MikeB's recent activity
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Comment on ‘Superman’ sequel ‘Man of Tomorrow’ sets July 2027 release date in ~movies
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Comment on ‘Superman’ sequel ‘Man of Tomorrow’ sets July 2027 release date in ~movies
MikeB LinkJames Gunn is an absolute machine. In the time between The Batman Part 1 and Part 2 (2022-2027), Gunn will have released: The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (writer/director) Guardians of...James Gunn is an absolute machine. In the time between The Batman Part 1 and Part 2 (2022-2027), Gunn will have released:
- The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (writer/director)
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (writer/director)
- Creature Commandos (writer)
- Superman (writer/director)
- Peacemaker Season 2 (writer/co-director)
- Man of Tomorrow (writer/director)
Not to mention overseeing all the other DCU projects in the works. I wish I had his work ethic and creative drive.
Given their target of 2 films per year, DC's film slate for 2026-2027 looks full now (Supergirl, Clayface, Man of Tomorrow, and The Batman Part II), so it looks like 2028 will be Wonder Woman and The Brave and the Bold.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
MikeB LinkI jumped back into Octopath Traveler on my Switch 2 and I'm really enjoying it. I bought it at launch and then took a break when I was about 25 hours in. It's a testament to how well it's designed...I jumped back into Octopath Traveler on my Switch 2 and I'm really enjoying it.
I bought it at launch and then took a break when I was about 25 hours in. It's a testament to how well it's designed that, 5-6 years later, I was able to just jump right back into my old playthrough and quickly refresh myself on where all the different characters' stories are at.
It's also really refreshing to play a JRPG with such low stakes. I guess there's still time for a world-ending threat to emerge before the end, but following all these characters' small, disconnected personal journeys has been so enjoyable.
Definitely has one of the all-time great JRPG soundtracks too.
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Comment on Superman (2025) - Discussion thread in ~movies
MikeB LinkI liked it a lot -- I was surprised how much it felt like reading through a few issues of a comic book. Love how it just jumps into the world and connects so many smaller episodes into the larger...I liked it a lot -- I was surprised how much it felt like reading through a few issues of a comic book. Love how it just jumps into the world and connects so many smaller episodes into the larger plot.
The cast was great all around, but I think the standout for me was Hoult as Lex -- I was unsure of him in the trailers, but he absolutely owned every scene he was in. The promos already showed most of the best scenes for Clark and Lois, so while they were great, they never really surprised me. Partly my fault for watching those first though, I suppose.
I do agree with the comments that Superman felt too much the underdog for most of the film. An early scene where he's totally in charge would've helped sell him more as the world's most powerful superhero -- even just showing him casually stopping the war under a hail of bullets would've made a huge difference. That said, I like him being a bit more vulnerable in this iteration. Cavill's Superman was so hilariously overpowered that it made the rest of the Justice League feel inconsequential.
Speaking of the Snyderverse, Gunn's film lacks the operatic gravitas of Snyder's. I'm not sure yet if I consider that to be a good or bad thing, but it's noticeable. I generally dislike Snyder's films and his writing, but I did at times find myself missing that epic sense of scale that he brings to the table.
I thought the humor was hit or miss (which is fine, since the film isn't nearly as joke-saturated as the typical Gunn outing), but man my theater was almost stone cold silent outside of a couple moments, which kind of muted the fun for me. I suspect his style of humor is starting to wear thin on most people, he might be wise to start collaborating more on his comedic writing.
Anyway, I hope the movie does well, because IMO this is a very solid start to the DCU. I want to see more of this world -- it feels fresh and new, and man that scene at the end has me really excited for Supergirl next year.
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Comment on Matt Reeves finally completes ‘The Batman 2’ script in ~movies
MikeB Link ParentI’m lukewarm on the film too. I liked the noir feel and detective Batman aspect, but I think it was too long and the Riddler really didn’t work for me (both the performance and the writing) — I...I’m lukewarm on the film too. I liked the noir feel and detective Batman aspect, but I think it was too long and the Riddler really didn’t work for me (both the performance and the writing) — I enjoyed the Falcone/Catwoman/Penguin subplot way more, and felt like the movie should have ended when that was wrapped up.
Mild spoilers
I also couldn’t help but laugh when Catwoman jokingly asks Batman if he wears a mask because he’s “horribly scarred underneath” and he solemnly says “yes”. Like c’mon lol.I hope the DCU’s Batman feels more like Kevin Conroy/TAS, I’m a little tired of “grounded” Batman.
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Comment on Denis Villeneuve to direct next James Bond film in ~movies
MikeB Link ParentThis is kind of surprising but I'm going back over his filmography and he hasn't really worked with any British male actors that fit the likely age range. In fact I'm struggling to find any brits...This is kind of surprising but I'm going back over his filmography and he hasn't really worked with any British male actors that fit the likely age range. In fact I'm struggling to find any brits at all outside of Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh,
Rebecca Ferguson(edit: she's Swedish), and Charlotte Rampling haha. (On that note though, I'd love to see any/all of them in this...)Personally, I'm hoping Olivia Colman gets cast as M -- I saw her in something awhile back that practically felt like an audition for this role, she'd be perfect.
Anyway, my money is on Aaron Taylor-Johnson being the next Bond. He was recently announced as an Omega brand ambassador and he's been coy when asked about what he's doing next.
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Comment on The Witcher 4 | Gameplay tech demo - Unreal Engine 5 in ~games
MikeB Link ParentI really wish I could get Witcher 3 to click with me. I love the story and characters, but the gameplay, UI, inventory management, and controls are so relentlessly clunky that I've never really...I really wish I could get Witcher 3 to click with me. I love the story and characters, but the gameplay, UI, inventory management, and controls are so relentlessly clunky that I've never really had much fun playing it. I've tried so many times over the years to get through it simply for the story, but the gameplay always loses me.
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Comment on The Witcher 4 | Gameplay tech demo - Unreal Engine 5 in ~games
MikeB LinkThere's a lot of general pessimism/skepticism over this (and, yeah... I get it), but this demo running on a base PS5 at 60fps with ray tracing on is incredibly impressive now matter how you slice...There's a lot of general pessimism/skepticism over this (and, yeah... I get it), but this demo running on a base PS5 at 60fps with ray tracing on is incredibly impressive now matter how you slice it -- when they cranked the crowd size up to 300, my eyebrows shot up. It's really good to see some major performance leaps in the UE5 engine because yeah, it's been a big problem this generation.
Also just wanted to point out that the old Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay reveal demo was running on a (at the time) ~$2000 PC. This W4 demo running on a standard console feels a lot more... honest, I guess? I think it's reasonable to expect the final game to look and run a lot like this. We will see though.
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Comment on Amazon MGM Studios in talks to acquire hot video game package ‘Split Fiction’ teaming Jon M. Chu and Sydney Sweeney in ~movies
MikeB Link ParentYeah, honestly the best recent video game adaptations (Fallout, Mario, Sonic) pretty much just take the premise/characters and roll their own story. I haven't played Split Fiction yet, but it...Yeah, honestly the best recent video game adaptations (Fallout, Mario, Sonic) pretty much just take the premise/characters and roll their own story. I haven't played Split Fiction yet, but it sounds like it could make for a fun movie with writers who know what they're doing. Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick wrote the Zombieland and Deadpool movies, so it'll probably at least be reasonably entertaining.
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Comment on Andor discussion thread in ~tv
MikeB LinkStraight up 11/10 for me. It's a side of Star Wars we've really only seen glimpses of before, and it's just ridiculous how many complex and interesting characters it has -- even ones that have...Straight up 11/10 for me. It's a side of Star Wars we've really only seen glimpses of before, and it's just ridiculous how many complex and interesting characters it has -- even ones that have comparatively small amounts of screen time.
I think my only critique is of the early episodes in season 2, where Andor is captured -- those felt awfully close to unnecessary filler. But the highs are so absurdly high that it feels hardly worth mentioning, and I suspect I'll like those episodes more when rewatching.
I think Mon Mothma was the biggest surprise for me. I'd never have expected her to be developed into such a great character, let alone portrayed so brilliantly. I don't know if it was luck or genius that they cast Genevieve O'Reilly as Mon in Revenge of the Sith twenty years ago (for a couple of deleted scenes), but it's kind of insane how that worked out.
I also really appreciated the lack of fan-service/upstaging cameos. The show kept its focus firmly on the core characters the whole way through. It's just... so well-written. It has restraint where necessary, and shows when it doesn't need to tell.
And... man, that ending hit me unexpectedly hard in the feels.
I think the show does have one unfortunate side effect though: it makes Rogue One's flaws even more apparent. It's incredible how well the show flows into the movie's opening, but Jyn sticks out worse than ever now, and the pacing of the movie feels frenetic and rushed with a lot of unearned moments (Baze calling Jyn "little sister" after barely saying a word to her the whole movie made me laugh out loud). It also really made me wish that Cassian had given Jyn's speech to the council at the midway point instead, since I think that would have capped off his character arc beautifully. And obviously, the hints of romantic sparks between Cassian and Jyn feel really off now.
It'll probably be a long time before I watch Rogue One again, but I'm for sure going to rewatch Andor in a few months.
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Comment on Alex Garland confirmed to direct live-action ‘Elden Ring’ movie from A24 and Bandai Namco in ~movies
MikeB Link ParentIn a recent Reddit AMA, Garland said he’s currently on NG+6 and loves Shadow of the Erdtree, so at the very least it’s in the hands of someone who loves the source material.In a recent Reddit AMA, Garland said he’s currently on NG+6 and loves Shadow of the Erdtree, so at the very least it’s in the hands of someone who loves the source material.
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Comment on Alex Garland confirmed to direct live-action ‘Elden Ring’ movie from A24 and Bandai Namco in ~movies
MikeB LinkI’m really excited about this. Elden Ring’s one of my favorite games and Garland is one of my favorite writer-directors. At the very least this movie will be visually stunning. I’m really curious...I’m really excited about this. Elden Ring’s one of my favorite games and Garland is one of my favorite writer-directors. At the very least this movie will be visually stunning.
I’m really curious which story they will tell. I feel like a prequel makes a lot of sense for a movie, and the lore behind the night of black knives and the shattering would be awesome to see on screen. Might be a lot to cram into one movie though…
I also think it’s worth pointing out that the player character is part of a group called The Tarnished. I think it’d be fun seeing groups of them working together and backstabbing each other in their quest to become Elden Lord. There’s a big canvas to work with here.
Seriously there’s so many possibilities here, I can’t wait to see what Garland cooks up.
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Comment on Superman | Official trailer in ~movies
MikeB (edited )Link ParentInteresting! It's cool seeing someone super hyped about what's coming up for the MCU, because IMO Marvel has really flubbed the overarching storyline post-Endgame. I hope they get it back on track...Interesting! It's cool seeing someone super hyped about what's coming up for the MCU, because IMO Marvel has really flubbed the overarching storyline post-Endgame. I hope they get it back on track -- I was going to say it feels crazy to jump into a big Doctor Doom event film with only 2 films of setup, but it's funny because that would be a luxury for pretty much any non-MCU film.
I haven't read a ton of comics, mostly because it's so daunting figuring out where to begin and having to jump around between different series and issues. I did like the Winter Soldier movie so much though that I bought 2-3 big physical volumes of Ed Brubaker's run on Captain America, and I loved reading that.
Does the Marvel Unlimited app have a way of creating some kind of reading list of the Hickman run you're talking about?
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Comment on Superman | Official trailer in ~movies
MikeB Link ParentIn addition to Superman, the main ones on my radar are Thunderbolts (seeing soon), Fantastic 4, Mission Impossible, The Phoenician Scheme, 28 Years Later, Friendship, Jurassic World Rebirth...In addition to Superman, the main ones on my radar are Thunderbolts (seeing soon), Fantastic 4, Mission Impossible, The Phoenician Scheme, 28 Years Later, Friendship, Jurassic World Rebirth (because Gareth Edwards), The Running Man, One Battle After Another, and Knives Out 3.
Some of these I may wait and stream depending on reviews.
And then there’s always a few per year that pop up on my radar when they get closer to release.
If a big blockbuster is received well, I love to catch it in my local B&B theater — it’s awesome, has reserved reclining seats and fantastic sound.
Sinners was a hell of an experience by the way, glad I caught it while it’s still in theaters.
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Comment on Superman | Official trailer in ~movies
MikeB Link ParentI got the impression from the trailer that Guy Gardner/Hawkgirl/Mr. Terrific are a sort of government-regulated/sanctioned superhero team, given the uniforms, and from a narrative perspective that...I got the impression from the trailer that Guy Gardner/Hawkgirl/Mr. Terrific are a sort of government-regulated/sanctioned superhero team, given the uniforms, and from a narrative perspective that would really help contrast with Superman's more "I'm going wherever I want, wherever I'm needed" approach which he's under fire for in the trailer.
Regardless, Gunn is (IMO anyway) incredibly skilled at juggling an ensemble cast, so I'm not too worried about it feeling bloated.
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Comment on Superman | Official trailer in ~movies
MikeB Link ParentAgreed, this is a hell of a trailer, and I could not be more sold on David Corenswet as Superman. The way he's delivering some of these moments is incredible, he completely looks and sounds the...Agreed, this is a hell of a trailer, and I could not be more sold on David Corenswet as Superman. The way he's delivering some of these moments is incredible, he completely looks and sounds the part.
And Brosnahan as Lois seems to be predictably perfect casting, no surprises there.
I'm excited, this year is absolutely packed with movies I want to see in theaters. (Finally getting around to Sinners tonight, can't wait!)
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Superman | Official trailer
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Comment on Monster Hunter: Wilds reviews – Top Critic Average: 90 in ~games
MikeB Link ParentUpdate: Can confirm, I’m having a lot more fun now that the hand-holding is over. Hunting, exploring, and gathering at my own pace is a blast, and I’m really loving this iteration of the SnS. I...Update: Can confirm, I’m having a lot more fun now that the hand-holding is over. Hunting, exploring, and gathering at my own pace is a blast, and I’m really loving this iteration of the SnS.
I also figured out some tricks to make the game look and feel better on my rig. My RTX 3080 is somehow too old for Nvidia’s frame generation feature, but I found out I can use AMD’s version of it if I switch to FSR.
So I did that and changed the FSR mode to antialiasing with sharpness cranked all the way up, and the image quality massively improved. It’s no longer a fuzzy, artifact-riddled mess.
Frame generation doubles the apparent framerate, but the drawback is that it adds input latency. It’s most noticeable to me in menus, but not as much during gameplay, so I can live with it for now.
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Comment on Monster Hunter: Wilds reviews – Top Critic Average: 90 in ~games
MikeB Link ParentThanks for that seikret controls guide, I really should have looked for that sooner. It definitely helps, though it still feels a lot clunkier than the palamute to me (and annoyingly it still...Thanks for that seikret controls guide, I really should have looked for that sooner. It definitely helps, though it still feels a lot clunkier than the palamute to me (and annoyingly it still forces me to automove during the beginning of story quests, which is extra frustrating when it puts mining outcrops along the way...)
I've heard a lot of positive impressions of the story, and my friend really enjoyed it too. I gave it about 6-7 hours before I gave up and started skipping everything. I usually love a good story in a game, but it needs to hook me early and hold my interest or I'm not going to continue giving it my time -- and unfortunately I just haven't been able to connect with any of these characters.
So, I'm just trying to push through to get to the meat of the game now. My buddy keeps assuring me it starts feeling more like classic monster hunter once the credits roll.
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Comment on Monster Hunter: Wilds reviews – Top Critic Average: 90 in ~games
MikeB LinkI’m not really enjoying this one as much as I hoped I would. I loved Tri on the Wii, loved World (for the most part) on my PC, didn’t play Rise, and… This one just feels weird and different. It’s...I’m not really enjoying this one as much as I hoped I would. I loved Tri on the Wii, loved World (for the most part) on my PC, didn’t play Rise, and…
This one just feels weird and different. It’s more streamlined in some ways but slower and clunkier in others. Some random thoughts:
- I strongly dislike the auto-navigation when mounted. I’m about 10 hours in and I know absolutely nothing about the maps, because i don’t need to. Exploring and learning your way around was a big part of the fun of this series, IMO. Traveling just feels like a really long load screen now, it’s not engaging gameplay.
- I can’t get invested in the story. The action scenes are really cool and incredibly well animated, but there’s an awful lot of sitting on your mount twiddling your thumbs while people talk. Worst part is when you try to grab materials to fill the time and then the camera yoinks your perspective away. I’ve started skipping everything I can. (I was not a fan of the story in World either, but I don’t remember there being this much of it.)
- I do like how the combat feels, for the most part. I’m not sure about wounds and the aiming system yet though. I’ve found myself manually aiming like 80% of the time now, which makes the game feel a lot different and I’m not sure I’d want this to be a permanent feature for the series going forward.
- The image quality is abysmal on my PC (1080p, 5800X3D and RTX 3080). Even when I turn off DLSS it looks blurry and muddy on high settings. Framerate is all over the place too. Games simply should not be shipped in this state.
- Little things like having to wait for the smithy to slowly walk back to her spot before you can talk to her after a story quest is irritating.
- Now I have to go inside my tent to clean up and restock my pouch. More screens and more clicks than before. Really wish there was an extra item box outside your tent.
- I miss the canteen.
- The seikret controls feel super clunky to me. I’m playing with KBM controls so maybe that’s part of it, but I really don’t like how he autoruns like a car that I have to brake to stop.
I started playing Rise to compare over the weekend, and that game absolutely hooked me. Feels like the good ole days of Tri, but with a bit more flash and QOL features. It also runs like a dream on both my PC and my steam deck.
I’ll keep playing Wilds, I’m usually having fun when I’m actually fighting monsters and I wanna give it a fair shot all the way through. But I don’t like a lot of the changes they’ve made and the poor optimization is really frustrating.
I’m glad most people seem to be having fun though. It’s cool seeing the series grow in popularity.
Yeah it's a weird situation. Publicly, Gunn has been pretty adamant about not merging the Reevesverse and that TBATB is still happening with Muschietti. It's just... strange how long it's taking. I think Gunn clearly respects Reeves and the art too much to force a merger but would probably be relieved if Reeves caved. Juggling two live action Batman universes simultaneously is going to risk oversaturation and possibly some confusion with the general audience.
The thing is, as long as Reeves doesn't plan to kill Bruce in Part 3 or end Part 2 on a massive cliffhanger, it shouldn't be a big deal to have Pattinson show up in other DCU projects. The bigger issue would be integrating the batfamily characters -- I'm really curious to see if any of them show up in Part 2.
Also: we know The Penguin series explicitly takes place in 2022, while Superman takes place in 2025. If The Batman Part II and Part III take place before 2025, then the trilogy is effectively a prequel, and Pattinson could show up as an older Batman in, say, Teen Titans or a Justice League movie. Again, though, those kind of timeline shenanigans might cause some confusion. Particularly if Part III doesn't release until 2030.
As for Teen Titans, Gunn has implied it's on the backburner for now since the script is unfinished and Ana Noguiera switched to writing Wonder Woman. Regardless, I don't think there's any way we'd get Teen Titans before DCU Batman debuts (whoever that ends up being).