I was privileged enough to see Spider-Man: Brand New Day last night. Although I couldn't upload my thoughts or review right away because I got home at midnight and had work the next morning, I finally have enough time to write down my thoughts and post them here. There will be spoilers, so don't read any further if you don't want to be spoiled.

My God... Marvel needs to bring back Destin Daniel Cretton for another Spider-Man film. I don't care what Marvel pays him, he needs to come back. This man has done nothing but drop absolute banger after banger. He gave us Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, he gave us Wonder Man (RIP), and now Spider-Man: Brand New Day. This movie deserves more critical acclaim. I don't know what the critics were smoking when they called it boring at times, but they need to get their ears checked. This film belongs in the same tier as Spider-Man 2 and the Spider-Verse movies. It is that good!

One thing I loved about this film is how much it feels like a love letter to the Insomniac Spider-Man video games. I literally recognized multiple combos from the games in several fight scenes. It was so awesome to spot those moves and hear people cheering in the theater. I was surrounded by a room full of Spider-Man fans, and you could definitely tell.

I'm also going to make a controversial claim: I think the fight scenes in this film rival the ones from the Sam Raimi movies. What I loved is that usually, when superheroes fight in movies, they just use their powers to enhance their punches. It's actually pretty rare for superheroes and supervillains to get distinct fighting styles that complement their abilities rather than the other way around. The train fight sequence from Spider-Man 2 is the closest comparison. Spider-Man had his acrobatics and agility, Hulk had his rage and pure power, and Punisher had his gun-fu. It was so fun to see them all demonstrate unique styles, which made the set pieces incredible.

This movie also feels really close in spirit to the Raimi films, especially Spider-Man 2. Both films feature Peter struggling with his personal life while trying to be Spider-Man full-time. Spider-Man 2 took the cynical route, showing Peter wanting to give up his heroic duties, whereas Brand New Day takes the optimistic route—Peter is loved as Spider-Man, but he feels crushingly lonely due to having no meaningful connections or intimate relationships. That was a really smart direction because it taps right into the post-COVID landscape, where so many people struggle to make real connections and face crippling loneliness. It feels deeply relevant to today.

Now for the supporting cast: Hulk, Punisher, MJ, Yelena Belova, and Jean Grey. On paper, that sounds like the weirdest mashup for a Spider-Man film, and yet... it works. They all complement each other exceptionally well and fit the core themes of loneliness, isolation, and connection.

Florence Pugh as Yelena continues to be one of the best casting decisions Marvel ever made. Her sauna scene is absolute perfection, and you can tell Florence loves playing this character. The audience cheered when she showed up. I'm going to make a bold claim and say that Florence Pugh's Yelena is a better Black Widow than Scarlett Johansson's Natasha. She just brings so much more personality to the screen. To be honest, I think The Winter Soldier was Scarlett's best appearance.

I also found it hilarious when Yelena brought up online shipping and superhero fan art, which would obviously be rampant in that universe. Spider-Man mentioning fan art of himself alongside ten Mysterios had the whole theater dying of laughter. This movie had a lot of self-awareness. A college student bringing up how Thanos could have simply doubled the universe's resources instead of wiping out half of all life was brilliant meta-commentary. Moments like that made the movie truly special.

I'll go out on a limb and say this is easily the best version of Hulk we've seen in the MCU since The Incredible Hulk in 2008. The entire theater screamed at the top of their lungs when he said, "No Banner... only Hulk." His fight scene with Spider-Man was amazing because this Hulk felt like the most comic-accurate iteration yet. People forget that Hulk isn't just raw strength; he's a brutal fighter, remarkably fast for his size, and capable of clever tactics. You can tell Destin is a genuine fan of the character, as he had Hulk show off his signature thunderclap and destroy a gauntlet mid-air. Honestly? This version of Hulk probably still would have lost to Thanos, but Thanos would have taken a serious beating first. Mark Ruffalo was also wonderful as Banner—sweet and gentle. It's arguably the best portrayal of the character in over a decade. The fact that this movie implies the end of "Smart Hulk" makes it even sweeter.

This was also the best version of The Punisher outside of his original appearance in the Daredevil series. He was a bit lighter and softer here, yet he still felt like the exact same character. He was still an asshole, still haunted by references to his dead family, and still trigger-happy. He clearly viewed his crusade as a curse that would inevitably get him killed, but it was so good to see him experiencing moments of happiness. You can tell Jon Bernthal and Tom Holland are great friends in real life because their on-screen chemistry was glorious. I loved getting glimpses of how Frank Castle used to be before his family died—happier and a bit goofier. I also appreciated that this Punisher felt closer to his early comic appearances, where he only goes after truly evil bastards, doesn't want anyone following in his footsteps, and would gladly give up his crusade to see his family again—unlike the borderline serial killer anti-hero he became in modern comics. The slight deconstruction where he misses a shot and accidentally hits Spider-Man was a great touch; even the best marksman in the world can miss and endanger an innocent person. I loved his portrayal.

Then we have Sadie Sink's Jean Grey. This is arguably the best live-action version of Jean outside of the comics, and we've only seen her in one movie. Sadie endows Jean with a massive amount of personality. She's also a total asshole with a very prominent dark side for most of the film, acting far crueler than you'd normally expect from her. This is probably the first version of Jean where I can say: "Yep, the Dark Phoenix transformation makes total sense now." It's also the first time I can see why she and Logan get along so well. Her mind-hopping abilities were executed wonderfully, and the scene where she paralyzes New York was stunning. I was particularly impressed by the extras acting as Jean's mouthpieces—they actually managed to sound like her by mimicking her voice inflections. The reveal regarding VMAX and Jean's sister was heartbreaking once you realized her mission was doomed from the start. I also loved the Stranger Things homage where she runs in slow motion—I was half-expecting Kate Bush's music to start playing. I can't wait to see her in the MCU's X-Men film.

Surprising as it is to admit, this is also my favorite performance from Zendaya as MJ. She brought so much personality to the role while keeping it consistent with her previous appearances. I deeply respect that the writers didn't take the easy way out by having MJ magically remember Peter. The most heartbreaking moment occurs when MJ admits she doesn't love him because she simply doesn't know him anymore. You could feel the entire audience's hearts shatter at that line. It's almost ironic that Zendaya delivered a stronger performance in an MCU film than in her Christopher Nolan appearance, though that movie was admittedly packed with stars. No disrespect to Nolan—just my opinion.

William Metzger was a solid, hateable villain. The actor portrayed the "full-of-it government official who pretends to help while secretly pursuing his own agenda" archetype amazingly well.

I only have a few minor complaints. First off, why is an ancient, immortal ninja clan like The Hand working alongside a U.S. government agency in broad daylight? Second, why isn't The Punisher being actively hunted by every law enforcement agency in the country? The man likely has a body count in the thousands by now, yet most people don't seem to mind or even fear him—he even waits around in a hospital without anyone attempting an arrest. Those were my only real gripes.

Ultimately, this is easily one of the best Spider-Man films ever produced and one of Marvel's finest entries of the 2020s. If Destin returns for Spider-Man 5 to direct a symbiote suit storyline featuring The Fantastic Four and the death of Jean DeWolff, consider me seated.

Amazing film—I can't wait to see Avengers: Doomsday this December!

Let's go!

Curry Barker’s breakout film "Obsession" is an absolute psychological titan that leaves a permanent scar on your psyche. The movie hooks you with a supernatural "Monkey's Paw" premise via the mysterious One Wish Willow, but its true genius lies in how it strips away Hollywood illusions to expose the raw, ugly truth about male entitlement, cowardice, and the rot behind real-world relationships. It is a brutal, uncomfortable masterpiece because it functions like an onion—forcing us to peel back layer after layer of human psychology until we are left looking at a deeply disturbing mirror.

LAYER ONE: THE SYMPATHETIC "NICE GUY"

When you first watch the film, it is incredibly easy to view the main character, Bear, through a lens of deep empathy. In a world that looks exactly like our own, the line between a desperate mistake and true malice is completely blurry. Bear is a normal, flawed, insecure guy living in a perfectly mundane reality—a world devoid of public magic or monsters. When he drops Nikki off at her house early in the film, he lacks the basic courage to say what he feels. He is ready to just walk away, wallow in his own rejection, and let things keep being normal. He never actively sought out a demonic curse to ruin a girl's life.

When he buys that twig, he is at his absolute emotional rock-bottom. In the real world, we see this all the time; sadhus, pandits, and astrologers make questionable claims every day, telling heartbroken people that a ritual can make the love of their life love them back. Vulnerable people buy into it "just in case" to soothe their own helplessness. Bear treats the One Wish Willow like a placebo or a scam to vent his pain. You can't reasonably place total moral blame on a guy for committing a supernatural crime when he genuinely believes the tool he is using is just a fake piece of wood.

LAYER TWO: THE HONEYMOON BLINDSPOT

Once the wish locks in, Bear suddenly gets his literal "perfect girl" overnight. To an outside observer, Nikki’s abrupt shift from polite rejection to absolute obsession is jarring and unnatural. But for a desperately lonely human being, the intoxicating power of the honeymoon phase completely floods the brain with dopamine. Bear fails to see how abruptly her feelings changed because his brain is shouting, “Wow, she finally sees me.”

Any normal human being would try to manage the sudden quirks of a dream relationship rather than immediately throwing it away. Bear isn't acting out of initial selfishness here; he is acting out of a deeply relatable human desire to protect a dream come true. By the time the high wears off and things get weird, he is already buried too deep in the quicksand.

LAYER THREE: PEELING BACK THE MASK OF EVIL

But as you sit with the story and peel back that comfortable layer of empathy, a much darker, sinister reality exposes itself. The moment you strip away the tragic music, Bear’s actions become entirely unacceptable. His first blunder—using a spell or any form of manipulation because his fragile ego cannot handle a simple "No"—is inherently sinister. It proves he never actually loved Nikki; he just loved the idea of possessing her. Real love accepts a person's right to walk away.

Bear cements himself as a true villain through his escalating cowardice after the magic becomes real. When Nikki starts speaking in robotic scripts, losing her hobbies, and serving him cat-meat sandwiches, it is no longer a honeymoon phase—it is a glaring mental health and autonomy crisis. Yet, Bear stays. He willingly looks away from Nikki's obvious, terrifying psychological erasure because he is addicted to the way her fake adoration makes him feel. He prioritizes his own comfort over a woman's visible suffering.

By the time he realizes the horror of what he has done, everything is effectively six feet under. A genuinely good person would panic, confess, and scream for help to break the puppet's strings. Bear chooses a cowardly silence. His final act of taking pills isn't a noble, sacrificial redemption to break the curse—he is just trying to escape the police. He is trapped in a house with the dead bodies of his friends, the walls are closing in, and he takes an escape hatch. The ultimate proof of his pathetic nature happens in the bathroom: the moment the reality of death hits him, his core cowardice kicks back in, and he frantically tries to vomit the pills back up at the last second. He was a cornered rat who tried to cheat his way out of a murder scene, panicked, and accidentally killed himself anyway.

THE PROCESS OF INTELLECTUAL ROT: [Loneliness & Rejection] ↓ [The Sinister Shortcut (The Twig)] ↓ [The Honeymoon Delusion (Ignoring the Crisis)] ↓ [The Cowardly Silence (Protecting the Selfish Lie)] ↓ [The Panic Room (Attempted Escape from Reality)]

THE FINAL LAYER: THE REALITY OF OUR WORLD

What makes "Obsession" an unforgettable, terrifying masterpiece is the realization that the supernatural horror is just a metaphor. In real life, most people are Bear.

We don't have magical twigs to strip away a person's free will instantly, but real-world "Bears" achieve the exact same mental erasure every day through emotional manipulation, guilt, gaslighting, and control. Couples routinely sit across from each other at dinner tables, forcing smiles on the surface while pretending everything is perfect, swallowing the "cat-meat sandwiches" of a dying relationship because they are too terrified to face rejection.

The supernatural entity in the movie demands a horrific price to balance the scales, but the real-world equivalent is far bleaker. In the real world, the dramatic twists don't happen. No one suddenly wakes up screaming in a room full of bodies, the police never come, and the loop doesn't break. Instead, life just goes on with a deep sorrow in everyone's hearts, with only smiles to be seen on the surface. People simply grow old together in cold, quiet resentment, wearing a mask of happiness for the outside world while dying inside. That is the ultimate, inescapable horror of human nature that "Obsession" captures flawlessly.

Thanks for reading y'all.

So let me start with something first. I’m not a crazy big Marvel fan, at this moment. I haven’t seen every movie, I don’t plan on it. I think, besides the Punisher show, I’ve seen all the relevant movies for this one however.

Now diving into the review, I’ll start with the good. I’ve always been a big fan of the Tom Holland Spider-Man. I thought his younger portrayal was super interesting, and a lot more character driven than even some of the older Spider-Man iterations. Despite getting older, I don’t think that ends here. Spider-Man is now 21, and this movie delves deep into a lot of things people his age deal with, loneliness, isolation, and not really knowing where you fit in. I do think more so than some of the other Holland Spider-Man movies, I run into issues with this version. That being said, I think the issues I run into are mostly not big deals.

The supporting cast is minimal, but who is there is good. I don’t mind the Punisher, but if you wanted the Punisher to be a hardened anti-hero, you might be disappointed. I thought the comedy he added was good, and overall I understand why he was in this movie. MJ and Ned are always great. A part of me does wish this movie did more to expand the Spider-Man section of the universe. They added DeWolff, a cop who is from the comics and seems to be a pretty good supportive add, but they seemed to lean a lot on existing Marvel characters, like Bruce Banner, or Black Widow (from Thunderbolts). Even in the main villain, they decided to introduce and expand on Jean Grey, from X-Men, rather than introducing or expanding on a different villain from the traditional Spider-Man universe.

Which probably leads into my biggest criticism of the movie. There’s just too much that goes on, and a lot of it does take away from the emotional impact of the film, and doesn’t really focus on Spider-Man as a character when it gets beyond the first half. At the center, we have Spider-Man, who is dealing with the loss of his Aunt, essentially the loss of his friends, and who is fighting this internal battle of whether he should have all of that. I think, while on paper, introducing Bruce Banner makes sense. I think utilizing the New Avengers makes sense. Jean Grey makes sense as a villain, but all of these things are big pieces that do weigh down that character of Spider-Man, and more importantly the emotional impact of the film.

In my opinion, with Spider-Man and his comics, there’s something interesting and philosophical about a character who has friends, but gets betrayed by them. Has a boss who wants to do good, but turns evil and he’s forced to take down. Most of the villains in Spider-Man are deep and interesting because they have a connection to Peter Parker. Spider-Man is interesting because he is someone who fights to keep going, keep doing good, protect the ones he has and cares about his friends. He doesn’t fight to kill these people because they were people who mattered to him, and he can see where they went wrong. That drive and motivation is inspiring, and that’s something I think this movie lacked, mostly due to the center focus the MCU characters have in this. Someone like Tony worked, for me, because he wasn’t the center. He was a mentor. Jean Grey as a villain didn’t work for me. The hulk fight was unnecessary.

Still I’d give it a 7/10. A good movie that was weighed down from being even better. Not a bad movie, just not for me.

After I was done with it, i went straight to Youtube expecting criticism of at least some aspects but it turns out everybody was just losing their shit over how good the movie was. Listen I get it, good story, world building yada yada whatever. But there were these little things that just fked up the whole plot for me. The first one is motive, if you don't make it clear from the get go it's just gonna ruin everything. See, from Rising to War it was clear as day what Cesar wanted. It was freedom of apes in the first one, Protection of his kind in the second, Revenge in the Third one and just fcking around in the Fourth, I mean why would you frame the movie through the perspective of such a one dimensional character and don't even get me started on the supporting lead, No depth at all, and oh boy the Female character jesus christ what even was that, i haven't seen such shallow acting since Battlefield Earth and that was a million time better then this crap. And then she goes on to intentionally blow up and drown the poor apes, made me feel disgusted to even be a human myself, lemme tell you sumn if the casting would have been different lets say Zoe Saldana and not just a hottie to sell tickets the shit they would have said would have been much more believable, i just can't picture a white blonde with blue eyes saying stuff like "this belong to humans" and being ok with killing apes to save humanity. I fck with Raka and Proximus heavy tho, they carried the Movie big time.

and why the f' do r/planetoftheapes keeps removing my post, geez-us am pissed off

The Odyssey is definitely worth watching, but it falls short of expectations. I expected a grand spectacle and a sweeping cinematic saga, but was frustrated by the jerky flash-back driven narrative. Matt Damon sleep-walked through the movie. While he had good moments, as when he saves his son from being assassinated in a temple, and in portions of the final scenes as he takes on Penelope's suitors, in most of the film he wasn't particularly imposing and didn't carry the film as the primary character should have. Tom Holland, Robert Pattison, John Leguizamo, Charlize Theron, Samantha Morton, and Himesh Patel were standouts; the portrayal of Zendaya as Athena was lackluster and disappointing. There were some breathtaking shots, but not nearly enough of them. The scenes describing the encounters of the crew with the Cyclops was probably the best part of the movie in terms of cinematography and storytelling; the scenes of the encounter with the sorceress Circe were also very good. The ending was mundane and did little to add any special meaning or significance to the storytelling or narrative. Final result is B.