It’s All About Love and Extended Family in Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3, A Fan Commentary and Review

Everything we love about Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 is amped up in a perfect send off. And as for the future….

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 Movie Poster
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. © 2023 MARVEL.

Light Spoiler Alert

Say it ain’t so, but James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 is most likely it for fans of this series. Controversies aside, I’ve admired what he can imagine! Without him as the storyteller, it’s doubtful that any future appearances and reasons for them to continue will be up to snuff. As for how I feel about the MCU as a whole, it hasn’t been as exciting since the build-up to a universal is multi-fold rather than unilateral. Thankfully, his series is self-contained and doesn’t allude to what else is happening in Earth-616. An article written by Ben Collins for The Collider clarifies the confusion in terms of where all the different films from Sony, Fox, and Disney/Marvel exist in.

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Breaking Down The Super Mario Bros. Movie – Not Quite the Smash It Should Be.

The only good part of The Super Mario Bros. Movie is in how Mario Kart gets reimagined.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie PosterSpoiler Alert

Before The Super Mario Bros. Movie came to the fore as the better motion picture, Super Mario Bros existed. It’s almost confusing to know which film is being talked about, since there’s two missing words to distinguish between the two. But for those in the know about the older work, perhaps it’s best not to. That live-action take reimagined the game as a gangster flick, and not everyone enjoyed it.

After Wreck It Ralph, fans were wondering when we’d get a motion picture that’s truly a love letter to Nintendo’s product line. The nods in this latest showed what’s possible with the cameo. The game is about a plumber saving the princess from Bowser, an evil turtle who is holding her hostage. In this take, the changes to the story are different.

The movie version (voiced by Jack Black) puts the citizens of each world into a prison, and Mario (Chris Pratt)’s brother is the latest victim. Um, what happened to honouring the game? This movie directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic for Illumination Entertainment and Nintendo set out to build a cinematic universe rather than respect the original premise. Although they stick in plenty of references to this company’s past games and Easter eggs to distract, only the hard core will know.

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PIXAR’s Onward and Upwards Ho!

Image result for onward posterBy Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Spoiler Alert

Fans of TSR’s Dungeons and Dragons will certainly get a kick out of Disney*PIXAR’S Onward. Not only are all the references straight out of the monster manual, I acknowledge the acquisition from Wizards of the Coast–but they are not the true creators of this role playing game system. After saving this property from TSR’s failing infrastructure, they simply fixed it up. That being said, the world building and revolution that creators Dan Scanlon, Jason Headley and Keith Bunin crafted up is one I’d love to revisit!

Once upon a time, in a world far, far away was a world of magic. Sadly, it disappeared in favour of technological progress. Apparently it took place faster than anyone can realize–perhaps the only failing of this film–and pretty soon fairies, dwarves, elves, centaurs and many more had to embrace change. If they don’t stay progressive, any species I have not mentioned will be left behind. Onward is hardly subtle in this theme of forgetting the fast, and it establishes how this realm has become much like human society, dependent on technology to get by.

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Laying it On The Line with The LEGO Movie 2

The LEGO Movie 2

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

  • Spoiler Alert

Everything is not quite awesome in Bricksburg in The LEGO Movie Part Two. Now dubbed Apocalypseburg, the Mad Max theme plays throughout as the citizens attempt to thwart an invading species of bricks. The set up is simple: In the real world, events continue after younger sister Bianca is allowed to the basement where this “world” lives and she can bring her Duplo. And sometimes, certain characters are not who they are. This sense of accepting who they inside define what makes this sequel special.

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Thoughts on Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

The LEGO Movie 2By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

  • Major Spoiler Alert

In preparation for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, a rewatch of the first film (and original trilogy) was needed. To see how it all ties together is mildly explored. This latest entry takes place three years after and yes, some advancements in cloning technology happened to allow for the unthinkable.

Dr Henry Wu (B. D. Wong) is continuing his hybrid experiments. I hoped more detail would emerge about who his new masters are, but nothing is revealed. Without him, there would be no ongoing series. Another film is planned.

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