Early word is that Tom Cruise’s latest installment in the very successful "Mission: Impossible" series – itself based on a television show; see my thoughts on that here – is the most exciting in the series. Rather than lose wind as the franchise continues on, it seems to pick up speed. The new films ups… Read More "Mission: Impossible by …
Author: Josh Walbert
Prequels, Sequels, Reboots, and Remakes
In my recent retrospective on "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," I began with a short blurb on my take on reboots, remakes, prequels, and sequels. "Reboots and remakes, even sequels, are often lauded by nearly everyone as unnecessary. Calls of “we’ve seen this already” or “it was better when” often prelude… Read More "Prequels, Sequels, Reboots, …
MCU: The Television Dimension
In 2013, after the worldwide phenomenon known as Marvel's The Avengers proved that the MCU's multi-property shared universe plan was successful cinematically, the Marvel think tank determined the next experiment would be to stretch the stories to television and streaming. Spurred on by the success of the Marvel One-Shots – short vignettes featured on the… Read More "MCU: The Television Dimension"
2008 in Review: ‘Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’
Reboots and remakes, even sequels, are often lauded by nearly everyone as unnecessary. Calls of “we’ve seen this already” or “it was better when” often prelude paragraphs that go on to compare apples and oranges; decades-old cinema with modern storytelling. The thing is, for beloved franchises, reinventing or revisiting characters from the past actually does… Read More "2008 in Review: …
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Film Review: ‘Ready Player One’ Is Enjoyable, Misses Greatness
Steven Spielberg’s latest movie "Ready Player One" is certainly a crowd-pleaser if we are to go off the reactions of the audience in attendance. As many critics have pointed out, however, that exuberance relies solely on the various IPs and meta-references that take center-stage in the adaptation of Ernest Cline’s novel of the same name.… Read More "Film Review: ‘Ready …
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Josh’s Questionable 2017 Top 10
Alright, let's be very clear about something. I like my movies like I like my orange juice, with lots of pulp (this is a lie; I hate pulpy orange juice). Do I appreciate good filmmaking? Yup. Do I tend to enjoy those that make their way to Oscar-caliber best lists? Typically not. So I want… Read More "Josh’s Questionable 2017 …
