What NOT to watch on Netflix: Spider-Man Unlimited

Talk to any of your friends with Netflix Instant Streaming and they will give you 3-4 movies and a couple TV shows they have burned through and will say "You just HAVE to watch it it's great!"  And if you are like me, you know a good group of people who you value their opinion, and when they tell you you must watch House of Cards, you do it without asking questions.

Unfortunately, there are a bunch of garbage shows or movies that can easily clutter your homepage and distract you from getting to what you want to, or "MUST!", watch.  And there aren't enough people telling you what is worth watching.  Here's a suggestion of what you can avoid wasting your time with.

Spider-Man Unlimited

Thankfully the series actually WAS limited...

Airing all 13 episodes, Netflix brings us the first and only season of Spider-Man Unlimited.  Running from 1999-2000, Spider-Man Unlimited opens with astronaut John Jameson headed to another planet scientists have discovered called Counter-Earth.  Joining his ship, however, are Spider-Man's enemies Venom and Carnage, who have jumped on and are plotting to take over Counter Earth, all while Spider-Man is being blamed for communication being cutoff between Earth and Jameson.  When an emergency broadcast from Jameson comes back to earth, our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man commandeers a second space ship to go bring back Jameson and clear his name.  Bringing along a new, more-advanced suit, Peter Parker must go to a strange world and come back safely, while leaving behind Aunt May and MJ.

 Why you Should Avoid It

1) Lack of an Ending

Getting axed by the network because it couldn't put up numbers on level with Pokemon and the newly released Digimon, it was aired later with all 13 episodes, the final episode ending on a giant cliffhanger.  Which is never resolved...

Many scripts were written for a second season to follow up this edition of the web-slinger, but none were ever made and so, we are left with an ending that could piss off enough kids to bring them back for a following season.  If you are looking to deeply invest your time in this, don't expect a return of satisfaction.

2) Spidey's New Suit

Deadpool meets Spiderman?

Amidst his dash to outer-space, Spider-Man talks about his new suit, which just happens to be able to counteract the symbiotes, Venom and Carnage.  Also, Spidey adds GPS tracking chips and a few other gadgets to his arsenal that he can fire against his enemies.  While the suit looks like a cool re-imagining of our famed wall-crawler, I don't think I'm ready to accept the fact he just happens to have this suit on hand and doesn't use it until now.  Why wouldn't he utilize a suit that can make him invisible and other things ON EARTH?

But this plot point of the series only stems from the show's lack of rights to use the original suit because of the Sam Raimi's Spider-Man movie coming out in 2002.  The suit wasn't the only thing, however, that was limited by the film...

3) The Enemies

Also, because of the film, Spider-Man was forced to face villains that weren't from around the block.  Despite the Green Goblin and the Vulture showing up (who look the exact same aside of color), they are actually heroes in this Counter-Earth, helping the human race.  Spider-Man's biggest enemies include the High Evolutionary (the man who created Counter Earth), the Knights of Wundagore (animal-like humans from the beastial race, second in command to the HE), the line up of robots made by those in power, and of course Venom and Carnage.  

Venom and Carnage are on their own mission throughout the entire process and rarely interfere with the web-slinger and the group of rebel humans he is involved with.  In this series, they also have the ability to liquify as though they don't have human hosts.  As for the High Evolutionary, we don't really see him in person for some time, let alone see his powers used or at work.  In most episodes, it is just Spider-man versus the beasital Knights of Wundagore and their robot police force.  All of which is lackluster...

Summary

If you are looking to be nostalgic at all, instead of wasting your time with this half-hearted mess, watch Spider-Man: The Animated Series which originally aired 1994-1998 and was leaps and bounds better of a show in terms of story and characters.  After muscling through all 13 episodes of this faint childhood memory, this is definitely something not worthy of your attention, even if you enjoyed it as a child.

What are your thoughts?  Did you watch this as a kid and think otherwise? Or do you agree this is something better left to your past?  Let me know!

Iron Man 3- The Late Review- (Spoiler Free)

After seeing a pre-midnight screening of the movie (11:30 start time?... odd, but I'll take it), here's a (spoiler-free) collection of thoughts about Iron Man 3.

7.7/10 on IMDb

The third installment of the Iron Man franchise follows Tony Stark as he goes head-to-head with The Mandarin.  Following the events in New York City (cough, "The Avengers", cough), he must confront his past and take responsibility for his actions.

Tony Stark: The Man Behind the Machine

When we meet up with Tony in 3, he is having trouble dealing with life after NYC, which is a great setup.  If they would skipped over how he was dealing with almost dying, I would have been a little very upset.  I don't care how good shawarma is, this guy is gonna have some serious issues coming back from that wormhole.  Gladly, they discuss this topic and focus on who Tony is if you take away all his fancy gadgets, which is great and more and more superhero films are beginning to apply this self-reflection element.

The Kabooms and Technology

Of course, being an action movie this is going to have its fair share of explosions and grand pyrotechnics.  IM3 delivers great action scenes involving the big bangs and a few more versions of the suit then we previously had.  And unlike the first films (now that we have seen what the suit is capable of), we have a great balance to the movie between the explosion-driven scenes and the serious acting-driven scenes.  But when the special effects come to town, boy do they deliver.

Summary

Throw in some typical Iron Man humor, a great cast, and some twists and turns that can catch even the comic book nerds off hand and you have what is being the "best Iron Man movie yet" living up to its name.  So, go out and see it before it gets put on the back burners with the rest of this summer's gems coming out soon.

My Review: 4/5 Stars

Rated: PG-13

Post Credit Scene: Yes

See it in theaters?: Yes

What To See Summer 2013- April

Well, it has been awhile since I have blogged about movies, but start expecting at least one a week (at least that's my goal starting with this post).  And what better way to start back than by looking at what's coming out this summer and what you should be excited for. So, let's start with April and keep on going.Yes. I realize I am simply skipping three months of noteworthy movies, but oh well. It's my blog and I do things how I want.


Oblivion (April 10)

7.2/10 on IMDb currently

After Earth is all but destroyed in a battle between humans and aliens, Jack Harper (Tom Cruise) must find and repair drones that are offline.  These drones help protect the machines that are extracting the last resources of the Earth for the remaining human population sent to another planet/moon.  But Harper begins to question his job after finding a crashed space ship.

Why you should see this: Actors and Visuals

Most people have actors they love and actors they hate. Oblivion could potentially hold two people, one from each category.  Morgan Freeman is often loved in everything he touches, even the Visa Credit Card commercials.  And Tom Cruise doesn't hold the best reputation after getting his jump on, live on TV, and with his religious beliefs in scientology.  For me, Tom Cruise works because he isn't ever trying to portray characters that are unbelievable for him (except for tall people...)  And Morgan Freeman is Morgan Freeman, soooooo there's that.  Both bring their A game and make the movie enjoyable.  Cruise is the focus of the story though, so if you are a Cruise-hater, this might be a movie to stay away from

As for the visuals, they might be the strongest part of the film.  Everything is captivating, from Harper's house in the sky to the location of the last Super Bowl on Earth.  It's interesting to imagine what the world might look like after a few atomic bombs go off.  This gives us a look into what that might be, plus it has a few treats for cool technology that we can hope to aspire to someday.

Expect a review of Oblivion coming here soon.

42 (April 12)

7.8/10 on IMDb

42 takes a look back at the life of baseball great, Jackie Robinson, and how he paved the way for black men in the MLB.

Why You Should See This: The Heroic Sports Tale

If you enjoy movies like Remember the Titans, Moneyball, or Miracle, then this is a must see.  We all love to see the heroic tales of sports history and having a story as impactful as this come to screen is great.  While you can go on for days about his importance, seeing the visualization of Jackie Robinson's impact is something that will stick in kids memories for life.  I mean, I still remember how Coach Bombay turned a bunch of nobodies into World Championship hockey players...  So, for all those looking for a piece of history and a little entertainment, check this one out.

Side note: This movie features Harrison Ford, who doesn't appreciate when questions about the new Star Wars movies comes up during 42's release... Don't believe me? Check this video out!

Pain & Gain (April 28)

7.1/10 on IMDb

When a trio of body builders become jealous of the luxurious lifestyle of the wealthy, they attempt to even out the balance through kidnapping and extorsion.  But when things go too far, they quickly get surrounded in a plan way bigger than they originally imagined.

Why You Should See This: The Cast & The Director

This movie's cast stars Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, and Anthony Mackie as our testosterone-fueled trio.  Add Tony Shalhoub, Ed Harris, Ken Jeong, Rebel Wilson and Peter Stormare into the group, and you are bound to have an entertaining movie.  As I have said before, and will continue to say, I am a huge Mark Wahlberg fan.  I envision this to be a jacked up version of his character in The Other Guys.  Also, good ole Dwayne Johnson has been making his splash as the savior of movie franchises recently after GI: Joe 2 was successful at the box office (notice I said successful, and not any other terminology).  If he brings the humor and action that he has brought in his movies or in the WWE world, this is sure to be enjoyable.

Now, I know Michael Bay takes a lot of crap from movie-goers for his explosion filled movies, which always contain the encircling camera shot of the hero/es of his films.  But when it comes to enfusing comedy into his action flicks, you have to give the man credit.  Overlook Transformers 2 & 3, and you'll recall some of his more successful/ enjoyable films like Bad Boys, Bad Boys 2, The Rock, and Pearl Harbor.  Amid people trying to say he "apologized" for Armageddon, Bay can always be hit or miss with his movies.  Let's bank on a hit. 

Also, I heard a rumor circulating throughout my bedroom that this was his way of telling Will Smith he's ready for Bad Boys 3... But it's just a rumor at this point.

May is just around the corner, expect next month's Must See Movies coming soon!

What movies are you watching this month? See anything worth noting? Let me know below about your take on the movies this month!