Scyskraper

It's not really Die Hard, it's more another "family in danger" movie.

There's a new big building, and Dwayne is brought in to give it the big tick. However, bad guys want something from the place themselves, and Dwayne's family is stuck in there, and he has to head in to get them out.

Okay, there's slightly more to it than that... but not a lot. We aren't talking in depth plot here, just something to justify big dumb set pieces, and there are plenty to see here. This does feel like a simple "let's do something to get in with China's media market", and as such this is probably the start of the more blatant attempts to do (as opposed to the more subtle ones like... Transformers...).

It's decent enough, with Neve Campbell startling me with her appearance, and Chin Han filling is as standard recognisable Chinese man. While the sets are all right, the titular skyscraper does feel more than a little fake in the city.

This is what "popcorn flick" is all about.

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Ant Wasp and the Man!

Ah, Marvel, it's been... a few months since I last watched you? But now nothing until next year.

Because there's the hint that Janet Van Dyne may still be alive, this entire movie happens. Hope and Hank open a gateway to the quantum realm, leading Scott to realise he has a connection, and they all get together. However, Ghost also makes an appearance, and wants the quantum connection for her own purposes, as well as low level gangsters around, and lo we have a bunch of people in conflict and a movie happens!

Okay, let me ask me a question: was I entertained by this? And... I'm not sure I was. Fine, I sat in the theatre and watches the pretty pictures up on the screen and followed along with what was going on... but I'd be hard pressed to say I was engaged, that I cared about what was going on, that this movie evoked emotions in me beyond the immediate 'hey, a joke!' style. Looking back on it now... I can barely remembered what happens beyond what I've seen a few times in the trailer(*), and I find myself not that bothered by it.

(*)Speaking of the trailer, I remembered bits of that, and so 'oh yes, this trailer moment has yet to happen, so this will happen'.

Is this Marvel fatigue? Or is this just an indication that this particular movie wasn't really trying, or worth watching?

I can't say I want to rewatch it any time soon, so I'm going for it just being below par for Marvel.

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Incradiblues 2

Finally after so many years, we got the sequel that we wanted. In that we wanted a sequel, but was this the sequel that was the sequel we wanted?

After the end of the last movie, supers are now more positively seen. Sort of. So someone steps in for the next stage of making supers more acceptable. Which leads us to the next chapter of the Parr's life. As in the literal next chapter which picks up from where the last movie ended and continues from there. Elastigirl is placed front and center in the charge for how great superheroes are, and she gets her own nemesis to deal with. As ever, there are bigger plans afoot and the family will have to come together to get everything done.

In a way this could be seen as a genderflip of the first movie, where the lead is the woman instead of the man. Instead, what we really get is two movies, one where Elastigirl has to fight this new supervillain, and another where Bob Parr struggles to become a stay at home dad. And while they do touch on the 'ha, the male can't do this!', it doesn't play completely down that track and we get some actual good moments that spin off from that.

But it is largely these two movies, and eventually one plot line cycles down so we can have the other for the big finish, but we don't really have a great resolution to the dad arc, so... I guess we have to accept it's fine now?

Given all this, I doubt we will now be clamouring for a third movie.

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Fallan Kangdam

The tagline for this series should be "We hired the dumbest people. We spared no expense."

Hey, I have an idea. Let's go back to where the dinosaurs are, capture a lot of them, and bring them back to the mainland! And we'll have Jeff Goldblum in it! Yes, I'm saying I was reminded of Lost World a LOT, although there are some differences. Like more focus on Blue the velociraptor. And more about making up dinosaurs. Oh, and no Trex lapping from a pool either.

Which does make this feel like the middle of an arc. However... does that mean we will end up with a raptor calling out "Alan"?

This is decent enough, with lots of spectacle, new people to find annoying, and, of course, a young kid. But it's not leaving a huge lasting impression.

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