Month: July 2024

Deadpool & Wolverine: Movie Review

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Movies

Following last week’s fantastic preview of Deadpool & Wolverine, it’s time to discuss the movie review. I know, I know, my movie previews and reviews are amazing…at being terrible, but feeding UMC1 and UMC2, keeping my dog warm and happy, along with running New Zealand’s 5th least favourite website, means sleep is precious to me. Very preciousssss.

Like Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, I purchased the ticket at the cinema, days before the screening. Because you know, a geek’s got to do, what a geek’s got to do. At the cinema on Wednesday night, I jumped into line for food and drink, and the cinema liberated a small fortune from my bank account for said items.

And just like every other time at our cinema, I walked straight into the theatre and sat down, without anybody checking my ticket. This is the quintessential example of New Zealand culture: Trusting that the people sitting in a theatre have paid, so there’s no need to check their tickets.

Before I continue, they played the trailer for Captain America: Brave New World, which featured an image of the Red Hulk. I heard one person say, “I thought Hulk was green. Why’d they change his colour?!” Sitting in the back row, allowed me to have a wry smile without being seen. And yes, I am ashamed of myself.

Anyway, on with the review!

Credit: Marvel Studios

Let’s go over the rules of the review.

1.) Please be aware there will be spoilers concerning the movie, so proceed with extreme anxiety and caution.

2.) The aim of my reviews are not to rip apart the subject or trash it. If I liked the subject enough to watch or read it, then I’ll give my honest (possibly biased) opinion.

3.) I’m not a professional critic, so I’m not going to dive into deeper concepts and themes, or the art of filmmaking. I’m just a geek; always have been, and always will be.

And away we go!

So, did I like the movie? Yes, yes I did. I enjoyed it for different reasons, though I’ll try to cover them all. Firstly, the dialogue was sharp and more brutal than some fight scenes. The constant 4th wall insults, like the divorce reference and the Canada joke, had me laughing so hard that the woman sitting next to me kept glaring at me. Also, even though Gambit’s accent was comic-accurate, it was still funny to hear.

The movie was hilarious, showing even more than the previous two movies, that Wade Wilson is a lunatic who likes to stab and shoot, with or without the mask, but he’s a lunatic on the side of the angels.

The fight scenes were extremely graphic and violent, but you knew that was coming; it was expected. Still, using Wolverine’s skeleton as a weapon, strangely made a lot of sense in a twisted way. The scene where Deadpool had stabbed a TVA agent in the arse with Wolverine’s claws, is something I can’t unsee, no matter how hard I try.

The first fight between Deadpool and Wolverine in the Void was amazing, but it paled in comparison with the war they fought over in the Honda Odyssey, which was something I never knew I wanted to see. The entire sequence was phenomenal, simple, and entertaining, but horrific all at the same time.

The soundtrack was a surprise, with songs from *NSYNC and AC/DC, being somewhat appropriate choices for Deadpool’s dance routine against the TVA agents, along with the first fight between Deadpool and Wolverine.

Since we’re not talking about cameos, let’s discuss them. Some of the cameos included Deadpool variants, as well as Wolverine variants such as Patch, Age of Apocalypse Wolverine, Old Man Logan, the cover of Uncanny X-Men #251 Wolverine, comic-accurate height Wolverine, and the “Cavillrine,” were all extremely well done. When I saw the Uncanny X-Men cover with Wolverine being crucified on a giant X, I couldn’t help but quietly clap because it was obvious that they had done their homework.

With the other cameos, I suppose this movie was the official final chapter in the 20th Century Fox superheroes franchises, because it felt like it was becoming a tribute movie. I mentioned a few of the cameos last week, but I didn’t see Johnny Storm, Blade, or the appearance of Gambit coming.

Here’s a shout-out to the production crew including the Red Skull’s car and the Fantasticar. I appreciated seeing them again.

So, what about my preview questions?

  • I don’t have Disney+, so I haven’t seen Loki, only some videos from YouTube. This means my experience with the TVA is limited. Will the TVA be accessible to non-Disney+ viewers? Yes, they were accessible to a non-Disney+ viewer, but I still have a lot of questions about them, mainly who decides what goes in the Sacred Timeline? I’m sure when I get to watch Loki, many questions will be answered. Maybe.
  • I know Wolverine is alive in the film because it’s set before he died in Logan. But does this mean Logan is a fixed point in continuity? That was a sneaky one because Marvel Studios had explained that the film would be set before James died in Logan. They lied, because the whole point of the movie, was that Earth-10005’s version of Wolverine was dead. So yes, Logan was a fixed point in continuity.
  • Is Cassandra Nova’s Charles Xavier twin sister in the movie? Yes, she was, and Emma Corrin did a great job playing Cassandra Nova. My only question was why they cast a young actor for the role of Cassandra, when being Xavier’s twin, she would have to be decades older. She would be the same age as Xavier so she would be at least 60 years old; unless time works differently in the Void. I don’t know.
  • Will this movie somehow activate the X-gene in people in the MCU? If it did, I must have missed it, because I would have said no.
  • Will Liev Schreiber return? To the best of my knowledge, he didn’t.
  • Will 21st Century Fox’s X-Men’s continuity merge with Disney’s MCU, creating one continuity, or will it be something else? The ending of the movie surprised me, because I thought there would be some sort of timeline merging, but surprise, surprise, I was wrong. Deadpool remained in his Fox-era universe, and not in the MCU.
  • Will Wolverine lose his memories of the movie’s events by the end credits? I would say that’s a no, because he was at Wade’s party and holding Dogpool, by the end of the movie.
  • However the movie ends, will the X-Men be standing in the MCU? I’m going out on a limb and say, “Hell, no!”
  • How different will the MCU look after Deadpool & Wolverine? As far as I can see and understand, not a lot, if anything has changed in the MCU, because of the movie. Maybe if I understood the TVA better, I could give a better answer.
  • Will any Avengers turn up? The Hulk was fighting, I think a Wolverine variant wearing the classic 80’s brown and tan costume. There was also footage of Thor leaning over a dying Deadpool in the future.
  • Will Wolverine break the 4th wall? I believe Hugh Jackman broke the 4th wall in marketing adverts, but not in the movie. I hope I’m right about that!
  • Will the plot make sense with multiple timelines/worlds being involved? Remembering that Deadpool still had Cable’s time-travelling device from the previous film, and also armed with a TemPad, he could travel to other universes. Throw in the leftovers found in the Void, there were a lot of timelines involved. The plot wasn’t perfect, but it didn’t have to be, since Deadpool was involved.

Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman were devastatingly good, but it does raise the question of what happens next, since Deadpool is living on Earth-10005, and not in the MCU; especially with a new Wolverine walking around. For the MCU, I think the next film will be Captain America: Brave New World in February 2025, which I promise to watch.

If you want 2 hours of entertainment, with a superhero movie that embraces the sheer ridiculousness of the genre, then you will love Deadpool & Wolverine. Adding in some graphic violence, insults, middle management villains, and one of the coolest dogs in cinema, this movie won’t win any Academy Awards, but it will win fans over. Maximum effort.

That’s it for another week and another terrible post. Thanks again for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. My 200th blog post is coming up soon, so that’s exciting, at least to me. I mean, I thought I would have quit by now.

Remember to walk your dog, read a banned book, watch some of the Olympics, and I’ll see you next week for my annual recap of San Diego Comic-Con. Hell, yeah!

Deadpool & Wolverine: Movie Preview

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Movies

Some of my amazing dedicated followers may remember, that I had previously promised to watch more superhero movies at the cinema. I could bleat on about the reasons, but it’s a genre I love, and I’ve been lazy about going, so I need to do better!

The last superhero movie I saw at the cinema was Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which I previously previewed and reviewed. Since then, I’ve watched Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 on DVD. Blue Beetle is saved on my watchlist, but I still haven’t seen Thor: Love and Thunder or The Marvels. I’m not sure where to watch them, as I don’t have Disney+.1

This long-winded introduction finally brings us to Deadpool & Wolverine. In New Zealand, the film opens on Thursday 25th July. I sold some extra comics, so I purchased a ticket for an advanced screening on Wednesday 24th July. Go me!

Deadpool is a great character, and Ryan Reynolds has done an extraordinary job at portraying the Merc with the Mouth. Seriously, amongst the graphic violence of Deadpool and Deadpool 2, Wade Wilson was spitting out burns left, right and centre.

Now combine one violence-loving mutant with an accelerated healing factor, with another in the form of Hugh Jackson’s Wolverine, and I believe there will be a lot of carnage.2

I mean, James has his claws, while Wade has a pair of katana blades, so their healing factors will be put into overdrive.

The marketing for the film, at least to me, has been taken to another level. Reynolds and Jackman have been priceless.

Even though Deadpool was an R-rated film, it brought in $782.8 million, along with Deadpool 2 earning $785.8 million. So how much money will Deadpool & Wolverine earn at the box office, and will the movie be any good? I’ve seen the trailers, so let’s discuss the preview!

Image by Yerson Retamal from Pixabay

Am I looking forward to watching Deadpool & Wolverine?

Yes, yes I am. We haven’t seen Wolverine in a live-action movie since 2017’s Logan, and this will be Deadpool’s first adventure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is because Disney purchased 21st Century Fox in 2019 for $71 billion, a number that still boggles my mind.

Also, this is me following through on my promise to watch and support more superhero movies at the cinema. However, there is one tiny issue. My local cinema has increased their prices again. In January 2024, when I saw Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, an adult ticket was $17.00. It’s now gone up to $18.00.3

What is the movie about?

According to Wikipedia, the premise is this:

Six years after the events of Deadpool 2, Wade Wilson lives a quiet life, having left his time as the mercenary Deadpool behind him, until the Time Variance Authority (TVA)—a bureaucratic organization that exists outside of time and space and monitors the timeline—pulls him into a new mission. With his home universe facing an existential threat, Wilson reluctantly joins an even more reluctant Wolverine on a mission that will change the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

What can we expect?

The movie’s running time is 127 minutes, so just over two hours, which is the average standard now. Not too short, and not too long; it’s smack in the middle.

As for other expectations, there’s going to be blood, death, stabbing, dismemberment, swearing, guns, claws, knives, swords, timelines, portals, and things I haven’t even thought of.

I know Matthew Macfadyen is playing a TVA agent, along with Emma Corrin, portraying the main antagonist, Cassandra Nova. Whether Nova will be revealed to be Charles Xavier’s twin is anybody’s guess, though it may be.

I know that some actors will be reprising their roles from the previous films, like Leslie Uggams (Blind Al), Karan Soni (Dopinder), Brianna Hildebrand (Negasonic Teenage Warhead), Shioli Kutsuna (Yukio), Stefan Kapičić (Colossus), and Morena Baccarin (Vanessa).

And just like any MCU film, there are going to be cameos. From my understanding, Jennifer Garner (Elektra Natchios), Aaron Stanford (Pyro), Tyler Mane (Sabretooth), and Dafne Keen (Laura / X-23), will be coming back; along with Jon Favreau’s Happy Hogan.

The Deadpool Corps will also be appearing, which will only be chaotic and murderous.

Do I have concerns?

I always have concerns when comic book characters are adapted into television shows or films. As for this one, I do have a few questions.

  • I don’t have Disney+, so I haven’t seen Loki, only some videos from YouTube. This means my experience with the TVA is limited. Will the TVA be accessible to non-Disney+ viewers?
  • I know Wolverine is alive in the film because it’s set before he died in Logan. But does this mean Logan is a fixed point in continuity?
  • Is Cassandra Nova’s Charles Xavier twin sister in the movie?
  • Will this movie somehow activate the X-gene in people in the MCU?
  • Will Liev Schreiber return?
  • Will 21st Century Fox’s X-Men’s continuity merge with Disney’s MCU, creating one continuity, or will it be something else?
  • Will Wolverine lose his memories of the movie’s events by the end credits?
  • However the movie ends, will the X-Men be standing in the MCU?
  • How different will the MCU look after Deadpool & Wolverine?
  • Will any Avengers turn up?
  • Will Wolverine break the 4th wall?
  • Will the plot make sense with multiple timelines/worlds being involved?

I’ve probably got more questions, but I’ll stop there.

I hope the film is successful with the critics, fans and at the box office because the genre could do with a heavyweight win. I’m feeling optimistic about the film, but let’s keep both feet on the ground, shall we? I’m watching it on Wednesday night, so next Monday’s post will be the review.

And that’s it for another week. Thanks once again for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. Remember to walk your dog, read a banned book, remember that Palestine and Ukraine still exist, and I’ll see you next week for the Deadpool & Wolverine review. Take care of yourselves.

1 My wife said when she gets a part-time or full-time job, she’ll get Disney+ for us. I’m going to hold her to that.

2 Just to be clear, I’m not talking about the Spider-Man villain.

3 New Zealand’s currency is basically Monopoly money.

We Didn’t Start the Fire: 1952

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn History, Music, People, Politics

We are deep into winter at the moment, so what better way to bring some light into the world than to revisit events from 72 years ago, inspired by a 35-year-old song? Yes, it’s that time again for Some Geek Told Me to take a look at We Didn’t Start the Fire.

Previous entries on this terrible series have been:

Surprisingly, Beetroot Awareness Aotearoa issued no statement about last month’s post, concerning 1951. Maybe they were too busy being knee-deep in beetroot to notice; though honestly, that sounds like a nightmare to me.

Before we start, 1952 is another special year for me, because that’s when my mother was born. So, without further fanfare, let’s give the non-ticket-paying audience what they want, and dive into We Didn’t Start the Fire’s historic references for 1952.

Credit: Chas Judd Ltd

1952

Eisenhower:

Dwight D. Eisenhower was the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, during the Second World War, but that’s not why he’s on the list. In 1952, Eisenhower ran as the Republican nominee in the US Presidential election, against Illinois Governor Adlai Stevenson II.

In a landslide victory, Eisenhower won the presidency with 442 electoral votes to 89, becoming the 34th President of the United States of America. Some other recent landslide victories include Ronald Reagan, who won in 1980 with 489 electoral votes, and in 1984 with 525 electoral votes, as well as George H. W. Bush in 1988 with 426 electoral votes.

An official portrait of Dwight D. Eisenhower. Credit: Eisenhower Presidential Library

Vaccine:

This particular case highlights the incredible potential of humanity. Polio is a highly contagious infectious disease that can cause paralysis and even death, especially in children worldwide. In the 20th century, polio killed millions of people each year and became one of the most feared diseases.

A polio vaccine had been in development for several years, but it wasn’t until virologist and biomedical scientist, Jonas Salk and a team of researchers, developed the first effective one in 1952. By the end of the decade, the Salk vaccine had reached about 90 countries.

The legacy of Salk’s vaccine is that it has helped to eliminate polio from the majority of the world, saving millions of lives each year. Unlike smallpox, polio is not eradicated yet, but both IPV and OPV vaccines are helping to achieve that goal.

Credit: Yousuf Karsh

England’s got a new Queen: 

Some of the references in We Didn’t Start the Fire need some explanation and context. Others, like our next one, don’t.

England’s got a new Queen, is exactly what you think it’s about. On 6th February 1952, 56-year-old King George VI of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth died, leaving his 25-year-old daughter, Elizabeth as the monarch. Although Elizabeth was coronated in 1953, she became Queen Elizabeth II when her father died.

The obvious equivalent for this was when on 8th September 2022, Queen Elizabeth II died at 96 years old, having reigned for 70 years. Her son, Charles, Prince of Wales, became King Charles III, with his coronation in 2023.

Credit: Evening Chronicle

Marciano:

Rocco Francis Marchegiano, otherwise known as Rocky Marciano, was a professional boxer in the heavyweight division. On 23rd September 1952, Marciano fought a title match against World Heavyweight Champion, Jersey Joe Walcott. Marciano knocked Walcott out, to become the new heavyweight champion of the world.

Marciano went on to hold the title from 1952 until 1956 when he retired from boxing at 32 years old. Marciano had 49 fights, with 49 wins, and 43 by knockouts; which included six title defence fights. He remains the only heavyweight champion to finish his career undefeated. Marciano died in a plane crash in 1969.

For modern times, there is a collection of boxers that we could compare to Marciano, but ultimately I won’t. I mean, why would you?

Liberace:

One of the great American TV entertainers was born Władziu Valentino Liberace, though he became known as just Liberace. He was a pianist, singer, actor and showman. In 1952, he was given a 15-minute network television programme, called The Liberace Show. The show displayed his many different abilities, and it quickly grew in popularity, along with Liberace.

The show ran from 1952-1969 and was made famous for the costumes, productions, performances, and Liberace’s flamboyance. The legacy of The Liberace Show was the promotion of musical variety shows, but also the creation an international cultural icon.

Santayana goodbye:

On 26th September 1952, Jorge Agustín Nicolás Ruiz de Santayana y Borrás, died aged 88. George Santayana, as he became known in English, was a famous essayist, novelist, philosopher, and poet. In academic circles, Santayana was a pillar of 20th-century thinking and coined the immortal phrase:

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

Santayana was beloved around the world for his work and helped usher in a new understanding of the human condition. For a modern equivalent, I’m going out on a limb, but I would name Carl Sagan, but to each their own.

Credit: Harvard Square Library

So for 1952, we covered a US President, the polio vaccine, a British queen, a boxer, a music variety show, and a philosopher. That’s not bad at all, so I’ll be covering 1953 next time if you didn’t guess.

So, that’s it for another week. Thanks again for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. Please remember to walk your dog, read a banned book, pat a goose, and I’ll see you next week. Look after yourself until I return.

Featured

Larry the Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Animals, Politics, Social Media

My Mid-Winter break is over, so the staff at Some Geek Told Me have purchased new handcuffs and chained me to my desk, with the intent of releasing me around Christmas time. Aren’t they kind and thoughtful?

Since I’m back in my writer’s chair, what insightful content will I discuss? World Peace? Cure for cancer? New climate change initiatives? New element discovered on the Periodic Table? Even though they would be great, it’s no to all of them.

In today’s rant, I want to talk about a cat named Larry. He’s arguably one of the most photographed cats on the planet. I find it interesting that his name is Larry, because that’s a pretty boss move! But there’s a small detail I need to share about Larry. To explain this, I’ll need to talk about the recent general election in the United Kingdom. These topics might seem unrelated, but trust me, they’re connected!

British politics is similar to New Zealand politics, with the fact there are many different parties in parliament, which can give rise to coalition governments, just like our current one.

Last Thursday, after being in power for 14 years, Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party suffered its worst defeat ever. Out of a possible 650 parliamentary seats, they only won 121 seats; losing 252 Members of Parliament. It was an armageddon level event for the Tories.1

Their rivals, the Labour Party, achieved a majority of 326 seats in the House of Commons, winning 412 seats, and gaining 214 new seats. Their leader, Sir Keir Starmer, has now become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and one of the perks of being the British Prime Minister is living at the famous address, 10 Downing Street.

Larry the Cat in a Union flag bow-tie in the Cabinet Room at 10 Downing Street on April 28, 2011.
Credit: James Glossop/WPA Pool/Getty Images

We can now bring it back to Larry because his residence is also at 10 Downing Street. Larry’s official title is Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office, an inaugural title that was given to him; however other cats have been employed by the British government, going back to the 16th century with Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, as well as the first official mouser in 1929.

Larry is a tabby cat, born a stray around 2007; making him 17 years old. He was adopted in 2011 from an animal rescue centre, by Dowling St staff, for his hunting and mousing skills. Because of this, Larry does not belong to the UK Prime Minister, since he’s a civil servant. To put this in context, when a Prime Minister needs to leave 10 Downing Street, they can’t take Larry with them.

This has led to Larry living with, and outlasting five prime ministers; David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and now Rishi Sunak. His new housemate is, of course, Sir Keir Starmer.

Larry, outside his home at 10 Downing St.
Credit: Chris J Ratcliffe, Getty Images

If Larry is a civil servant, what are his responsibilities?

According to The Downing Street website, his responsibilities include:

  • Greeting guests to the house.
  • Inspecting security defences.
  • Testing antique furniture for napping quality.
  • Contemplating solutions to the mouse occupancy of the house.

The employment of Larry is not paid for through taxpayers’ money, but rather funded voluntarily by members of Downing St staff.

Larry sleeping in the window of 10 Downing Street. Credit: Simon Walker 

Over the years, Larry has built a reputation as a great mouser, with several confirmed kills; but it hasn’t gone all to plan.

  • In 2011, the increasing mice population at Downing St, drove Prime Minister David Cameron to throw a fork at one.
  • Larry had earned the moniker, Lazy Larry, from the media.
  • In 2012, Larry was spending more time sleeping, than hunting for mice, as well as hanging out with a female cat named Maisie.
  • Displeased his Larry’s work, an extra Chief Mouser, named Freya was employed in 2012, at 11 Downing St.

Larry is a busy and famous cat, which has created some tension with other animals. Firstly, there was Freya, who moved in next door, and they tolerated each other. In 2014, Freya moved away, forcing Larry to go back to being the sole Chief Mouser.

In 2020, Larry stalked and attacked a pigeon, but for unknown reasons, the bird escaped unharmed.

In 2022, Larry confronted a fox outside 10 Downing and chased it away.

The brutal fight between Larry and Palmerston. Credit: Steve Beck

Sir Keir Starmer has brought his family cat, JoJo to 10 Downing St, so the world will have to wait and see what happens with Larry, and his new housemate.

I must mention Larry’s rivalry with Palmerston. As the Chief Mouser for the Foreign Office, Palmerston and Larry were frenemies who had fought each other numerous times. In 2016, Palmerston even entered 10 Downing Street and had to be evicted by staff.

However, one of their best/worst fights was outside 10 Downing St’s door, which was recorded by Steve Beck, a political photographer. The brutal fight resulted in Larry losing his collar, and Palmerston receiving a badly cut ear and several deep scratches.

Larry has become a beloved icon to the British public, having photobombed politicians, paraded in front of the world’s media, and forced police officers to help him inside his home. Larry also has an unofficial social media accounts on Twitter and Mastodon.

Larry is a hard-working cat that faces daily pressure from being Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office. I mean, not every cat could handle the responsibilities. Keep it up Larry, you’re amazing!

That’s it for me. Congratulations to the UK Labour Party, but also Ensemble and New Popular Front, from the French election. I was expecting the former, but the latter was a pleasant shock.

Thank you for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. Please don’t forget to walk your dog, read a banned book, watch the Copa América and Euro Football Championships semi-finals, and I’ll see you next week.

1 I know you can’t tell, but I haven’t stopped smiling over this.

Still on my Mid-Winter break

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn People, Social Media

Hey everyone, I hope you’re all doing great. I’ve been keeping toasty in my winter old-man pyjamas and hoodies, while also using a hot water bottle to stay warm.

I’m still on my Mid-Winter break, so this awful post will be smaller than last week’s, which was even smaller than an invitation list to the opening of the Noble Gases’ Chemical Bonding Night Club.

One of the highlights of the past week was the first US Presidential debate. Each candidate did exactly what you’d expect: one mumbled, but told the truth, while the other was coherent, but lied. Can you guess who’s who?

On a brighter note, the UK General Election is coming this week, and the Conservative Party might be in trouble. But who knows? They do have Jacob Rees-Mogg on their side though, so I’m sure they’ll be fine.

Image by Nicky ❤️🌿🐞🌿❤️ from Pixabay

So that’s it for this week. I’ll be back next Monday in full swing, with a longer post about…whatever crosses my geeky little mind.

And just like last week, please don’t forget to walk your dog, read a banned book, keep watching the Copa América and Euro Football Championships, and I’ll see you next week.