I said before that I don’t play video games but I do enjoy watching my brother play them. The games he played were the Playstation games. Those being Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, Sly Cooper, and Kingdom Hearts. We got Jak and Daxter and Ratchet and Clank on the PS3 later. So hearing that this game series would get a movie was promising.

This movie does have good characters and the ones they brought from the original games stay true to their counterparts. The relationship between Ratchet and Clank is good and both work off each other well. Captain Qwark is arrogant and funny.

A problem I have is that the relationship of Ratchet and Clank while nice doesn’t include any conflict. In the original game Ratchet accompanied Clank to see Captain Qwark. Ratchet was only helping because he needed a robotic ignition system to leave the planet. Through out the game they grow to like each other. In this movie they meet and become friends immediately.

This paragraph contain spoilers: There is a scene where Clank is scanning Ratchet to see if he find his species. While he’s looking we see pictures of Daxter from Jak and Daxter and Sly Cooper. I thought that was awesome that they referenced those games. It also helps promote the new Sly Cooper which I can’t wait for either. One flaw I had that was actually fixed was Dr. Nefarious being human in this version. In the games he was a robot (who had a great design) and he was both threatening and hilarious. I know its a reboot but it could have done better with that. But then I saw the scene before the end credits showing the outcome of the climax. It turns out that Dr. Nefarious had transformed into his robotic design. It was a nice reference and redeemed that problem I had.

Fans of the games will like this movie, if not its a fine timewaister. It’s no Wreck it Ralph but its a pretty good video game adaptation.

Verdict:
+ Good characters
+ Clever reference to two other game series
–  No conflict between Ratchet and Clank like the first game
+/-  Dr. Nefarious as a human is odd, though its fixed in the end credits

Score: 7.4

I’m noticing that live action adaptations of Disney animated movies are becoming a thing now. I enjoy the 1967 version of The Jungle Book. Not so much of the sequel. I was surprised to see that people really like this remake. Even if it has a bigger score on Rotten Tomatoes (1967:86) (2016:94).

The Jungle Book is about a man cub named Mogli who is raised by wolves. When Sher Khan returns determined the killed the man cub. Mogul must leave for the man village. Along the way, Mogli meets Baloo the bear and becomes friends with him.

I liked how instead of Mogli refusing to leave the jungle this version actually wants decides to leave so that his family an be safe. The visuals of the characters and the jungle are really nice even if its all computer animated.

Here’s something you’ll be shocked to hear. I actually really like the beginning and ending of the movie. Not the first or last to be exact, I mean the opening logo and end credits. The opening Disney logo is a cel animated castle which quickly zooms into the jungle where we also hear The Jungle Book overture from the 1967 version. It is really cute and I didn’t see it coming. The end credits, I liked because it shows the exact book from the opening of the original. It just seem so clever and nostalgic, I has to stay for most of the credits because the visuals were cool.

One problem I do have with this movie is Kaa. Not that Kaa had a gender change, but because she’s only in one scene. Another problem I have is that it seems to depend on the old movie too much. The first movie while not faithful to the book still worked on it’s own. This just seemed to combine both the book and the movie and I just seems more mashed up.

The Jungle Book is probably the best live action adaptation that Disney has done. It feels like a love letter to Walt Disney’s last Disney movie he made.

Verdict:
+Opening Disney Logo
+Visuals
+Cute homages to the original
+End Credits
-Kaa is barely in it
-Doesn’t stand on it’s own

Score: B

Batman and Superman have are finally confronting each other on the big screen. I’m more of a Marvel person then a DC one. Batman though is the best superhero ever. Man of Steel was OK to me but I wasn’t looking forward to this movie as much as other and I was not disappointed that it got mixed reviews.

I liked how this movie treated both Superman and Batman with focus. I mentioned in my top 10 My Little Pony episodes that Fall Weather Friends treated both Applejack and Rainbow Dash with equal focus, and this one is no different. You do see their views and reasons why they are fighting each other. The best character was Ben Affleck as Batman. I defiantly liked him better then Christian Bale.  The opening scene was one of my favorite scenes in the movie. If shows Batman’s origin through visuals instead of talking and the music was epic to listen to. Though the part where the bats helped pull Bruce Wayne out of the hole was kind of silly.

Me and my brother were very mixed about Jesse Eisenburg as Lex Luthor. He’s pretty much what I thought he would be. He awkward, his plans are not developed much. Why does every movie version of Lex Luthor have to have hair or wigs?! He does possibly the weirdest thing I have seen in a comic book movie. Spoilers though anyone who isn’t bothering to see it go ahead:  There is a line that June Finch tells Lex  “You can’t urinate in a jar and call it Granny’s Peach Tea”. Then in the congressional hearing scene Finch is drinking from a cup that says Granny’s Peach Tea. I actually didn’t realize that it was urine until I saw someone’s review of the movie. Do I really need to continue? Doomsday is just a bland doomsday monster made just so that Superman Batman and Wonder Woman can fight someone in the climax. It’s good that Doomsday’s role in killing Superman in the comics does not go to waste but still it does not excuse how bad he looks on screen.

While I do like it better then other people, lets face it, Captain America Civil War is going to be the much better comic book movie this year.

Verdict:
+Ben Affleck as Batman
+Treats Superman and Batman as the main focus equally
+Sets up future movies
+The opening scene
-Jesse Eisenburg as Lex Luthor is a weird choice
-Urine scene (really?)
-Doomsday
-Not very fun

Score: C