Special: Avengers: Endgame, Long Shot, Dragonball Super: Broly Mini-Reviews

Avengers: Endgame:

Synopsis: The grave course of events set in motion by Thanos that wiped out half the universe and fractured the Avengers ranks compels the remaining Avengers to take one final stand in Marvel Studios' grand conclusion to twenty-two films, "Avengers: Endgame."

My thoughts: This was a highly satisfying movie. I will not give away anything spoilery but I will say the film takes a few unexpected twists and turns each more enjoyable than the next. The Avengers were due for change after Infinity War and Endgame provides it as a step up from it's predecessor. The 3 hour run time feels like 1.5 since you're so invested in what's happening with lots of comedy, enough action and even some drama blended in for good measure. Can't wait to see what the next 22 films have in store for us.

Final verdict: 5 snaps out of 5.

Long Shot:

Synopsis: Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogen) is a gifted and free-spirited journalist with an affinity for trouble. Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron) is one of the most influential women in the world. Smart, sophisticated, and accomplished, she's a powerhouse diplomat with a talent for... well, mostly everything. The two have nothing in common, except that she was his babysitter and childhood crush. When Fred unexpectedly reconnects with Charlotte, he charms her with his self-deprecating humor and his memories of her youthful idealism. As she prepares to make a run for the Presidency, Charlotte impulsively hires Fred as her speechwriter, much to the dismay of her trusted advisors. A fish out of water on Charlotte's elite team, Fred is unprepared for her glamorous lifestyle in the limelight. However, sparks fly as their unmistakable chemistry leads to a round-the-world romance and a series of unexpected and dangerous incidents.

My thoughts: Honestly I went into this thinking this was a solid 3 since I don't do halves but I'm having a hard time getting it that low. The chemistry between the stars is undeniable even if sometimes it reverts back to typical Seth Rogen fair but you quickly forget when the script gets sharper.

Final verdict: 4 embarrassing boners out of 5.

Dragonball Super: Broly:

Synopsis: A planet destroyed, a powerful race reduced to nothing. After the devastation of Planet Vegeta, three Saiyans were scattered among the stars, destined for different fates. While two found a home on Earth, the third was raised with a burning desire for vengeance and developed an unbelievable power. And the time for revenge has come. Destinies collide in a battle that will shake the universe to its very core!

My thoughts: I was pretty disappointed with this. I've enjoyed the last few Dragonball movies quite a bit and I got the hype for this one since it made Broly cannon as he previously only appeared in GT, a series widely panned and quickly wrote off as not cannon but people loved Broly. I never watched GT so I didn't have that attachment so for me this film introduced me to him and it did very little. The fight scenes as always was exciting and I enjoyed the ending we got however there wasn't a whole lot going on here, much to my chagrin,

Final Verdict: 3 Saiyans out of 5

Special: The Night Before/Krampus/A Very Murray Christmas Mini-Reviews

'Tis the holiday season so why not tackle some mini-reviews on some of the holiday flicks that hit your local multiplex and streaming service this year.

The Night Before:

Ethan, Isaac, and Chris have been friends since childhood, and for a decade, their yearly Christmas Eve reunion has been an annual night of debauchery and hilarity. Now that they're entering adulthood, the tradition is coming to an end, and to make it as memorable as possible, they set out to find the Nutcracka Ball - the Holy Grail of Christmas parties.

My thoughts? Not too often you have a Christmas movie that hits on so many different emotions like The Night Before does, all 3 of our main characters are flawed and overcoming those flaws with the help of their friends and a drug dealing Michael Shannon, surprisingly being the emotional centerpiece to this film. More importantly this movie is also really funny which is almost as rare as an emotionally satisfying Christmas film.

Final verdict: 4 out of 5 drug dealing Zod's.

Krampus:

When his dysfunctional family clashes over the holidays, young Max is disillusioned and turns his back on Christmas. Little does he know, this lack of festive spirit has unleashed the wrath of Krampus: a demonic force of ancient evil intent on punishing non-believers. All hell breaks loose as beloved holiday icons take on a monstrous life of their own, laying siege to the fractured family's home and forcing them to fight for each other if they hope to survive.

My thoughts? Not nearly as scary or horrifying as the trailer's make it seem but Krampus is still good campy fun. You can tell that it's a traditional comedic cast and that overshadows what little gore there actually is. Mostly the scares come from the toys and elves that look more menacing than you usually see them in Rankin-Bass specials. But overall this movie is more akin to Gremlins than to Black X-Mas.

Final verdict:4 out of 5 homicidal gingerbread men.

A Very Murray Christmas:

Bill Murray worries no one will show up to his T.V. show due to a terrible snow-storm in New York City.

My thoughts? People have been crapping all over this Netflix Original Holiday Special. It currently holds a 36% user rating on Rotten Tomatoes, despite a solid 77% critic rating, to go along with a 5.8 user rating at IMDB and an ever lower 5.1 user rating at Metacritic. I will say not a lot happens in this special, A snow storm knocks out the power cancelling Bill's Christmas Special so he's stuck in the hotel singing songs with the staff and other occupants before passing out and going into a dream sequence where George Clooney and Miley Cyrus show up to sing along with Bill. This can essentially be explained as a series of famous people (Chris Rock, Maya Rudolph and Jason Schwartzmen among them) singing famous Christmas songs along with Bill Murray for an hour. Not my cup of tea but obviously some people will and have enjoyed this, just don't expect a plot.

Final verdict: 2 out of 5 golden rings.