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Citadel – Baked Alaskas

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Citadel – Baked Alaskas
  • IMDb: link

The original, and arguably weakest, of Amazon’s Citadel shows returns for a Second Season. We begin with narration from the still-captured Bernard Orlick (Stanley Tucci) which works as a recap of the show’s First Season (notably somewhat reconning the most important revelations from the season finale) and also sets up Bernard as a major character rather than just a supporting player. Following Bernard’s escape, the show also introduces dimwitted shoot-first former CIA Agent James Hutch (Jack Reynor) who is going to help Bernard stop Manticore from using mind-control technology that they forced him to invent, whether Bernard wants his help or not. He really doesn’t.

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Daredevil – The Southern Cross

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Daredevil: Born Again – The Southern Cross
  • IMDb: link

The Second Season finale of Daredevil: Born Again is certainly cool, although not without some rather large problems. The creators of this series (and to an extent to original Netflix series) have gotten a little lost in the dichotomy of Daredevil (Charlie Cox) and Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio) to an almost psychotic extent. The conclusion of the Fisk’s mayor arc allows the series to split the pair for a cinematic moment, each facing a sort of justice for their actions. However, are we really to believe brutally murdering 50+ New Yorkers on his way out of office in a murderous rage has absolutely no consequences for our series’ villain while Daredevil (apparently without trial) is sent to prison?

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The Phantom

/ / Home Video
  • Title: The Phantom
  • IMDb: link

Although 1996’s The Phantom wasn’t a big success with critics or audiences of the time, I had a grand old time seeing in theaters. The adaptation of Lee Falk‘s classic character unapologetically leans into making a comic book movie accepting the ridiculousness of the premise and championing it rather than forcing such bizarre concepts to appear more realistic. Set in 1938, with a focus on practical effects, if anything the nostalgic charm of the film has made it age even better with time. Revisiting it every few years, I always end up having a good time and appreciate it even more 30 years later.

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Daredevil – Requiem

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Daredevil: Born Again – Requiem
  • IMDb: link

As civil unrest boils over, a resistance takes to the street to protest Mayor Wilson Fisk‘s (Vincent D’Onofrio) policies, and Fisk mourns the death of his wife, Daredevil: Born Again finally gets around to bringing back Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) who survives an attack in her home from CIA black-ops and helps Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) make an explosive statement by hitting the smuggled weapons cache from the Northern Star. “Requiem” also brings the Kingpin and Daredevil face-to-face as Matt attempts to reason with the Mayor only for the two to come to blows ending an a stalemate with Fisk unable to kill Daredevil and Matt, haunted by memories of Foggy‘s (Elden Henson) forgiving nature, unwilling to kill the cancer at the center of the city.

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Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre
  • IMDb: link

The bizarrely-named Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, suggesting the film is part of franchise that doesn’t exist, is a slight deviation from the usual Jason Statham-versus-the-world stories. In what appears to be a half-assed Mission: Impossible knockoff, Statham stars as the Ethan Hunt of the film charged with getting back a stolen weapon about to be sold on the black market. His team includes Aubrey Plaza, doing double duty as the female field agent and tech support, and Bugzy Malone in a role best described as “the other guy.”

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