is smaller in scale than its Conjuring siblings but does well to present the horror or evil as being formidable. The movie does well to sprinkle in some cool new elements amongst the horror where unorthodox camera angles are used or the scenes go further with the evil than you may expect them to. The movie also does very well to keep the feeling of an evil presence around even during the cool down scenes. Some horror movies often have a damaged final result due to killing the scare or horror completely in these cool down scenes, so Annabelle creation does well to avoid this common mistake.

"He's right behind me ins't he?"

**SPOILER ALERT, skip to next paragraph to avoid!!!** Annabelle creation does a great job of

linking itself to the other movies in the series. The most obvious reference is clearly the doll itself which was first seen in The Conjuring. One of the more interesting links comes at the end of the movie which shows Janice, who was possessed by the demon being sent into care where she has assumed the identity of Annabelle and is taken in by a family. The scene shows her grow up and 12 years later attack and kill her family. This may seem like nothing but the scene quickly moves to show a neighbour being woken buy the noise. This neighbour is Mia, the main character of the first Annabelle movie. This ending connects the two movies in a very cool way. The most awesome reference is actually an easter egg for a future spin off. The Conjuring 2 showed a hella creepy character known as Valek or more simply, 'The Nun'. You remember that creepy blue face nun thingy that scared the hell out of you in The Conjuring 2? Well it turns out the nun in Annabelle creation has had a past experience with it. This along with an after, after, credits scene goes hand in hand with a recent announcement that the nun is getting its own spinoff! Im so ready for that. I wonder what will come next in the series; The Conjuring 3, Annabelle 3, or The Nun? We'll have to wait and see.

Ok so i'm pretty sure the kind of horror movie where you can't sleep after watching it (The exorcist for example) is dead and gone away. So don't go into watching Annabelle creation thinking it will be the scariest thing you have seen for a long while. It's not. It is however, above the general standard of horror movies. The concept won't blow you away at all because it's been done so many times before and the movie follows a slightly inclined path of enjoyment that doesn't really reach any heights that will make it memorable. When it comes to making horror movies these days, you can only beat what is in front of you. Most new horror movies have the same plots and use the same tricks to scare us. Annabelle does the same but does it a little better. The focus on multiple children has already been used in the first Conjuring movie so although it seems they re-used it to create familiarity or consistency, it appeared to be a little stale and presented itself as nothing new.

The conjuring series is arguably the best current horror series with Insidious just behind. Annabelle creation is good. It is a smaller movie than The Conjuring so it's almost expected to not be as good. But with that being said, Sandberg does well to follow on well from James Wan's conjuring series and does a hell of a lot better than the team responsible for the first Annabelle. It's a smaller movie that keeps the evil presence at large and succeeds in keeping said evil formidable and frightening. The jump scares are nothing new but work well due to the use of new camera angles and classic scenes with dimming lights done in smarter ways than usual. The acting is actually pretty good! This is no surprise and is in line with the rest of The Conjuring series. This is one of the factors that tends to place the series above it's competitors. No movie in the Conjuring series has managed to top the first and Annabelle creation is no different. It makes a good attempt and will draw in interest for another possible movie but is unlikely to be remembered. With this being said, Annabelle creation get a Blog of Steel horror rating of 7/10. Seems too high of a rating I know, but I have rated this movie on a specific horror scale. This movie won't compete with the best movies of the year but will compete with best horrors of the year.

I hope you enjoyed my review and it has helped you decide whether or not you will watch Annabelle creation. If you have already seen it or are planning to, let me know what your thoughts are by commenting below. Click that follow button on the top right of the page and subscribe by email just below if you haven't already. You can also tweet me @Akash_Sond if you have a request for me to write about something in particular. Give me a follow on instagram as well @Cashman_97. The last few blog posts have gotten higher views than ever before and each week it keeps growing so be part of that movement and share this blog post with anyone who you think may enjoy reading it! Thanks for reading and I'll be back with another post soon!

Arrow Review and Preview!

"My name is Oliver Queen and I was stranded on a hellish island for five years..." But not really because he actually went to Russia, Hong Kong, back to Starling and then finally back to the island for a couple days. That's right, this week i'm talking about Arrow! The first two seasons were awesome, the third was pretty bad and the fourth was a little weird. So how was the fifth? Read on to find out because this is my Arrow season 5 review and season 6 preview. Enjoy! **Spoilers for Arrow season 5**

Season 5 Review.

Season 5 of Arrow was incredible. Right from the first episode where it kicked off with fast paced action and incredible stunts it quickly introduced new characters such as Wild Dog and Dinah Drake to the point where it feels like we've had them for two seasons already. The seasons pacing was great, every episode was better and different than the previous. In the episodes focusing on Oliver's mayorship, Arrow took on issues such as gun control and delivered thought provoking well done episodes that were more intelligent than any other DC show. Oliver Queen was tested like never before. He questioned all that he believed to be true, re-evaluated his own motives and lost belief in his own ability. This wasn't his choice, it was the doing of the seasons big villain, Prometheus. Prometheus is the reason why season 5 of Arrow is the best season any DC TV show has ever had.

The show perfectly showed how intimidating and frightening the villain is by having him kill Thobias Church, who was presumed to be the secondary villain of the season. Along with the scare factor, The show nailed the revealing. It was expected but simultaneously so unexpected. The scenes where Oliver and Adrian are working together at the mayors office has got to be some of the best and most tense scenes of television I have ever seen. Prometheus was the smartest villain Oliver has ever faced. He understood Oliver and used that to break him mentally and physically. Prometheus knew no boundaries and it's that, along with the unpredictability of what he will do next that made this season so exciting. Season 5 of Arrow was not Oliver Queen's season, it will be remembered as Prometheus' season. With the season full circling and concluding the island flashbacks, Oliver will no longer be as mentally burdened by his past. The question is, who will live to see the new Oliver Queen after Prometheus blew up the island with most of team Arrow still on it? Off the back of this incredible season, let's have a look at what we know about season 6 so far.

Season 6 Preview. 

So we all know that everyone isn't dead. In fact some characters have already been confirmed from comic-con where the show released a trailer for episode 5X01 WATCH IT HERE. I am very excited for this season of Arrow. Details and descriptions were released at comic-con and all of them are very promising. Some of the details include the producers saying that the things that fans loved about season 5 will be included in season 6 which is good because this clearly wasn't the case transitioning from season 2 to 3. From the trailer, we see Oliver in some scenes with his son William, this possibly hints at Willaim's mother, Samantha dying in the Lian Yu explosion. Having Oliver focus on being a Father will bring a whole new light and dynamic to the show that I really think will work. Can one man really be a vigilante, the mayor and a father?

Arrow is loved for it's fight choreography and stunts. Producer Marc Guggenheim revealed that season 6 will attempt some of the biggest fights and stunts that the show has ever seen. The increase in stunts and practical effects may have something to do with the big bad of the season, Richard Dragon. Without spoiling too much, Richard Dragon is basically one of the best hand to hand combatants the DC universe has ever seen. He has faced off against many and won. His combat skills are definitely up their with the likes of Ra's al Ghul, Batman, Nightwing and Deathstroke. Nothing more could really be revealed at comic-con due to the risk of spoiling the show, so what else do we hope to see in season 6?

What I hope to see.

The biggest thing I hope to see this season of Arrow is just more of the same. KEEP IT CONSISTENT! Arrow is my favourite DC show and I stuck with it through season 3 and 4 in hopes it would get a revival. It did, the show came back with it's best season. It received wide praise from all over the fanbase so I would hope that the director and producers just stick to what they know is working. Drastically changing the show is a bad idea, however softly rebooting isn't so much of a bad idea. With the flashbacks ending, Oliver's tortured past no longer burdening him, and most of the team suffering physical or mental injuries from the island explosion, Arrow finds itself in a great place. A place where it can make changes to aspects of characters personalities that didn't work. They can almost start the show over again. Season 1-5 could almost be a prologue or 'pilot show' with season 6 being the first season of something brand new but also very familiar. The shows take on the comic book archer started very dark and it is now possible, if they wanted to, to start lifting Olivers seriousness and brooding into a slightly more positive outlook and maybe even some displays of humour. If they were to attempt this I would urge them not to go crazy, the show works when its dark and familiar.

I hope to see more of the secondary characters this season especially Diggle and Wild Dog. I personally think they had the best arcs last season and Wild Dog quickly became a favourite character of mine. Something I am super excited to see is the showdown of the Canaries. Black Siren VS Black Canary (Dinah Drake). It was teased in last seasons finale but hopefully we will see more. The fallout from season 5 is an easy ploy to mature characters and fast track their development. I hope the show doesn't shy away from taking on societal problems like it did last season with the episode on gun control. Oliver is still mayor and he should still be facing political issues and trying to solve them. This arc in fact, could take up the episode space that will be left by the absence of the flashbacks. All in all, what I am most excited to see is the stunts and fight choreography. Even in the shows worst seasons, the fighting was among the best on TV and I am hoping it will only get bigger and better. We even see Oliver flip off of a building in the trailer!

This weeks Instagram shoutout goes to @arrowcentral, if you are a fan of arrow and want to stay up to date with any castings or season details, this is the page you want to follow! I've been following them for some time now and have interacted with them on their posts. If you want an arrow discussion or debate, the comment section of any of their posts will satisfy. Who knows, you might even see me commenting! So go give them a follow and show the page some love. Click here to go to their page!

So that's all for this week! I hope you enjoyed season 5 as much as I did or have now been convinced to watch it. What are you hoping to see in season 6? let me know by commenting below this post or tweeting me @Akash_Sond. Also give me a follow on instagram @cashman_97. If you liked reading this post, click that follow button at the top right of the page and subscribe by email just below that so you never miss a post! If you want to, go back and read some of my previous posts, I have reviewed many popular movies and shows. If you know anyone who might be interested in reading my blog, be sure to share it with them, theres a few little buttons under this paragraph which allow for super easy sharing to some popular social networking sites like Facebook and twitter. So go on, share it! See you next week with another post.  

The Flash Review and Preview!

The show that's all about the fastest man alive who wasn't actually the fastest man alive for 95% of season 1, 2 or 3 is back! The first two seasons were great, entertaining and had pretty good storylines! Season 3 however was a different story, it ended up suffering from the CW season 3 curse. What's that you ask? Well theres a pattern where most CW shows' season 3 is not great. Arrow, The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural and Smallville all fell victim to a less than good third season. Will season 4 redeem the show and bring it back the good old days? Let's talk about what we know so far. Everything in red is a link so click them! 

**Spoilers for The Flash Season 3 so don't read on if you're not up to date**

Season 3 Review.

Let's start off by looking at what didn't work in season 3. One of the biggest problems was the big reveal. It was long winded, confusing and generally didn't land with the effect they wanted it to when it was revealed that the big baddie Savitar was in fact an evil version of Barry. The simple reason for this was that the season had already shown 'good Barry' in a negative light stemming from the decisions he made to save his mum and trigger flashpoint. So in a way, there was no good VS evil Barry because they were both bad. It was too predictable. Pitting a more happy, morally strong Barry against Savitar would have had a greater effect as audiences would be shocked and horrified to find out the golden hearted hero was unexpectedly actually the villain.  Another problem was the time travel. We get it, The Flash can time travel and that's cool but when you're changing the timeline every few eps, it just gets frustrating, tiring and confusing. Can you actually explain the in and outs of how Savitar exists? Me neither.  

A more minor problem with the shows third season was its lack of focus on previously introduced characters such as Jesse and Wally. There was so much more potential to develop those characters but one ended up half leaving the show and the other was used as a gimmicky side piece. The focus on Barry's relationship with Iris took centre stage for the whole season to provide motive and heart to the finale, but this was ultimately damaged by Barry's character arc this season. Barry was not a relatable character who seemed to never learn from his mistakes and seemed incapable of doing much of anything by himself. In turn this lead to audiences caring for Iris more than Barry which meant that Barry having to enter the speed force at the end of the season wasn't emotional and actually just felt like the right thing. The season didn't begin strongly, maintain well or end with interest for the next season. 

Season 4 Preview.

Fear not Flash fans! There seems to be hope for the Scarlett Speedsters' fourth season. Descriptions of the new season were released at comic con last week along with a new trailer for episode 4X01 which you can watch here!. In summary of the most important details that were announced, the producers of the show have explained that the season will start with a six month time jump from the finale. They explained that when Barry eventually comes out of the speed force, he will be a changed hero with a strong sense of morality and a personality more in line with that of season 1 and 2's Barry Allen. HELL YEAH!.. no more emo Barry with the weird fringe. 

Along with Barry's changed personality, the producers say that time travel will be very limited this season in an attempt to keep the timeline more simple and linear and just less confusing. Ok so a new Barry and less time travel, what else? The villain won't be a speedster! Hallelujah! The big bad will be 'The Thinker', a super intelligent meta human who wants to correct what he thinks is wrong with the world with his mass brain power. Hopefully a more intelligent villain will challenge Barry in a way he's never been challenged before. Maybe Barry will be forced to think more for himself than he's had to in season 3. If we're really lucky, maybe we'll get a finale that doesn't end in a race. To top it all off, Barry will be getting a new suit amongst his emergence from the speed force! The suit looks close to the version we saw Barry wear in 2024. 

What they should and shouldn't do.

Season 4 needs to remember what show it is. A dark and brooding hero works for Arrow because it's a dark show and it's roots are grounded in tragedy, git and survival. The roots of The Flash are portrayed through hope, fun and bright colours amongst the heartaches. Barry isn't Oliver and nor should he try to be. The show shouldn't let Caitlin and Cisco do all the thinking for Barry. Back in season one, the show told us that Barry is a funny, awkward nerdy 25 year old who beams out hope to everyone around him. Barry needs to make quick, good decisions for himself when taking down the bad guy of the week and really demonstrate that he is The Flash and he deserves that title. They shouldn't make Barry treat every villain as the big villain. Season 1 and 2 Barry humoured fans with quippy one liners that mock the bad guys that The Flash knows he can take down. This was practically absent in season 3. 

Character development is a major key! Wally West is in dire need of the spotlight. Keynan Lonsdale's performance as the Kid Flash last season was great and he gave us the cocky fun speedster we missed. However, there just simply wasn't enough of him. They pushed the character well early on but dropped him as the season progressed. This season should truly show Wally becoming a hero of his own good enough to make a proper name for himself. To do this, they're gonna need to give him the limelight for more than just a couple of episodes. With DC's new show 'Titans' in development with no Wally West in the teams line up yet, theres a perfect opportunity for This season of The Flash to get him to a point where he's good enough to join the new show and fight alongside comic all stars such as Nightwing. 

I was scrolling through Instagram the other day and found this awesome DCEU fan account @DCEU_forever. They post awesome edits, memes and new posters for upcoming DCEU movies as they are released! If you love DC comics and/or the DCEU it's definitely an account you are going to want to follow! Don't be afraid to interact on the posts, like, comment, and share your thoughts. You can find the instagram page here! Spread the comic love! 

So that's all for this week! What did you think of season 3 and what are you excited or worried about for season 4? Let me know by commenting below or tweeting me @Akash_Sond. If you haven't already, click the follow button at the top right of the screen or subscribe by email in the box just below that. Hope you enjoyed the read and come back next weekend for my next post! 

Justice league Comic-Con Trailer!

Arguably the biggest thing to come from this years San Diego comic con is of course, the second official Justice League trailer! Let me tell you, it's incredible. For this weeks post i'll be breaking down the trailer with some of the biggest parts or things you may have missed. Enjoy! I will only talk about what is shown in the trailer but ***There will be some spoilers but i'll warn you before you get to them*** 

The trailer released yesterday so if you haven't seen it, or you want to watch it again, WATCH IT HERE! The Justice League movie is set after Batman V Superman which ended with Bruce and Diane's faith in humanity restored after Superman's heroic sacrifice. The world is low on hope and the movies villain Steppenwolf takes this opportunity and arrives to raise hell on earth. Luckily, Bruce has secretly been putting together a team of heroes to defend earth in such cases. But will they be enough? Let's run through the biggest things from the trailer.

STEPPENWOLF.
The trailer shows Themyscira where Wonder Woman's mother, Hippolyta, and the rest of the amazonian army are standing together when a huge beam of light from the sky blazes the ground. The movies villain, Steppenwolf, comes flying down and crashes into the ground in epic fashion. He is not one to be messed with. Clearly. Steppenwolf arrives through the amazonian motherbox. **Spoiler alert, skip to next paragraph to avoid** So the Motherboxes are sure to play the biggest part of the movie. So what are they? Well the story goes that centuries ago, a big bad alien (Darkseid) sent the leader of the apokolips army to conquer many planets. They get to these planets by teleporting through their alien supercomputers known as mother boxes. One of the planets good old Steppen tries to conquer is earth, but fortunately he is stopped by the combined forces of the Amazonians, Humans, and Atlanteans. The three groups split the motherboxes between them for safe keeping. It seems as though Wolfey boy has risen once again to finish what he started, raising hell on earth. He lands in themyscira by teleporting through a boom tube to the motherbox. Cool. as. hell.

THE FLASH.
Barry Allen aka Bazza Azza (literally no one calls him that) has arguably the best parts in this trailer.

Ezra Miller naturally pulls of the role delivering very funny comedic lines. One of my personal favourites; "It's really cool you guys seem ready to do battle and stuff, but i've never done battle, i've just pushed some people and run away". brilliant! A few Flash solo movie characters will be seen in the movie including Barry's dad but more importantly, Barry's love interest, Iris West. She can be seen at the back of the scene where Barry breaks through the glass window for a split second. Staying on that scene for a moment, HOW COOL WAS THAT!? He uses the speedforce to bend then shatter the glass window. The slow motion filming matched with the blue of the speed force (Thing thing that gives Barry his powers) makes for a crazy scene. Other than delivering funny lines and looking super cool whilst running, The Flash can be seen teaming up with the Lady of Themyscira by running fast enough to pass her sword back to her after she jumps off the bridge to catch it.

AQUAMAN. 
Badass. Just totally badass. I mean Batman may be cool, but he'll never be Aquaman skateboarding a parademon in the sky through a building and landing on his feet cool. That's next level stuff! The last trailer even showed Aquaman riding the outside of the batmobile through the streets under the red skies. He actually can't get any cooler. If you read my Aquaman post you'll know how excited I am for his solo movie, it's fair to say I am 10X more excited now! Aqauaman appears to be the outsider of the group. Still a member, just on the outside. He doesn't feel he fits in with them. He delivers the humour of exclaiming that he thinks they're all going to die! Aqua-Momoa is shown really in his element when underwater. These scenes look mesmerising and it seems as though he's under the water attempting to protect the Motherbox that was kept by the atlanteans. Can November just like, hurry up and get here already. please. I want to watch this movie now.

BATMAN.
The trailer plays news audio that explains Batman hasn't been active since the death of Superman. This is presumably because he's mourning supes' death, recalculating his outlook on life and gathering data on the team of superheroes to fight the great danger he believes is coming. It's lucky Bruce is prepared right! Bruce can also be seen staring at a hologram of what we can only guess is Superman. Presumably, Bruce is figuring out a way to bring the guy back to life. Let's hope he succeeds because a Justice League without a Superman is just.. well.. still a Justice League to be honest but we want him back! Theres a little exchange between Mr Alfred Pennyworth and Bruce that references the famous Bat villain The Penguin. A future movie appearance? Maybe. We see some super cool action scenes with bats driving the batmobile way over the speed limit and taking out parademons like a boss! Parademons are basically Steppenwolf's minions. He is definitely the guy setting up the league but there seems to be a power struggle between him and the Woman of Wonder. Interesting.

WONDER WOMAN.
The warrior of wonder opens the trailer by stopping some minor bad guys from breaking into what seems to be the museum she works at or a bank. She takes the guards out effortlessly even after being bashed in the bead with the back of a big gun. Ouch! She delivers some humour when explaining she hasn't been up to much over the weekend. She is helping Bruce strategise and set up the team and she seems to be co-leader of the league. Wonder Woman can be seen putting her epic warrior skills to use by being totally badass and taking down parademons with mad acrobatics and expert combat. She has one hell of a cool moment when she jumps for her sword and The Flash runs at super speed to tap it into a space where she can grab it. One of the coolest scenes in the trailer.

CYBORG.
The half man half machine that is Victor Stone, Cyborg. The character was given a bigger spotlight

than in previous trailers showing a more finished sleek looking CGI and a very deep voice. Cyborg doesn't seem as though he'll bring much comedy but I really am excited to see what he brings! I wasn't too pleased with the first trailers' CGI but they really have improved it for the near-final look. His coolest part in the trailer is when he hacks the batmobile. HE. LITERALLY. HACKS. THE. BATMOBILE. Alfred was in the comms all like 'whaaaaaaaaaaat?' So yeah he's also super cool. Seeing him become Cyborg at S.T.A.R labs is a scene that will be very interesting to see. I'm guessing going from a half dead human to a machine isn't the most painless process in the world.

SUPERMAN.

Finally! The beacon of hope, the Man of Tomorrow, the Last Son of Krypton... SUPERMAN! That intro totally wasn't over the top.... ok i'm a huge Superman fan, I know, I hide it well don't I. The trailer shows a hopeless world with Superman's absence. The hero's symbol is seen hanging from a bridge however, this isn't the usual yellow and red symbol. Its bleak, black and white. This is no mistake. Its a reference to the suit superman wears in the comics when resurrected after being killed by doomsday. Long story short, it's a nod to the comic where Superman is brought back to life. Whether the movie will follow up with the darkened suit is yet to be seen. The trailer ends with Alfred's glass of whiskey shaking, showing something big is approaching. We see Alfred speaking to someone who isn't shown. Mr Pennyworth says "He said you'd come, let's just hope you're not too late". It has to be Superman right? Some online speculation says it could be Supergirl or Green Lantern but I think that's just too far fetched. I mean, if you look carefully you can even see a red cape! There's a small chance the big Supes could come back evil but.... i'm not a fan of that idea so lets just hope he's good. With that being said, I think we can all tell that the resurrection of Superman is a scene that will be remembered for a very long time no matter how it's done. Hope reborn in the DCEU... hopefully.

A few other things.
Ok so the trailer gives us a new look at Comissioner Gordon played by J.K. Simmons. I'm a big fan of Simmons however im not yet sold on this version of Gords. He seems very old school like a detective from a classic 60's movie. It's a cool look, just one that i'm not sure will work for this universe. We haven't seen enough of him to form a final opinion yet so hopefully it works out. Theres also a reference to the Green Lantern in the trailer where Steppenwolf simply says "There are no protectors... no lanterns... no kryptonian". This shows the Lanterns exist in the universe and also hints at their appearance in the future.  Lastly, the movie references most, if not all, past DCEU movies. To name a few, the broken Superman statue from Man of Steel and BvS, Themyscira from Wonder Woman and the doomsday creation site also from BvS.

Overall, the trailer was amazing and definitely got me super super excited to watch the Justice League movie in November. What did you think of the trailer? Let me know by commenting below or tweeting me @Akash_Sond (Click it!). If you haven't already, click that follow button on the top right of the screen and subscribe by email just below that. Come on, do it! Who wouldn't want to?... I mean my blog posts are the most awesome, most entertaining and most informative comic blog posts in the world! That is a fact based on statistics produced by a totally real and official blog statistics governing body. I hope you enjoyed this post and i'll see you next week!

War for the Planet of the Apes review!

War for the Planet of the Apes, or WFTPOTA if you want to use an acronym that no one will understand, is the newest instalment of the Planet of the Apes series. With it's first two movies; Rise and Dawn, both scoring 7.6 on IMDB, it's fair to say expectations were high. So does it live up to expectations or does the third movie fail to impress like many other third movies have before? (yes, i'm talking about you Spider-man 3). Find out by reading on because this is my WFTPOTA review! There will only be very mild spoilers so sit back, read on and enjoy!

"Apes together, STRONG!" 

Director Matt Reeves took on the task of directing Dawn after the director of the first movie left the project. Reeves did a great job of expanding the world and showing the growth of the apes and the disease that had spread world wide. After the first movie showed a young Caesar grow to be the leader of a powerful army of apes and even develop the ability to speak in that cinematic triumph of a scene (Watch it here), the second movie was not going to be able to rely on its CGI apes or even the fact they can speak. Reeves handled this well as the focus of the second movie, dawn, was shifted to the ongoing conflict between the apes and the humans. The story manages to further the love fans had for Caesar and his family. After Dawn, Reeves had a mammoth task of staying away from recycling plot lines and finding a fresh exciting way to deliver the next chapter of Caesars story.

The third instalment, War, tells a very emotional story from the eyes of Caesar, the ageing leader of a group of apes fighting for survival in a world where military groups are hellbent on seeing the apes put to work or killed. The movie shows a very strong and experienced Caesar who's greatest strength is also his greatest weakness. Family. He has grown out of touch from humans and feels hate and rage towards them since the climax of the events from Dawn. One of the best things about the movie is how it shows Caesars mind set and view of the damaged world that he is having to raise his family in. He is very low on hope and haunted by the events of the past. It's this aspect that plays into how well this movie deals with Caesar's character arc.

The movie sees the return of fan favourite orangutan, Maurice who is arguably the most important character to the plot of this movie. Maurice is Caesars constant reminder of the good and hope of the world. He's the right hand man who has a very innocent and positive outlook on life, focusing on emotion and caring for his fellow apes, especially Caesar. This element of the movie does a great job of humanising the story and allows for audiences to keep in touch with their care for the apes. With audiences siding with, and supporting the apes, the movie brilliantly delivers heart filled moments and really keeps watchers on the edge of their seats wondering what's going to happen.

Woody Harrelson plays 'The Colonel', the antagonist of the movie, who wishes to re-align the hierarchy of species and place humans back on top. The movie creates an excellent dynamic between Caesar and the Colonel pitting two damaged characters against one another. Harrelson gives a believable performance and really makes Caesar re-evaluate what his views and beliefs are. The Colonel pushes Caesar to his limits and that's all i'll say with the worry of spoiling anything.

The soundtrack and dialogue that War uses is an incredible tool and aids the effect and style the director aimed for. There is limited dialogue in the movie with some of the apes and humans being unable to speak but the dialogue that is present is very powerful and even humorous at times. The back forth between Caesar and The Colonel are definitely a highlight of the movie. The music used in the movie is super cinematic and this just really emphasises some key moments. It keeps audiences interest at times where there isn't much dialogue.

Of course, just like the first two, the movie CGI is fantastic and once again Andy Serkis does an excellent job of mastering Caesar's voice and movements. This really shows on screen as audiences can easily forget that the apes are actually motion captured by humans because the movements are so natural and realistic. The few action scenes included in this movie are great! Very quick and intense scenes display the apes skills and intelligence as well as the brutality of the humans. One of the best things in this movie is the fact that it relies on its narrative supports it with action moments rather than the action being supported by the narrative.

"All of human history has led to this moment"

As for the negatives of this movie, there aren't many at all. However, the movie can be a little slow paced at points in the middle which is arguably necessary for the big moments to hit as well as they do. A big part of the movie focuses on the layered moments of Caesars pain or contemplation. These moments are expectedly absent of action or excitement but if they're misunderstood or under appreciated, I can imagine the scenes would appear quite boring. Adding on to this, the movie does not have as many action scenes as the previous. Although this does not damage the movie, those hoping for an all out ape action movie will leave the cinema disappointed. As you can see, the negatives just mentioned aren't actually very negative. It's rare that I watch a big blockbuster movie and find as few negatives as I have here. An incredible achievement by the director and the rest of the crew involved in making this movie.

War of the Planet of the Apes is a story driven movie which focuses on Caesars point of view and really aims to give audiences an insight into Caesars mind to really provide an understanding of who Caesar is. One of my favourite things about the apes series is how different each movie is to the last whilst still keeping the plots smooth and consistent. The first was a great origin of Caesar with a lot of emotion starting off very closed but expanding at the end. Leading into the second, which was a massive action flick showing Caesar at his prime against his deadliest foe. The third, showing the world from Caesars view taking the movie back to its emotional roots but also including the familiar action elements from the second. The best thing about this movie is how classically cinematic it feels. With the powerful limited dialogue matched with the heart of the characters and the clarity of the plot, the movie is excellent and is a perfect third movie in the Apes series. Overall, War of the Planet of the Apes gets a blog of steel rating of 10/10.  
This officially makes it the highest rated movie out of all the movies reviewed so far on The Blog of Steel! Planet of the Apes must be considered among the best trilogies of all time.

That's all for this week, go and watch WFTPOTA trust me it's worth it! If you liked what you read or even disliked what you read, tell me why by commenting below or tweeting me @Akash_Sond. As always, if you want to keep up to date with the blog, click the google follow button at the top right of the screen and/or subscribe by email using the box just below to be notified whenever I post. I'll be back next week with another post reviewing a new Justice League trailer that will hopefully release during the week because of SDCC (San Deigo comic con). See you then!