The Olive Opinion

  Aquaman was the only film in the DCEU that made a billion dollars, which proved that the franchise was going on the right track of fan service. Still, as of late, DC's shared universe has been going through a slump, and with it being rebooted, Zack Snyder's vision of the infamous characters is finally being put to an end with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.  The sequel takes place a few years after the previous film, where Arthur, now the King of Atlantis, is married to Mera, and they have a kid, Arthur Jr. (pretentious, I know). When Black Manta returns for his revenge, he finds a dark trident once held by a dark force that threatened the seven seas. Arthur has to enlist the help of his half-brother, Orm to defeat Manta and stop his plans of causing a global crisis that is caused by the dormant dark force that not possesses Manta.  The film is fun by comic book standards as it meets the required parts of a superhero film, by including action, monsters, a beloved superhero, and

  This is probably the closest thing to a Marvel team-up we will get for a while, and it is unfortunate that the drama within the media surrounding this film is based on reasons that are not progressive. However, that is not what we are here to talk about. The Marvels is the latest entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, bringing back Carol Danvers in her latest adventure with Nick Fury and some newfound partnerships with Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan.  The Marvels is set 33 years after the first Captain Marvel movie, where Carol is still trying to save the universe and she thinks she's the only one who can. After the events of WandaVision, Monica is now working with Fury with her new set of powers in his new project called S.A.B.E.R. while Kamala Khan continues to be the giddy, new superhero that protects the residents of New Jersey but an unworldly event connects her mysterious bangle to both Monica and Carol. Due to this cosmic event involving the Kree supremacist, Dar Benn,

With Marvel in a sort of whirlpool of viewers not having consistent reception towards the content, they seem to be missing a very important and well-done part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Loki lives up to that statement with its second season. Despite its new writers and directors at the helm, the show still showcases the best parts of Marvel's storytelling.  Taking place immediately after the end of season 1, Loki is dealing with the shenanigans of the TVA and the involvement of Kang variants with the release of the multiverse. It is up to Loki and co. (consisting of Mobius, Hunter B-5, and Casey) to deal with the consequences caused by Sylvie. The show still continues to be a trippy, timey-wimey time travel adventure but adds the Marvel-ous flair that made the franchise so memorable. With new rules and problems being thrown in the mix to deal with, the sci-fi logic continues to be expanded upon, solidifying the greatness of the show.  Unlike most of the Marvel shows that dea

Star Wars has spent a number of years not having theatrical releases but making a mark in the world streaming after the behemoth hit that is The Mandalorian. Since the success of the serialized introduction to a galaxy far, far, away, Disney is sticking with making a lot of the projects they wanted to develop to movies into TV shows due to their mixed reactions of The Rise of Skywalker, with some being more interesting than others. Ahsoka, like The Mandalorian, was overseen by George Lucas' padawan, Dave Filoni by making obscure parts of the franchise known.  Ahsoka in particular, not only brings a beloved character to live-action but pays homage to both those animated shows she was featured in. Like the last season of The Mandalorian, the show deals with the events were left Rebels fans hungry for,  and many years later, we finally get the answers we have been waiting for. The show works more like a live-action season of Rebels. Bringing back fan-favorite characters like Ahsoka, H

  It has been a great few weeks with the amount of queer content lately and with yet another adaptation based on a best-selling novel that highlights not only a queer coming-of-age story but also a sense of representation of Mexican families in America in the 80s. Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets of the Universe is a different take on the genre as it provides another point of view on discovering oneself, especially at a time when the AIDs epidemic affected the perspective on being homosexual and being out. Despite the title of the film and the book of the same featuring both Aristotle and Dante, this is pretty much Ari's story. We are very much used to seeing the protagonist falling for the guy he thought was straight but was not. This time around, we finally get to see what goes on in the head of the other guy. Ari grew up with a family that kept things to themselves, and barely showed affection for one another. When he meets Dante, he is introduced to a world of affection

DC is in a tough spot with the new reboot and the constant disinterest in the movies they have been providing, which is unfortunate since films like Shazam and The Flash , despite not being DC's best, had their credits due. Blue Beetle , however, should not be considered a part of that list of DC's mid-to-bad entries for it manages to pull through with its fresh takes on overdone superhero cliches that have managed to make the genre what it is today. Based on an obscure character from the DC catalog, the movie adapts the most recent iteration of the character, Jaime Reyes, who takes up the moniker after unintentionally finding a scarab that symbiotically fuses with him to become the Blue Beetle. This is very much an origin story that takes cues from other superhero movies, but it does not seem like a carbon copy of methods that worked for superhero movies, thrown in a blender to finish a script the same way Black Adam did. The film manages to capture what made superhero movie

Casey McQuiston’s critically acclaimed novel, Red, White & Royal Blue , has been adapted into a streaming film that brings a very timely and heartwarming romance to life. Like most rom-com, it does have a very cliche premise between lovers that cannot be together because politics and tradition become a factor in their relationship. Despite two straight actors portraying a gay romance, the film does capture nuances that make the book unique.  To be fair, there is a reason the book is a best seller apart from it being a steamy queer romance. It features characters that are interesting as each is introduced but the book would be nowhere without Alex and Henry. The plot revolves around both protagonists, introducing readers to their respective perspectives and supporting characters. Moreover, the book also features real-world themes of politics in the case of First Son, Alex’s life while featuring the struggles of being part of a monarchy with Prince Henry. All characters are ambitious

  The WebToon comic-turned-phenomenon returns to make our hearts skip a beat once again. A year ago, Heartstopper well... either stole our hearts or made us ickingly disgusted with the idea of being single with the ever-adorable romance between Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson. This second season will be no different as the two attempt to be together, being out, and dealing with their own internal struggles. Following suit from the first season, we are also given better perspectives on the supporting casts as they navigate their respective romances and complicated lives.  Following the third volume of Alice Oseman's comics, fans are given so much more than expected. This season adapts the source material well enough to keep the fans happy but also has the opportunity to expand on characters like Darcy and Tao and hopefully, this trend follows through as the show progresses. Like season 1, it is as corny and loveable as ever. The minute the opening scene starts for the episode, you ar

It’s pretty common to have a biopic about musicians these days but Christopher Nolan decides to make one based on a monster. Oppenheimer is a bombastic (in every sense of the word) telling of a belittled Jewish scientist turned Father of the Atomic Bomb. With a star-studded cast, Nolan returns to tell yet another tragic story of our past with his rules of filmmaking and the exceptions of having scene-by-scene shot by IMAX cameras.  The film follows J.Robert Oppenheimer, of course, when his capabablity is finally seen to be put into good use but I can safely say even if Nolan or anyone else seems to dismiss it, it also follows Lewis Strauss's involvement in finding him and secretly allowing the Manhattan Project. The film separates these points of view by simply calling them Fusion and Fission with Oppenheimer representing the former and Strauss the latter. This can be seen by how Oppenheimer has the idea and combines his intellect with his students and colleagues to bring about an

Let’s delve into the pink of it all, shall we? Nobody thought anyone had the capability or the right mind to make a movie about Barbie in this day and age. Greta Gerwig attempts to do the impossible by being allowed to make a movie as campy and over the top as ever while invoking messages that could improve the ideals of Barbie. In this film, Margot Robbie plays one of the many variations of Barbie that lives in Barbieland where everything is just right while the Kens are around only to be yet another accessory to the collection. Every night is perfect and the same until Barbie questions the idea of mortality. Due to these intrusive thoughts and changes within her perfect body, she is forced to go to the real world to find the solution and become the perfect Barbie again. In the real world, she finds out that Barbie hasn't changed the world for women as all the Barbies thought and Ken is dumbstruck by the idea that there is a world run by men and opportunities for him to be the sup

  I feel a little late to the party with this review but I could not help but take it to myself to talk about this movie. Considering to be part of Netflix's roster of new releases, it is hard to wonder if anyone is taking a chance with this animated feature. Based on a graphic novel by ND Stevenson, Nimona is set in a hyper-futuristic imagining of a culture where knights roam and monsters loom with the inclusion of flying cars and touchphones. Nimona is more than just its creative world-building but also a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community in its subtle yet clearly understandable allegories towards prejudice and acceptance of others and within.  Nimona centers around, well, Nimona, a shapeshifting teen that enjoys mischief and being a sidekick to a notorious criminal that is wanted by the kingdom. The criminal is Sir Ballister who has allegedly murdered the queen during his knighting ceremony but all is not what it seems. As the two work together to prove the truth of the Instit

The Mission Impossible film franchise has always been known to one up each other with each film and Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning continues that trend, bulldozing the notion that the previous film, Fallout could not be topped. With Tom Cruise and our favorite familiar faces returning, along with some newcomers, Dead Reckoning is part one of two. Unlike recent films this year that seem to be teasing unfinished story meant to be resolved in a year or so, Dead Reckoning Part One does feel like a finished story that is resolved. However, there is more to the mission and audiences will have to wait a year before we see it accomplished.  Dead Reckoning Part One, sets our hero Ethan Hunt, played by one of the few movie stars that has star quality in the industry, on a mission (and of course he chooses to accept it) that will be much different but also most timely to current issues. With the help of Benji, Luther and Ilsa, Ethan has to acquire the main macguffin of the film in order to sav

A love child project between iconic filmmakers like Steven Spielberg and George Lucas would be a dream back then but Raiders of the Lost Ark was made and introduced the adventurer that will become a household name of his own franchise, Indiana Jones. In this all-new installment and supposed final entry of the titular character, Indy returns on an adventure to find the Dial of Destiny alongside his goddaughter played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge.  In this film, we see a broken-down, old Indy. He doesn’t have the energy he once did and does not gain the respect he once had as he lives in a lonely apartment, not looking forward to his retirement. When his goddaughter, Helena resurfaces curious about the Dial of Destiny, Indy once again sweeps into his old habits against Nazi's racing to get the allusive device. Unlike previous movies, it is pretty clear that they are playing with a new era of Indy's life. Like Harrison Ford, Indy is at an age where everything around him doesn’t seem fa

  After years of Pixar being shunned as Disney Plus releases, they return to the big screen with Elemental. Directed by a lesser-known Pixar veteran, this feature focuses on a story between polar opposites... literally. In a city where inanimate elements roam as sentient beings, Pixar introduces another original world that proves itself that it is still the animation studio to beat. They might have little competition with the ambitions of Spider-Verse and the juggernaut that is Super Mario Bros, but the one thing Pixar never loses, no matter the project, it is the ability to strum heartstrings.  Elemental was (barely) marketed as the romance between Ember, made of fire, and Wade, made of water. A kind of Romeo and Juliet-like story where the two are not meant to be together because they are not only different elements but elements that cancel each other out. Going past the surface of what audiences thought they were watching, Elemental is mostly an immigrant story, where the Fire peopl

  Is the DCU so far from saving that no matter how hard James Gunn attempts to, it sinks lower and lower to irrelevance even if a movie is good? Despite the new leadership at the new sub-studio at Warner Bros, The Flash was made almost 3 years ago when DC was at its most controversial and it finally gets its time on the silver screen after many delays and successful test screenings.  This iteration of the fastest man alive releases at a time when the Grant Gustin-led iconic show comes to an end with the hopes of this film being the Flash of a new generation. Despite Ezra Miller's abuse cases, this adaptation of one of DC Comics' most famous events lives up to its intention. Being a clear-cut play-by-play of the original comic with twists that pay homage to the SnyderVerse, we say goodbye to an unappreciated vision of the franchise. With that much pressure packed into a 2-and-a-half-hour movie, The Flash manages to still be compelling and relatable as we see Barry Allen deal wit