NOC Review: ‘The Creator’ is a Colossal Disappointment

September 26, 2023September 26, 2023 Mike Manalo

Yes, it’s true that big budget original sci-fi films are rarely made this day and age. And I will admit, if you’re going to give any director a shot at one in this climate, Gareth Edwards, who in general I consider to be a terrific filmmaker, deserves it more than anyone. But (and I’ll probably be in the minority here) I found The Creator to be a massive and somewhat pretentious mess.

Horror, Reviews2 Comments

NOC Review: ‘The Nun II’ is a Merciful Improvement Over its Predecessor

September 7, 2023September 7, 2023 Mike Manalo

It’s been 10 years since The Conjuring debuted to huge box office business and terrific reviews. And in that time, a universe has been established of the freakiest demonic presences in modern day cinema. The most terrifying of which was Valak, aka The Nun!

DC Comics, Movies, Reviews1 Comment

NOC Review: ‘Blue Beetle’ is Genuinely One of DC’s Finest Films

August 16, 2023September 14, 2023 Mike Manalo

Yeah. You read that right. And look, I know the bar seems pretty low. When your past three releases include Black Adam, Shazam: Fury of the Gods, and The Flash — one of which was sold as allegedly “one of the best superhero movies of all time,” when it actually was a complete mess of obnoxiousness and bad VFX — it may not seem like high praise. But genuinely and truly, Blue Beetle is actually a really terrific film.

Horror, Movies, Reviews1 Comment

NOC Review: ‘The Last Voyage of the Demeter’ Sinks More Than It Scares

August 10, 2023August 10, 2023 Mike Manalo

In my review of The Boogeyman, I talked about how we’ve been lucky to have such good horror entries to come out in recent years. Even this summer alone, we were treated to A24’s sleeper hit, Talk To Me, and even fans of Insidious came out to support The Red Door. And The Last Voyage of the Demeter seemed like a worthy candidate to follow in those footsteps with a slam dunk for August horror. But alas, this faux-Dracula tale still winds up second (as far as Dracula films this year go) behind Universal’s previous Dracula-inspired story this year, Renfield. And that’s actually pretty sad.

Movies, Reviews

‘Meg 2: The Trench’ is a Summer Blockbuster to Sink Your Teeth Into

August 3, 2023August 4, 2023 Laura Sirikul

There is something to be said about movies that know their own ridiculousness and fully embrace it. The Sharknado films, Snakes on a Plane, and just about all B-grade monster movies know they need a hero, greedy antagonists, and a deadly monster. Meg 2: The Trench, the sequel for 2018’s The Meg – based on the popular books by Steve Alten, does just that.

Animation, Movies, Reviews2 Comments

NOC Review: ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’ Goes Full Turtle Power

July 31, 2023August 21, 2023 Mike Manalo

“Go ninja, go ninja, go!” Those were the immortal words uttered in the finale of arguably the last good movie based on Laird and Eastman’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. That may be a controversial statement for fans for the Bay-produced 2014 and 2016 films, the 2007 cheaply animated movie TMNT, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III. But as a fan myself, whether for nostalgic or legitimate reasons, nothing ever really topped the first two live action films from 1990 and 1991. Until now.

Manga, Reviews, Streaming1 Comment

Apple TV+’s ‘Drops of God’ is Good to the Last Drop

July 9, 2023July 10, 2023 Laura Sirikul

When Apple TV+ first announced an adaptation of the hit manga The Drops of God, there was a little hesitation on adapting a story based on Japanese characters by changing the main character to a French woman. In hindsight, with France being the creators and largest producers of wine and the series being set around gastronomy and fine wine, it just made sense. Fortunately, the series is really well done — despite minor changes from the original source material.

Movies, Reviews

NOC Review: ‘Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One’ is a Non-Stop Thrill Ride

July 5, 2023August 9, 2023 Mike Manalo

Franchise resurrection. That’s a feat in Hollywood rarely ever achieved by most franchises, outside of, perhaps, Fast and Furious. Much like that movie series, there was a time when the Mission: Impossible faced the relative threat of extinction. But suddenly, it came skyrocketing back in 2010, with Ghost Protocol and the insane stunt work of its maestro, actor and star, Tom Cruise.

Movies, Reviews

NOC Review: Strap in for a Smart, Sweet, and Hilarious ‘Joy Ride’

July 3, 2023July 3, 2023 Mike Manalo

Name me a single raunchy R-rated comedy prior to 2022, starring Asian leads. Okay, you probably said the Harold and Kumar trilogy. But what about Asian women? That becomes a bit more challenging. It’s hard to find many Apatow-level comedies outside of Bridesmaids and Girls Trip even led by female ensembles or directed by female filmmakers, let alone a predominantly Asian one. But we now finally have one in Joy Ride.

DC Comics, Movies, Reviews1 Comment

NOC Review: ‘The Flash’ is Fine but Fumbles Frequently

June 16, 2023June 17, 2023 Mike Manalo

I think it needs to be said upfront that due to the controversies surrounding Ezra Miller’s criminal record and unforgivable behavior, we at The Nerds of Color believe that accountability needs to be taken into serious consideration regarding their place and future in this industry.

Animation, Movies, Reviews1 Comment

NOC Review: Pixar’s ‘Elemental’ is a Sweet and Colorful Treat

June 10, 2023June 12, 2023 Mike Manalo

It’s true that the best days of Pixar may be behind us. From modern day classics like Up, Wall-E, and Ratatouille, to more mediocre fare like Lightyear and Onward, the studio has essentially gone from “great” to “okay” after more than 20 years.

Movies, Reviews2 Comments

NOC Review: ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’ is a Worthy Successor to ‘Bumblebee’

June 6, 2023July 18, 2023 Mike Manalo

Let’s be honest, we all wrote off the Transformers franchise long ago. As soon as they stopped the entire Age of Extinction movie to try and justify why it was okay for one character to date a minor, I instantly noped out. I didn’t even bother with The Last Knight, and it seems I was right not to. But then something funny happened. Bumblebee hit theaters, and ended up being a really charming movie.

Animation, Marvel, Reviews

‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Swings Further and Higher to Be a Masterful Sequel

May 31, 2023June 2, 2023 Michael Lee

The best thing about Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is that it’s an irreverent love letter that dares to challenge and satirize the Webslinger’s mythology. By introducing Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) into the cinematic universe, not only did we see the Spidey persona in a whole new way, but we also got to see the social impact of representation. Now Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse puts a twist on the themes explored in the first while diving into the complex themes of individuality.

Horror, Movies, Reviews

NOC Review: You Won’t Lose Any Sleep Over ‘The Boogeyman’

May 25, 2023May 26, 2023 Mike Manalo

We’ve been so fortunate to have a treasure trove of genuinely great horror flicks in the past year. From the Scream legacy sequels, to Ty West’s X films, last year’s Smile, The Black Phone, Nope, and this year’s exceptional Evil Dead Rise. So please forgive me for being spoiled in terms of my expectations of horror.

Animation, Reviews, Streaming

Gateway Horror Gets Animated in ‘Gremlins: Secret of the Mogwai’

May 19, 2023May 29, 2023 Michael Lee

The original Gremlins films are one of the best gateways to horror. While the titular creatures are terrifying to watch as they terrorize the screen, it’s all balanced out by its cute, cuddly, and courageous hero Gizmo. And it was that mix of adorable kid-friendly humor with the gruesome murders that reminded us of what made it such a cult classic.

Animation, Reviews, Star Wars

‘Star Wars: Visions Vol. 2’ Envisions a New Beautiful Galaxy

May 3, 2023May 3, 2023 Michael Lee

Star Wars is for everyone. That universe created by George Lucas has since expanded into a collection of stories that bring a community together for something they all love. From tales of Jedi knights fighting Sith lords to roguish outlaws being rescued by royalty, there is something for everyone.

Marvel, Movies, Reviews4 Comments

NOC Review: ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ is James Gunn’s Marvel Magnum Opus

May 1, 2023June 13, 2023 Mike Manalo

What an incredible journey it has been for the galaxy’s favorite a-holes! But all good things must come to an end, be it an Infinity Saga or a cosmic journey about a dysfunctional family of losers who band together to win each other (and the audience) over.

Reviews, Star Wars, Video Games

The Boglings 2, aka a ‘Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’ Review

April 26, 2023April 26, 2023 Edward Hong

Judging merely from the 9+ hours of gameplay I’ve played so far, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is a worthy sequel to its already fantastic Fallen Order original and expands the game in every way from accessibility, lightsaber & Force combat options, vastly increased open worlds to explore, and a companion combat system that never gets in your way.

Movies, Reviews19 Comments

‘Polite Society’ is an Action-Packed and Poignant Masterpiece

April 20, 2023May 1, 2023 Swara Salih

The Pakistani-British Khan sisters, Ria (Priya Kansara) and Lena (Ritu Arya) have dreams that deviate from what their community and family expect from them, namely to work in STEM and marry well to guarantee socioeconomic security. But Ria and Lena have dreams to work in the arts, whether that be stunt choreography for Ria or painting for Lena.

Reviews, Streaming, Television2 Comments

‘Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always’ is a Fitting Tribute to the Franchise

April 18, 2023April 20, 2023 William B West

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always, out tomorrow on Netflix, is a fitting tribute to the storied 30-year old action franchise. Original cast members Walter Emanuel Jones and David Yost return in a new adventure that sees the team reunite to face a foe long thought defeated. As Rangers across the world are captured in order for their powers to be used as an energy source for the villain’s plan, the original Power Rangers team must once again save the world.

Anime, Movies, Reviews2 Comments

Makoto Shinkai Brings His Best in the Rollicking Adventure of ‘Suzume’

April 17, 2023September 14, 2023 Lauren Lola

Makoto Shinkai has been directing animated films for over two decades now, but it was his 2016 film, Your Name, that garnered critical acclaim both in Japan and abroad. While both Your Name and his 2019 film, Weathering with You, are notable for the creative development of their respective magic systems and intricate plots, they lack in substance of their female leads and development of the romantic tension between the male and female characters.

Animation, Movies, Reviews1 Comment

NOC Review: ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ is Super Fun but Far From Invincible

April 4, 2023April 4, 2023 Mike Manalo

In 1983, a spin off of the popular Donkey Kong arcade game hit arcades in Japan. That game was called Mario Bros., and featured the Jumpman hero of Donkey Kong, now named “Mario,” teaming up with his brother Luigi. The game became legend and 40 years later, the Super Mario Bros, as we know them today, are finally getting the big screen treatment they deserve (as I said before the 1993 movie doesn’t count). But is it the movie we deserve? Keep reading to see what we thought of The Super Mario Bros. Movie!

Gaming, Movies, Reviews

NOC Review: ‘Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ is DnD-lightful!

March 19, 2023March 20, 2023 Mike Manalo

At the end of this month, one of the most charming surprises to hit cinemas this Spring will be making its debut with Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Now, it’s a hard thing to adapt a role-playing game with passionate but somewhat niche audience. How do you satisfy fans and players while appealing to mainstream audiences who have never played the game? Well we at The Nerds of Color would love to offer opinions that represent both perspectives: a player’s perspective, and a non-player’s perspective. This review will be from someone who has played before.