‘Power Rangers’ Review: Why You Should Avoid This Tedious Reboot

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Dean Israelite’s ‘Power Rangers’ movie is a tediously paced, heavy-handed attempt at rebooting a franchise cinematically.

Summary

The film starts off centering around Billy (RJ Cyler), who is longing to finish a project his late father started concerning an energy source at the base of a mountain in Angel Grove (his hometown). He makes friends with Jason (Darce Montgomery), who he meets in Saturday detention and they agree to meet up later that night. The deal was Jason would drive him to the site of the mountain in exchange for Jason getting some help with his pesky house arrest bracelet he now has to wear. They eventually make it to the location only to learn that some of the same teens who have detention on Saturday morning apparently like hanging out at a random mountain on Friday evening. We have Kimberly (Naomi Scott) a cheerleader who has been ostracized, Trini (Becky G) a confused young girl, and Zack (Ludi Lin) the bad boy, all seem to be up some shenanigans. Things quickly take a turn when they hear an explosion and realize that it was Billy who causes it (apparently he brought some dynamite with him). Amongst the rubble, the team discovers some power coins, and some new found super powers. Little do they know that they set in motion events that will lead to them coming face to face with the projection of an alien named Zordon (Bryan Cranston), a robot named Alpha 5 (Bill Hader), and a gold-driven villain named Rita (Elizabeth Banks) who only wants to destroy the world.

What Worked

It was neat hearing the old Power Rangers Theme when the Zords are dashing off in a formation to confront Goldar. Dean Israelite did a good job with fan service and paying homage to the original material.

Elizabeth Banks made a fairly decent villain in the film. She certainly made use of every inch of her costume to help accentuate how evil she was on screen. Those long gold fingernails looked equal parts painful and like something you would see at the mall.

What Didn’t Work

Screenwriter John Gatins’s attempts to make this film relatable to children in 2017 and fails miserably. Instead of creating fully developed characters, he seemed hellbent on filling certain demographics. Each one of the Rangers is defined by either their nationality, gender, interests or in some cases their sexual orientation. Little is done to allow us to know who these kids truly are. If you are going to truly reboot this show for a cinematic audience then we need a clearer understanding of why these kids are taking on these roles as Rangers. When Christopher Nolan directed Batman Begins, Bruce Wayne wasn’t just a brooding white billionaire playboy. We knew why he became Batman. Why is Billy so driven to follow in his Dad’s footsteps? What drives Kimberly to go from a Cheerleader to trusting this group of friends she barely knows? At least some of these questions must be addressed so the audience becomes more invested in the characters as they become these heroes.

One would have thought they would have attempted to temper down the cheesy fight sequences.Why wasn’t a more concentrated effort at updating the fight sequence made? The only noticeable thing was the use of slow motion at different points during the battles in Angel Grove. So we are going to allow fights which are poorly staged but we better make sure that we bust out some of our slow motion special effects. Doesn’t make a ton of sense.

Overall

Super fans of the Power Ranger franchise will indeed be overjoyed at this latest version of the franchise. Anyone else will find it tedious, cheesy, and lacking in any discernable entertainment value. At this point, Lionsgate has plans for six more Power Ranger films, and that kind of confidence in the franchise is alarming. Then again, it shouldn’t come as a shock as last summer Sony announced that they had planned a sequel to Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters (we all know how that turned out). Power Rangers will likely follow the same path as Feig’s latest film. It’s a shame because with a tighter storyline, better effects, and a stronger cast this could have been something more than what it ended up being.

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Ace Hill Pilsner – A Thoroughly Independent Review

By

Michael Bedford

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The Ace Hill Beer Company, based in Ontario’s capital Toronto, takes a different approach to brewing than several of its craft competitors. Rather than offering a wide array of strong-tasting beers, like Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery or Hop City Brewing Company, the Ace Hill Beer Company brews but a single beer, their Ace Hill Pilsner. Taking fellow Torontonian Steam Whistle Brewing‘s model, Ace Hill brews one beer, and one beer only.

I like pilsners. As I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, my regular beer is Steam Whistle Pilsner. So if I don’t like their beer, Ace Hill has probably missed their target demographic, which is regular drinkers of locally and independently brewed Ontarian pilsner. Pressure’s on …

Ace Hill Pilsner – First Sip

Ace Hill Pilsner pours a pale golden colour with a layer of head, about a centimeter thick, that gathers at the rim of my pilsner glass. The foam dissipates steadily. I immediately notice its tart flavour when I take my first sip. Apple-y to the point of tasting almost like a hard cider with a grainy aftertaste, it’s an easy beer to guzzle, and at 4.9% ABV in 473-mL cans you can probably guzzle a couple. This pilsner’s sharp taste and active bubbles give it a crisp watery mouthfeel.

Ace Hill Pilsner – Last Sip

Exceptionally faithful readers of my beer reviews might remember that my first review was an arguably ill-conceived comparison between Steam Whistle Pilsner and Moosehead Lager. I realize now, having reviewed over a hundred beers, that my initial comparison review was probably a bit like comparing apples to oranges. But, save your crow! I won’t eat it! This pilsner, in my opinion, essentially represents a middle-ground between the two independent Canadian flagship brews.

Moosehead Lager, as my primary beer review states, has “a malty aftertaste” whereas Steam Whistle Pilsner is a “smooth, easy-drinking beer with just a bit of an edge.” Ace Hill Pilsner’s tart flavour and thirst-quenching mouthfeel make it both similar and dissimilar to both brews.

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New “Justice League’ Teaser Shows Cyborg In Action!

By

Kieran McLean

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March 24, 2017

If you thought you’d seen enough Justice League teasers you were very mistaken. Warner Bros. and DC Comics have just released another teaser, this time giving us a look at Ray Fisher as the half man, half machine superhero, Cyborg.

Also Read: Ben Affleck Is The Batman In This Epic New ‘Justice League’ Teaser

Cyborg is easily the least known member of this Justice League but this teaser does a great job of getting us excited and teasing the full-length trailer. I know Cyborg will have a key role in the film and the villain so personally, I’m excited to see this character possibly even more than the main trinity, okay maybe not but he does look like a really cool member of the team.

Watch the teaser below!

FUELED BY HIS RESTORED FAITH IN HUMANITY AND INSPIRED BY SUPERMAN’S (HENRY CAVILL) SELFLESS ACT, BRUCE WAYNE (BEN AFFLECK) ENLISTS NEWFOUND ALLY DIANA PRINCE TO FACE AN EVEN GREATER THREAT. TOGETHER, BATMAN AND WONDER WOMAN WORK QUICKLY TO RECRUIT A TEAM TO STAND AGAINST THIS NEWLY AWAKENED ENEMY. DESPITE THE FORMATION OF AN UNPRECEDENTED LEAGUE OF HEROES — BATMAN, WONDER WOMAN, AQUAMAN, CYBORG AND THE FLASH — IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO SAVE THE PLANET FROM AN ASSAULT OF CATASTROPHIC PROPORTIONS.

Justice League is directed by Zack Snyder and stars Henry Cavill (Superman), Ben Affleck (Batman), Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman), Jason Momoa (Aquaman), Ezra Miller (The Flash), and Ray Fisher (Cyborg). The film will land in theaters on November 17, 2017!

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When Space & Beer Meet: Trappist Beer Goes Interstellar with TRAPPIST-1

By

Michael Bedford

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March 24, 2017

Space exploration and traditional brewing practices fused together recently when Belgian astronomers Michäel Gillon and Emmanuel Jehin discovered a small planetary system 40 light years from Earth and named its sun TRAPPIST-1, after an international network of monastic breweries. And, to put the head on the brew, the two astronomers also named the star’s orbiting Earth-sized planets after Trappist brews, including Rochefort and Orval.

Gillon and Jehin, whose observations so far are based solely on viewing these planets’ shadows moving across their sun, have no way yet of determining whether they do or could support life. But, with the ever-improving technology that makes interstellar exploration and observation possible, it may just be a matter of time before a clear view of the TRAPPIST-1 system is available.

TRAPPIST-1: To Boldly Go Where No Beer Has Gone Before…

Because I live in the sticks, I’m unable to find any Trappist brews to review. So, unfortunately, I’ll have to wait until I can find one before I can provide a review to celebrate the naming of these celestial bodies. Having had a few in the past, though, I will say that monks know how to brew beer. Trappist beer, although some varieties are quite strong-tasting, generally occupies a kind of middle ground between the tasteless, watery beer you’re likely to get from a macro-brewery (such as Molson Coors) and the sometimes overly flavourful brews you often get from a craft brewer. The balanced flavours of Trappist brews, though, are often surprisingly alcoholic: 6% ABV or over is a common rating, some in excess of 10%.

One should never find oneself in a situation where one has to drink one of these beers from the bottle. Although these brews are usually dang tasty, the enthusiastic imbiber does a disservice to the centuries-old tradition of Trappist brewing by guzzling it. Pair these beers with cheeses or meals. Don’t waste them on unappreciative house-guests.

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First ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ Poster Released Online

By

Kieran McLean

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March 24, 2017

Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios have released the first official poster for Spider-Man: Homecoming. The poster manages to capture the coming of age style of the next Spider-Man movie.

The poster shows Spidey chilling with his school blazer over the costume and also doesn’t shy away from Spider-Man’s connection to the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. In the background of the poster, you can clearly see the original Avengers tower in New York City.

Check out the poster below!

A young Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland), who made his sensational debut in Captain America: Civil War, begins to navigate his newfound identity as the web-slinging super hero in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Thrilled by his experience with the Avengers, Peter returns home, where he lives with his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), under the watchful eye of his new mentor Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.). Peter tries to fall back into his normal daily routine – distracted by thoughts of proving himself to be more than just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man – but when the Vulture (Michael Keaton) emerges as a new villain, everything that Peter holds most important will be threatened.

Spider-Man: Homecoming stars Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Zendaya, Jon Favreau, Donald Glover, Tyne Daly with Marisa Tomei and Robert Downey Jr.

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Marvel ‘Generations’ Details & Writers Revealed

By

Brandon J. Griffin

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March 24, 2017

A month ago, Marvel released a teaser image for a project called Generations. One simple tweet of Alex Ross’ beautiful art accompanied by “Coming Summer 2017.” After a month of speculation, Generations‘ details and writers have been revealed. The news broke earlier today through ABC News.

Each legacy hero will be paired with their newer counterpart. These ten stories will be written by familiar names to fans of each character. Below is the list of characters and corresponding writers.

-Iron Man (Tony Stark and Riri Williams) – written by Brian Michael Bendis
-Spider-Man (Peter Parker and Miles Morales) – Brian Michael Bendis
-Ms. Marvel (Carol Danvers and Kamala Khan) – G. Willow Wilson
-Thor (Odinson and Jane Foster) – Jason Aaron
-Hawkeye (Clint Barton and Kate Bishop) – Kelly Thompson
-Hulk (Bruce Banner and Amadeus Cho) – Greg Pak
-Jean Grey (young and older) – Dennis Hopeless
-Wolverine (Logan and X23) – Tom Taylor
-Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell and Carol Danvers) – Margie Stohl
-Captain America (Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson) – Nick Spencer

ABC News spoke to Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso to answer some of the questions fans most likely have. The first concerning how this is possible given how many dead heroes are on this list.

“How did we do this is part of the fun,” he said. “Right now, Rogers isn’t much of a good guy. Why would Sam want to team up with him? Banner’s dead! Logan’s dead! These are questions that demand to be seen. What I will tell you is we have an ingenious device [to bring them back].”

Hold on there Marvel, we’ll let you know how “ingenious” this device may or may not be. I’m sure you thought Civil War II was brilliant at first too. He went on to reassure fans that this won’t be a cheap alternate timeline either.

“These stories do happen, they really count. They really matter. This isn’t some alternate reality story or some time-travel story,” Alonso explained.

Generations will kick off in July and run through September. That’s the same time as the Secret Empire event that will be consuming Marvel. This ruins the fan theory that Marvel may be following DC’s footsteps, using the mystery event as their own Rebirth.

The biggest takeaway from this announcement is confirming the return of beloved fallen heroes in some capacity. Hulk, Wolverine, Jean Grey, and Mar-Vell are all very dead. Steve Rogers is currently a Hydra agent. It’ll be interesting to see how that pans out now knowing that this will be coming out during Secret Empire.

Thor Odinson is unworthy, Ms. Marvel and Carol Danvers aren’t getting along, there is plenty of drama to address on top of resurrecting dead characters. Despite not being what some of us were hoping for, Generations sounds interesting. Stay tuned for more news as we inch closer to Marvel’s next era.

What say you? Is this what you were hoping for? Are you excited about Generations? Let us know in the comments below!

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A New ‘Godzilla’ Movie Is Coming To Netflix With Some Major Changes (Poster Inside)

By

EJ Moreno

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March 24, 2017

Godzilla Heads To Netflix In Animated Form And Set In The Future!

There’s some new information about the upcoming Godzilla film heading to Netflix. Titled ‘Godzilla: Monster Planet‘ or ‘Godzilla: Kaijū Wakusei‘, the animated feature will take place way in the future! How far in the future? 20,000 years!

The film is directed by Kobun Shizuno and Hiroyuki Seshita, with Gen Urobuchi penning the script. Voice cast includes Yuuki Kaji, Takahiro Sakurai, Mamoru Miyano, Junichi Suwabe, Kana Hanazawa, and Tomokazu Sugita.

This is the first anime in the franchise but not the first animated venture for the King of Monsters. Godzilla had two previous animated series in America, one in 1978 and the other in 1998 after the 1998 film. Seems like the giant monster is made to be animated!

Released by the official website Godzilla-Anime.com, we now have the plot details as well!

“The last summer of the 20th Century. That day, the human beings learn that they are not the only ruler of the planet Earth.

The appearance of the giant living creatures “Kaiju’s” and the ultimate existence that destroys all monsters: Godzilla. Through the battle against kaiju’s that lasted for half a century, human beings has experienced continuous defeat, and finally plans to escape from the Earth. And in 2048, only those who were selected by the A.I. managed under the central government boarded the inter-sidereal emigrant spaceship “Aratrum” to head for “Tau Cetus e”, the planet beyond the distance of 11.9 light-year. However, the environmental condition differences between that of the Earth and Tau e, which they finally arrived after 20 years were far beyond the predicted numbers, and was not an environment considered to be habitable by human beings.

The young man on the emigrant ship: Haruo, who saw his parents killed by Godzilla in front of his eyes when he was 4 years old, had only one thing in his mind for 20 years: to return to the Earth and defeat Godzilla. Shut out from the possibility of emigration, as the living environment in the ship deteriorates, the group of “Earth Returnists” led by Haruo became the majority, and determines to head back to Earth through a dangerous long-distance hyperspace navigation. However, the Earth they have returned has already passed the time of 20,000 years, and has become an unknown world with the ecosystem reigned by Godzilla.

At the end, will human beings win back the Earth? And what will Haruo see beyond his fate?”

**Tagline: “We will definitely take back this ‘Planet’.”**

This story is intriguing. While vastly different than anything the franchise has done before, it feels like a familiar tale of “dinosaurs” taking back their land. It also sets up Godzilla to be the villain of the film, a role it does very well. I’m curious to know what Earth looks like when it’s been run by Godzilla.

No word on the exact date ‘Godzilla: Monster Planet‘ will be released but it’s schedule for a late 2017 release.

Check out some concept art photos below as well as the poster!

Let me know what you think about anime Godzilla in the comments below.

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New ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol.2’ Teaser Trailer Released As Tickets Go On Sale

By

Kieran McLean

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March 24, 2017

To celebrate ticket’s for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 going on sale, Marvel Studios has released a new teaser trailer. The minute-long teaser features a lot of footage we’ve already seen but we do get a look at a few new sequences and there’s some hilarious new dialogue.

Also Read: ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol.2’ Character Posters Released

Watch the new teaser below!

Set to the backdrop of ‘Awesome Mixtape #2,’ Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 continues the team’s adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mysteries of Peter Quill’s true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fan-favorite characters from the classic comics will come to our heroes’ aid as the Marvel cinematic universe continues to expand.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 is directed by James Gunn and stars Chris Pratt (Star-Lord), Zoe Saldana (Gamora), Bradley Cooper (Rocket), Vin Diesel (Baby Groot), Dave Bautista (Drax), Michael Rooker (Yondu), Karen Gillan (Nebula), Kurt Russell (Ego), Elizabeth Debicki (Ayesha), and Pom Klementieff (Mantis).

Guardians of the Galaxy will land in theaters on May 5, or earlier in various countries. Tickets are on sale now!

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New ‘Justice League’ Character Poster For Wonder Woman Released

By

Kieran McLean

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March 24, 2017

Warner Bros. and DC Comics have released the official Wonder Woman character poster from Zack Snyder’s Justice League. The image is similar to the Batman, Aquaman, and The Flash posters that were released yesterday and reveals Wonder Woman standing on a rock with what looks like Themyscira in the background.

We’re still waiting for the Cyborg teaser and poster to be released and the full Justice League trailer will drop tomorrow so make sure you check back here later!

Check out the poster below!

Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s (Henry Cavill) selfless act, Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) enlists newfound ally Diana Prince to face an even greater threat. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to recruit a team to stand against this newly awakened enemy. Despite the formation of an unprecedented league of heroes — Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and the Flash — it may be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.

Justice League is directed by Zack Snyder and stars Henry Cavill (Superman), Ben Affleck (Batman), Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman), Jason Momoa (Aquaman), Ezra Miller (The Flash), and Ray Fisher (Cyborg). The film will land in theatres on November 16, 2017!

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New ‘Justice League’ Teaser Shows Wonder Woman In Action

By

Kieran McLean

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March 24, 2017

Damn, I think my head is about to explode with all of this Justice League goodness! As expected Warner Bros. and DC Comics have released another Justice League teaser, this time focusing on Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman. The short teaser shows us some really cool Wonder Woman scenes including the character’s now iconic wrist pose.

We should also get a teaser for Cyborg later today and maybe even a short teaser for henry Cavill’s Superman, although I wouldn’t hold out hope for that one.

Also Read: Ben Affleck Is The Batman In This Epic New ‘Justice League’ Teaser

Watch the teaser below!

FUELED BY HIS RESTORED FAITH IN HUMANITY AND INSPIRED BY SUPERMAN’S (HENRY CAVILL) SELFLESS ACT, BRUCE WAYNE (BEN AFFLECK) ENLISTS NEWFOUND ALLY DIANA PRINCE TO FACE AN EVEN GREATER THREAT. TOGETHER, BATMAN AND WONDER WOMAN WORK QUICKLY TO RECRUIT A TEAM TO STAND AGAINST THIS NEWLY AWAKENED ENEMY. DESPITE THE FORMATION OF AN UNPRECEDENTED LEAGUE OF HEROES — BATMAN, WONDER WOMAN, AQUAMAN, CYBORG AND THE FLASH — IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO SAVE THE PLANET FROM AN ASSAULT OF CATASTROPHIC PROPORTIONS.

Justice League is directed by Zack Snyder and stars Henry Cavill (Superman), Ben Affleck (Batman), Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman), Jason Momoa (Aquaman), Ezra Miller (The Flash), and Ray Fisher (Cyborg). The film will land in theaters on November 17, 2017!

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