Blue Beetle (2023) - Movie Review

While DC Studios deals with one hell of a production reworking (one of several over the last decade), this film has been released in limbo. Following on from The Flash, whose reality-twisting premise seems to have officially spelled the end for the DCEU timeline as we know it, but still coming out before James Gunn’s official re-establishing of the universe. Between the burnout that the superhero genre has been experiencing post-Endgame, and the ongoing fandom civil war concerning DC on the big screen, it’s unfortunately easy to see why this production would get left behind in the shuffle. Even the upcoming Aquaman sequel, which also exists in the same state of flux, has a stable connection to what past films have shown us; this has to stand entirely on its own. Although, it should be said, that this film arguably does manage to do that, albeit with some stumbling blocks along the way.

Cats & Dogs 3: Paws Unite (2020) - Movie Review

 

Time for something a little bit different around here: A talking animal movie that I actually like. The original Cats & Dogs is a real nostalgic gem for me, and I have it (along with Spy Kids) to thank for my spy phase as a kid. I used to think Hollywood spy action was the coolest shit back in the day, and even watching that film recently, it’s not a part of my childhood that I find myself cringing at. It’s not a masterpiece or anything, but as a spy genre spoof for kids, it’s held up far better than I ever would have expected.

The same can’t be said for the sequel, Revenge Of Kitty Galore, though. It’s closer to Seltzerberg than it is to the original, with enough animal puns to make me want to use my brain for a scratching post. Between that and how talking animal movies are something of a regular target around here, I’ll admit I wasn’t expecting too much from another follow-up. But hey, it’s from the same director as Mighty Oak, and I was surprisingly positive about that, right? Maybe the same thing will happen here.