'Shazam!' (2019) Movie Review

Shazam! aims to say something about staying true to yourself, finding family where you can, and that you don’t need superpowers to be a hero and do extraordinary things, all wrapped in superhero origin story trappings. Those aims are all well and good, but the finished product is so saccharine and hollow, the emotion so manufactured and false, and the goofiness wears so thin so fast, it becomes insufferable and leaves a lingering bad taste.

'Aquaman' (2018) Movie Review

There’s so much going on in Aquaman I’m honestly not sure where to begin. Actually, that’s as good a place as any. There is a lot going on in Aquaman. Like, a lot. To try to map out the plot is a fool’s errand; it’s a tangle of betrayal, a reluctant hero, Aquaman’s childhood, a single throwaway line that connects to the larger DC movie universe, betrayal, revenge, destiny, heartbreak, and a litany of things I know I forgot. And director James Wan wraps all of this is a Day-Glo, candy-colored, hallucinogenic seascape that resembles the cover of an epic adventure metal album from the ‘80s. And it’s as fun and messy as that sounds.

'Captain Marvel' Trailer: There's Two-Eyed Nick Fury And Brie Larson Punches An Old Lady

Oh hey, after however many dozens of movies Marvel has cranked out in their expansive cinematic universe, we finally get one with a female protagonist. It’s almost like women like things, make up half the population, or that there are great female comic book characters to put on screen. That sounds just crazy enough to work. All sarcasm aside, this first Captain Marvel trailer looks damn sweet and I can’t wait, especially because I’m pretty sure Brie Larson punches an old lady in the face, and I think that’s funny because I am a bad person. Take a gander below.

'Deadpool 2' Trailer Has Poop Jokes And X-Force

I legitimately enjoyed Deadpool, more than I expected to. I wasn’t sure how it would translate, if they would go all in on the filth and violence, but they did. And the result is a fun, foul-mouthed superhero joint. Even so, I haven’t been able to work up one iota of enthusiasm for Deadpool 2. And I should. David Leitch directed John Wick, the best modern action movie, and Atomic Blonde, which is solid. It has Josh Brolin, who I’ve loved since Thrashin’; Zazie Beetz, who rules; Terry Crews; and the kid from Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Regardless of how I feel, the Merc with the Mouth is coming back, and there’s a new trailer, and it does little to get my juices flowing.

Scott Adkins Is An Assassin-Fighting Assassin In 'Accident Man' Trailer

When you think comic book movies, you probably think dudes in tights and sky portals and that sort of nonsense. But there are also things like crews of assassins to be found on the funny book pages, which is just what we get from this Accident Man trailer. To be fair, that’s not why I’m psyched about this movie. I’m psyched about this because of Scott Adkins. He’s one of the baddest dudes on the planet, this is one of his passion projects, and he’s not only stars, he co-wrote the script.

New 'Black Panther' Trailer Unveils Wakanda And A Whole Lot Of Action

Dude, dude, dude, dude, dude! I get it, that’s a lot of dudes, but I need your attention. And as it’s first thing Monday morning, if you’re anything like me, you’re dragging. But I’ve got something that should pick you right up, and it’s a fresh new Black Panther trailer to kick off the week. There’s also a dope new poster to gawk at.

'The New Mutants' Trailer Is More Horror Than Superhero

I’m not fully on board with those who argue we’re hitting a point of superhero fatigue. In general, I enjoy them and look forward to the next chapter. Just over the next two weeks we get Thor: Ragnarok and Justice League, though I’m more concerned (or at least I have more questions) about the latter than the former. Still, it’s hard to get too excited when there’s yet another superhero joint. Especially The New Mutants, mostly because I’m admittedly not hugely familiar with the title (though I love creator Chris Claremont), and the last Fox X-Men movie was so lackluster. But the first trailer is here, and I’m definitely changing my tune.

San Diego Comic-Con Trailers For 'Thor: Ragnarok,' 'Ready Player One,' 'Stranger Things,' And More

San Diego Comic-Con went down this past weekend, and since the focus is all about TV and movies rather than funny books, it arrived with a tidal wave of trailers, posters, and other assorted promotional goodies for upcoming blockbusters and highly anticipated television shows. Here are some of the bigger and better trailer offerings, and just some of the things I’m most excited for. There are more, but these are the ones I like.

'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows' (2016) Movie Review

2014’s big screen Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot was not a great movie. I don’t hate it with the fiery scorn of many, but at best it’s a bland, unnecessary rehash of something done better a number times. But it made boatloads of cash, so a sequel was green-lit opening weekend, and now Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows is here.

Black Panther Kicks All Of The Ass In This 'Captain America: Civil War' Clip

I’m excited for Captain America: CivilWar for a number of reasons. High on that list is the introduction of Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther. Not only does the character bring some much needed diversity to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (maybe one day we’ll also get more female superheroes; a guy can dream, right?)—when Creed director Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther drops in a few years, he’ll become the first black superhero to front his own major movie—but what we’ve seen from the character so far has been fantastic. That continues with the latest clip from Civil War, which is just 38 seconds of Black Panther pummeling the Winter Soldier. Check it out.

'Captain America: Civil War' TV Spots Delivers Even More Spider-Man

If you’re like me, you hoped that Marvel was going to keep Spider-Man out of the marketing build up for Captain America: Civil War completely. That hope imploded when the Wall-Crawler showed up at the tail end of the last trailer. This appears to have opened a wee bit of a floodgate, and we’ve got some more Spidey footage in the latest TV spots. Take a look below if you’re into such things.

'Batman V Superman' Already Released A Deleted Scene

You probably already know this, but Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is getting an R-rated Blu-ray release that will be 30 minutes longer than the already 151-minute theatrical cut. This may hit in June, but even though the movie has only been out for a weekend at this point, there’s already a deleted scene available online. Check it out below.

This 'X-Men: Apocalypse' Trailer Is A Trailer For A Superhero Movie

To be honest, I’m really looking forward to X-Men: Apocalypse—the last two installments were fantastic—and I’m going to watch the crap out of it, but what we’ve seen from the movie thus far has been a tad underwhelming. That includes the new trailer that dropped this morning.

'Daredevil' Season 2 Final Trailer: More Punisher, More Elektra, More Darkness

Holy crap, this snuck up on me, but we’re only three days away from Netflix dropping the entirety of Daredevil Season 2 for your binging pleasure. To mark the occasion, the streaming giant has released a final trailer. Take a look after the jump.

DC/Vertigo's 'Scalped' Is Coming To TV, You Should Be Excited

Apparently I need to figure out a way to get WGN. I only have a vague awareness that the network even a thing, with shows like Manhattan and Outsiders, which looks like something I might dig. But now they’ve got my attention as they’re working on a series based on Jason Aaron’s incredible Native American-noir comic Scalped.

The New 'Suicide Squad' Trailer Is Day-Glo And Hilarious

Our first look at DC’s supervillain team up SuicideSquad was something of an accident. The footage shown at San Diego Comic Con leaked out online and eventually DC and Warner Bros. simply released an HD version out of frustration because people kept watching the janky video. Last night, however, we got our first sanctioned look. Check it out below.

The Punisher Is Getting His Own Netflix Series

Comic book fans everywhere are getting psyched that we’ll see Frank Castle, better known as the Punisher, in Netflix’s upcoming Daredevil Season 2. I’ve been waiting for decades for someone to get the character right (Punisher: War Zone is as close as anyone has come), and with the dark, gritty episodic nature of Daredevil, there’s hope this could be the one. But now there’s more, as Netflix and Marvel are reportedly working on a new, solo Punisher series.

The First Trailer For AMC's 'Preacher' Is Here

Adapting anything, much less a cult favorite comic book like, say, Garth Ennis’ infamously blasphemous Preacher, is difficult enough. When bringing a violent, explicative and sex laden, and sacrilegious text to life, it’s even harder on TV and the restrictions of that medium. But that’s exactly what the creative team of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg are doing at AMC, and the first trailer is here.

Netflix's Full 'Jessica Jones' Trailer Is All Kinds Of Badass

Marvel and Netflix absolutely killed it earlier this year when they teamed up for Daredevil, and next month they’re back at it with Jessica Jones. After their previous outing, it’s easy to be optimistic about their next venture, even though it’s not one quite as many people are familiar with. But a new trailer just showed up, and it looks completely awesome.

'Avengers: Age Of Ultron' Movie Review

This has been said elsewhere, but the impressive thing about Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron is how writer/director Joss Whedon takes a story that is absolutely packed with superheroes and stories and action, and never lets it get weighed down. This could have easily devolved into a rambling, incoherent, 141-minute long mess, but Whedon is able give each of these notable characters their moment to shine and imbue them with legitimate emotional weight. It’s a delicate juggling act in the midst of nearly nonstop action, and is a huge reason why Age of Ultron is another in a long line of massive, exciting, fun movies from the comic book studio.