The Best Superhero Movies in Years? (Superman vs Fantastic Four)

     I've been hearing about superhero fatigue for a long time now. I'll admit that even I, someone who loves superhero comics, have certainly been feeling it. The MCU hasn't really been bringing out as many big hits since Endgame, but most people reading this probably know that. While I don't get to the theater as often as I'd like to in recent years, I did make an exception for two films. As the title suggests, these were indeed James Gunn's Superman and the newest take on The Fantastic Four. Could 2025 be the best year for superhero movies since the 2010s? Yes, I would think so. 

    Obviously, this doesn't necessarily mean I would consider either film to be among the greatest superhero movies ever made or anything, or does it? No, probably not, but I tend to be reflective in most aspects of my life, including movies. The impact and longevity of any piece of art are most evident over time. Ah, but am I saying these films have true artistry? Well, of course, I'm being silly. (I've had a long day, so I apologize for the stream of consciousness format)

    I've given some time to consider these films, let them leave my mind, and then revisit them, because that's how I roll. I like to detach myself from the initial hype, gripes, and buzz to give my most well-rounded opinion, hence why this might seem to be a less optimum time to transcribe this, but here we are. In short, I really liked both movies. I'm tempted to say I loved them or at least aspects of them, but I will resist stating this upon giving both movies an eventual rewatch at some point. If you don't wish to read further, my recommendation is this: If you like either property, they are both probably worth a watch.

    Ah, but what did you really think, Joe? Don't dance around it. Um, well, let's start with Superman, since I saw that one first. 

    For quite some time, I have been hoping for a Superman movie that is bright, colorful, and fun. It seems like we haven't really had one since the Christopher Reeve era. Well, I got what I wanted. I had a feeling, like many people, that James Gunn would be a good choice for director. He created one of my favorite Marvel films, Guardians of the Galaxy, turning a pretty obscure group of characters into some of the medium's most popular and recognizable. It's funny, I used to say how amazing it was to me that Iron Man became an A-list, but back in 2008 I had never even heard of Star-Lord or Groot. I still think it was an amazing feat. Hats off to all on the project. 

    The same thing can be said for Suicide Squad (the Gunn version, of course), which honestly could be my go-to example of a perfect superhero movie. It retained much of the silliness of the source material (the comic aka fun stuff) while still maintaining a serious enough story with solid characters. It got the balance right.

    I don't think Superman pulled this off to the same extent, but I also believe it was trying to handle some heavier material while juggling several other major plot elements. Really, it succeeded, just not in the same way as Suicide Squad or Guardians. Oddly, it might be Gunn's penchant for ensembles or the continuous need to shoehorn in other characters to expand the franchise, but it was funny that in the Superman movie, Mr. Terrific had the coolest moments. I mean, he was terrific, so I'm not complaining. It is still Big Blue's movie for sure, but it was almost distracting. Almost. Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, what's not to like there?

    Superman himself was great, bringing with him some of the themes of the Snyderverse but at his most wholesome and Golden Agey self.  I found it refreshing in that this film, more than any other, really leans into the quintessential salt-of-the-earth nature of Clark Kent. It reminded me of the Jeph Loeb/Tim Sale story, Superman for All Seasons, harkening back to these classic roots of the man who grew up on a midwestern farm with a simple and honest view of things. I found the charm worked, not feeling too nostalgic, and functioned as a great anthesis to the high-tech corporate cynicism of Luthor's company. 

    That was also something new the movie brought to the table, Lex Luthor's hate and mistrust isn't enough. He has a whole company of people united in taking down Superman. You kind of respect it. They aren't really evil, just doing what they think is right in a situation they don't fully understand. On the surface, it seemed simple, but it's actually rather nuanced and realistic. It also presents Luthor as charismatic enough to lead people without fear, something I don't think I've seen before. Fundamentally, though, he is still classic Luthor. 

    It was a really good viewing experience, with the runtime not on my mind at all. I think the twist of sorts with Kal El's parents might rub some people the wrong way. I can certainly understand it if it does, but the core of the character has always been his human parents anyway, so I don't see any irreparable damage. Even so, it probably wasn't necessary, but at least it was bold and fit with the theme of the narrative. I would watch it again!

    Oh man, Stan Lee's first superhero team has not had a great movie run. I can't really say that I've ever been a big fan of these characters inside or outside of the comics, but I've always appreciated them. So I guess that's why I have been hoping (ever since they were acquired from Fox) that this team would reignite the spark of the MCU, which has been waning since the departure of Downey Jr.'s Iron Man. While I can safely say my hope hasn't been fully restored in the MCU, I found this movie, much like Superman, to be very, very refreshing.

    What do I mean by that? Honestly, it's all about style with this one. It went all retrofuturist classic sci-fi and I was here for it. I loved the whole 1960s newsreel origin aspect. The whole way the world-building and exposition were often delivered just really worked for me. That's not all, though. You know how I said it was all about style? Well, okay, maybe it's not all about style. It's also about my other favorite thing, characters.

    The key aspect of what has made this group endure (well, besides Dr. Doom and few other characters I'll mention later) is the family dynamic. Despite being superheroes, the element that sets this family apart is, naturally, the family dynamic itself. This movie really leaned into it, making it the main focus. Now, is it odd that in a superhero movie there isn't a ton of superheroing going on? Is this an issue? Hmm. Maybe, but since it was done pretty darn well, and it actually breaks the tired formula that's been established over the last two decades, so I didn't really mind at all. 

    That's not to say there is no adventure or super science. There certainly is, but that stuff is mostly there to elevate the meaty character elements. This cast had great chemistry and really brought it all to life. 

    What about Galactus? 

    It's pretty tough to top how well they handled Thanos (another character I didn't much care about before the MCU), but the filmmakers did a commendable job. While he might not seem quite as all-encompassing and epic a threat as he may have otherwise, by sticking to the classic era the movie is rooted in, he fits pretty darn well. Personally, I wanted more Silver Surfer, but she also sufficed.

    So there you have it. Superman is better than he's been in years on the big screen and Fantastic Four is...well, good. That's pretty amazing from my perspective. While neither movie is perfect, and I'm sure some people gripe about one thing or another, I think you'd have to be looking pretty hard to twist either movie as "bad". Personally, I'm tired of all the negativity. Both these movies had heart-warming elements and added something new to the table. That seems like as good goal for a film as any other.

    On that note, as we were walking out of Superman, my wife and I heard a young person exclaim, "That's the best movie I've seen in my life." I'm pretty sure this young person was a teen, probably no older than fifteen or so. While I can't say I had that experience, it was truly wonderful that is film had such a positive impact. I'm fine with it being someone's favorite movie. I think that's pretty cool. 

I Watched All the Shrek Movies or The Surprising Beauty of Puss in Boots

 

What makes a movie endure? That's a really good question to start an article and yet I'm not sure I have an answer. It was question that came up as Amanda and I decided to go through all the Shrek movies. There was no particular reason for this, just a whim. While I sometimes have a desire to rewatch an old film I'm very familiar with or one I have missed that I've finally felt like getting around to, the Shrek films don't really fall into either category. 

That's not to say that I have any animosity towards the franchise, in fact I really liked the first two films growing up. I've been told recently that I throw the term "favorites" around too much, especially when it comes to movies. I guess there must be hundreds of films that I might have called that at one time or another, but that doesn't always mean they rank highly in some essential list for any great length of time.

My point is that while I may have probably considered the first Shrek films among my favorites for some brief time in preteen/early teen years (as I know my sister and I rewatched them frequently for a bit), they never made it onto any list currently or retroactively. So, no, I guess they were never REALLY among my favorites per say, but I enjoyed them and I wouldn't dispute the classic nature of the tale combined with the weird time capsule and memeability (is that a term?) the franchise has sparked with many people.

However, since I've never been a huge Shrek fan, I never watched anything past the second film. It was just one of the instances where interest waned between the second and third and I never had a desire to watch the remaining sequels. It's possibly I grew out of it, although I think it was a just simple matter of kind of forgetting about it and then (right around my high school years) I started to consider myself a "serious" film connoisseur and critic. Maybe my inclination towards believing more sequels generally equated to a downward trend in quality. Or may I just felt to mature for it. In any case, I don't think there was a conscious reason, Shrek just wasn't something I connected with enough to keep up with.

Amanda enjoys occasionally watching kids films. I feel like she suggests than more regularly than I do. So this prompted us to borrow the Shrek films from the local library. After watching all the films, something kind of unexpected happened that I honestly would have never guessed. My opinion on these films radically shifted, partially due to the simple input of new information. 

As is often the case when we get behind on what's current, my new perspective may or may not provide new revelations to Shrek fans far more diehard than I.  In fact, I find this franchise just one of many examples that I find interesting in regards to such an adoring fanbase. It's not necessarily that I can't see some appeal, I just never would have thought this franchise would result in yearly festivals. 

Having seen all the films at this point, I can still appreciate the fandom being what it is, even though it's not one of those things that resonates at the same frequency. Then again, I guess you could say that about any fandom you aren't are part of (perhaps with a few exceptions, like if you really don't GET something at all). I think I'm starting to stall, so here are my thoughts briefly on each film:

Shrek (2001)- This is of course the classic I grew up with. I can still appreciate how it's a clever jab at fairy tales and Disney's corporate nature in particular. All the while it does have a good message for kids with some spicy yet subtle adult humor in there. It's hard to deny how truly unique a film it is, which is a big part of what helps it endure, even if I don't love it as much as I did as a young viewer.

Shrek 2 (2004)- For about twenty years, this was where my knowledge of the franchise basically ended. I remembered for the longest time thinking this was the superior movie, with a good continuation of the themes of the story. I was surprised how many movie references of the time where thrown in. These stood out much more prominently and I may potentially damage the timelessness even more so than the pop songs.

Shrek 3 (2007)- Entering new territory, this was definitely the funniest of the movies for me. There were some very strong visual gags and some darker/slightly more sophisticated humor that I think the adult viewer would appreciate more. I was surprised to see how much they managed to push boundaries while still remaining fairly accessible to younger audiences. This movie was very much a direct sequel to the previous movie, following up Prince Charming's story as a villain in a natural way while actually providing some layers that make his perspective the sympathetic of franchise villains.

Shrek 4 (2010)- This one is kind of a mixed bag for me, as I loved the scale and scope of the concept (alternate reality a la It's A Wonderful Life). However, I must admit that this sort of scenario has been done before and does retread extensions of the same message we've been hearing since the first movie. Personally, I still think it stands out as unique, with perhaps the movie evil villain and the darkest tone. Yet, my biggest issue isn't really any of the formula, just that I feel we could have gone deeper into Shrek's internal plight or at least created a grander scale of events that the movie seems to suggest it wants to build on. Ultimately,  the movie kind of peters out rather than going out with a strong conclusive note. It's flawed, and certainly not as balanced, but I still liked it overall.

Now we come to what this article is really about. The secret of this series is not in the Shrek films themselves (at least for me). No, the biggest delight is in the spinoff, the Puss and Boots movies.

I'll admit to always liking the character in Shrek 2. I like cats. I like Antonio Banderas. I like swashbuckling adventures and fantasy in general. Someone must have really noticed the potential and ran with it. 

While the feline's first outing is pretty good, acting as sort of an origin story to the character, it's in the sequel that he really shines. Honestly, what surprised the most about these two movies is just how fundamentally different they are from the main movies.

Perhaps one reason I wasn't drawn from them was due to expecting more of the same satire but without the titular ogre. I had heard in passing the first movie was good, but with no ringing endorsements that I should rush out and watch it. No, it slipped under my radar as many good movies do. It's a shame because (and I'm not sure if this is a hot take or not) I think I enjoy these movies more than the Shrek films. 

This might be just do to the initial surprise they were actually pretty good movies, but that the tone was just not what I was expecting. Unlike the satire of Shrek, while there is some humor, these are much more straightforward, serious and fun adventure/fantasy stories. They took advantage of the melded fairy tale setting with an expanded world with set pieces. I particularly loved the ascent to the clouds to find the golden eggs. 

While the first movie is good, with the exception of an aspect of the ending that doesn't make much sense (even within the logic of the film), the second film truly blew me away.

I'm sure most people reading this probably know already, but in case you haven't seen it, just go for it. If you like fantasy or just good quality movies, I highly recommend it. While it benefits from the previous movie, you don't really need to see it or the main series to appreciate the story. The animation was wonderful, the humor was great and the themes were very poignant and complex. It may in fact be one of my favorite movies now. Time will tell.

So basically, the Shrek franchise didn't go as downhill as I feel I was led to believe over the years. Nice.

No Romulans But Still Pretty Good! (Alien: Romulus Review)

Alien: Romulus is pretty scary, but not as scary as adenocarcinoma.

Well, horror films provide a different type of scare. They often echo the fears in our own lives while providing that detachment once we are no longer immersed, if we are successfully immersed of course. We can dip into these fears and explore them in a new way, perhaps coming away with a little more perspective and maybe some relief. These seems to be true of many stories, horror or otherwise.

It is fitting to draw comparisons to the Alien franchise with something akin to cancer. The xenomorph, in its various transformations which accompany its otherworldly life cycle, invites all kinds of comparisons which have been analyzed since the inception of the first film back in the 1970s. Probably the most commonly cited is showcased by the H.R. Giger production design. The creatures and their methods of attack are invasive, particularly with a sexual connation.  There is a type of violation the alien creature commits which reflects fears many people have of similar violations of a physical nature. After all, the face hugger forces its eggs down the throat of the victim violently with its proboscis, regardless of how the victim feels.

This concept is indeed frightening and I know some people have found the films uncomfortable for this reason and have refused to watch them. Some people don't like horror movies and others understandably like them even less if they take them to traumatic places. If nothing else, this proves the Alien franchise is willing to use these monsters from space to elevate itself above B movie camp (which I love and also has its place of course) to try and explore these primordial concepts.

For me, the Alien films never came off as overtly sexual, at least not at the forefront of my mind. No, it usually gets under my skin (if you will) due to fears that are more akin to classic body horror. The face hugger always bothered me due to its forceful entry into the body but then leaving behind the egg within. This growth could be a stand in for many biological dangers that can strike. It acts as a tumor or some sort of parasite but could also become suddenly violent like a heart attack, albeit with much more blood. The chest bursting itself is terrifying of course. This film in particular made use of crackling bones crunching as the creature made its way out. Never underestimate great sound design. 

Then there is the other, more basic and perhaps primal horror that these films tap into. That is fear of the unknown. That is perhaps the greatest fear but, more specifically, the xenomorph seems to be a brilliant representation of the predatory animal. The creature, particularly due to the design of the monster and the accompanying atmosphere of these films, seems (for lack of a better word) evil. It's this greyish and ebony not quite humanoid/not quite reptilian/insect creature with multiple jaws of fangs, a speared tail and acid blood. It's a nightmare. Worst for me though is the lack of eyes. This brings much more emphasis to the scowling and drooling fanged mouths, which seem just so filled with hate.

This is, of course, a human perception, but the design choice is also somewhat deliberate I'm sure. As far was we can tell though, this thing is just an animal being driven by that instinct for survival we also have. This in itself brings us questions about the natural world, for we as humans often place ourselves above the typical animal. Our intelligence, our consciousness, or sense of morality and compassion separate us from the other creatures of the world. It makes us better than them in some way, right? We're special. We should get some special treatment. Well, maybe. Maybe not. Either way, regardless of what makes us different, when thrown among the wolves, the wolves will care little for your human qualities. Perhaps we're not so separate after all.

What makes the xenomorph more intimidating than say, a lion, is that we know a lion. We, to some degree at least, understand the lion. The lion, in this example, has some spectrum of emotion we can project on to it. This potential understanding makes the animal less frightening, at least from a distance. The lion is a mammal though, similar to me, more similar to my cats, which I can equate as cute and loveable. The lion can even be cute and loveable, from a distance. I think some people tend to have less connection to the animal the further they are removed from it. Reptiles or insects for instance. Unless you find those things interesting, you probably won't have as much natural affection for a reptile or insect. Personally, I think reptiles are really cool and I even would dare say I find some of them cute. Maybe not as cute as other critters, but probably cuter than an insect. Even insects we can make cute, through marketing or animation. We can project the best aspects of our humanity onto these creatures. The xenomorph is truly alien, so this lack of understanding feeds into that most basic aspect of fear, fear of the unknown.

The mystery of the xenomorph was a driving force for the franchise for years. Less information always makes things scarier, in movies and in life. We can bring our own ideas about the origins of the monster and incite fan discussion and debate, all while bonding over our individual and common fears. I guess that's one reason horror movie fans are so passionate. Maybe the whole thing is therapeutic. Movies have been a great outlet for me in general, for escapism as well as reflection and socializing. So maybe the whole Prometheus thing may not have been the best thing for the xenomorphs. I do like of like the movie but it has some big flaws. Aren't I supposed to be talking about another movie? Oh yeah!

I had some medical news come up that kind of threw me off for about a month, so I didn't feel focused enough to write a review on Alien: Romulus after seeing it in theaters. It's kind of good thing though, as I had some time to ruminate and really solidify how I felt about it. In short, I liked it! I liked it quite a bit actually. 

I'm sure most die-hard fans have probably seen it at this point, but as I write this it is coming out available for streaming. With that said, about a month after seeing it I really want to watch the movie again. I would declare its the best movie in the franchise since Aliens. At first, that probably wouldn't sound like a ringing endorsement, but I feel confident saying that. 

I certainly have some mixed feelings and a few doubts upon my initial viewing, but there is one major factor which causes me to (mostly) push those things aside. This movie made me feel something. Most movies do of course, but I had a significant emotional response based on the events occurring on screen. I'll go even further. This movie made me shed tears. Yes. Tears. I don't often cry in movies and when I do, they are in dramas. I don't think I've ever cried in a horror movie before. 

My theory on why is simply that I was invested in the characters. Much like characters in past Alien films, these were blue collar everymen/women/people you could sympathize with. They were believable and relatable without having to know much about them. I connected with their family dynamics and an instilled sense of survival against a large money hungry company that seems to own everything. This concept seems to get more relevant and dystopic every year. Oh my. Anyway, our characters are part of a mining colony, essentially indentured servants to the corporation and a ship with cryogenic technology is their chance to escape. Whatever could be on this ship? You already know.

What really aided my investment wasn't really the writing. Although there are some nice subtle touches, the characters aren't the most complex or dynamic, although their relationships do compel the audience to consider ideas about family and loyalty, despite inherent differences. No, it's all about the performances. The initial trailers with the young cast made me more than skeptical. It just looked like they'd turned Alien into another disposable slasher. I was very wrong. The youth of the cast provides something new. They seem like a ragtag group of misfit orphans who are really out of their depth. For the most part, even with one character who was meant to be unlikable, I really wanted this group to make it. 

Two scenes stick out in particular. One involves a young girl who we find out is pregnant. There are some obvious parallels to the the concepts toyed with regarding childbirth and motherhood in this franchise, so it's not surprising this was included. Also, this girl had few other attributes other than being a young mother to be who simply wants to get out of her situation, therefore providing a better life for her child. Much like other things in this movie, it's pretty safe and potentially boring but...it worked for me. Perhaps it's partially due to my own thoughts regarding mortality in recent months along with the possibility of having children of my own. It was also a very compelling performance. I worried about this young woman. I cared about her and her unborn child. I was doing that sort of cinematic prayer you sometimes may find yourself doing. Please let her make it. Please let her be okay. They wouldn't go that far. Of course they would, that's why she's here. No, they won't do that. Come on. No!

There is also a scene involving characters separated by a door and the moral decision of opening it versus closing it, with a xenomorph hunting one person on the other side.  It's a basic, classic dilemma. Once again, it's simple but therefore a universal conflict with lives on the line. Much like a pregnant woman in danger, it seems passé and tired but it was done very well. There was tension. My anxiety was up. I'm pretty sure I shed tears here too. I understand if they have to make the decision but maybe they'll let her in. Maybe. I hope they do. I won't reveal the resolution for either of these characters in case you haven't seen it but the point is that this movie had me invested. It upset me. I left the theater feeling unsettled and it took me hours to feel more like myself...and that was kind of a good thing? 

​Before I wrap this up (this went on much longer than I anticipated) I wanted to try to be fair and point out a few potential flaws that do stick out to me. I hesitate calling them flaws but I could totally see some people hating these elements. It's tricky though and something many movies based on these franchises often have trouble with. This is an Alien movie. So it does...Alien stuff. On one hand you always want to try to bring something new to the table instead of rinsing and repeating the stuff we've seen. However, if the movie strays from the established beats too much, why see it? How much can a thing be different from itself before it no longer becomes that thing? Indeed. Ha. No, but seriously, I've wondered this regarding many IPS. The truth is, I think Alien: Romulus does both. 

Face huggers. Chest bursters. Androids. Weyland-Yutani. Cryo sleep. Strong female characters. Hybrids? You've seen it all before. If these things weren't there it wouldn't be an Alien movie. Some of these things I admit felt almost a little obligatory, like fan Easter eggs or...what's the South Park term? Member berries. Look at this? Remember this? Hit those nostalgic neurons and like our movie! Except, it never really felt disingenuous to me. I'm pretty cynical about this stuff and I just felt that these things were done very effectively, with reverence to the source material. Yeah, they repeat some things, but they do add new elements. Some of it is just more or bigger or with a new coat of paint, but they do add something new. This batch of characters offered a new perspective and the whole mining colony setting did expand the world bit more. That's about it but otherwise it was a more intimate tale covering much of the same ground. I liked it!

There is one thing I think people may have hated that could be the exception. It would be the appearance of one character that could be seen as a fun throwback or a cheap nostalgia hit. It was probably a bit of both but I kind of like the reintroduction of this character. Maybe it's because I think of him as such a classic villain and a very fascinating one. If people hate it, that's fine but it mostly worked for me. I'm not sure if the movie needed it but hey, whatever.

So, there you have it. There were no Romulans but it was still pretty good. Take care everyone.

​- Joe

Our First Wedding Anniversary

Due to recent circumstances over the last few weeks, we had to modify our anniversary celebration a bit. As most of you know, Amanda Manduck and I are generally homebodies, so the biggest change was transportation and (most unfortunately) food-related.

Our original plan was to retrieve samples from each of the Hummelstown pizzerias and sample them, much like we did to determine the menu for our wedding. Since I'm currently recovering from surgery, I haven't really been able to go along on long car rides and my ability to intake food has been rather limited at the moment. I thought it was a rather cute idea and I look forward to making it happen next year. This time, my lovely wife was my personal delivery driver! This marriage thing has some nice perks.

As much as I love pizza, we decided to get some pasta from Fabio's. It's an Italian place in Grantville we discovered on our honeymoon this past summer. I highly recommend it. Although the amount was small, I was able to have fettucini alfredo. Amanda got the macaroni and cheese dish.

After eating the wonderful food she brought home, we spent time finishing one of the stories from a Planet of the Apes anthology. It was based on the live-action show, so we watched an episode of that and then followed it up with Amanda's favorite film, an obscure sci-fi entitled 2001: A Space Odyssey. Ever heard of that one? Even though Amanda insisted on not talking through the whole film, ironically, we talked through the whole thing.

When Amanda suggested the idea for the time capsule filled with vows, letters and other writing material, I thought it was a very fitting idea. However, I could not have anticipated how fun and heartfelt this new tradition would be. There was even a plot twist or two!

We opened the box and examined the contents within. These included badges from the Star Trek convention and our little yarn ghosts. I've gotten much better with crafts in part due to our crafternoons at the library. I hope to go to one this month if I'm up to it.

I also think we did a pretty good job with our author summaries and recommendations. It's almost like we like reading or something. Sheesh, what a pair of nerds.

We then reread our vows after looking for Frank Saveslives wonderful wedding ceremony script. He did such a wonderful job with the ceremony. We read our letters to each other and I have to say, Amanda Manduck wrote a much better letter than I did. This is proof that I really have to up my game yo.

The best part of this process was reading the requested letters from our wedding party and families with words of wisdom, encouragement, and love.

Yolanda Poth thank you so much for welcoming me into the family. Your letter continued that message and I am very proud to be a part of it.

Brianna Steimer had some great advice and sweet words that provided laughter and joyful reminiscing. I'm sorry to say that Amanda is still the spider-slayer though.

I'm very happy to say, as with the wedding-related events in general, my guys really came through for me.

Sometimes, especially with how our past few weeks have been, it's good to hear kind words from friends and family. It serves as a reminder of the smallest yet most important aspects of any relationship. With this new tradition, it was also full of wonderful surprises.

Jonathan William and Hannah Emily We loved hearing your kind words and, in a way, your letter served as a time capsule reminder of your new union as well. Thank you so much for supporting us as friends, fellow educators, and lovers of literature. We're looking forward to seeing you both again soon!

Nathaniel Rose Amanda and I really appreciated your time travel-themed letter. It was both humorous and heartfelt. Thank you for continuing to add to the laughter and humor of our movie nights. We plan to do more in the future!

Justin Miller is a truly fantastic writer and really took the theme to the next level. I guess we should have expected no less. Two letters and with a bit of a novel-like structure complete with preludes and afterwords of a sort. We were both amazed and greatly touched by how honest and open you were as you wrote. To put it bluntly, you went there. You should really put more of your work out there. These letters were fantastically written and were full of love and honesty. You had some great advice as well. As expected, you gave us something to ponder, reflect on, and perhaps discuss in the future.

James, my best man. I know that typically you are a man of few words. I also know you probably didn't like that I gave you a writing assignment. Despite this, your letter was beautiful. Amanda can attest, I got a little tearful reading one particular line. We really enjoyed your letter and look forward to the five-year one you generously and most optimistically provided us as well. You're my best friend too.

Thank you once again to everyone who helped make our wedding special and also continue to support us on our journey together. This first year was mostly good, but it's had its challenges of course. Overall though, it was just so great to have this reminder of all those who love us and who we love together in one special memento. Amanda and I really needed this, especially after my stay at the hospital. You all helped make the day truly special for us. In my case, I actually managed to forget what had happened so recently. That's how powerful the experience was.

It's been a scary few weeks but as I recover from my surgery, I've been thinking a great deal about what's important. Specifically, that I've done a pretty good job of being thankful for every little gift each day brings. Now I'm just even more aware of it.

I'm a very lucky man to have a loving, sweet woman in my life who shares my interests and laughs at my corny jokes. I hope to have many more years with you to go to Star Trek conventions, watch bad movies (and some good ones) with friends, share good meals, take long walks in the woods, and create new crafts together among many other things I hope to do. I'm incredibly fortunate to have found such a wonderful person who accepts me and encourages me as you do. I love you, Amanda.

I also love all of you, my family (cats included), my friends, my colleagues, and all those people who have enriched my life up to this point. I thank all of you who wrote letters, I thank all who helped put our wedding day together, everyone who made it out on that chilly day to share the moment, and all who have supported us since then. We appreciate you all greatly.

Take care, everyone! Happy anniversary, my love!

P.S.- Justin told me to be more open and vulnerable, so I'm taking his advice. Be forewarned, I plan to write something similar in the future.

A Review of the Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

To wrap up our summer honeymoon week, my wife and I decided to go out and see a movie in the theater. I've always enjoyed the movie theater experience more than my wife has, but since it's so rare that we go out to one, I wanted to make it part of our week. We both happen to be Planet of the Apes fans. More so of the original films than the ones that started in 2011, but Amanda is very much a completionist and I have liked the newer movies well enough.

This one has been out for a little while as I post this, so I won't go into too many plot synopsis or spoilers here. Mostly I intend to give my overall impressions. Admittedly, the film isn't super fresh in my mind. I saw it over a week ago at this point. However, how much a movie sticks with you upon an initial viewing can often be telling in itself.

Enough excuses for my laziness and lack of professionalism (haha irony and self-awareness makes it better!), how was the newest Apes movie for Joe?

The thing I expressed to my wife first is actually the element that sticks out the most to me as I type this and attempt to recall my impressions. It's the visuals. The movie looked rather good. I know that in heavy CGI ladden epic action movies like this, which are rather common nowadays, that's kind of expected. Anything that doesn't look expensive is going to stand out as shoddy computer effects. As someone who typically prefers practical effects (there's just something about the idea of people handcrafting something and using resources at hand), I think the CGI here was pretty good. I think there are some really good examples of heavy CGI that do look pretty and can be marvels in their own way. The problem is, a really good practical effect tends to age better. CGI that blew me away 20 years ago often looks a little tacky. Even when I push nostalgia aside, as with most aspects of movies, I think you should consider a film in the context of when it was made as well as asking, "does the story hold together well?"

I feel like I'm ranting more here than usual. I'm not sure if this is my desire to seem more experimental or an attempt to capture my stream of consciousness while also trying to make a written piece more polished. Probably a bit of both. Is such a thing possible? Is the pretentious level over 9000? You tell me. Are we having fun yet? 

Amanda just asked, "How's it going over there?" I guess it's going good. Maybe I should go back to trying to write about this movie. This is the  Manduke Movie Blog, is it not?

Anyway, I think the visuals of the film were pretty impressive, particularly everything involved with the setting. The jungle looked vibrant and lush. It was one of those instances of something being very digital but it was so detailed and pretty I didn't care. There can be true artistry in CGI too!

The apes themselves looked good as expected, although there is one area where I felt they may have done better in previous films of the series. It was the eyes. There is kind of a creepy lifelessness to them that I found distracting at some points. Beyond that, they looked pretty darn good. 

Despite the visuals looking appealing, this movie didn't really show off as much in the action. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as this one tries to focus a little more on character, plot and general world building. All these particular areas are relatively simple, straightforward and familiar. You've got the classics revenge/find my family arc all tied into a very primal plot. Despite the simplicity, I kind of appreciated the tropes found within those sort of early man/prehistoric narratives which use these basic formulas. They tend to take some of the most basic formulas of plots and strip them down to their purest form. 

While I find it refreshing in a way (it's kind of why I like games like Far Cry: Primal or the stories of Robert E Howard due to that foundational universal sort of tale), it is extremely simple. I kind of found myself wishing it would delve a little more into some of the themes it teased a bit. The Apes movies in the past at least attempted to be cerebral sci-fi asking societal questions. The biggest idea this one touted was how history and religious/philosophical ideologies can be misinterpreted or twisted by different groups over time. We've seen the character of Caesar and what his beliefs were, but enough time has passed that he's become a legend, a fragmented story and simply an idea. The characters in the film didn't truly know Caesar or his experiences or perspectives, they just have ideas. The parts of these ideas the have power, for good or ill. 

You've got so many classic elements of the hero's journey here, most prominent to me being the mentor orangutan figure (why are they always the wisest ones?). He gives our hero, Noa, the teaching of Caesar based around peace among apes as well as acceptance of humans. I liked the pendant he gives Noa, which was  based on Caesar's memories of his human home, now a symbol much like a cross. The specifics of the origins of this symbol are unknown to these followers, but the idea permeates. Meanwhile we of course have our baddies, who latch onto the hatred and fear Caesar had toward humans. Once again, they don't have the full story, but there is some truth to the foundation of their particular ideology.

It's kind of a small thing, but my favorite aspect of the film, beyond the general presentation and some visual/auditory references to the older films I thought were pretty well integrated, was the villain. Proximus is just a fun bad guy. At first glance he seems like he'd be written as pure evil or some sort of brute. He's actually a student of history and fully believes he's doing what his best for his kind, using the Roman expansion as his inspiration for his persona and military ambition. Of course, he sees himself as an inheritor of ape leadership. His ego feeds into this visage of bombastic theatricality, much in line with one who wishes to rally his troops as a figurehead. He was over the top in some ways, but behind this was kind of a sort of everyman (or everyape in this case) who took an opportunity and went with it. He was scary but in a believable sort of way. I appreciate the subtlety.

There were some things we didn't like though. Gary Oldman is the obligatory well known human actor in the movie, who  plays a character who reads to Proximus and sides with him after being captured. He is sort of a defeated person, but we don't really know who he is or what truly motivates him. He's just seems to be there more for exposition. Even worse is the main human, the girl named Nova (naturally) who turns out to be part of a group of humans who have retained their intelligence and use of technology. While I kind of appreciated the twist, this woman just seems to know everything and be able to do everything. Without her, the apes would have not been able to accomplish much, at least not without a more complex plot and perhaps a whole other movie. Her motivations also weren't entirely clear. I appreciate that there is a level of mistrust the humans have of all apes, but she's another character who wasn't fleshed out enough.

Those issues aside, Amanda and I both did enjoy the movie. Maybe this was due to lowered expectations but it was a good viewing experience. I settled on giving this one a B and Amanda gave it an A-. So I guess you could say we collectively gave it a B+. If you're not a huge Apes fan, maybe wait to give this one a rent or see if it available for free, but its a nice watch for some good simple storytelling. Until next time, thanks for reading!

Joe