MOVIE Morning

Here we are, with another Adam Sandler Netflix movie! I typically don't even tune in for these because they're quite literally all the same... but now they've reached back to a comedy classic that people do care about. I only watched the first Happy Gilmore film a few months ago, and I found it to be consistently entertaining. I will say, though, that I'm a bit more of a Billy Madison guy. I also kind of think it'd be more interesting to catch up with him three decades later, rather than Happy Gilmore whose original movie was more based around a specific event happening to his family. Oh well, Happy Gilmore 2 is now out on Netflix. So, is this another Netflix/Adam Sandler comedy dud... or is nostalgia going to carry this to being the best Sandler comedy in decades? Find out in this review!

Happy Gilmore 2:

Directed by: Kyle Newacheck

Written by: Tim Herlihy, Adam Sandler

Based on characters created by: Tim Herlihy, Adam Sandler

Produced by: Jack Giarraputo, Tim Herlihy, Adam Sandler, Robert Simonds

Executive Producers: David Bausch, Barry Bernardi, Dan Bulla, Dennis Dugan, Kevin Grady, Judit Maull

Co-Producers: Brian Robinson, Perry Sachs, Sarah Sarandos, Eli Thomas

Music by: Rupert Gregson-Williams

Director of Photography: Zak Mulligan

Edited by: Brian Robinson

Production Design by: Perry Andelin Blake

Costume Design by: Jordy Scheinberg

Cast: Adam Sandler, Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald, Ben Stiller, Benny Safdie, Bad Bunny, Margaret Qualley, Haley Joel Osmant, Eric André, Travis Kelce

Synopsis: Revisit Happy Gilmore’s golf career after his win in the Tour Championship.

The Fantastic Four are finally back on the big screen, with Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four: First Steps now out in theaters! It has been a nightmare watching some of my favorite characters in all of comics continuously get butchered in big screen adaptations, and Kevin Feige & Marvel Studios have been promising that they're finally gonna deliver a faithful adaptation of the Fantastic Four. The Fantastic Four have, truly, always been some of my favorite characters in Marvel Comics. From the Byrne run of the '80s to the Jonathan Hickman run, they've also had some of my favorite long runs in all of Marvel. Even the current Ryan North run is fantastic. But for so long, film adaptations have never really understood what made the team awesome. The Fantastic Four: First Steps has been, without question, my most anticipated MCU movie of this era because all the trailers have really teased that this film will finally deliver on the intimate family dynamics, old-school optimism and whacky sci-fi of the stories I grew up loving. And the fact that this felt like the most unique movie in the entire MCU, because of it's setting and decor, was just a bonus. So, does The Fantastic Four: First Steps mark the triumphant arrival of some of the MCU's most captivating new characters, or is it another Multiverse Saga dud? Find out in this NON-SPOILER review!

The Fantastic Four: First Steps:

Directed by: Matt Shakman

Screenplay by: Josh Friedman and Eric Pearson and Jeff Kaplan & Ian Springer

Story by: Eric Pearson and Jeff Kaplan & Ian Springer and Kat Wood

Based on the Marvel comics by: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

Produced by: Kevin Feige

Co-Producer: Mitch Bell

Executive Producers: Louis D’Esposito, Grant Curtis, Tim Lewis

Music by: Michael Giacchino

Director of Photography: Jess Hall

Edited by: Nona Khodai, Tim Roche

Casting by: Sarah Finn

Production Design by: Kasra Farahani

Costume Design by: Alexandra Byrne

Cast: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ralph Ineson, Julia Garner, Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, Natasha Lyonne, Sarah Niles

Synopsis: Against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel’s First Family is forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, while defending Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer.

Today, one of my biggest projects ever finally releases. In this episode, I'm going to be breaking down pretty much EVERY upcoming DCU and DC Elseworlds project (Movie/Show/Shorts) that has either been announced or HEAVILY rumored at some point over the past three years. Back in November 2022, James Gunn & Peter Safran entered the fray as the new CEOs of DC Studios, the first time DC Entertainment outside of comics has been given its own studio/division. They were tasked with rebooting the DCU (which has now begun) and creating brand cohesion for the first time in a long time. Since then, there have been MANY announcements of upcoming movies and shows, some of which have gone nowhere while others are finally coming to fruition. It has been a nightmare to keep up with all news DC and since the release of the Superman trailer back in December (when I initially planned to release this), even MORE movies and shows have been announced. With DC hype and excitement at an all-time high, with Superman being received well and doing solid numbers at the box office, I thought now I'd finally be able to bring an epic episode breaking down every upcoming DC Studios movie and show. But... to add some spice and entertainment for me personally, I'm breaking them down in order of my anticipation. So, the I'll be talking about the ones I'm least interested in first and build up to the most hyped ones. So, grab some popcorn and sit back & relax while I give you all the information you need on DC 's future on the big and small screen.

Released:

Creature Commandos - Season 1 (DCU Animated Show)

Superman (DCU Movie)

In Production (Pre/Post):

Peacemaker - Season 2 (DCU Show)

Krypto (DCU Animated Shorts)

Supergirl (DCU Movie)

Lanterns (DCU Show)

Clayface (DCU Movie)

Dynamic Duo (Elseworlds Animated Movie)

DC Super Powers (Elseworlds Animated Show)

Starfire! (Elseworlds Animated Show)

My Adventures with Green Lantern (Elseworlds Animated Show)

Mister Miracle (Elseworlds Animated Show)

Officially In Development:

The Batman - Part II (Elseworlds Movie)

Teen Titans (DCU Movie)

Blue Beetle (DCU Animated Show)

Untitled Bane & Deathstroke (DCU Movie)

Creature Commandos - Season 2 (DCU Animated Show)

Wonder Woman (DCU Movie)

The Brave and the Bold (DCU Movie)

Untitled James Gunn, feat. Superman (DCU Movie)

Paradise Lost (DCU Show)

Waller (DCU Show)

Sgt. Rock (DCU Movie)

Swamp Thing (DCU Movie)

Booster Gold (DCU Show)

Arkham Asylum (DCU Show)

The Authority (DCU Movie)

Rumored To Be In Development:

Huntress (DCU Show)

Jurassic League (Elseworlds Animated Movie)

Plastic Man (DCU Movie)

Mr. Terrific (DCU Show)

Jimmy Olsen (DCU Show)

Superman has now been out in theaters for a few days and I've had the opportunity to now see it a good couple of times. This was my most anticipated movie of the year and I'm glad to say that it lived up to the hype. While it may be his most flawed movie, James Gunn still delivers a sincere, funny, action-packed and TRUE Superman movie. He still hasn't missed. I'm unbelievably hyped for the future of the DCU and the next few movies and shows, the next one being Peacemaker - Season 2 which drops August 21. This is going to be my FULL, no holds barred SPOILER review for James Gunn's Superman. If you haven't yet seen the movie, go see it! Please don't contribute to yet another DC cinematic universe with a lot of potential being tossed to the way side. Sit back, grab some popcorn, relax and enjoy as I go through all the spoiler details of the film and talk the big DCU connections or set ups.

The time is finally here. My most anticipated movie of the year - James Gunn's SUPERMAN - is finally arriving in theaters this weekend. I had the incredible opportunity to see this movie at an early Fan First Screening yesterday, which is how I'm getting this review out about the time it is debuting worldwide, in a select few countries today. This is the official, theatrical launch of James Gunn and Peter Safran's DCU, that I really hope will actually have the chance to thrive. I love DC Comics, and I've loved Superman since I was a small child. I was introduced to the character through the Justice League cartoons and the original 1978 Richard Donner film. I dressed up as Superman and tried to do the curl and all of that. It has been a LONG wait to finally have another Superman movie on the big screen, and - boy, oh boy - has it been a tumultuous one.

I was a huge fan of Henry Cavill's Superman and am one of the people who love Man of Steel. Zack Snyder's Justice League is one of my favorite comic book movies of all-time too, but the toxicity around the excitement and hate for this new movie has been rough. It's the 'sports-ation' of movie fandoms that has really frustrated me over the last few years, and it's showcased no more clearly than how people talked about this movie up until release (and probably after release too). That being said, because the character means so much to me and because James Gunn's film really resonate with me on an emotional level, I've always known he was going to deliver a worthy film that starts the Big Blue again. You'd know that about me if you've listened to any of my reviews of James Gunn's films and shows, which are all glowing, and listened to my breakdowns of the trailers. The trailers certified for me that it seemed like Gunn was finally taking the character back to its much needed hopeful and optimistic, yet slightly retro, roots. So, does James Gunn's Superman deliver on its promises; is it the truest version of Superman we've had in a long time? Find out in this SPOILER-FREE review!

Superman:

Written and Directed by: James Gunn

Superman created by: Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster

Produced by: James Gunn, Peter Safran

Executive Producers: Nikolas Korda, Chantel Nong Vo, Lars P. Winther

Music by: David Fleming, John Murphy

Director of Photography: Henry Braham

Edited by: Craig Alpert, William Hoy

Casting by: John Papsidera

Production Design by: Beth Mickle

Costume Design by: Judianna Makovsky

Cast: David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, María Gabriela de Faría, Sara Sampaio, Skyler Gisondo, Terence Rosemore, Wendell Pierce, Pruitt Taylor-Vince, Neva Howell, Beck Bennett, Mikaela Hoover, Frank Grillo

Synopsis: Superman, a journalist in Metropolis, embarks on a journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent.

It was a BIG week in trailers! The first looks at Lord & Miller's adaptation of Project Hail Mary, Edgar Wright's The Running Man adaptation AND Christopher Nolan's onscreen take on The Odyssey dropped. The first two of those released online earlier this week, while the teaser for The Odyssey was played in front of showings of Jurassic World Rebirth. Although, I'm sure if you looked online you'd pretty easily be able to find a recorded version of that trailer somewhere; welcome to the internet! Since I wanted to talk about all three of these trailers, being that they are all some of my most anticipated upcoming movies and are all coming from some of my favorite filmmakers, I decided to react to all three of them in one podcast episode. Enjoy!

Here we go again! The seventh film in the Jurassic franchise - Jurassic World Rebirth - is now in theaters worldwide. This is the first time since The Lost World that David Koepp has returned to write the screenplay for, but this time it's not an adaptation of a Michael Crichton novel. I had hope since that original announcement and the hiring of Gareth Edwards as the director certainly had me yearning to finally see a good Jurassic film in theaters again. For context, the original Jurassic Park is easily one of my favorite movies ever made; I think it is, in every measurable way, a perfect summer blockbuster. That being said, I don't think any of the Jurassic Park/World sequels have ever been fully satisfying. There are a lot of fans of The Lost World. I am not one of them. There are some staunch defenders of Jurassic Park III, and I am certainly not one of those either. I can have some guilty pleasure fun with the first Jurassic World, but the two films that followed were dull and disappointing. I was one of the few who was able to build up some legitimate hype for Rebirth, because I like the cast and creative team. Is it, by far, the best Jurassic sequel... even if that doesn't mean much? Find out in this review!

Jurassic World Rebirth:

Directed by: Gareth Edwards

Screenplay by: David Koepp

Based on characters created by: Michael Crichton

Produced by: Frank Marshall, Patrick Crowley

Executive Producers: Steven Spielberg, Denis L. Stewart, Jim Spencer

Music by: Alexandre Desplat

Director of Photography: John Mathieson

Edited by: Jabez Olssen

Casting by: Jina Jay

Production Design by: James Clyne

Costume Design by: Sammy Sheldon

Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, Mahershala Ali, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Luna Blaise, David Iacono, Audriana Miranda, Philippine Velge, Bechir Sylvain, Ed Skrein

Synopsis: Five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, covert operations expert Zora Bennett is contracted to lead a skilled team on a top-secret mission to secure genetic material from the world’s three most massive dinosaurs. When Zora’s operation intersects with a civilian family whose boating expedition was capsized, they all find themselves stranded on an island where they come face-to-face with a sinister, shocking discovery that’s been hidden from the world for decades.

All six episodes of Ironheart, the latest Marvel Television series, are now streaming on Disney+. This show has been LONG DELAYED from its initially planned 2023 release (I believe), and it finished initial shooting almost three years ago. The craziest part of all this is that Ryan Coogler is one of the EPs on the series. He introduced the character into the MCU in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. I started off being pretty excited for this show because of the initial pitch and because I was a fan of the initial Bendis comics that introduced this character in the 2010s. But, my excitement completely waned over the delays and lack of marketing, which clearly showed Marvel's lack of enthusiasm for the show. Marvel (and their TV side especially) having their mixed track record during The Multiverse Saga did not help matters. So, is Ironheart the epic win that Marvel TV needs? Find out in this SPOILER review!

It has been a wonky few months of movies. I have been on record that 2025 has been an immensely underwhelming year for movies thus far... filled with a ton of disappointing movies and very mediocre theatrical experiences as well. We are now HALFWAY through 2025 and despite the large bag of disappointing and not very good movies released so far this year, we have had some pretty good to great movies that I want to celebrate as we cross the halfway point of the year. So, today I am going to be giving you guys the list of my top ten favorite movies of 2025 so far! Keep in mind, we're only halfway through the year, so I don't exactly think all ten of these movies are GREAT, but they're the ones that have stuck with me the most. Enjoy and let me know what your top ten favorite movies of the year so far are, in the comments on Spotify!

She's back! After the smash success that was the first M3GAN that released in January of 2023, M3GAN has returned for her second adventure from Blumhouse. I enjoyed the first M3GAN way more than I should have at the time, despite it being a relatively tame, paint by numbers killer robot movie. I appreciated the attempt to at least tie it into the idea of heavy technological reliance when parenting; it was more than I expected from a mid-tier Blumhouse movie. Admittedly, that description makes up almost the entirety of the studio's output but nevertheless. The sequel, from the trailers, looked bigger and badder in just about every way. Is it sure to be one of the most entertaining films of the summer? Find out in this review!

M3GAN 2.0:

Directed by: Gerard Johnstone

Screenplay by: Gerard Johnstone

Story by: Gerard Johnstone and Akela Cooper

Based on characters created by: Akela Cooper & James Wan

Produced by: James Wan, Jason Blum, Allison Williams

Executive Producers: Gerard Johnstone, Adam Hendricks, Greg Gilreath, Michael Clear, Judson Scott, Mark D. Katchur

Music by: Chris Bacon

Cinematography by: Toby Oliver

Casting by: Sarah Domeier Lindo, Miranda Rivers, Terri Taylor

Production Design by: Brendan Heffernan, Adam Wheatley

Costume Design by: Jeriana San Juan

Cast: Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Brian Jordan Alvarez, Jen Van Epps, Amie Donald, Jenna Davis, Ivanna Sakhno, Aristotle Athari, Timm Sharp, Jemaine Clement

Synopsis: After the underlying tech for M3GAN is stolen and misused by a powerful defense contractor to create a military-grade weapon known as Amelia, M3GAN’s creator Gemma realizes that the only option is to resurrect M3GAN and give her a few upgrades, making her faster, stronger, and more lethal.