The Movie Review Show – The Movie Review Show starring Stephen Craig and Lee Eide

Countdown Continues…and Ends! “Captain Marvel” — Episode #1: Not Perfect but Hey, it’s a Start

September 15, 2019 by leeeide-, posted in Uncategorized

SC: “I actually have heard of the Scree (extraterrestrial race opposing the main character in the movie) from playing a game on my phone.” LE: “And then of course there is North Scree and South Scree.”

You know, like North Korea and South Korea? Okay, trust me, my jokes get better as we do more episodes. You gotta start somewhere, right? I mean do you think Quentin Tarantino was always a brilliant if controversial director and producer? There was time when he didn’t know a subplot from an ascot. But look at him now.

Anyhow, we released the first episode of our “The Movie Review Show” on March 16, 2019. It was Stephen’s idea for us to don our Wal-Mart ware for the 1st episode to show viewers we’re just a couple of regular working stiffs who happen to really, really love and watch a lot of movies.

Historic 1st Episode of THE MOVIE REVIEW SHOW Starring Stephen L. Craig & Lee A. Eide

In retrospect, I think my introduction of the show’s format, although fine and accurate as far as it goes, is incomplete. I explain that Stephen and I go to our local movie theater, Red Wing Cinema 8, watch a newly-released movie and then review it. That’s all true except that we have two additional segments after the review: 1) Stephen’s Recommendations and my Lee’s Jokes of the Week. So I will suggest we add that to the show’s introduction so new viewers will know immediately that we’re more than a straight movie review show.

Like Life in general, the show is a work in progress. You try to do things one way and if it seems to be working, you keep doing it that way. If it doesn’t work, then you try a different method. It’s like a giant labortory: experiment, analyze and act accordingly.

Back to our first review: After explaining format of our show, including our ratings system (10-kernel of popcorn rating system with one kernel being the worst and ten kernels the best), we showed the movie’s trailer and then launched into our review. Neither of us knew a ton about the Captain Marvel character (yeah, yeah, maybe we should have done some research before seeing and reviewing the movie) so in a way that was good. We went into it with a fresh perspective. I commented that I had some reservations about Captain Marvel being a woman because, you know, to me ‘captain’ conjures up the image of a man but I said after seeing the new version the character that I had no problem with a female Captain Marvel.

Wallpaper review from https://wall.alphacoders.com/big.php?i=974062

In essence, she’s one kick-ass, super-powerful, take-no-prisoners superhero who happens to be female. Guys, if you like strong women, this is the new superhero for you!

The film’s opening was fantastic: the Marvel logo and a homage to Stan Lee got things rolling. We commented on the grunge-centric soundtrack: we loved it, especially No Doubt’s “Just A Girl” and Kurt Cobain’s “Come As You Are”! For me, music is an essential element in life and although a killer soundtrack isn’t required for all movies, if it’s appropriate and blends in with the on-screen action, it definitely enhances the movie experience.

Credit: https://wallpapersafari.com/w/RGpMbQ

The appearance of a Blockbuster Video store is a sure-fire sign that the movie takes place in the 90’s. To be more precise, it takes place in 1995. The time period is important as the movie symbolizes the spirit of mid-90s when anti-establishment rock songs, especially feminist anthems and girl power tunes were extremely popular and reflective of that era. That’s to say, the 1995 backdrop serves a narrative purpose that goes beyond simply allowing Captain Marvel to take children of the ’90s on a jaunt down memory lane or have Carol wear a Nine Inch Nails T-shirt. It was sort of nostalgic trip for me. My wife Amy, may she RIP, and I used to live in a Burnsville townhouse located about a mile from a Blockbuster store although that was in the early 2000’s. Ah yes, the good old days, sort of.

We agreed the movie didn’t feel like a typical superhero for the first 45 minutes or so. It felt more like sci-fi as most of the action takes place in outer space. And I point out even after the action switches to Earth there are Star Wars-ish sequences like when they buzz through the canyon in the high-tech aircraft and barely avoid sure death numerous times much like Han Solo and Chewbacca in the asteroids belt.

Taken from http://www.awesomewallpapersblog.com

We were also impressed with the f/x, in particular the capitol city of Scree and the various spaceships. It was impressive and distinctive, not carbon copies of Star Trek or Star Wars franchises.

I point out the appropriateness off the Scrolls, the primary enemy of Captain Marvel and SHIELD boss Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) being shapeshifters. Beginning in the 90’s, terrorists are at or near the top of the “bad guys” list and of course part of their MO is to pretend to be God-fearing American citizens and then secretly plan and launch terror attacks. So Muslim fantatics are essentially shapeshifters.

And now for the big moment, our scores:

It was not Oscar material but definitely worth seeing for several reasons: stellar f/x, rockin’ soundtrack, topnotch cinematography, solid plot and excellent acting. My primary issue was the implausible (even for a superhero movie) ending. Stephen’s primary issue was the role of the cat that ends up possessing an extremely important artifact.

Here is a link to the episode: https://youtu.be/0Vn2AHrpi3Y

And there you go, ladies and gentlemen, the countdown is complete! Now I will go forward in time and catch up with all of our reviews (we’re up to 14 episodes with #15 fast approaching!). And as we say at the end of every episode, “We’ll be watching…for you.”

Countdown Continues with…”Pet Sematary, Episode #3″ — Remake Improves on the Spooky Original * One Spoiler Alert*

August 23, 2019 by leeeide-, posted in movies

Stephen Craig: “I loved the ending. It was campy, do you agree?”

Me: “Oh yeah, very…The ending was 3-D: dark, delicious, and ah geez, what was it, oh yeah, delightful!”

And indeed it is. We both loved how the script deviated from the original 1989 movie, which was excellent, by the way, but by having the daughter Rachael die and come back from the dead instead of the younger son, Gage, the tale veers off on a devilishly deviant tangent that ends in a sinister fashion (spoiler withheld).

Link to the review:

https://www.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D_xQxJGaLnow

Here are my notes on the movie:

Starring Jason Clarke as Dr. Louis Creed, Jon Lithgow as neighbor Jud Crandall, and Jete’ Laurence as daughter Ellie, this is a spin of the classic “monkey’s paw” yarn that works beautifully. The tale explores the macabre, weighty but fascinating world of the death of loved ones and of our own mortality. PT is “smart zombie” tale, closer to vampires than George Romero’s mindless, human-flesh-eating obsessed undead. The beings that are resurrected from the special Micmac burial ground look like the original person or pet but harbor a hidden, evil streak poses lethal danger to the loved ones of the reanimated being.
I see that some critics say the pacing is too slow but I thought the pacing, with the exception of perhaps one too many flashbacks of the mother Rachael as a young child helping take care of her dying mother Zelda, was fine. It made the characters fully human and worth caring for. The only flaw worth noting is from the source material and the filmmakers failure to address it is the primary reason I can’t give this movie a perfect score. And that is the failure of the parents, after they move to an isolated home right by a busy road, to build some kind of protective fencing for their cat and young children. Other than that, I love how the new version of “Pet Sematary” keeps the parts of the original source material that do work and change the story from the younger Gage getting killed by a speeding semi to the older daughter Ellie.
As Jud says, “Sometimes dead is better” and I would amend that slightly to say that sometimes the original is story is fine but sometimes that are parts you should change. In this case, I think the producer and director made the right decision by having Ellie die and come back from the special burial ground.
I give it 9 kernels. Everything was perfect except for minor plot issues.

My co-host also gave it a 9.0. kernels out of 10.0. We talk about how fabulously Jon Lithgow as next-door neighbor, Jud Crandall, says the line, “Sometimes dead is better.” I add that Fred Gwynne (in the original) says it with more of an Eastern accent.

Fred Gwynne as Jud Crandall in original “Pet Sematary”

Seeing this wonderful flick inspired by Stephen King has me even more pumped up for the next, and final, “It” installment. It’s going to be released Sept. 5th, a day after my birthday. Bring it on, baby!

Countdown Continues: “Shazam!” — Episode #4 — A Truly Historic Moment: Our Show’s 1st Perfect Score

August 15, 2019 by leeeide-, posted in movies, superheroes

Highlights from the show:

#1 – SC: “One of the first things Billy Batson does after he gets superpowers is to go buy beer.” LE: “If I suddenly got superpowers at that age I’d do the same thing.”

#2 – SC: “Okay, which would you rather have, invisibility or the power to fly?” LE: “Okay I have flip flopped on this one. I’d rather have invisibility so I can be that fly on the wall. I figure I can already fly because we have jetpacks but as far as I know, no one’s invented a way to become invisible. SC: “It’s close but I’ll take flying.” LE: “We can work together. You can have the aerial view while I’m on the ground checking things out.”

#3 — SC: “I give it 8.5 kernels. How about you, Lee?” LE: “I’m gonna see your 8.5 and raise it to 10!” SC: “Wow, our first perfect score.” LE: “And maybe the last.” Fist bump ensues.

Okay, I’ll admit it. My score was too high. I got caught up in the excitement (maybe it was the exclamation point! at the end of the title?) of the Shazam phenomena. I mean today I would rate it 9.0, maybe 9.5, but Stephen had a great point about all the monsters that represented the Seven Deadly Sins all kind of blended together in a grayish, evil, metaphorical soup. They should have been different colors or shaped uniquely or something to visually clue in the audience which one was which. Not a HUGE deal but still, a strike against the movie that prevents it from being perfect.

And BTW, my comment in re this might be the last 10 we ever give out on the show turned out to be wrong! Both Stephen and I gave “Avengers: Endgame” a 10 (guest reviewer David Rasmussen give a 9.5 with the length being the only glitch he saw in the movie). So this wasn’t my personal best performance but I think I at least partially redeemed myself with one of my jokes on Lee’s Jokes of the Week:

NOTE: I explain on the show why I can get away with telling a marine biologist joke: It’s because a famous fictional character, Gomer Pyle, who was a Marine, liked to use the phrase, “Shazam, Seargant Carter!”

Okay, here’s the joke: What do you call a marine biologist who’s bad at their job? Answer: A submarine biologist.

Virginia-class U.S. Navy Submarine (most advanced nuclear-powered sub)

Historical note: Captain Marvel was Shazam’s original name when the character was first crafted, as a Superman knockoff, in 1939. He was relaunched in 1973 as Shazam after decades of lawsuits and the debut of Marvel’s own Captain Marvel.

Lastly, this from Quora.com user Sayan Mukherjee: Young Billy Batson got his powers from the wizard Shazam, and his name is an acronym, the letters standing for Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles and Mercury. The point being, he gets certain attributes from these characters, such as the thunderbolt of Zeus and the speed of Mercury.

And that, my movie- and superhero-loving friends, concludes this “The Movie Review Show” blog about episode #4 of our show on YouTube. Here’s the link to that episode:

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=the+movie+review+show+with+lee+eide+on+youtube+-+episode+%233&&view=detail&mid=EA991210AD7E6AAB483CEA991210AD7E6AAB483C&&FORM=VRDGAR

“The Movie Review Show”, SHAZAM! — episode #4 link

Countdown Continues: “Detective Pokemon Pikachu” — Episode #6 — Surprisingly Well-Done & Doesn’t Require Viewer to be a Veteran Video Game Player

August 12, 2019 by leeeide-, posted in movies, Video Game Franchise Debut

It’s a mostly-stellar neo-noir, kid-friendly fantasy detective/mystery tale that is both a wonderful introduction for Pokémon newbies and a successful translation of an iconic kids video game to the big screen. The film is an enjoyable movieization of a longtime global video-game phenomenon that is campy, preposterous and for the most part, works.

R.J. Palmer, an illustrator who made his mark with online illustrations of Pokémon characters, helped create concept designs for the movie. Nigel Phelps, production designer, bathes Ryme City in neon shades of light and rain-dampened streets. It was shot with 35MM Kodak film, which contributed to the realistic feel of fantastical images in an imaginary world.

Movie Poster of “Pokemon Detective Pikachu”

Director Rob Letterman of “Goosebumps” fame and the other writers fill the film with Easter eggs and admittedly were inspired by and influenced by “Blade Runner”, Tim Burton’s “Batman” (1989) and a 1949 British film noir entitled “The Third Man”.

Dazzling, sophisticated and well-employed F/X, meticulous, right-on portrayals of the epic cast of Pokémon characters, especially the detective hero Pikachu, and generous dollops of humor overpower the at times confusing plot twists and chaotic action scenes. Its assets easily outpace the liabilities, which leads my score: 8 kernels of popcorn!

LEE’S JOKES OF THE WEEK

1) What does Pikachu say when he gets gassy while drinking milk? Answer: I’m Zaptos intolerant!

2) What product is the hero the Pokémon movie going to promote? Answer: Chewing gum. As in “pick a chew”.

3) What happens when you combine the Pokémon movie with the Avengers final two movies? Answer: Half of the Pokémon characters die!

Copy of my letter to the editors at Time in re the remake of “The Lion King”

August 3, 2019 by leeeide-, posted in movies

It is a mostly lifeless, less fun, less energetic and less- fun-musically recreation of an original that was fantastic and didn’t need to be remade. There’s less music, which detracts from the energy level, and much less humor. The CGI-rendering and less energetic voices and depleted soundtrack leave the audience feeling like they’re watching a nature documentary that’s been staged. We get what amounts to vampires: on the outside they appear like normal animals but on the inside, they’re dead.

The only deviations from the original plot made the film worse, not better:

1) Butchering “Circle of Life”, “I Can’t Wait to be King” and “Be Prepared” songs

2) Excluding Scar’s response to Simba’s question, “What does that make you?”

3) Replacing Jeremy Irons as the voice of Scar with another British (but much less accomplished) actor, Chiwetel Ejiofor

4) Omitting Timon from scene in which the hyena sentries are distracted by prospect of dining on a warthog so Simba and Nala can sneak into the Pridelands to confront Scar

Shame on you, Disney, for taking the easy way out (again) and instead of giving us new story lines, fresh characters and new plots, you take the path of least resistance and slap new technology on the same story and give less energetic and less visually interesting film. The result: audiences are uninspired and at times even bored (at least Stephen Craig, my co-host on “The Movie Review Show” on YouTube, ere). It’s very shameful indeed. I’m not paying another cent to watch anymore of Disney’s CGI remakes and I don’t think anyone should either. Moviegoers deserve better than that. It’s time to boycott Disney CGI-remakes of classic Disney films. Thank you for your time and attention.

Best Regards, Lee A. Eide

Phone #: 651-380-1688

521 Maple St. #B206, Red Wing, MN 55066

“The Movie Review Show”: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC64prJQVS4j6WrOIQhJhNwQ

Episode #10 — “Spider-Man: Far From Home” & Our Favorite Movie (1 Each) of All Time

July 16, 2019 by leeeide-, posted in Uncategorized

We hit double digits with this bad boy! That’s right, “The Movie Review Show” turned ten with this show. We’d originally planned to have a special guest on the show like we did when David Rasumussen was on episode #5 when we reviewed the epic “Avengers: Endgame” https://youtu.be/4wVuueh3Vfk but after we discovered the person couldn’t make it, we decided to change the format of the show. Instead of Stephen’s Recommendation and my Jokes of the Week, Stephen and I each revealed our favorite movie of all time, regardless of genre.

First “Spider-Man: Far From Home”. https://youtu.be/Nt9L1jCKGnE

We both really, really liked this film. I gave it almost a perfect score and Stephen wasn’t far behind. I mean, what’s not to like? The F/X, like you’d expect from Marvel Studios, is exquisite. The cinematography is awe-inspiring as we hit Venice, Austrian Alps, Prague, London, and New York City. The cast is excellent. From titular Spider-Man/Peter Parker played by Tom Holland and Nick Fury played by Samuel L. Jackson to Mysterio by Jake Gyllenhaal and a fine supporting cast led by Zendaya, Jacob Batalon and Jon Favreau as Peter Parker’s love interest, Peter Parker’s best friend and Peter Parker’s assistant, respectively, the acting is topnotch. For details, watch our show on YouTube. The plot, like “Avengers: Endgame” begins slowly as it sets up the story lines and action that follow, but once the first elemental creature appears on screen, look out. It’s action and eye candy galore!

Our only issue with the plot is the thinly-disguised “Night Monkey” costume he uses in Europe. Other than the darker color, he still looks like Spider-Man and he acts (i.e. – shoots webs, swings around, etc.) like the arachnid-inspired superhero so that came off as kind of lame. Not a huge deal but still, it was a mark against the movie.

Now onto our favorite movies of all time! First Stephen Craig chose “Joe Versus the Volcano” https://youtu.be/cmQDIne3CLo.

Joe Versus the Volcano – 1990 Movie Poster

It received mixed reviews from the critics. Among the film’s fans was Roger Ebert, who officially gave it 3.5/4.0 but later on publicly wondered why he didn’t give it a perfect 4.0. Stephen loved it so much because of the fabulous love story and the way the story worked on multiple levels. The main character symbolizes the average Joe, and hence his name Joe. In one scene the Tom Hanks-portrayed character has a defect in one of his shoes and declares “I’m trying to save my sole”, which also could apply to him trying to save his soul. There are metaphors for heaven as well.

Quotes from the movie that Stephen read:

#1: Patricia: My father says that almost the whole world is asleep. Everybody you know. Everybody you see. Everybody you talk to. He says that only a few people are awake and they live in a state of constant total amazement.

#2: Joe Banks to Angelica Graynamore: Listen to me. If you have a choice between killing yourself and doing something you’re scared of doing, why not take the leap and do the thing you’re scared of doing?

And for my own favorite of all time, I give you “American Beauty”! https://youtu.be/3ycmmJ6rxA8

Correction: In the show I said the movie won two Oscars but it actually won five Oscars.

American Beauty – After telling wife the vintage Firebird in their driveway is his, Lester declares, “I rule!”

Lester Burnham Fantasizing About Daughter’s Friend Angela

Again Roger Ebert surfaces in our movie-review world. He gave the film a 100 while writing for the Chicago Sun-Tribune as did two other major movie reviewers. It got an 86 on Metacritic. Perhaps the thing I like most about the movie is that it makes you think about really big, important, and interesting topics: 1) Nature of God; 2) Human beings’ connection to God; 3) Existence and nature of life after death; 4) Disparity between our outer and inner realities; 5) Truth: how can we find and remember it.

Kevin Spacey plays an unhappy, dysfunctional, 42-year-old man whose personal relationships and career leave him dead inside. At the beginning of the movie, he declares he will die within six months and that he doesn’t, at this point, know that, but in some ways he’s dead already. The movie is about showing not only how Lester ends up dying but also how he truly discovers how to be alive right up until he’s murdered.

My two quotes were:

1) Lester: You know those posters that say ‘today is the first day of the rest of your life’? Well that’s true for every day except one. The day you die.

2) Lester (right before he’s shot in the back of the head by the secretly gay next-door neighbor nicknamed The Colonel): I had always heard your entire life flashes in front of your eyes the second before you die. First of all, that one second isn’t a second at all, it stretches on forever, like an ocean of time… For me, it was lying on my back at Boy Scout camp, watching falling stars… And yellow leaves, from the maple trees, that lined our street… Or my grandmother’s hands, and the way her skin seemed like paper… And the first time I saw my cousin Tony’s brand new Firebird… And Janie… And Janie… And… Carolyn. I guess I could be pretty pissed off about what happened to me… but it’s hard to stay mad, when there’s so much beauty in the world. Sometimes I feel like I’m seeing it all at once, and it’s too much, my heart fills up like a balloon that’s about to burst… And then I remember to relax, and stop trying to hold on to it, and then it flows through me like rain and I can’t feel anything but gratitude for every single moment of my stupid little life… You have no idea what I’m talking about, I’m sure. But don’t worry… you will someday.

In both movies there’s an undercurrent of magic running through the main character. In both films the director is straining to show the audience just what a truly amazing, astounding and awe-inspiring world we live in. The key is the individual must be be like the mythic hero figure and leave their old, boring, and unfulfilling life behind and be brave enough to embark on a dangerous but exciting journey into another world.

Bill Moyers interviews author, editor and teacher Joseph Campbell on the PBS
series, The Power of Myth.

“We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” Joseph Campbell

The Movie Review Show Press Release

June 26, 2019 by leeeide-, posted in movies

“The Movie Review Show” hosted by Stephen L. Craig & Lee A. Eide
Press Release
For Immediate Release

Contact Info:
Lee A. Eide
leeeide@outlook.com
Phone: 651-212-3041

Stephen L. Craig
Mrgame777@hotmail.com
Phone: 651-347-0702

Link to introductory video: Intro to THE MOVIE REVIEW SHOW on YouTube (starring Stephen Craig & Lee Eide)

A Movie Review Show that Soars Above Just Reviewing Movies

Red Wing, MN – June 7, 2019: Stephen L. Craig and Lee A. Eide, two movie fanatics from Red Wing, MN, have launched a weekly series on YouTube that is more than the title implies.

The two movie buffs review newly-released movies and then add two features not found in similar shows:

1) Stephen’s Weekly Recommendation – the brother of well-known entertainer Deborah S. Craig, best known for her role on “The Blacklist”, starring as Marcy Park in the long-running Broadway musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and creator of web cult hit Yoga For Black People (over a million hits), Stephen recommends a product, service or content not usually related to movies. Examples: “Seinfeld” and Nintendo Switch plus two men’s fragrances.
2) Lee’s Joke(s) of the Week – Jokes relate to the movie the duo reviews. For example, in episode #3 (www.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D_xQxJGaLnow)in which they review “Pet Sematary”, Lee tells two dead-cat jokes plus a regular cat joke.

“We go to so many movies and frequently have very different opinions of them so we thought, ‘Hey, why not start our own show on YouTube’”, says Eide.

The two Wal-Mart cashiers videotape each episode on Craig’s home computer. Some weeks, due to scheduling issues, they cannot do a show, but their goal is to complete one episode per week.

The highlight of their seven-episode run is the 5th show in which the two plus special guest David Rasmussen give their takes on the epic finale of the Avengers saga. The episode includes a magic trick by Craig and bonus jokes (a total of nine) by Eide.

The show’s tag line is “A show for reel (real) movie fans” and the two end each episode with “And as always, we’ll be watching…for you.”

###

Highlights
Episode #1 – CAPTAIN MARVEL

#1: SC: “I was really looking forward to this movie. You’ve got Tim Burton directing with Danny Devito and Michael Keaton back together again and I thought this was a ‘can’t miss’ movie. But it wasn’t a ‘can’t miss’ movie.” LE: “Yeah, given all the big names involved and the source material you’d think it would be fantastic and it wasn’t. It wasn’t horrible but it could have been so much better.”

#2: SC: “The acting was lackluster. Even Michael Keaton’s acting wasn’t as good as it should have been. I thought Danny Devito did a good job.” LE: “Yeah, he normally plays a bad guy but in this one he plays a good guy and does a great job whereas I thought Michael Keaton (as a villain) was out of his element. I think Christopher Walken or Jack Nicholson would have been a better choice for the villain.”

#3: SC: “The animated original had a lot more love in it.” LE: “Yes, I mean next to Bambi’s mother dying, the separation of Dumbo from his mother is the most famously sad scene in Disney history and this movie didn’t devote enough time and attention to it.”

#4: In re the ‘pink elephants on parade’ scene – SC: “I would have thought do the scene fully or don’t do it all. That’s my opinion.” LE: “Yeah, I mean given his penchant for the macabre, it’s kind of surprising he didn’t do the scene fully…He kind of wussed out.” SC: “When you’re an artist, sometimes you’re going to offend people.” LE: “In the pink elephant scene, if you really want to be edgy, you would have done it more like the original. But he (Timothy Burton) didn’t do it, and I think it’s a bad choice.”

#5: LE: “No spoilers but the ending was was upbeat, spectacular, and visually stunning. You’ll leave the theater very happy.”

#6: LE: “It was an ambitious, visually stunning expansion of the darker, racist movie but lackluster acting and plot issues prevented it from being a 9.5 or 10.”

Episode #3 – PET SEMATARY

#1 – SC: “Jete Laurence does an outstanding job. People should go to this movie just to see her act.” LE: “She plays a fantastic reanimated, creepy, conniving daughter.”

#2: SC: “John Lithgow does wonderful job as the next-door neighbor. He says the one line, ‘Sometimes dead is better’, perfectly.” LE: “I agree. I also loved Fred Gywnn in the original movie. He did it with more of an Eastern accent: ‘Sometimes…dead is better.’”

#3: SC: “I really, really, really liked the ending.” LE: “Me too. I think by having the older sister being killed instead of the younger son the story veers off in a different, more evil, and interesting direction…The ending is dark, delicious…and delightful.”

Episode #4 – SHAZAM

#1 – SC: “One of the first things Billy Batson does after he gets superpowers is to go buy beer.” LE: “If I suddenly got superpowers at that age I’d do the same thing.”

#2 – SC: “Okay, which would you rather have, invisibility or the power to fly?” LE: “Okay I have flip flopped on this one. I’d rather have invisibility so I can be that fly on the wall. I figure I can already fly because we have Jetpacks but as far as I know, no one’s invented a way to become invisible. SC: “It’s close but I’ll take flying.” LE: “We can work together. You can have the aerial view while I’m on the ground checking things out.”

#3 — SC: “I give it 8.5 popcorns. How about you, Lee?” LE: “I’m gonna see your 8.5 and raise it to 10!” SC: “Wow, our first perfect score.” LE: “And maybe the last.” Fist bump ensues.

Episode #5 – AVENGERS: ENDGAME

#1 – SC: “Early in the movie there’s a lot of drama but not very much action.” LE: “They had to devise a pretty complex plan (to retrieve the Infinity Stones) so there is a lot of intellectual stuff going on so it’s gonna be slower paced…But it sets up what happens in the 2nd half of the movie, which is almost non-stop action.”

#2 – SC: “I wrote down in my notes that was more than a movie. It was an experience.” DR: “Yeah, the experience of a lifetime.” LE: “It was like Marvel Comics created a VR ride and it sucked you into their universe.”

#3 – LE: “It definitely didn’t feel like a three-hour movie. I thought the pacing was great. For the finale of a huge franchise like this is you needed all the time to do things right.” DR: “I would love to go back and watch this movie again to see what I missed…because that movie was huge.”

#4 – After looking up Metacritic rating (77): SC: “You know what guys, I’m gonna say this: You guys are wrong!”

Episode #6 – POKEMON DETECTIVE PIKACHU

#1 – SC: “At the beginning, I thought some of the acting was bad.” LE: “In general, I thought the acting was fine..but in the beginning it was, ah, uneven is probably the best way to put it.”

#2 – SC: “I thought as Pikachu Ryan Reynolds did a fantastic job.” LE: “Yeah, a cleaned-up Deadpool persona.” SC: “I loved Mr. Mime.” LE: “My two favorite characters are Torterra and Mr. Mime. Real-life mimes irritate the heck out of me but this one was funny.”

#3 – SC: “The original story of Pikachu is that of Ash and Pikachu. And I thought that story would have been better for newcomers because that way you would have met Pikachu and Ash and then how they met new Pokeman characters along the way. That’s the story everyone knows so I don’t know why they didn’t do that. Instead this a story from the video game “Detective Pikachu”. I don’t know how closely it follows the story but it is based on that game for the Nintendo DS.” LE: “Yeah I think the director Rob (Letterman) really wanted to do a film noir type movie that would appeal more to the adult audience while the main focus of the movie is on the Pokemon characters. In general I think he does a good job of balancing the two.”

#4 – LE: “Awesome F/X, a lot of humor. So basically it’s a very enjoyable movie but it does have issues.

#5 – SC: “It’s the end of the episode which means it’s time for Lee’s Joke of the Week.” LE: “Okay Stephen probably had the funniest thing with the whale vomit but I’ll give it a shot.”
Episode #7 – ALADDIN

#1 – LE: “This movie didn’t need to be remade but Disney knew they could make a lot of money on it. Money talks.”

#2 – SC: “I thought the lighting for the song ‘It’s a Whole New World” was poor. And the places they show aren’t that interesting. In the animated original it shows exotic places like Paris but in this one it shows like shots of the ocean. The whole scene is really dark and boring.” LE: “Apparently Disney’s new world is dark and boring.”

#3 – In re Metacritic rating of 86% and Rotten Tomatoes audience rating of 94%: “I’m not usually a big conspiracy guy but there’s something going on here. I think Disney hired a bunch of reviewers.” SC: “I think the reason it did so well is an enjoyable movie, it is a fun movie. I mean being a reviewer I was pickier someone just watching the movie on average. I thought some of the acting was poor but the average viewer isn’t gonna pay attention to that so that’s why the audience scores are so high.” LE: “I still think there’s something fishy going on.