3.5 Razors

John Wick: Chapter 4

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: John Wick: Chapter 4
  • IMDb: link

John Wick: Chapter 4 has the same strengths and weaknesses of the earlier films. We get bloody, brutal, and at times spectacular, violence set against the backdrops of music video sets brought to life, which are dragged down at times by stretches of world building unnecessary for our enjoyment of the former. The fourth entry of the franchise plays at cross purposes with John Wick (Keanu Reeves) looking to work his way back into the life he abandoned for his wife in order to get out again. In terms of story, it’s a bit of a mess. In terms of action, there are a couple of long sequences which fans will not doubt enjoy.

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The Blacklist – The Four Guns

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: The Blacklist – The Four Guns
  • wiki: link

The third episode of the latest season of The Blacklist continues the old home week theme, bringing back another character from the show’s 10 years on the air, but takes a break from the Wujing (Chin Han) season arc when the team discovers a threat to Senator Panabaker‘s (Deirdre Lovejoy) life. There are some nice twist and turns here involving a notorious group of pickpockets (who give the episode its title) and in the identity and motives of the assassin who hires them for the job. It is an interesting choice to cutaway at a few crucial moments in the episode to allow us to wonder just what actions Panabaker took off-screen prior to her rescue (and whether or not the career politician may have found a way to turn some vital information to her advantage).

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Dragonslayer

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Dragonslayer
  • IMDb: link

Given the path of his career, it’s still difficult for me to imagine a point where anyone saw Peter MacNicol as a potential action star, even one so far in over his head as Galen. In the 1981 fantasy film, MacNicol stars as a sorcerer’s apprentice who takes on the responsibility of vanquishing a dragon after his master (Ralph Richardson) is killed. The film, relying on practical effects (including life-size segments of a giant mechanical dragon), the use of version of stop motion known as go motion, and dozens of matte paintings, holds up fairly well today. And the film’s dragon remains one of the favorites ever put to film by both fans and other filmmakers, including Guillermo del Toro.

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Star Wars: The Bad Batch – Pabu

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Star Wars: The Bad Batch – Pabu
  • wiki: link

Since it doesn’t feel as if the squad is ready to hang up their blasters permanently, “Pabu” feels darkly foreboding. The episode’s title comes from the hidden colony of refugees Phee Genoa (Wanda Sykes) leads the Bad Batch to after a successful job. While the retreat offers a respite from recent events, and a young friend for Omega (Michelle Ang), it’s far from dull as the squad comes together to help save the locals from a natural disaster before deciding to stay and help the community rebuild (possibly staying just long enough for their troubles to follow them to Pabu?).

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Green Lantern Corps #201

/ / Comics

Throwback Tuesday takes us back to the DCU following the shakeup from Crisis on Infinite Earths and resetting of the Green Lantern Corps in Green Lantern #200 which changed the comic from a solo title to a team title by sending seven Green Lanterns back to Earth following the departure of the Guardians. The comic reminds readers of the changes to the universe with a quick stop at Ch’p‘s home sector before he and Salakk both join Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Katma Tui, Arisia, and Kilowog on Earth.

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