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Movie Review

Reptile’s Random Review: Black Widow

by April Carvelli July 13, 2021

written by April Carvelli

Reptile is back to the movies! This time with the much awaited Black Widow movie.

Yes movie fans, Reptile is back in theaters munching popcorn and reviewing, so be warned as my reviews are often filled with.. Corn? Oh well I’m not here to write poetry.

The much hyped and long delayed Black Widow movie is finally in theaters and on the smaller screen through Disney Plus Premium. If you prefer the solitude of your own space, me I love the big screen.

The first question most will ask is, “Is it worth it?” To which I answer; are you a Marvel fan? Are you a Scarlet Johannson fan? Because this movie is typical of Marvel’s MCU and as always, Scarlet delivers her role with the same passion and flare she has put into Natasha Romanoff since her first appearance in Iron Man 2.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

The movie starts with the backstory of Natasha and her “Family”, a group of Russian agents deep under cover, then briefly follows what becomes of them. Cut to a more current day Natasha, (well not current as we all know she died in End Game while recovering the soul stone, this movie takes place between Civil War and Infinity War) with General Ross hot on her heels aiming for her arrest. We know General Ross from the Hulk movies, so bravo to Marvel for keeping things connected, well mostly. I say this because the question I have is, if her sister Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) is basically the Black Widow then where was she during End Game? But I digress.

We also find out that besides Natasha having a “kind of” sister, her pretend mother Melina Vostokoff (Rachael Weisz) is a brilliant scientist and her pretend father is the Red Guardian, or as he also likes to be called the Crimson Dynamo (David Harbour). You probably remember him as our favorite Sheriff from Stranger Things, Sheriff Jim Hopper. (is that a Disney reference? Jim Hopper .. Jiminy Hopper or Cricket? Moving on…) The movie continues using a good amount of action with your typical chases, escapes and explosions as we follow along with Natasha Romanoff who suddenly finds herself being pulled into her dark past which is a world of spies and assassins, all the while trying to save the world from a cell of mind controlled Black Widow agents and dealing with her past “family relationships”.

The movie introduces a few new to the MCU characters such as the Red Guardian, Task Master and Yelena Belova. While Yelena was the spy sister you can’t help but love, the Task Master, in my opinion, was turned into a skill copying terminator robot and the Red Guardian was the comic relief for much of the movie. He spent much of his dialog talking about himself and about how he was Captain America’s greatest nemesis ever, along with a few actually good comedic lines. He was very much the egocentric but came through in the clutch to help his spy family out when it came down to it. Even though the women seemed to spend more time helping him out then the other way around.

The movie all in all was enjoyable but lacked the “Wow Factor” that some of the other Marvel films had. The story line was mostly predictable but was covered by some great action and some good comedic relief at the right times. I felt it was a good tribute to Natasha Romanoff and left us still loving the character that Scarlet Johannson brought to life. It also left the door open for more films with her spy sis Yelena Belova.

I give the film 3 out of 5 stars

PopCultHQ Rating – 3 Stars

This has been another edition of Reptile’s Random Reviews.

It felt good to be back in the theater again watching movies on the big screen.

As always drop me a line with any comments or questions to Reptile@Popculthq.com and don’t forget to check us out on Instagram and Facebook as well.

July 13, 2021 0 comment

Reptile’s Random Review: Netflix’s ‘The Witcher’

by Reptile January 6, 2020

written by Reptile

Netflix tossed the Witcher a coin from the valley of plenty and it was enjoyable.

On December 20th, 2019, Netflix released “The Witcher” series. It was based on the popular video game released through Atari, which was based on a Polish novel by author Andrzej Spakowski. Well, I think you get the picture.

The series stars Henry Cavill grumbling his way through his dialogue in a gruff, somber tone. Even though he seems to be hated and feared in most places he goes, he is quickly employed to rid the area of monsters. He collects his bounties, then quickly leaves on his horse Roach (who seems to emote his lines as well as Cavill throughout the show).

The series runs with a loose storyline centered around Geralt of Rivia (Cavill, the Witcher) and his destiny, which is to save Ciri (Freya Allan), a child of great power awarded to him by the Law of Surprise. But to get there, we travel through the past to view his journey as a Witcher and the creation and journey of the mage Yennefer (Anya Chaltora) for whom he falls. All the while, darker forces are trying to capture Ciri for their own plans.

The production quality and swordplay of this show make it worth watching, as do the special effects. If you are having a party, why not make it a drinking game – every time Cavill says “Hmmm” or drops the “F”-bomb, take a drink. Though it is likely you will be seeing the end of the show through blurry eyes.

The Witcher has also given birth to many a meme on social media and the ear-worming tune “Throw a Coin to your Witcher” sung by the bumbling comic relief and storyline foil bard, Jaskier played by Joey Batey. Every time you see Jaskier, you cringe just a little bit because you know he will do something annoyingly stupid. Amazingly, Geralt just puts up with him, perhaps as he seems to be his only friend, though most the time it seems Geralt would rather just beat him to death with his lute.

The show sticks with the traditional look for the Witcher, spawned by the video game of the same name. Dressed in black, long white hair tied back behind his head, and the large Witcher sword from the game across his back. They also included scenes that show him lounging in the tub which were tributes to the original game. For the fans of Cavill’s form, there are many scenes of him shirtless as well.

An interesting side note to this is Henry Cavill insisted on performing his own stunts. He didn’t want fans to think he was only able to do the acting bits and wanted to make sure that Geralt looked like Geralt throughout the action.

I have watched all 8 episodes and I have to say again I enjoyed it. It was a good mix of humor, action, and had some nice character development, though the storyline is a bit loose.

With all that said, I give The Witcher 4 out of 5 Stars. This has been another edition of Reptile’s Random Reviews.

PopCultHQ Rating – 4 Stars

January 6, 2020 0 comment

Movie Review Movies / TV

Reptile’s Random Review: ‘Jumanji: The Next Level’

by Reptile December 31, 2019

written by Reptile

Welcome back to Reptile’s Random Reviews. After being silent for a couple of weeks, I’m baaaaack and so is “Jumanji” with ‘Jumanji: Next Level.’ Maybe I can hit the next level in this review.

As we recall, the original Jumanji (1995) starred Robin Williams and was pretty popular. In 2017, Columbia Pictures revisited this film and moviegoers approved to the tune of $962 million worldwide. A nice-sized piece of cheese. It starred Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, and Nick Jonas. For someone who started out as singer in a boy band, Nick turned out to be a pretty good actor.

On December 13th, 2019 (Friday the 13th, by the way), Columbia Pictures dipped into the pot again and released ‘Jumanji: The Next Level.‘ And again moviegoers responded with $$$ to the tune of $60.1 million dollars domestically in its opening weekend, beating ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle‘ by over $8 million dollars. A fair amount of cheese, I would say.

On Christmas day, I took the family to see this film and was excited to see the return of the original cast. They also upped the game by adding Awkwafina, Danny DeVito, and Danny Glover. DeVito playing Spencer’s grandfather who is living with Spencer’s family while recovering from hip surgery. Danny Glover plays DeVito’s best friend and former business partner, while Awkwafina (actress/rapper) appears as a character within the Jumanji game.

Rolling in on the sequel of an already successful film franchise, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Historically, sequels are often made to be nothing more than money sponges; only existing so Hollywood can reach further into our pockets. This time, it wasn’t the case.

‘The Next Level‘ starts with the team meeting up for the holidays. At this point, they are out of high school and have gone their separate ways. When Spencer is a no-show, the group compares notes. Unable to reach Spencer, they go to his house to find out why he has been silent, only to find him missing. A quick look in the basement reveals he has cobbled together the remains of the old Jumanji game console and it is running. Needless to say, the gang ends up back in the game with the addition of Grandpa and his best friend who are clueless on how everything works. This leads to the storyline of finding Spencer and completing a new level of the game.

I enjoyed the movie, even though a lot of it was predictable and it revisited a lot of the previous humor with new situations. But my family, as well as the rest of the theater, laughed through most of it. Dwayne Johnson was on-point with his typical Dwayne Johnson way of doing things, while Jack Black convincingly swapped between personalities, and Karen Gillan reprised her kick-ass character of Ruby Roundhouse. Kevin Hart, as funny as ever, played a couple of the characters and left me laughing, while the rest of the crew did a enjoyable job with their roles.

I give ‘Jumanji: The Next Level‘ 4 out of 5 Stars and really think if you are a fan, you should give it a look.

PopCultHQ Rating – 4 Stars

This has been another edition of Reptile’s Random Reviews

December 31, 2019 0 comment

Movie Review Movies / TV Right in the Feels Spotlight

[Movie Review] ‘A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood’

by Joshua Winchester November 22, 2019

written by Joshua Winchester

So much of a person’s life is reflected in the people and things that were a part of their childhood. For many of us, if not all of us over the age of 20, our lives were impacted in some way by one man. That man is Fred Rogers and his wonderful world of make-believe.

The month of November is a special time, because not only is it the month of Thanksgiving, it is now the month that a very special movie was released. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, directed by Marielle Heller and starring Tom Hanks as Mister Rogers, takes a look at the life of journalist Lloyd Vogel. Played by Matthew Rhys, Lloyd is based loosely on journalist Tom Junod, who profiled Mister Rogers in a piece entitled ‘Can You Say…Hero?’ for Esquire in 1998.

Something fascinating about this movie is not only how authentic it is, and how much Tom Hanks captures the spirit and personality of Mister Rogers through his performance, but because throughout the entirety of the film, you can FEEL Mister Rogers, his warmth and love and kindness of spirit. It’s as if he is right there in the theatre with us, smiling with us, laughing with us, sharing in our joy and even our sorrow as the story unfolds.

When scenes take place in Mister Rogers’ house on-set at WQED in Pittsburgh or in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, those scenes are really and truly there in the studio where ‘Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood’ was filmed. That means when Tom Hanks looks at you on camera and smiles, sits down to change his shoes or pulls a red cardigan out of the closet, it is the same closet and seat that Mister Rogers used on set. We are truly back in Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.

A movie like this can go one of two ways. It can either be a very hollow work, that while it does convey the message it was trying to from the outset, loses something along the way. Or it can be like A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is, and from start to finish show audiences who either did or did not grow up with Mister Rogers in their lives, the kind of man he was. A friendly, funny, loving, kind man, who set out to change the lives of every person he came into contact with by being their friend.

People like Mister Rogers set out to make the world a better place. And while things may seem bleak at times, all of us should take a lesson from his book. To be a friend whenever possible, because we never know who will be changed by our friendship. That is something this movie really gets across and will always be remembered for. It’s like Mister Rogers always said, “Won’t you be my neighbor?”

I give A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood 5 stars

November 22, 2019 0 comment

Movie Review Movies / TV

Reptile’s Random Reviews: The Mandalorian

by Reptile November 15, 2019

written by Reptile

I’m sure many of you reading this have joined the fervor and signed up for Disney Plus Streaming service. Disney is offering several of their classics as well as new content, such as Star Wars The Mandalorian. Created and written for Disney Plus by Jon Favreau and directed by a staff of five directors, including Bryce Dallas Howard from Jurassic World.

Recently I was invited to a special screening of The Mandalorian where they previewed the first three episodes. No spoilers here, but I will admit I had become disenchanted with the new Disney Star Wars offerings. To me, most of them rated from simply okay to pretty good. Many of the stories left me thinking “didn’t they do that already?” or “isn’t this just a redone story with new characters?” Perhaps not a popular opinion, but mine.

The first episode of The Mandalorian opened up in a pretty standard Star Wars way by quickly moving to an action scene featuring the new hero. This was no surprise. What did intrigued me was the addition of some new races and seeing some of the old ones in a new way.

Another thing that stood out for me was the ongoing story which kept you glued to your seat. They were not offering a weak story line with some really good special effects to cover it up. It was genuinely a good story. Though the special effects in this series, that’s right “series” as this is not a movie were outstanding. The world they created for this series was believable, beautiful and presented in a way that you felt like you were right there, standing with the Mandalorian watching him first hand.

The series also gives a look into a Mandalorian’s life. We get to learn a bit about their code and how each have their own stylized armor and fighting styles. Each warriors’ armor is custom made and makes a statement about the individual wearing it. Their weapons also vary from warrior to warrior and we see there are more Mandalorians than just Boba Fett, there is a whole race/tribe. Yes, I know we all knew that but until now he is the only one the average viewer knew about.

The series is well-written with comedy in appropriate areas, and the special effects and costumes were great. The characters are believable; making you want to cheer for the hero, jeer at the bad guys and even the occasional “awwww” at some cute things.

Again, no spoilers but I can already hear certain lines being quoted by fans in their everyday lives. Though, on a side note, it just occurred to me the famous “I got a bad feeling about this” line was nowhere to be heard. Well, at least that I noticed in the first three episodes.

I really enjoyed this series and I think that it alone may be a good enough reason to sign up for Disney Plus.

I give The Mandalorian 5 out of 5 stars and I can’t wait to see the rest of the episodes.

This has been another edition of Reptile’s Random Review.

November 15, 2019 0 comment

Movie Review Movies / TV Pop Cult News

[Reptile’s Random Review] ‘Maleficent: Mistress of Evil’

by Reptile October 21, 2019

written by Reptile

I took the family out for a movie night to see the new movie Maleficent: Mistress of Evil. I thought, “here is another movie where Disney is just trying to cash in on the first movie’s success.” I figured it was going to go the way of most sequels and we would regret the price for admission. But, at our local NCG Cinema, at least the popcorn (though pricey) is always good.

My son picked a good spot and we settled in to watch the opening scene in the woods. On a side note, throughout the whole movie they keep referring to the area as the “Moors.” “Moors” by definition are a grassy savanna-type area with low-growing vegetation, and they kept showing wooded areas with a good amount of water. But I digress on this small annoyance for me.

Without giving too much away, Aurora has grown into a young woman and is in love with Prince Phillip, who returns her love. He asks her to marry him and she says yes. Now, Maleficent being who she is, wants none of this as she hates all humans, with the exception of her adopted daughter Aurora. Enter the King and Queen of Ulstead who invite Aurora and Maleficent to dinner to celebrate the upcoming nuptials. This is where we get to see who the true villain is (insert dramatic music here). From here we end up with the Moors Fae and the kingdom of Ulstead in conflict and ready for war.

On the whole, I was riveted by the special effects and creativity that went into the movie. I loved the colorful imaginative Fae Folk that Walt Disney Pictures and Roth Films included. Every time you think you’ve seen them all, they seem to squeeze another one in. I was surprised by the storyline which actually existed and made sense. Remember, I was thinking this was just going to be another Disney money grab capitalizing on the fame and name of the first movie and its celebrities. I found myself very interested in the folklore of the Fae and how they were created, even though some of it was a bit of a reach. I also found a few parts of the movie a little too predictable, but I didn’t find myself thinking, “is it over yet?”

I would also like to add that I enjoyed Angelina Jolie‘s portrayal of Maleficent. Her facial expressions throughout the movie were priceless, such as when she attempted a friendly smile and it would seem more look like she was ready to tear into you. It was chilling and comical at the same time. Michelle Pfeiffer as Queen Ingrith was a great fit as well. Once again, Michelle is 100% on her game in this role. But I’m not going to give too much away here either. For me, these two actresses are what really make the movie enjoyable.

On a scale of 5 stars, I give Maleficent: Mistress of Evil 4 Stars.

PopCultHQ Rating – 4 Stars

This has been another Reptile’s Random Review.

October 21, 2019 0 comment

Movie Review Movies / TV

Reptile’s Random Review: “The Good Place” on Netflix

by Reptile September 27, 2019

written by Reptile

I have been watching NBC’s “The Good Place” on Netflix, which has 3 seasons available.

With the shows fourth and final season about to premiere, I figured I should share my thoughts on the show.

The premise is four people who died and have gone to heaven, a.k.a. The Good Place, or have they?

SPOILER ALERT

The show starts out with central character Eleanor Shellstrop, played by Kristen Bell, sitting in a waiting room in the afterlife, awaiting her orientation with Michael the Architect, Ted Danson. Michael explains she has died and all the good deeds she has done in her life have earned her a place within the “Good Place.” As Michael reviews her exemplary deeds, she realizes he is not talking about her life and decides to keep that fact to herself, as she knew herself to be a short-tempered, foul-mouthed, self-centered person. Michael then introduces Eleanor to the omnipotent Janet (D’Arcy Carden) and shows her an idyllic neighborhood.

Eleanor is placed with her soulmate Chidi. played by William Jackson Harper, who is an ethics professor. You can already see the conflict taking shape here. She is given her “dream house” (more of a nightmarish piece of architecture decorated with clowns) and introduced to their neighbors. Tahani, a wealthy philanthropist socialite (Jameela Jamil) and her soulmate Jianyu (Manny Jacinto), a Tibetan Buddhist Monk who has taken a vow of silence. Only Jianyu turns out to be not what he seems and is really Jason Mendoza from Jacksonville, Florida, a failed DJ & criminal who is also hiding who he really is. He and Tahani live next door to Eleanor’s modest-sized house in a huge multi-room mansion, much to Eleanor’s envy.

As stated earlier, the show’s whole premise is these four mismatched people have been put into an environment that should be paradise, but is really the “Bad Place” disguised as the “Good Place.” The four of them are the friction in each other’s lives due to their opposing personalities, views on life, and social standings.

In the beginning, we see chaos caused by Eleanor’s inability to be good. Every time she does a misdeed, something crazy happens in the town they reside in, such as giraffes running through town, a garbage storm during flying lessons, or the ever-growing sinkhole inside the only restaurant in town. All the while, Eleanor is trying to learn to be a better person before she is found out via lessons begrudgingly given by Chidi. Then Jianyu reveals his true self to Eleanor, a bumbling idiot of a person and not the wise, silent monk they all think he is. All of the events are being secretly crafted by Michael to cause as much emotional grief in their lives as possible.

The show was interesting and funny in the first season, but by the end of the season Michael is found out and the “Good Place” busted for actually being the “Bad Place.”

Season two starts out very slow with what seems like a redo of what happened in season one, with Michael trying to find a better way to keep them unhappy and from discovering the truth. I nearly stopped watching after the first four episodes of season two, but hung in there and it got better. In season three, Michael, an eternal demon, is now fully siding with the humans and is trying to protect them from going to the “Bad Place.” To do so, he gets the Eternal Judge (Maya Rudolph) to return them to living back on Earth so they have an opportunity to become better people, as they had proven capable of in the fake “Good Place.” The secret for them to get better is they need to stay together and Michael spends season three trying to make sure this happens.

Because of the diverse storylines through the seasons, I will rate “The Good Place” by the season. Let’s hope the fourth and final season (premiered 9/26) is as good as the first.

Season One:

Season Two:

Season Three:

This has been another edition of Reptile’s Random Reviews.

September 27, 2019 1 comment

Fantasy Movie Review Movies / TV Streaming

Reptile’s Random Reviews: ‘The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance’

by Reptile September 6, 2019

written by Reptile

As many of you, already know The Dark Crystal was an awesome movie from 1982. The movie was written, directed, and starred Jim Henson and his Muppets. This was a family-level adventure movie that stayed in the hearts and minds of many. It’s also a movie which has stood the test of time and is still as enjoyable as the day it was first released.

With that said, when I heard Netflix was making a sequel I was quite skeptical. I was thinking they were taking another classic movie I love and making a mess of it. Then I saw the trailers and they gave me some hope. The characters looked great and I hoped they could recreate the magic of the first movie. The fact that this was also a prequel and not a sequel, as I first thought, intrigued me.

I don’t know how many of you have seen the The Dark Crystal Age of Resistance yet, but if you are a fan of the first you will enjoy this prequel. Me, I was glued to the TV.

My hat is off to the writers, staff and creators who worked so hard on this series. Yes, I did say series. This should be put on your binge-worthy list. Make snacks and use the washroom beforehand, because you won’t want to leave during it, for fear of missing the magic.

The special effects and puppetry were on par with, or in many cases surpassed, the original. Kudos need to go out to the Creature Shop, which brought the world of Thra to life. The characters where astonishingly varied in appearance. I was amazed how the Gelflings and Skeksis all had individual looks. I don’t mean just different clothing, their faces were as different as you and I.

The series starts out by introducing you to the fact the Gelflings were divided into various clans, which dwelled in different areas and had their own clan leaders called Maudras. But to keep the clans united, they would elect one overall leader called the All Maudra, who held sway over all the clans.

There were many new and interesting creatures in this series, as well as all the old favorites, such as the Land Striders and Fizgig. You’re introduced to a new enemy called the Arathim, or Silk Spitters, which are large hive-minded arachnids whose offspring can take control of the minds of the Gelflings, thereby adding them into the hive mind.

Netflix put time and effort into this production and it shows. There was a handful of surprises when it came to the voice acting. There were some well-known names such as Mark Hamill as The Scientist, Helena Bonham Carter as the All Maudra, Sigourney Weaver as the Myth-Speaker, Eddy Izzard as Cadia, Simon Pegg as the Chamberlain, and Andy Samberg as the Heretic. The list of names continues, what an amazing cast.

For me this was a walk down memory lane with a quick dash into the past to see what happened before there were only two Gelflings.

I give it 4.5 Stars out of 5

PopCultHQ Rating – 4.5 Stars

This has been another Reptile’s Random Reviews.

September 6, 2019 0 comment

Movie Review Movies / TV

Reptile’s Random Reviews: ‘Mary Poppins Returns’

by Reptile July 22, 2019

written by Reptile

I’m a little behind on this one I know; there are a lot of Disney fans and Netflix fans out there (Props to my Peeps!). But let me save you a little effort if you have not seen the new Mary Poppins Returns movie, which is featured on Netflix this month…don’t waste your time.

I tried to watch it last night and couldn’t even make it through the whole movie. About two thirds the way through, my viewing companion looks at me and says “turn something else on if you want” and she is a huge Disney & Mary Poppins fan.

Emily Blunt plays Mary Poppins. She looks the part and her voice sounds pretty good, but the movie still suffers from a poor script. And the music, where is the music styling from the original? The songs that you just couldn’t get out of your head?

The movie was just missing that innocent magic of the first one. The music was lifeless, without any sort of hook. The segues were clumsy – an example was when they showed a beautiful leaded glass door close and next you see blurred fire on the glass. It appeared as if the door suddenly combusted and Mary didn’t notice. The fire was the segue into the next scene of the lamplighter lighting lamps.

Then there was Jack the Lamplighter, played by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who took the place of our adorably lovable chimney sweep Burt, Dick Van Dyke in the original movie. Jack seemed like he was struggling to be the new Burt and to sound as much like Dick Van Dyke as he could, instead of letting the character be his own character. His accent was dodgy but his singing was decent.

Are the villagers looking for Frankenstein’s monster?

Following the lamplighter sequence, we find Mary and the children following Jack as he lights his lamps until Mary climbs onto a lamp and it lowers like an elevator into the sewers. The children and Jack slide down the lamp pole into the sewer and follow Mary into an area that is filled with street lamps and Lamplighters. I don’t know about you, but why is there street lamps in a sewer, let alone a bunch of them only four feet apart? From here you guessed it, a song and dance breaks out, which felt like another poorly contrived ripoff from the first movie and again lacking any real catch to the song.

The first Mary Poppins movie had that light, fun feel to it with its age of innocence and a disconnected busy family. Mary Poppins Returns is set with a grown-up Michael Banks (Ben Whishaw) as the widowed father of three children. He and his sister Jane (Emily Mortimer ) are desperately trying to save their childhood home from foreclosure while the villainous bank president wants to grab it out from under him.

While the animation and special effects in this movie are fun and reflect the stylings of the original, the dry story and the lifelessly droning music make it a bore. I wouldn’t recommend this movie unless you are having trouble sleeping, in that case this movie makes a great sleeping pill. I give it 1.5 stars out of 5 and that’s only because of the animation and the sets, which by the way some of them look like were taken from Harry Potter.

That wraps up another Reptile’s Random Review.

PopCultHQ Rating – 1.5 Stars

July 22, 2019 0 comment

Movie Review Movies / TV

Reptile’s Random Reviews: Spider-Man: Far from Home

by Reptile July 9, 2019

written by Reptile

Spider-Man, Spider-Man,
your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man!

PLEASE NOTE:
Minor Spoilers Ahead!

(Ed. Note: Spoilers only detail some of the premise & plot, nothing major.)

I’m sure by now the “True Believers” have already seen Spider-Man: Far from Home. “Nuff Said.”

Not true.

What I can say about this movie is it’s an action-packed adventure with a great balance of story, young romance with some comedy thrown in, in all the right places. The story is set with Peter Parker and his classmates going on a summer vacation school trip to Europe. I don’t know about you and what school you went to, but when I was in high school, field trips meant going to the zoo or a museum, not a trip to Europe…but I digress. Peter and his classmates board a cheap flight to Europe and the romance portion of the movie begins. Peter attempts to get seated with the woman of his dreams and fails. However, his BFF Ned, ends up seated next to a lesser character (who happens to be a long-term Spider-Man character) which works out well for young Ned.

The flight lands leaving Peter and the gang in Venice, Italy, where Nick Fury catches up with him and insists Peter work on a S.H.I.E.L.D. mission (it is here where we are introduced to Mysterio). But all Peter wants to do is stick to his plan for a normal summer vacation with his schoolmates. So Nick being Nick, he hijacks the whole school trip under the guise they’ve been upgraded, and moves the trip around Europe to where he wants Spider-Man to be.

Things start out pretty good. Peter gets a new tactical (stealth) suit so he’s not recognized as Spider-Man in Europe. But just when he thinks he has found a new ally, he discovers Mysterio is a fraud. Now what’s he going to do? In true teen angst fashion, Peter broods because on top of the betrayal by Mysterio, he feels he has failed Tony Stark. With help from Happy Hogan and some reassurance from his love interest, he manages to turn himself around, and returns to doing what Spider-Man does best – kicking butt and using his intelligence and skills to take on the bad guys.

The movie packs some great action sequences and the special effects are as amazing as the Spider-Man himself. I highly recommend you take the time to see this as I feel it’s the best Spider-Man movie to date. One of the sad things about this Marvel movie is it lacks a Stan Lee cameo, but there are two post-credit sequences that are pretty interesting.

PopCultHQ Rating – 4.5 Stars

One last thing, DO NOT see this film if you have not yet seen Avengers: Endgame, as there are some major Endgame spoilers in Far From Home.

Now, True Believers, it’s Nuff Said!

July 9, 2019 0 comment

Newer Posts

Older Posts

Movie Review

**WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD**

This has been another Reptile’s Random Review.

Season One:

Season Two:

Season Three:

This has been another Reptile’s Random Reviews.

Spider-Man, Spider-Man,your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man!

PLEASE NOTE:Minor Spoilers Ahead!

(Ed. Note: Spoilers only detail some of the premise & plot, nothing major.)

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

Spider-Man, Spider-Man,
your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man!

PLEASE NOTE:
Minor Spoilers Ahead!