I Review Movies

I absolutely adore movies!

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A Review of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026)”

Tom Holland returns as Spider-Man for a 4th film, the actor to do so! I thoroughly enjoyed the previous trilogy directed by Jon Watts and was curious where it would go next since Jon was done with it. Hiring the director of Shang-Chi and Wonder Man, Daniel Destin Cretton, two of some of the best post-Endgame Marvel content felt like a recipe for success! Is this a Brand New Day for Spider-Man or a dark day for Spider-Man?

What amazes me after watching this film is just how this is the most comic-booky Spider-Man film we have got ever! The amount of shots and visuals that straight-up feel like a comic book panel brought to life is wonderful! Even the way the story is told feels like it with how he fights different type of criminals, interacts with different heroes and faces different challenges. The action scenes are also great with the way Spider-Man fights feeling like it was ripped straight out of the Insomniac Spider-Man games. The choreography during the fight against The Hand for example was exceptional! I had gripes with the overuse of CGI swinging in Jon Watt's trilogy but fortunately Daniel uses a lot of practical swinging and it looks great! It was also really enjoyable to see a proper Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man who is dealing with "small potatoes" and not being reliant on some huge backing from a bigger hero or world-ending threats. Michael Giacchino also returns to compose the music score and continues to do a terrific job for these Spider-Man films.

In terms of the story, it is very engaging and even surprisingly dark. Seeing Spider-Man struggle with loneliness and just burying himself in superhero work while sadly watching his friends make memories without him is heart-breaking stuff. This is easily the most broken we have seen this version of Peter and now he is being mentally and psychologically tormented by Sadie Sink's antagonist character. It also makes sense that Punisher is also here as he is another very broken person. Spider-Man and Punisher have excellent chemistry thanks to their respective actors being genuine friends. Every time the two are together on-screen, it is an absolute joy to watch! The banter and bickering with even a strong powerful moment between the two. There were concerns that Punisher wouldn't feel the same in a PG-13 film but this is definitely not the case, he is still very much the same Punisher in a crazier scenario.

Mark Ruffalo also returns as Bruce Banner/The Hulk and while his role is quite minor, his appearance is very exciting to see. His interaction with Peter is a good moment and a nice illustration of the smart side of Bruce that we haven't seen in a long time. The most notable is of course the return of Savage Hulk and yeah it is as 'Incredible' as you think it is. It was a terrific showing of how scary the Hulk is and how strong and skilled Spider-Man can be. It was also fun to see Punisher in this fight because it was definitely way above his league but it was fun to see him actually scared for once. Zendaya and Jacob also return as MJ and Ned respectively. I know there were concerns about them returning to just undo No Way Home and I can safely say this isn't the case. If anything, the most emotional moments in this film is easily his scenes with them.

In terms of gripes though, I do have very mixed feelings on Sadie Sink's antagonist. I do like that she brings a different challenge to Spider-Man but the problem is that the writing tries to make her sympathetic. It's really hard to buy into this when her character is so incredibly mean and horrible to innocent people and Spider-Man himself. Her characterization is odd and even the way her story resolves is weird. She also just isn't that fun of a villain and might be the least enjoyable villain to watch so far of Tom Holland Spider-Man series. It is a shame as well considering there was a great villain for a Spider-Man film in this one, Tombstone played by Marvin Jones III. What an absolute waste of a fantastic villain! He is barely in this movie and it is such a bummer because he could have been both a physical and psychological threat for Spider-Man. Michael Mando also got to return as Scorpion and it was great to finally see him in the suit. It is unfortunately, he is also very underutilised and doesn't really do much.

The film also juggles multiple overlapping subplots simultaneously. You got Peter's mutation problem, his personal struggles, his love for MJ, the clash of ideals with Punisher, the DNA inhibitors, the mysterious villain, damage control. While does the film does a relatively good job in trying to keep everything connected, it does feel like a lot is going on at times. I also have some nitpicks. Ned created a Spider-tracker and it can track where Spider-Man is. It seems pretty accurate so wouldn't the criminals just use it? The Hand from the Daredevil and Iron Fist series returns with a more ninja looking outfit. Them returning despite supposedly being destroyed in The Defenders is fine. My problem is that they are seemingly public knowledge now? I thought they were supposed to be a secret organisation?!

Still, Daniel Destin Cretton did an amazing job with Spider-Man Brand New Day. He put his own spin and take on it which I believe paid off wonderfully! He continues to be one of the best directors to be working at Marvel Studios. I am curious to see what is the next stage for Tom Holland's Spider-Man but whatever it is, I hope it continues to keep the charm and energy of Brand New Day.

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A “QUICK!” Review of "Obsession (2026)"

Curry Barker does a phenomenal job in his directorial debut. The clever uses of lighting, the square 1.50:1 to create this sense of claustrophobia, the sound design, the sudden needle drops, the creepy dialogue all contribute to making Obsession scary without just being reliant on jump scares!

Inde Navarrette's performance deserves absolute praise with the way she moves and the delivery of her lines. She scared me more than any other horror movie monster!

Obsession is a terrific film with a fascinating idea that is executed wonderfully to give a surprisingly layered psychological horror film!

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A Review of “The Odyssey (2026)”

The Odyssey is an epic fantasy action film written and directed by Christopher Nolan. It is an adaptation of Homer's ancient Greek epic poem of the same name. Nolan is one of those directors who I am willing to watch anything they do. Considering the amazing films he directed such as The Prestige, Inception, Interstellar, The Dark Knight trilogy and Oppenheimer. I was absolutely hyped for The Odyssey! However, the film suffered a lot of backlash, even before release. Many complained of the casting choices, the costume design not being historically accurate and the modernized dialogue. Are the backlash justified or is the final product better than the complaints?

Let's talk about one of the big controversial stuff, the cast. Yeah, none of them are Greek actors, they are all big Hollywood stars. Now do they all do a great job? Absolutely. Matt Damon would definitely not by my first choice for Odysseus but he does some a great job in the role. I think he captures the leadership nature of the character well and he does deliver strong emotional moments when he is with his wife, Penelope, played by Anne Hathaway. Speaking of Anne Hathaway, I think she does a stellar job in her small screen time. She really delivers on the pain and grief of her character with the lost of her husband and the stress of dealing with the suitors. There are a lot of surprising actors who appear and I think they all do an excellent job, even when they have small amount of screen time. Special mention goes to John Leguizamo who gives a surprisingly powerful and stand-out performance. Himesh Patel is also another stand-out as Eurylochus, Odysseus's second-in-command and has a lot of screen time. Robert Pattinson is also great as the human antagonist by giving a performance that makes him so punchable.

I was very interested in seeing how Nolan would handle the more fantasy and magical elements of the Odyssey. I can say that Nolan does a phenomenal job in making magic and the Greek mythology frightening. There are two notable scenes, one involving a Cyclops and another magic, that are so horrific and a real illustration of how Nolan would do a horror film. What is so impressive was how amazing the Cyclops look which was due to the use of animatronics and a practical performance instead of CGI. On top of those scenes, there are a lot of incredibly memorable non-horror moments such as the invasion of Troy, the clash with the giants and the satisfying final act.

The story itself is also wonderfully engaging. Despite the long 170 minutes runtime, I was never bored and was completely locked into the film. The film is mostly about Odysseus perilous journey home as he deals with deadly mythical creatures and the whims of the gods while his wife and son are dealing with the suitors who are trying to take his throne. You could argue that the plot is a bit unfocused as it does involve Odysseus dealing with a bunch of side quest while attempting the journey home but these events are so interesting and entertaining, that it doesn't feel like padding. Ludwig Göransson returns to compose the music score and he continues to deliver an amazing score. His score perfectly accompanies the scene with his score during the Troy flashback elevating it into an extremely tense scene. Hoyte van Hoytema returns to do the cinematography and its gorgeous. Having wonderful practical sets and designs while shooting on location, leads to some beautiful looking shots. I also found the costume design to be fine. Yeah it isn't historically accurate to the Greek setting but it is a fictional story and I think the muted costumes complement the darker story well.

I only have a couple of minor nitpicks. One is very notable in the final act and that is the use of shaky cam. There were many action set pieces before this and it looked fine but for some reason the final one uses shaky cam. It leads to it being very difficult to fully comprehend what is going on in the scene. The modernize dialogue was a big criticism before the film came out. Personally, I found it to be fine in the film but there are definitely some moments where it does feel a bit odd. Now there are a lot of big star actors in this film, many have small roles and even small screen time. For example, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong'o, Elliot Page, Travis Scott are not even in this film long. They have roughly 2-5 minutes of screen time. They are fine in the role and they didn't break the film for me. I do understand that actors would be willing to do a small role because of how amazing Nolan is. However, why pay these actors or singer millions of dollars when you could have just got someone less controversial and cheaper?

All in all, The Odyssey is without a doubt absolute cinema! It is truly epic and a magnificently well crafted film. Even after the credits rolled, I was still thinking and gushing about everything that happened. While I do understand some of the criticisms, I don't believe they are enough of reason to bring this movie down. Christopher Nolan splendidly delivers on this film and I just can't wait to see what he does next!

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A “QUICK!” Review of "Zombie Land Saga: Yumeginga Paradise (2026)"

I am not big on Idol anime series. However, Zombie Land Saga was one of the few idol series that I actually thoroughly enjoyed! It was a hilarious comedy on girls who died and got turned into zombies to become idols. Despite the wacky premise, it explored deep themes of death, regret and second chances that made it more than just a generic idol anime.

This sequel movie isn't really any of that…

It's a straight-up alien invasion film and less about the idol group singing or overcoming past regrets. It's an incredibly weird and tonally different sequel but the ludicrous nature of the premise does result in the film being a lot of fun. Plus, the biggest incentive to this film is seeing an awakened Tae!

The film is a bit long at 2 hours with some pacing issues, we don't get much on Tae's past despite her awakening, the ending is a little disappointing and there are still tons of loose plot threads.

I hope we do get a proper and more authentic season 3 though.

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A “QUICK!” Review of "The Sheep Detectives (2026)"

I initially came into this film thinking it would just be some goofy movie aimed at kids. Boy was I wrong!

This film is a genuinely well-written, clever and engaging murder mystery! The voice performances are all excellent and the actors all do a great job. It's also wonderfully shot with a vibrant and colourful cinematography. What elevates this film though is the mature and even dark themes that it explores which was shocking to see in what was a family friendly film.

This is an absolute must-watch and the most pleasant surprise of 2026!

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A Review of “Supergirl (2026)”

I enjoyed Superman (2025), even though there were some definite flaws with the film. Still, I thought it was good start to the new soft-rebooted DC cinematic universe. Now, we have the next entry with Supergirl which was based on the phenomenal comic 'Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow" by Tom King which I adore. Is this another step forward for the DCU or a sad step back?

Let's talk about the new actress to play Supergirl, Milly Alcock. I think she does a great job as she is incredibly fun and charismatic as Supergirl. She also really delivers on the more jaded, pained and the slightly quirky nature to the character. There are some emotional moments concerning her past and Milly gives a strong performance that really sells it. The surprise stand-out though is Jason Momoa as Lobo. People have been fan casting Momoa as Lobo for years, including the actor himself. I can safely say that he is absolutely terrific! He is perfect casting and steals every scene he is in by embodying the absolutely chaotic energy that is Lobo!

In terms of action scenes, they are all mostly pretty enjoyable. There is a fun fight scene with space pirates, an entertaining team up with Lobo to fight Brigands and a cool full-powered Supergirl fight. There are also some excellent flashback sequences to Krypton that do a great job in separating what makes Supergirl different from Superman while also delivering some of the more emotional core of the film. The costume design are also magnificent, especially the alien designs which do a great job in showing the varied cosmic side the DC universe. Visually there are some good-looking shots when Supergirl is in space and the flashback sequence on Krypton look wonderful.

Unfortunately, the rest of the film looks dull and ugly. It baffles me that despite the film having Supergirl go to multiple different planets, a lot of them look similar and bland. They all either look brown or grey or look like any place on Earth. Where are the colours!? The writing is also what brings this movie down a lot! Supergirl is weirdly written to be quite unlikeable. She is mostly this party-type drunk and self-pitying character who is cold and distant to everyone. This is understandable due to her past and to make it so she develops a character arc by the end of the film. However, she remains like this for a majority of the film and her coldness to Ruthye (her young companion in the film) is kind of mean at times. It doesn't help that her character arc feels random and undeserved with no proper build-up of it. Supergirl also makes a mind-boggling stupid decision midway that makes it hard to take any lecture of her past this point seriously. She is also comedically always written to be under-powered in a lot of her fights which is so jarring.

The film is just a terrible adaptation of the comic book it is based on. Ruthye is just an annoying escort character in this film who doesn't do anything meaningful. This is in contrast to her comic counterpart who has genuine heroic moments and a wonderful character development that affects Supergirl. You actually buy that Supergirl and Ruth are friends while in this film, it doesn't make any sense for them to be friends.

Likewise, the villain Krem is just incredibly awful. He has no depth, no cool abilities or does anything remotely interesting. They changed his design to be more "menacing" looking and the actor gives him a more eccentric personality but it just makes him look silly and goofy. He is just a generic forgettable goon in the comics to be fair but that was kind of the point. He was the embodiment of pettiness and thoughtless evil. He rarely appeared in the comics and was more of macguffin. In the film, he appears a fair amount but just doesn't do anything that makes you interested in the villain. There are also some weird changes made in the story, including the ending, which are all for the worst. I don't get why they didn't keep the story beats from the comic it was based on?

It is sad to say but Supergirl is a big step back for the DCU. The film feels like it was made by a guy who wants to be like James Gunn and a writer who doesn't understand the character or the comic it is inspired by. This resulted in a film that lacks its own identity and instead feels like another generic superhero slop. Milly Alcock and Jason Momoa do a great job but they can't elevate this mediocrity. It is a shame to see Supergirl's return to the big screen to be so underwhelming. I want to believe in James Gunns DCU but this make me ironically lose a bit of hope.

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A Review of “Toy Story 5 (2026)”

When Toy Story 5 was announced, I was very concerned. The first three films are easily one of the best trilogy out there with a beautiful and satisfying ending in the 3rd film. The 4th film, while not as good as the original three, it did still have a strong and emotional ending that felt like a nice wrap up for the whole series. Yet, here we are with a 5th entry that threatens to damage the whole poignant ending. Is this a necessary entry or is this a story not worth telling?

What this new entry tackles is something incredibly relatable to our current times. What if kids stop believing in playing with toys and started being more interested in tech? It's an interesting dilemma and is something that the director, Andrew Stanton, takes a genuine deep dive into. The film doesn't just portray the new tech, Lilypad, as a straight-up villain and there is a layered exploration of toys and tech. At the heart of this new story is Jessie. She struggles with what feels like her losing Bonnie to tech. She is afraid of Bonnie abandoning her just like Emily did in the past. Jessie undergoes a wonderful character arc that feels like natural evolution of her character that would definitely bring a tear to people's eye. A big surprise is also Bonnie herself. There is a really meaningful journey for her as well, something that is a major motivator for Jessie, that leads to a genuinely heartfelt final act and ending.

In terms of writing, there is a perfect balance between the serious, humour and even romance. For example, jokes never ruin emotional moments or romance isn't overshadowing the main plot. On that note, I do find the jokes to be well-executed and do mostly land. The voice cast also continue to do a great job. Special praise to Joan Cusack as Jessie who absolutely delivers some of her strongest voice performance yet. Randy Newton also returns to score the music for the Toy Story series and as usual, does a magnificent job. His music score elevates every moment and makes the story beats hit harder when it needs to. The animation is also easily the best the Toy Story franchise has ever been. This is especially noticeable when animals appear because they have never looked so close to real life than ever before! I really love how the art style changes during the "imagination" scenes which look gorgeous. There are also many fantastic looking shots within the film which is the result of great cinematography.

Now Toy Story 5 is clearly Jessie's film but Woody and Buzz do return. Buzz was completely sidelined in Toy Story 4 but he is given a bit more to do in this new entry. However, it is mostly just to deal with the small arc between him and Jessie. Apart from that, he is still quite sidelined here. Woody's return is completely forced, especially considering his conclusive arc in the previous film. His return is just to be a joke and comedic relief which is kind of weird to see. Him and Buzz are basically the B-plot of the film but what they do isn't that interesting compared to Jessie's. There is also a really silly conflict between the two that feels very unnecessary. There is also another subplot concerning an army of Buzz Lightyears that is a bit distracting. The film will sometimes just cut from the main plot to them and it does take a long time for that plot line to have any payoff.

While it does feel obvious that this was made to capitalise on Pixar's most iconic franchise. The story being told here is incredibly meaningful and relevant. Jessie gets to properly shine and even gets a satisfying character wrap up for her. Toy Story 5 is another phenomenal entry and is an absolute must-watch!

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A Review of “Disclosure Day (2026)”

Legendary director, Steven Spielberg, returns with another foray into sci-fi thriller! He also collaborates again with legendary composer John Williams, writer David Koepp and cinematographer Janusz Kamiński. Was Disclosure Day a recipe for success or did it fall short?

The thing that will stick with you after the film ends is how phenomenal Emily Blunt's performance was. She does a downright amazing job in illustrating her character's struggle with the weird things occurring to her. She steals every scene she is in by giving an emotional and empathetic performance that is genuinely breathtaking. There is a reason many are saying this is one of career best performance. Colman Domingo gives a stand-out performance too, despite his significantly smaller role. There is one scene where he gives a strong and powerful performance, that I wish we got more on his character. The rest of the cast also do a great job with special mention to Josh O'Connor and Colin Firth who are very enjoyable to watch.

You can't have a thriller without some action sequences and Disclosure Day does have some fun action. There are a couple of tense car chases while also the fun cat and mouse chase in the first half. I also really enjoy that the antagonist, played wonderfully by Colin Firth, was using reversed-engineer alien tech to hunt down the protagonist. The film also explores some interesting themes such as the intersection of science and religion, truth, faith and empathy. Within the story, there are debates about what would happen if you did full disclosure including potential chaos and even potentially invalidating human concept of religion.

Unfortunately, the ideas are only really touched upon and the story never really fully delves into anything. The characters aren't explored enough to be as attached and the film even swaps main characters in the second half. This is jarring because the main character of the first half gets very sidelined in the second half. While actors do give emotional performances, the moment just doesn't hit hard because the story is too messy and even bland at times to really resonate with the audience. There are also so many silly moments where characters do stupid things, including the antagonist group. One moment is fine but 3-4 times is where things become frustrating to watch. The final act of the film is also going to be extremely divisive. While I do get the message, it feels very contrived and overly convenient.

John Williams composed some of the film music scores in cinema history! However, his score in Disclosure Day is the most forgettable score I ever heard. I can't remember or even hum anything from this film. It seems to me that they both agreed to underscore the film to not distract from the story but this was a mistake. The emotional moments would hit harder with a stronger music score and even having a memorable theme like with Jaws, Indiana Jones or Jurassic Park would have made this film stand out more! The visuals by Janusz Kamiński aren't any better. There are a couple decent shots and camerawork from Spielberg. However, the visual and lighting are genuinely just dark and bland. This film needed a visual that popped with its tense thriller chases but it ended up looking like any other generic thriller. The CG is also not good, especially the CG animals which look awful.

It is sad to see a Spielberg film be kind of underwhelming. He has shown to be excellent with sci-fi films but this lacks the wonder of Close Encounters of the Third Kind and the heart of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Unfortunately, I do wonder if Spielberg has run out of steam.

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A “QUICK!” Review of "Ready or Not 2: Here I Come (2026)"

Sadly, it is a bit of step-down from the first film. It's got some pacing issues, it's a bit too long, the melodrama with the sister isn't that interesting and the 3rd act is not as strong.

However, you still get funny moments with some enjoyable gore and violence. Samara is great and the supporting cast is enjoyable enough.

Plus Samara Weaving in a black Wedding Dress just does something for me

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A “QUICK!” Review of "Ready or Not (2019)"

Ready or Not is an excellent dark comedy thriller about a Satanic rich family hunting down Samara Weaving!

It has funny moments with excentric characters that is balanced out by the gore and violence. The entire cast does a great job with an awesome main lead performance from Samara. It's just a fun entertaining movie!

Plus Samara Weaving in a Wedding Dress in a pair of Converse just does something for me

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A “QUICK!” Review of "Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026)"

The Mandalorian and Grogu is a serviceable popcorn flick. The problem is that this is a Star Wars film. Being just a serviceable film is just not what Star Wars is. Even the most controversial or even critically considered bad Star Wars film, are still memorable and cinematic. Nothing remotely important or interesting happens in this film.

If you want 4-5 good episodes of the Mandalorian show then this movie is basically that. For Star Wars though, this isn't the way.

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A “QUICK!” Review of "They Will Kill You (2026)"

This is an insanely bonkers and absurd 90-minutes of fun! It has some incredibly top-notch action set pieces with over-the-top violence and gore that just makes this an entertaining watch!

Yeah the film is a bit tonally over the place and there are some pacing issues but with a short run-time, it never overstays its welcome.

Recommend going into this blind for full enjoyment!

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A “QUICK!” Review of "Backrooms (2026)"

The visuals are phenomenal with a wonderful practical set design and lighting that really illustrates the surreal nature of the backrooms. The cinematography and editing is also top-notch and captures the claustrophobic environment.

The writing is where the problems lie though. The characters are quite under-developed, the plot is very minimal, and the 3rd act of the film is a bit of a drag with a weak ending.

Still, for a directorial debut, this is extremely promising!

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A “QUICK!” Review of "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026)"

It was basically 90 minutes of the "Leonardo DiCaprio pointing meme" for the whole runtime.

No character development for any of the characters, unfocused and minimal story, unimaginative writing with no depth.

At least they used more songs from the Mario games instead of pop songs so at least there is one improvement!

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A “QUICK!” Review of "Rental Family (2025)"

The story is incredibly predictable and some of the lines are very cheesy. However, this doesn't stop the film from being wonderfully heartwarming.

Brendan Fraser gives a believable and empathetic performance as a struggling actor while having a great supporting cast. The film also gives a thought-provoking look into a small part of Japan's culture while exploring the theme of lies, loneliness and connection.

This is a worthy watch that leaves you with a positive message.

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A “QUICK!” Review of "The Punisher: One Last Kill (2026)"

The last 15 minutes is incredibly gritty, brutal and violent Punishing that is just a blast to watch! Jon Bernthal continues to deliver a strong and ferocious performance as the titular character. I was also genuinely surprise to also see such a powerful and emotional performance as well. It was also great to see Jason R. Moore return as Frank's friend Curtis, even if it was just a hallucination.

It was a shame that Amber Rose Revah nor Ben Barnes got to return as Madani and Billy respectively though. The villain Ma Gnucci is also sadly very underutilised. Plus, it can also be a bit repetitive to see Punisher repeat the plotline of giving up Punishing, only to return again.

Still, for 45 minutes, this is an entertaining watch and I look forward to seeing more Punisher in the future!

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A Review of “Daredevil: Born Again season 2 (2026)”

I had a lot of concerns when Daredevil was moved over to Disney. However, Born Again Season 1 ended up being better than expected. It was still definitely the weakest season of Daredevil, but considering the behind-the-scenes creative drama, the final product turned out surprisingly solid. With Season 2, though, the series was fully under the creative control of Dario Scardapane as showrunner. So, does Season 2 finally deliver a more promising follow-up?

Yes, it does.

The season is far more consistent visually, as well as in terms of quality and writing. It doesn’t suffer from the strange dips in quality or tonal shifts that Season 1 had. The story is much more focused and engaging, making it enjoyable to invest in Daredevil’s struggle and the resistance effort against Kingpin. Watching the characters slowly weaken Fisk’s forces, damage his credibility, and search for evidence makes for a far more entertaining season than the slower-paced nature of the first. There is also a fantastic flashback episode where they even bring back the Netflix screen ratio. I do wish they had gone even further and used the Netflix-style colour grading too, but it is still a great episode regardless.

This season challenges Daredevil not only physically, but mentally as well. We really see him struggle with his faith and his belief in grace and forgiveness. This is especially evident in his feelings toward Bullseye, who killed his friend, and Kingpin, who has murdered countless innocent people. Kingpin himself also has an interesting internal struggle as he tries to maintain his love for New York while continuing his brutal actions. Bullseye also has a weirdly entertaining character arc centred around “balancing the scales” through his own warped sense of justice, which leads to some fun conflicts with other characters. Karen, meanwhile, is far more confident and much more involved in the action this season, which I really liked. We see her fully committed to taking down Kingpin no matter what, even if it means killing him. This creates conflict with Matt that adds an interesting layer to their dynamic.

In terms of action scenes, the show continues to deliver. There is an excellent one-shot-style prison fight involving Daredevil, a really cool diner sequence featuring Bullseye, and of course, an awesome trademark hallway fight with a fresh new spin. The cast continues to do a great job, especially with the return of some fan-favourite characters from the Marvel Netflix shows. The standout is Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones, who remains an absolute delight and has great chemistry with Daredevil. The new antagonists introduced in Born Again Season 1 are also much more fleshed out this time around. Daniel experiences internal conflict as he struggles with being Fisk’s ally while also trying to protect his friend BB. Buck gets more opportunities to interact with other characters, developing an unlikely friendship with Daniel and Heather. Speaking of Heather, she becomes a much more intriguing character as we slowly see her grow more sinister while the trauma from Muse continues to haunt her.

Unfortunately, the new Matt Murdock allies introduced in Season 1 are still underwhelming here. Cherry and Kirsten mostly exist to help Daredevil but are not given much depth or development. It’s a shame they weren’t fleshed out in the same way as the antagonists. We also get a new character called Mr. Charles, played by Matthew Lillard. He feels like a very odd and somewhat unnecessary addition. He mostly exists to repeatedly pressure Fisk into getting the port running and to vaguely tease bigger future developments. Outside of that, he doesn’t play a major role in the main plot. He also ends up serving as a plot device to bring Jessica Jones into the story, but even that feels a little random.

Some aspects of the “taking down Kingpin” storyline also start to feel repetitive and even questionable. Fisk commits so many blatantly horrible acts this season that the lack of legal consequences starts to stretch believability. There are also several odd moments in the finale. One character with barely any dialogue suddenly has a random change of heart, and the final handling of the AVTF feels underwhelming. The show also fails to address the fate of one particular character in the closing scenes, which feels strange. Even the ending itself raises questions about whether it really makes sense legally or logically.

Overall, Born Again Season 2 is a major step up from the first season. While it still doesn’t reach the heights of Seasons 1 and 3 of the Netflix series, I would say it is on par with Season 2. That said, I do think it’s time for the series to move on from Kingpin. He has now been the main antagonist for four out of five seasons, and I think it’s time to explore new Daredevil villains. Thankfully, Dario Scardapane seems to feel the same way based on his comments about Born Again Season 3. I’m looking forward to seeing where the series goes next, and hopefully it brings something fresh and new to the table.

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