I enjoyed the first “Venom” film. It wasn’t great by any means. It felt fun and it was different enough from other superhero films on the market to be enjoyable. However, “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” is completely dreadful. The special effects, the story, the characters, the dialog and the humour are all worse. It is a completely needless film when you have so many more interesting superhero films out there.

Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy “The Dark Knight Rises”) is continuing to have issues with his symbiote buddy Venom. In the hope of reigniting his journalistic career, Brock goes to interview a notorious serial killer by the name of Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson “Zombieland”). Kasady becomes infected with the symbiote and becomes Carnage. Now, Eddie and Venom must put aside their differences if they are to fight this new symbiote monstrosity.

The whole novelty of the challenges of having your body occupied by an alien parasite have worn off now. The jokes in this film are just painful to watch and it’s a shame to see Tom Hardy suffer through this terrible script. Woody Harrelson plays the serial killer maniac and he’s okay but I don’t care about seeing Carnage fight Venom because we already saw Venom fight another symbiote in the last movie. The special effects on Carnage are also rather lacklustre. In fact, the effects on Carnage make this look like a film that could have come out over a decade earlier.

The first “Venom” film showed us the challenges Eddie faces with an alien inhabiting his body but ultimately, they had to work together to face a symbiote. This is just recycling that exact premise. There’s nothing of value in watching this lazy film. There are many good superhero films out there from Marvel and DC at the minute so when a film like this comes out, it feels like a total waste. Why watch something as pathetic as this when there are so many better options. This is just proof that the superhero genre is oversaturated.

I’ve never really been a fan of “The Matrix” franchise. However, I recognise that the first two films did at least contain some impressive action sequences and special effects. I’m also in agreement that the third film was very disappointing. Now, we get a fourth entry and it’s one of the most bizarre mainstream films ever made. What we’re left with is a total mess.

Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves “Constantine”, “John Wick”) is a game designer, who made “The Matrix” trilogy of computer games. However, he keeps getting flashes of another life where he actually is the Neo protagonist of his games. By attending sessions with a therapist (Neil Patrick Harris “Starship Troopers”). The exact nature of reality will all be revealed.

For at least some of this film, Keanu Reeves gives a somewhat more nuanced performance than in the earlier “Matrix” pictures. The film gets very confusing in terms of who is who because in some cases, characters have been recast in real-life but due to some plot elements, this becomes convoluted. The film also uses a lot of flashbacks from the previous films. It’s hard to explain without spoiling things but it’s an issue. The action sequences are incredibly underwhelming with Neo often just waving his arms around to force blast people back like a jedi.

“The Matrix Resurrections” sometimes plays like a self-aware and psychological piece that mocks the entertainment industry’s reliance on sequels. However, it also has many moments where it descends into a typical and unimaginative sequel. At times, it’s trying to be “Wes Craven’s New Nightmare” but at other times, it’s just your standard sequel. This movie has some genuinely interesting moments (more than any of the previous films) but it’s ultimately very unsatisfying and the action here is a significant downgrade. I think this is the worst film of the franchise so far.

I like what I’ve seen of the “Mobile Suit Gundam” shows and movies but “Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway” is a gigantic disappointment. A lot of the other “Gundam” content I’ve enjoyed has perfectly combined giant robot action with a complex world of political alliances and feuds. However, this new film was a total bore and completely failed to engage me.

The “Gundam” plots frequently get very complicated with all sorts of different factions fighting amongst one another on Earth and on colonies in outer space. Normally, I find that they do it in a way that is captivating even if you don’t fully understand what is going on. Unfortunately, I had virtually no idea what was happening in “Hathaway”. The monotonous plot should have been broken up by more giant robot fights.

Some of the other “Gundam” shows and films have had characters that you can at least get behind. I just didn’t care about anybody in this film. Some may feel the animation style looks slick but I thought it looked rather soulless. There was a charm to the older “Gundam” shows and films even if the animation style was more simplistic. Something about the animation here just left me feeling a sense of emptiness.

It’s hard to make giant robots fighting boring but sadly, it is possible. “Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway” is apparently intended to be the start of a new anime film trilogy. I do sincerely hope that any future instalments in this trilogy make some drastic changes. There is a tremendous amount of “Gundam” content out there with the countless shows, movies, games and books. With so much stuff, it’s not surprising that it isn’t all great. It’s a real shame though that “Hathaway” is this bad. Maybe those folks out there that enjoy the “Gundam” franchise even more than I do, will find something of value in here.

“Masquerade” is a truly bland horror/thriller flick. We seem to have had a ton of home invasion films in recent years such as “The Purge”, “The Strangers”, “Hush” and “Knock Knock” so “Masquerade” hardly feels unique. The only marginally positive thing about this whole film is that the twist is mildly creative. Maybe if the rest of the film were not so terrible, I might have appreciated it more.

In “Masquerade”, Casey (Alyvia Alyn Lind “Blended”, “Overboard”) is a young girl that desperately tries to survive when aggressive robbers break into her family’s home and attempt to steal some priceless artwork. What was meant to be a simple job soon spirals out of control with violent and potentially lethal consequences at every turn.

Alyvia Alyn Lind does an okay job but she’s got an appalling script to work with. The robbers wear what looks like fencing masks. We get endless shots that linger on the hammers that they carry. The costumes are just so unremarkable and lazy. Just imagine how much less of an impact Michael Myers or Ghostface would have made if they were merely wearing a fencing mask. We also have Bella Thorne (“The Babysitter”, “Boo! A Madea Halloween”) but her exact role does not become entirely clear until the end of the picture.

“Masquerade” is an awful film that even starts poorly. After mere minutes, you realise that there is little hope for this to be an entertaining film. I’m tired of the home invasion films. If you’re going to do them then you need to be more creative and do something like “Better Watch Out”. This film is also really visually dark and difficult to see so it’s a miserable picture to look at. As you can tell, I didn’t remotely enjoy “Masquerade” and if you value your time, you’ll most likely want to skip this.

Still feeling constrained by the nature of current events, “South Park” decides to head to the future to a world after the Coronavirus pandemic. See how the future may be scarred by the effects of Coronavirus and lockdown. Sadly, I fear this satire might not be that far off from what the actual future may hold for all of us.

For decades, the Coronavirus has caused havoc in our world. However, there may finally be light at the end of the tunnel. When Kenny McCormick dies, his old friends return to South Park for the funeral after having gone their separate ways during childhood. It turns out Kenny may have found a way to undo the damage of the Coronavirus but it isn’t long before the whole town is quarantined due to the fear of a new variant of the virus.

It is interesting to see how the boys have aged. Easily my favourite character here has to be Cartman. He’s ditched his anti-Semitic ways and is now a rabbi. This greatly irritates Kyle, who thinks Cartman is just pulling an elaborate prank. While some episodes of the show suggested that Cartman had started developing a fondness of the Jewish faith, to see him fully embrace the religion and reject his earlier bigotry is pretty hilarious. Plenty of fan favourites such as Randy Marsh also appear along with more obscure characters such as Scott Malkinson.

While I dislike the fact that we’re still focused on the Coronavirus (that’s more of a complaint about reality than “South Park”), I think what Trey Parker and Matt Stone have done is very funny. After their previous specials focus on Coronavirus, this is a somewhat innovative way to address some of the issues while still getting to go in a different direction. I’m more optimistic about the future of “South Park” than I am about our own future at this point.

With so many of their films coming out, it’s wonderful to see Marvel manage to keep things fun and exciting by combining their superhero film formula with elements from the martial arts and giant monster genres. I had a great time with this film because while parts of it are definitely predictable, I just found myself thoroughly entertained by this film.

In “Shang-Chi”, we meet a young man by the name of Shaun (Simu Liu). He is hiding a big secret. He’s actually skilled martial artist and assassin Shang-Chi. Now, he must use his hidden talents when his father (Tony Leung “Infernal Affairs”), the leader of the Ten Rings criminal organisation, prepares to carry out an action that could unearth an ancient evil.

I like Simu Liu as Shang-Chi. I was not really familiar with Shang-Chi as a character and so I think it’s remarkable that Marvel has succeeded in making such a great film with a character most people have probably never heard of. It reminds me a lot of their “Guardians of the Galaxy” film. There are some famous faces from Asian cinema as we get Tony Leung and Michelle Yeoh (“Supercop”). Also, a few characters from some of the other Marvel films are featured in fairly creative ways.

“Shang-Chi” contains some action scenes that may use a lot of special effects but some of the choreography is clearly inspired by the fights in the films of Jackie Chan (“Police Story”). The film also leans very heavily into Chinese fantasy so I was reminded of films such as “The Emperor and the White Snake”. I get that a lot of people may not view this as one of the best Marvel films but I just love all the kung-fu, giant monsters and Chinese fantasy content. I think there are also enough ties to the other Marvel pictures to excite devout fans of the franchise.

“DC Showcase: Catwoman” is a short film that of course focuses on Catwoman. This was originally released as an extra for the “Batman: Year One” direct-to-video film. “DC Showcase: Catwoman” helps to make Gotham feel bigger by showing a story there without Batman but it’s certainly not one of the city’s most engaging tales.

Catwoman (Eliza Dushku “Wrong Turn”, “Bring It On”) is going around Gotham City when she finds a cat with some jewellery. This leads her to track down a mysterious cargo shipment, which is linked to a vicious crook by the name of ‘Rough Cut’. Can this feline thief bring down the large mobster?

Catwoman is a pretty fascinating character in the “Batman” franchise because she walks the line between heroine and villainess. The depiction here of course lacks the detail found in other versions of the character because there just isn’t enough time for development here. This version does seem to be a real exhibitionist as she engages in a striptease for Rough Cut even though it seems entirely unnecessary. Rough Cut is not one of the more memorable criminals in Gotham. He just seems like a big guy in a suit. There are some other characters but they play very insignificant roles in the story.

“DC Showcase: Catwoman” is probably not going to be something you want young kids to see. There is a rather inappropriate strip sequence that really does just seem to be there to make Catwoman look sexy. The action sequences that we have here are decent. As mentioned, I think this does a good job in terms of making Gotham feel more like a big city with lots of different characters doing their own thing. However, as a story itself, it’s not as entertaining as it could be.

Based on the 2016 revival series of “Ben 10”, “Ben 10 vs. The Universe” is pretty much what I expected after seeing a few episodes of the 2016 series. The newer “Ben 10” has a more comedic tone and loses the thrilling elements of the earlier incarnations. It’s a lot like “Teen Titans Go!” when compared to the earlier “Teen Titans” series. It’s a real shame to see the once exciting “Ben 10” franchise turn into this.

The young Ben Tennyson gets mistaken for the intergalactic villain, Vilgax. Ben must convince the alien authorities that he is really a hero. He must harness the true powers of the Omnitrix if he is going to be able to defeat Vilgax and save Earth.

I always had a soft spot for the early “Ben 10” shows because I like the characters and the situations. The characters in the 2016 show and this film just lack any real personality. Everything is so goofy and I dislike the animation style. The old version of Ben and his family were just so much more engaging. We cannot take Vilgax seriously as a threat in this immature format either. If you’ve seen the newer show, just don’t expect the characters to be any different in this film.

In all fairness, the 2016 “Ben 10” series and this film are not awful. Parts of it are mildly amusing and some very young kids will no doubt love it. However, the problem is that it’s just got nothing on the vastly superior original “Ben 10” series. The “Ben 10” franchise has always had comedic elements but when you strip away the action and the drama, all you have is something goofy. If you like the newer series then you are probably going to enjoy this film. If you are like me, just stick to the older “Ben 10” content and leave this alone.

I love the “Toy Story” franchise so I went into “Buzz Lightyear Of Star Command: The Adventure Begins” with high expectations. I was more than satisfied with what I got here. This is a fun spin-off that serves as the beginning of the “Buzz Lightyear Of Star Command” animated series.

Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen “Toy Story”, “The Santa Clause”) vows to work alone after his partner, Warp Darkmatter (Diedrich Bader “Office Space”), appears to die during a mission. However, Buzz will eventually find that he cannot face the threat of Emperor Zurg (Wayne Knight “Rat Race”) by himself. With new friends, he must battle Zurg in effort to restore peace and security to the galaxy.

It’s great having Tim Allen voice Buzz. Apparently, he didn’t do it for the series and that’s a real shame because I cannot imagine anybody else doing as good a job in the role. The other characters are enjoyable. This is a 2D animated film and so was the series so it does look substantially different than the “Toy Story” films. However, we do get a scene at the beginning with the characters from “Toy Story” and that’s done in the 3D style and looks just like a scene from one of the main “Toy Story” films.

“Buzz Lightyear Of Star Command” is a fun sci-fi/action cartoon flick. The tone is absolutely perfect for the target audience as it contains some exciting action but it’s never too dark or violent. Some of the comedy here is charming even if it is rather predictable a lot of the time. If you are a fan of the “Toy Story” films then definitely think about giving this spin-off a watch. I definitely liked this better than some of the other “Toy Story” spin-offs such as “Toy Story Of Terror”.

“Son Of Batman” is another decent DC animated flick. I think it could have been a little better but I think it wisely knows to keep things fairly straightforward and not try to have too many plot points. It’s pretty violent at times but it’s also far from being the most violent “Batman” animated film.

When the League of Shadows is attacked by Deathstroke, Talia al-Ghul decides it’s time to take her son, Damian, to meet his father. Bruce Wayne/Batman never knew he had a son but now, he must take the violent young boy and train him in the ways of justice. They must also try and stop the evil Deathstroke’s merciless plans.

I think Batman is pretty good here. I like Talia as well but I wish she had more time on the screen. Damian Wayne is only meant to be ten but he kills like it’s nothing. Deathstroke is a good villain but he feels criminally underdeveloped at times. If only this film were a little longer, we might have got to see more of him. Other Batman villains do appear but I don’t think things get too complicated. The animation on everybody looks fairly good.

Some of the action sequences here are reasonably exciting and engaging. I think the idea of Batman having a son with Talia al-Ghul is interesting too. There’s nothing really wrong here but I just feel like it could have been a lot better. If you like Batman then this is another good effort from DC but it just isn’t as thrilling as it could have been. I really like the Deathstroke character in the old “Teen Titans” cartoons and I was hoping I’d get to see something more like that. What’s here is fine but don’t expect anything amazing with “Son Of Batman”.