MEGAN 2.0 (2025)

 

Written & Directed By: Gerard Johnstone 

Story By: Gerard Johnstone And Akela Cooper

Based in characters created by: Akela Copper and James Wan

Cinematography: Toby Oliver 

Editor: Jeff McEvoy 

Cast: Alison Williams, Violet McGraw, Brian Jordan Alvarez, Jen Van Epps, Ivana Sakhno, Aristotle Athari, Jemaine Clement, Timm Sharp 

Two years after M3GAN’s rampage, her creator, Gemma, resorts to resurrecting her infamous creation in order to take down Amelia, the military-grade weapon who was built by a defense contractor who stole M3GAN’s underlying tech.

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The first film was more of a campy guilty pleasure so I have no idea why they decided to make this film more of a sci-fi action movie. The least they could’ve done was if it was going to be action make the death or kill scenes maybe be a bit more horrific and violent. 

Watching this film, it’s a pale comparison as they do hear what most equals do it’s bigger. You can definitely tell that there was more money spent that has more of an epic vision but even the camping seems preplanned rather than just coming out of nowhere even worse they don’t even have Megan do her dance. It plays during the credits, but you can tell it’s not like she develops a new dance or even come up with a reason for it.

One of the first things you notice watching the film is Is there enough foreshadowing here? (said ironically) then One can’t decide if this movie is too long as it feels like an epic or if it’s Long enough, you just feel the length. Because it doesn’t fill it effecintely enough.

The film plays the middle field where it feels like an R Rated film but seems to stay in the vicinity of PG-13.

The film stays very convaluted where you wonder sometimes where is this going and does it have to be this complicated, but then again when the threat goes from more personal and domestic to almost worldwide. It can’t be too simple. While the film’s tries to offer the audience more comedy and thrills mixed together then the original. That is what the film’s weakness seems to be. In that it tries fan service and abandons its roots. Rather then staying true to itself and building to bigger badder type of thriller with a higher body count of characters you care about.

Just as it seems the returning supporting characters one gets more sceeen time while the other gets around the same as the first one and whose fate ends up questionable by the end of the movie. As it never makes clear or brings back the character. Making them ultimately disposable. It feels like the film isnsay oman you should be thankful to be here. 

One of the reasons why it might not be as strong. Is that the original screenwriter didn’t write this film. Akela cooper helped with the story but left the major scripting to the franchise’s director. Who didn’t write the first film? 

I was going to do a video about why Megan 2.0 bombed but producer Jason, Bloom of Bloom house pretty much hit the nail right on the head when he said no this isn’t a quote but pretty much the information was they put too much faith into the character and the characters following so that they thought they could do anything they wanted to do with the character and the audience would follow up And it ended up being a case of putting too much on the shoulders of the this little film

Which was originally just a surprise and understandable why they would wanna make a sequel but one of the points I was going to make you wanna put it in the summer when it was a hit in January which usually means there was nothing better out and this was the best that was around And did was hit a power hit like it did, but I think that was because it came out of nowhere and it surprisingly campy and fun for what was supposed to be a horror film

Even though it was more lightweight but requirements of fitting even when I watched it and I liked it, I thought it was lightweight. It could’ve been. I don’t know if it took off, particularly with younger audiences to for that PG-13 rating to really make a difference, but the unrated version which is basically added blood in a little bit more violence Seem to be release the audience

Now the film was successful and had a following yet it seems like they made it into more of an action comedy. The film is a little bit more in the still keeping that camp looking like a blatant copy of terminator too and it way. 

The magic of the original was that this campiness came out of nowhere and what was supposed to be atmosphere at that and for people who didn’t regularly go see her it was perfect because it was her almost like a Mocktail has no liquor, but the delicious taste of cocktail. They’re having fun with necessarily being on all the time, especially if it didn’t start so that was another factor of why the film bombed. 

Also it proves that MEGAN, the movie was more of like a phenomenon. It wasn’t necessarily a cult and it wasn’t popular enough or that the following people were demanding I’m wondering how this does for the Megan spin off they had planned or if that’s been canceled. 

Also didn’t know that This movie was coming out in the summer. where it’s going up against heavy hitters and the trailer didn’t make anybody wanna run to the theater so this is where the day and date or a movie and it being available pretty much like 4 to 6 weeks later actually hurts films like these because even if you are a fan of the first film and maybe had interest in seeing the sequel just wait and watch it on demand streaming as that is the quality and that this film looks like it’s not something you wanna rush out to go see it for movies and theaters like a movie you could wait for. I’m happy I saw on the big screen if I had a theater I definitely could’ve waited for just entertained 

The first one was a fluke that it was a hit in the first place and I can understand it got a small crowd behind it a fascination, so that you knew the sequel would eventually come out, but the man came out and then switching genres even Jason Blum agreed now was a bad idea.

If they were going to do that make sure you had a strong audience that would follow the franchise and characters wherever it went. As obviously the following wasn’t that strong and it even came out at the right time as far as how many years had passed but the wrong season. 

Which pretty much explains it all. 

Grade: C- 

AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM (2023)

Directed By: James Wan

Written By: David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick

Story By: James Wan, Jason Momoa, and Thomas Pa’a Sibbert

Based on the character AQUAMAN created By: Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger 

Cinematography: Don Burgess

Editor: Kirk Morris

Cast: Jason Momoa, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Amber Heard, Randall Park, Nicole Kidman, Temuera Morrison, Dolph Lundgren, Martin Short, Indya Moore, John Rhys-Davies, Jani Zhao, Pilou Asbaek 

Black Manta seeks revenge on Aquaman for his father’s death. Wielding the Black Trident’s power, he becomes a formidable foe. To defend Atlantis, Aquaman forges an alliance with his imprisoned brother. They must protect the kingdom.


Luckily, this film isn’t as bad as it had been predicted or advertised. So what does work in its favor is that it feels kind of a bit like a retread of the first film as it has pretty much the same cast of characters who survived the first film, and essentially the same villain only this time who has managed to acquire more strength and power Through supernatural means partially being possessed, but still determined to take down Aquaman and Atlantis if he can.

Amber Heard who plays Aquaman’s wife in this film her role is either severely cut down from before or meant to just be a placeholder as a love interest. As she is barely in the film and is in an action or two, but really, given nothing to do and not too much importance.

The film plays more like a buddy comedy with Aquaman teaming up with his half-brother, who has been in prison and they learning and going through their differences to trust one another, and to join together, to save Atlantis, thus allowing his brother to get his honor back throughout.

This sequel like the first film has quite a bit of comedy. However in this film, the special effects are a little more distracting as they are not as impressive in fact, while watching the film, it feels like you’re watching a video game demo almost rather than a film. This is good when it comes to the action sequences when it tries to do the dialogue scenes it doesn’t quite fit as well.

If the film had maybe tried to give Aquaman a different villain, this film might have been worthwhile, but with it feeling like a retread, it kind of limits itself.

I am impressed that they managed to make Aquaman so dynamic on the big screen as before he had been either a minor character or more of a laughing stock at with his limited abilities and costumes in the past. 

This is a film where you can see the budget on screen, but somehow it limits itself which is a shame because there seem to be so many possibilities as you’re watching the film instead of what you get, which is ultimately disappointing.

This is a shame, as I was one of those who enjoyed the original way more than I expected to, but like the sequel to Shazam this film just feels like what you thought the first film was going to be it doesn’t improve, and in fact, it’s worse.

This is a shame, considering the impressive cast and Jason Momoa just looks like a badass superhero either way. 

Grade: C- 

AQUAMAN (2018)

aquaman

Directed By: James Wan
Written By: David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick & Will Beall
Story By: Geoff Johns, Will Beall & James Wan
Based On The Character “Aquaman: Created By: Paul Norris & Mort Wesinger
Cinematography By: Don Burgess
Editor: Kirk Morri 

Cast: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Willem Dafoe, Nicole Kidman, Dolph Lungdren, Yahya Abdul-Manteen II, Temeura Morrison, Leigh Whannell, Michael Beach, Randall Park 


Arthur Curry learns that he is the heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, and must step forward to lead his people and be a hero to the world.

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