4kUHD/Movie Review: Shazam

 

Shazam is one of the more lesser-known (at least to the non-comic book fans) of the DC Superheros. If you are old enough you may remember the cartoon that was on TV back in the 1980s. He is actually a kid named Billy Batson who is given powers by a Wizard that allows him to become a superhero with powers very similar to that of Superman when he says the word Shazam (and he is also transformed into an adult wearing a super-suit with a huge lightning bolt on his chest.

In the movie, 14-year old Billy is played by Asher Angel and Shazam/adult/superhero Billy is played by Zachary Levi, who was best known for the underrated series Chuck.  Billy is a kid who bounces in and out of various foster homes after running away from them trying to track down his mother who he has not seen since getting lost at a carnival when he was a little kid. He ends up getting his powers from the Wizard Shazam played by Djimon Honsou who is looking for a champion who is pure of heart to inherit his powers to battle the embodiments of the Seven Deadly Sins and their champion Doctor Sivana, played by Mark Strong. The rest of the cast is comprised of child and adult actors including Jack Grazer, Grace Fullerton, Marla Milans, Adam Brody, Faithe Herman, Ian Chen, Cooper Andrews, Michelle Borth, Jovan Armand, Ross Butler, Meagan Good, DJ Cotrona, and John Glover. Of the supporting cast, Borth, Brody, Good, and Glover are probably the most recognizable. I will not say what roles the supporting cast plays because it would spoil the end of the movie, but all of the actors do a great job with their characters.

The movie is really an origin story with Billy trying to figure out his superhero powers. Levi does a great job of playing a 14-year old kid stuck in an adult's body, and you get that he would be a kid not necessarily being a serious hero when he gets these cool powers. Mark Strong did a great job as the bad guy and really played a great villain. The movie really seems to be what DC wanted for its movies, as a mix of action, and comedy with a dash of seriousness mixed in. It feels a lot more like a Marvel movie than the other "Snyderverse" movies. 

For those who get the 4k set, there is a UHD disc that just has the movie, which looks and sounds great in the format. Then there is a regular Blu-ray disc that has the extras. Those include several behind-the-scenes and making-of features of various lengths, about 37-minutes of deleted and alternate/extended scenes, a gag reel, and a feature on the character of Shazam through the years. All in all, about two hours worth of bonus material (give-or-take). 

Overall, the movie is very good. Like I said, the tone is definitely different than the other DC movies, especially those that Zach Snyder directed, but it fits given the storyline. It is definitely worth checking out if you are a fan of superhero movies, and have not reached the superhero fatigue point yet. 

DVD Review: Chicago PD Season 7

 

The seventh season of Chicago PD sees more upheaval for the show, both in terms of cast turnover and from a storyline standpoint for the characters. As most are aware, Jon Seda was not brought back for season seven, and the show basically uses the season six storyline as a way to write him out. We also find out whether or not Voight killed Kelton (you can probably guess, but I will not spoil it for those who don't know how it turned out). The show does wrap up the season six dangling storylines pretty early on in the season, then the show gets into the arcs for the new season. The show gains a new cast member to essentially replace Jon Seda. Lisseth Chavez joins the team as Vanessa Rojas who was pulled out of the academy for an undercover assignment, then ended up with Intelligence, much like Ruzek joined the team. Hailey ends up taking her under her wing while butting heads with Voight along the way. Jay ends up with a story arc that plays out over the course of a few episodes, as does Kim and Ruzek. The season ends with a major storyline involving Kevin. Because the season ended early due to the covid lockdown, the show does not really end on a cliffhanger this season, just sets up a larger story arc. There are two crossovers this season. The first was the large "One Chicago" crossover with Med and Fire. That one ended up being a bit prophetic given the Covid outbreak that would hit a few months later. The second was a smaller crossover with Chicago Fire about 2/3 of the way into the season.

For those who get the DVD, there are no bonus features other than the episodes from the other shows that were a part of the crossovers. So, you can watch all the crossover episodes without switching discs (assuming you have the other shows on DVD too). So, if you are one who only gets the DVDs when there are a lot of behind-the-scenes or commentary tracks, the only reason to get this is if you have the prior season sets and want to complete your collection.

Overall, the season was very good. The writing and acting are still very strong, and pretty much every one of the main characters got some good material to work with this season. If you have been a fan of the prior seasons this one is definitely worth checking out. You definitely do not want to jump into this season without seeing the prior seasons because you will be missing some important character development and there are definitely some things that occurred in the prior seasons that impact this season. 

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 87

 Day 87 was the sculpt 3-4 workout again. It was pretty much par for the course with the past few sculpt workouts. I did not hit the 15 rep max for any of the moves, but I got close on a couple of them. I only have three more workouts in this 90-day block, then I will be starting the master's series workouts on Monday.

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 86

 Day 86 was cardio and abs. The only good thing about this workout is that I was able to get in all 200 reps in the ab ripper workout. I did have to pause a couple of times, but I did make it. The rest of the workout honestly sucked. I was tired, had very little energy, and really struggled through it. But, I did end up finishing (with taking some breaks here and there). 

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 85

 Day 85 was the sculpt workout again. It went well, pretty much all the weight was the same as the last workout, and I got mostly the same number of reps in for each exercise. I am up to 50 lbs on the calf raises, but I can only do 12 reps with that amount of weight. Since the p90x legs workout has three sets of 25 calf raises (fifteen slow and ten fast in each set), I will probably drop down to 25 lbs when I get to that workout. I am in no danger of hitting the 52.5 lb limit of my select tech dumbells on any other exercise at this point, so I am not going to invest in any heavier weights yet. 

Workout Update: Power-90 day 84

 Day 84 was the T25 stretch workout again. I again adapted it to put a bit more focus on hamstrings, but otherwise followed it. I will do this workout one more time next Sunday and then will transition to x-stretch from p90x when I am doing the master's series workouts. I will do that mainly to get myself ready for the yoga-x workout once I actually start p90x about nine weeks from now, since the little bit of yoga included in sweat 1-2 and sweat 3-4 is not at all enough to get ready for the hour-and-a-half-long yoga-x workout. 

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 83

 Day 83 was cardio and abs. There was really no big progress with this workout. I was pretty much the same as the prior ones have been. I was able to hit 18 reps on all the moves in the ab-ripper workout. 

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 82

 Day 82 was sculpt 3-4 again. I am up to 50lbs on the calf raises, but otherwise the weights for all the other exercises were the same. Nothing much else to report about this one.

DVD Review: Chicago Fire Season 8

 

+++Minor Spoiler ahead+++

Season eight starts off where season seven ended, with everyone inside the mattress factory. That fire has a big impact on the season, both because of a character's death, (chances are most people reading this know who, but I will not spoil it) that reverberates throughout the season, but is also incorporated into another episode later in the season.

The show continues juggling storylines that so every character (even Capp this year) has major involvement in at least one episode. It also saw the return of Gabby for an episode, with Monica Raymund making a guest appearance. The big "One Chicago" crossover occurs early in the season, with a storyline about a weaponized bacteria that would be somewhat prophetic once Covid broke out. Then, later in the season, there is another crossover episode with just Chicago PD. The season was a bit shorter (just 20 episodes) because production was shut down early because of the pandemic. As a result, the show did not end on any real kind of cliffhanger. The season finale ended pretty much just like a normal episode but did leave one of the characters at a bit of a crossroads. 

Again, as has been the case with the past few season releases, the only extras are the Chicago Med and PD episodes that were part of the crossovers. There are no behind-the-scenes features or anything like that. So, unless you are completing a collection (or just really prefer physical media to streaming) there is no reason to get this on disc if you are a person who usually only gets the physical discs when there is a lot of bonus material to watch.

Overall, the season is very good. The show does a good job keeping the storylines entertaining and giving all the actors something to work with. The acting and writing continue to be very good, and there are definitely some emotional punches this season. So, if you have been a fan of the prior seasons of the show, it is definitely worth checking out. 

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 81

 Day 81 was the sweat 3-4 workout and ab-ripper 200. This one was much like the last one. I did pretty well through most of it but did get gassed during the third round of jumping jacks. I was able to do 18 reps of all the ab-ripper moves but did have to pause a couple of times. I have one more week of these workouts, then I will be starting the Master's Series workouts for eight weeks before moving on to p90x. I have lost about 10 pounds of scale weight since starting Power-90, and have definitely lost some body fat. Hopefully, I can lose a few more pounds by a week from Sunday and drop another few percentage points off of my body fat percentage. I know that my waist has gotten a bit smaller (I still have a lot to lose around the middle) so I am hoping for at least a decrease in my waist size by a few inches (or more). I know I have lost more inches in my face and neck area (which is where I tend to gain weight last and drop it first) which I can easily tell visually. But I cannot tell visually how much I have lost around the middle. But, I tend to put on fat around my midsection first and that is the last place I drop it from. So, chances are I will have to get down under 200 pounds to actually see a significant reduction in my waist size. 

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 80

 Day 80 was the sculpt 3-4 workout. Again, it was mostly the same as Monday's workout with my reps maxing out between 11 and 14. I did not hit the 15 rep max for any of the moves. I was able to get in a couple of extra chair dips (with legs extended) and a few more squats on the max squats at the very end of the workout. So, overall, it was a good one.

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 79

 Day 79 was cardio and abs again. The workout was pretty good. The third round of the jumping jacks, running in place, and run lunges always gets me (mostly the jumping jacks). I can get through the third round of everything else okay, but the third round of jumping jacks "kills" me every time. It does not help that I have detested jumping jacks even as a kid in school. I have never liked doing them and like them even less when I am not in great shape. Aside from that, the workout was fine. Next workout I am going to do 18 reps of the ab-ripper moves. I can do 17 for every move now, not easily but easily enough that I think I can add the extra rep for each move.

DVD Review: Chicago PD Season Six

 

+++Warning, spoilers from the prior season ahead+++

Season six of Chicago PD starts out shortly after the events of the season five finale. Intelligence is dealing with the fallout of Olinski's death, and Voight is suspended pending an investigation of the shooting of the suspect who ordered Olinski to be killed. That storyline is wrapped up fairly early in the season, and then the show continues with pretty much the same format as it has used in the prior seasons. That is, mostly case-of-the-week with larger story arcs intertwined. The season introduces two new characters to act as foils for Intelligence, Deputy Superindent Katherine Brennan, played by Anne Heche, and Superintendent Brian Kelton, played by John C. McGinley (who also has Mayoral aspirations). Of course, there are crossovers with the other shows (Chicago Fire and Chicago Med) that occur during the season (the big, three-show crossover occurring early in the season) and a smaller crossover with just Chicago Fire later in the season. And, apart from the crossovers characters from Fire and Med make cameo appearances throughout the season. 

Overall, the season is very good. Each of the characters gets at least one episode that is centered on them, with Antonio getting an extended storyline that directly ties into the mild cliffhanger that occurs at the end of the season, and creates big problems for Ruzek and Voight. The writing and acting continue to be very good, and all the actors have the chance to give standout performances during the season. The cliffhanger at the end of the season is not as immediately dire as some of the cliffhangers for Chicago Fire have been with all the characters in a life and death situation but definitely sets up what will clearly be the early storylines for season seven.

For those who get the DVD, the only extras are the crossover episodes from the other shows so you can watch the entire crossover storylines without having to get (or watch) the discs from the other shows. There are no behind-the-scenes features, commentary tracks, or the like.

Ultimately, if you have been a fan of the prior seasons you will probably like this one. On the other hand, if the show has never done anything for you (or you were really only a fan of the actors or characters who left the show like Sophia Bush or Elias Koteas), then nothing in this season is likely to change your mind. 

Workout Review: Power-90 Day 78

 Day 78 was the sculpt 3-4 workout again. Thankfully, my rep count did not drop for any of the exercises this workout, but I did not hit the 15 rep max for any of the exercises in the workout. So, all the weights I am using will stay the same for the next workout. 

Book Review: Here, Right Matters

 

"Here, Right Matters" is a memoir by Alexander Vindman, who was the only person who was actually listening in on the phone call between t***p and the President of Ukraine which led to the first impeachment to publically testify. The title of the book comes from what is probably the most famous line of his opening statement telling his father not to worry about the fact that he is testifying in the impeachment case. It alternates back and forth between Vindman's early life, first growing up as an immigrant in America with his father, twin brother, and older brother, and then detailing his military career, meeting his wife, and having his own child, with the events that would thrust him into the national spotlight. It details his reaction to the call, why he felt he had to report it (and that he never thought it would become public), and why he testified even over the objections of his own father (who was an ardent t***p supporter at the time). The book also provides some behind-the-scenes details of both Vindman's closed-door and public testimony and finishes with a recounting of the end of his military career.

The book is fairly short (less than 250 pages) and is a fairly quick read. I like that it gives some insight into who Vindman is as a person and what caused him to do what he felt was right in reporting to his superiors what he believed to be misconduct on the part of t***p. While it is clear that he was no fan of t***p even before the impeachment mess and the fallout that stemmed from it, he saw himself as apolitical when it came to his job and his duty and unlike the boot-licking toadies that ran rampant in the t***p administration, Vindman was going to do what he felt was right regardless of his personal politics (which seemingly did have a more conservative bent, at least until t***p came along). 

Overall, the book is a good read. It can be a bit dry, but not overly so, and I, for one, was happy to support a guy who did what was right for his country. I definitely recommend it.

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 77

 Day 77 was a rest day from the "regular workouts" but I did again, do a modified version of the T25 stretch workout. In that, I again replaced the downward dog portion with more hamstring-focused stretches. I am still very tight in my lower back and hamstrings, but I can tell my flexibility in those areas has started to slightly improve over the past month or so.

4k UHD Review: Zach Snyder's Justice League

 

+++ Warning, minor spoilers ahead +++

As most know, Zach Snyder had to drop out of directing Justice League during filming due to a death in his family, at which point WB decided to make it a single, stand-alone movie, and brought Joss Whedon, who had helmed many of the very successful MCU movies to finish the movie. Snyder originally intended to have a Justice League trilogy, so when it was turned into a stand-alone movie a ton of content was cut out. And, Whedon re-shot some portions of the movie, mainly to add humor into the movie to make it "less dark" than Man of Steel and Batman v. Superman had been. The resulting theatrical version went over like a lead balloon (I think in large part because of Whedon's rumored behavior on set), and pretty much ever since the theatrical release fans had clamored for and demanded the "Snyder Cut". The result is a four-hour-long movie that shows the direction Snyder had intended to take the films. 

As I mentioned above, Snyder had envisioned a Justice League trilogy of movies, with this movie split in two, and the third movie set in the nightmare world that we saw a glimpse of in Batman v. Superman. The biggest change from the theatrical version of the movie is that Steppenwolf was not really the "big bad" he was essentially a lackey trying to get back into the good graces of Darkseid, after having been banished from Apokolips. Lois's involvement in this cut of the movie is much different, and we get to see Martian Manhunter who was completely removed from the theatrical version. And, both the characters of Cyborg and Flash are set-up a lot more in this movie than they were in the theatrical version, and you get a lot more of each of their backstories (especially Cyborg). 

I have the UK import Steelbook. Like the US domestic release, that one has two UHD discs that have the movie split into two parts, probably where Snyder had intended to stop the first movie had he been able to execute his original plan. The first disc has the first two hours and forty-one minutes of the movie, and the second disc has the last hour and a half (approximately, excluding the credits). The UK import also has a 24-minute making-of feature that details how the Snyder Cut came to be and included interviews with the cast and crew. Unfortunately, there is no commentary track on the movie. The UHD discs are region-free and will play on US players, and I believe the regular Blu-ray discs are region-2 locked. But, there are no additional extras on the regular Blu-rays so you really do not have to watch them.

Overall, this cut of the movie is better than the theatrical version. While I do not think the theatrical version is as awful as some paint it, it is definitely a lot more flawed than this cut (which, admittedly, has its own flaws). There are rumors that WB might actually restore the Snyderverse and let Zach Snyder make the third installment of the movie, but for now, the theatrical version is the official DCEU canon. I personally like the darker, edgier tone that this movie takes (it is rated R, mainly because of a couple of f-bombs that get dropped), and respect that they did not try to be a carbon copy of the MCU movies. That said, Ezra Miller's quips in the theatrical version were great, and while a couple of them made it into this one (including wondering whether Wonder Woman would go for younger men), that is really the only thing I missed from that version. This is definitely worth checking out.

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 76

 Day 76 was cardio and abs. This workout was a bit weird as some things I did much better than in prior workouts (the cross hops) and some things I was a lot more gassed during (the jumping jacks, which I always hate anyway). But, I made it through the workout without too much of a problem and was able to hit 17 reps on all the ab-ripper exercises. So, overall, it was a good workout.

4kUHD Review: Justice League (Theatrical Cut)

 

+++Warning, this contains minor spoilers from the movie+++

The theatrical cut of Justice League is definitely a mixed bag. Joss Whedon is blamed for ruining the movie, and certainly, his additions range from chuckle-worthy to downright stupid, and there was, of course, his on-set behavior that was leaked out by Ray Fisher and later confirmed by Gal Gadot, which then caused an avalanche of accusations about him going as far back as when he was working on Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel and pretty much ended (for now) his career. However, it is clear that Warner Brothers really was the entity that fucked up this movie, and caused a version of the movie that was totally out of place with the movies that had come before it was released.

As most know, Zach Snyder had intended for Justice League to be a three-part story, with this movie split into two parts (which he essentially got to do with the Snyder Cut of the film four years after the theatrical release) then a third movie set in the nightmare world that was teased in Batman v. Superman. However, when Snyder had to step away from the movie due to a death in his family, Whedon was brought in to cut the running time of the movie down and make it a stand-alone movie. The result is a mish-mash of Snyder's story with Whedon's additions (mainly to add humor because WB thought the DC movies were too dark and wanted to infuse some of what worked for the MCU into their movies). For the most part, the theatrical version is stuff Snyder filmed, with some changes like tweaks to the battle with Superman when he is brought back to life, Lois' role in the movie, the race between Flash and Superman at the end, and the really dumb subplot of the family living next door to the contaminated nuclear reactor (which was a fictional Chornobyl) and would not leave the second the aliens showed up. Steppenwolf's arc was dramatically altered (as well as his look), so a lot of his dialogue ended up changing.  And, the post-credits scene was quite different than the scene that came at the end of Snyder's version. But, what Whedon cut was far more substantial than what he added (which is why Snyder still got the directing credit). 

For those who get the 4k set, there are two discs. The UHD disc just has just the movie itself, and a Blu-ray disc that has the movie and the bonus material. That includes multiple behind-the-scenes features (clearly shot when Snyder was still on set, as Whedon was nowhere to be seen), deleted scenes, and a gag reel. There are also some features on how the Justice League has evolved from the comics to the various animated series to live-action. A good amount of material for those who like watching the bonus content. 

Overall, the movie is not as bad as its reputation, but it was definitely not as good as the movie that Snyder intended to make. I still think WB/DC would have been better off establishing the main characters through solo movies first like was done with the main heroes of the MCU movies, then doing the big team-up. But, diverting from what Snyder had set up made the problematic DCEU even worse because this movie just feels out of place. I would say it is worth watching if nothing else to compare and contrast with the Snyder cut of the movie, but it is not something that I would come back to a lot. 

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 75

 Day 75 was the sculpt 3-4 workout again. There is really nothing much to report from this workout. The reps for each exercise were within the 10-13 range. On a couple of the exercises, my rep count actually dropped by one or two from the prior workout. I am not entirely sure why that happened. But, aside from that, I felt the workout was good overall.

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 74

 Day 74 was cardio and abs. Abs went well, but I was a bit gassed during the cardio portion. I actually had to stop for a few seconds (not a full-blown rest) to catch my breath before I could continue. I am still getting used to doing a modified fast where I do not eat anything after about 4PM. It is a bit of a struggle and I do think it impacts my energy level when I workout in the evening, but I am dropping both scale weight and body fat, so that is good. 

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 73

 Day 73 was the sculpt 3-4 workout again. Pretty much everything was the same for this workout as it was on Monday. I did not hit the 15 reps on any of the exercises after having increased the amount of weight again. My plan is when I start P90x is to increase all the weights I am using for the various exercises that are repeats from Power-90 by five pounds and then shoot for the 8-10 reps range so I am building more muscle. The only weight that will go down is the calf raises because the legs and back workout in P90x has a total of 45 calf raises with your toes pointing in different directions for each block of 15 reps, and I know there is no way I would be able to do 45 total reps with 45 or 50-pound dumbells. 

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 72

 Day 72 was cardio and abs. I was a bit tired during cardio from lack of sleep the night before, but I made it through. I can do 17 reps on all of the ab exercises (so I am doing 170 reps). I hope to get to 200 by the time I get to day 90, but otherwise, I plan to continue doing the workout after the cardio workouts in the Master's Series set and will get all 200 reps in by the time I finish that 8 weeks. 

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 71

 Day 71 was the sculpt 3-4 workout. I felt like I was a bit stronger than during last Friday's workout, and I was able to hit 15 reps on the forearm curls in the fourth block. I have been dropping weight after a bit of a plateau. I am still carb cycling, but I backed off on my total calories a bit, and have stopped eating after 4pm, doing a modified fast overnight. I am still doing a free/cheat day (usually on Sunday) where I eat more calories so I am not worried about my body trying to go into starvation mode. I have not taken measurements since day 1, but I will do so two weeks from Sunday. I think I am losing more inches than I am losing scale weight given that my jeans are fitting a bit better. As I have said before, I really don't care what the scale weight is as long as I am losing inches. I am one of those that can put on both a decent amount of muscle and a lot of fat. The trick is always getting the fat off (which my body is very efficient at storing) to get the muscle to show. 

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

 

This is the sixth book in the Harry Potter series of novels. It really advances the story forward, not only revealing details of Voldemort's past but also finally revealing his weakness and, what Harry needs to do to defeat him. It also mixes in the "normal" school trials and tribulations like relationships, exams, and the like. The title of the book is based on an annotated potions book that Harry finds with notes by someone called "The Half-Blood Prince" that suddenly allows Harry to excel in potions, impressing the new potions professor, Horace Slughorn, a former Hogwarts professor who has a history with Voldemort when he was known as Tom Riddle.

As has been the case with most of the books, it contains a lot more material than was seen in the movie. There is a lot more to the Malfoy storyline, which in the book incorporates both Kreacher and Dobby, as well as having a lot more elements than was seen in the movie. It also develops the relationship between Ginny and Harry a lot more than the movie did. And, there is more to Harry and Dumbledore working together than we saw in the movie. It, like the prior two novels, was certainly long enough (at 650 or so pages) to be split into two movies, so if you have only seen the movie you will likely enjoy the book even more. 

As I said above, the book is long, but it flows well and makes for a fairly quick read. It continues to get darker in terms of the storylines and there are more characters in danger this year as the confrontation between Harry and Voldemort gets closer. It is definitely too dark for little kids but should be okay for most teenagers (as the books were written to become more adult as kids reading them aged). And, they are definitely good enough that adults can enjoy them too.