Author: Mark A. Lester

The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)

Post author By Mark A. Lester
Post date July 29, 2025
4 Comments on The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the first MCU entry in some time where prior knowledge of previous films/TV Shows is not entirely needed.

Admittedly, I was thrown off at the start when I found out the setting was Earth-828, which is not the main earth from the prior MCU films (that was…let me check…oh right, Earth-616). This is an interesting approach, since the Fantastic Four are, as far as I can tell, behind only Spider-Man and the X-Men when it comes to the most prominent of Marvel characters.

Tags Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Fantastic Four, Joseph Quinn, Julia Garner, Matt Shakman, MCU, Movie Reviews, Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser, Pedro Pascal, PG-13, Ralph Ineson, Rated PG-13, The Fantastic Four, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Vanessa Kirby

Mark's 21st Century Movie Milestones

Number 15…

As of now, there have been two times the Oscars have occurred on my birthday during my lifetime.

I have had a few birthday parties on Oscar night (such as the one in 2002, when A Beautiful Mind won Best Picture), but it was exactly two decades later, on my 35th birthday, when it was even more memorable. All people remember from this night, of course, is Will Smith slapping Chris Rock (giving me the ample chance to tell my friends not interested what had transpired), yet even that could not dampen my spirits. I got my highest prediction score to date, getting 21 of 23 (I missed Best Editing and one of the shorts categories). And, of course, the Best Picture award went to my favorite movie of 2021, CODA.

Tags 2021, CODA, Countdown, PG-13, Rated PG-13, Top 25

4 Stars

Superman (2025)

Ever since his 1938 introduction to society, no other fictional character (let alone superhero) has had to put up with society more than Superman.

It is no wonder there have been comparisons to biblical figures like Moses and Jesus (in the original film, remember the dialogue of “I have sent them you, my only son”). It is not too far fetched to believe that we as humans would not take long to start treating the man of steel as an after thought. Yet still, as portrayed in James Gunn’s Superman, he persists to protect us.

Tags 2025, David Corenswet, Green Lantern, James Gunn, Lex Luthor, Man of Steel, Movie Reviews, Nicholas Hoult, PG-13, Rachel Brosnahan, Rated PG-13, Superman, Superman film, Superman movie, The Batman

Mark's 21st Century Movie Milestones

Number 16…

It must be annoying to be a film star and have fans who are foolhardy to ask you to “do” a character of theirs for them. I imagine if anyone were brave enough to ask that to Daniel Day-Lewis, and he were willing, he would say something like “Come back in a year”.

It was Marlon Brando who became the original cinematic method actor, paving the way for the likes of Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Charlize Theron, and Jeremy Strong, just to name a few. Yet Daniel Day-Lewis is almost another breed. The behind the scene stories of him are ghastly: being carried around in between takes of My Left Foot (where his character had cerebral palsy), making his own canoe during The Last of the Mohicans, and even denying specific medical treatment during Gangs of New York because the meds were not around during the time of the film.

Tags 2007, Daniel Day-Lewis, DDL, Jonny Greenwood, Marlon Brando, Method Acting, My Left Foot, Paul Thomas Anderson, R, Radiohead, Rated R, There will be Blood

1 Star

Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025)

Post author By Mark A. Lester
Post date July 5, 2025
2 Comments on Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025)

A decade after the rather refreshing return to the dino verse with Jurassic World, I’ve finally found the one high point that has occurred: The Lego Jurassic World Video game.

Like all the Lego games based off of IP, the humor is right in my wheel house. The best part by far is unlocking Lego Steven Spielberg and having him hit targets by throwing Oscars. That to me is bliss. On the other end of this spectrum is misery, which is reserved for every one of the sequels that has followed: Fallen Kingdom, Dominion, and, now, Rebirth.

Tags Dinosaurs, Gareth Edwards, Jonathan Bailey, Jurassic Park, Jurassic World, Jurassic World: Dominion, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Jurassic World: Rebirth, Mahershala Ali, PG-13, Rated PG-13, Rogue One, Scarlett Johanson, Steven Spielberg, The Creator

4 1/2 Stars

F1 (2025)

Since my review of Ford v Ferrari,my views and knowledge of motor racing as a sport have been so unchanged I almost started this review the same way as I did that film. Not sure what that says, but oh well.

Either way, there are not many films out there about the sport of motor racing (and while I’ve only seen two of the films in The Fast and the Furious franchise, I’m confident in saying those don’t count). Regardless, two years after he brought sensational effects with Top Gun: Maverick, director Joseph Kosinski brings that same bravado and care with F1.

Tags 2025, Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, F1, F1: The Movie, Ford v Ferrari, Formula 1, Formula One, Javier Bardem, Joseph Kosinski, Kerry Condon, Maverick, PG-13, Rated PG-13, Tobias Menzies, Top Gun: Maverick

Mark's 21st Century Movie Milestones

Number 17…

I can’t recall why I was asked to go to a certain YMCA week long camp back in 2003 (probably so my little brother was not alone, even though I hardly saw him the whole week), but the last night was indeed eventful.

We had a canoe ride that was to be followed by a dance, in which a girl I developed a summer crush on said she would dance with me. The canoe ride when over by an hour or so (we got lost in the rain), but I got that last bit of time to dance with her (to Elvis Presley’s “Can’t help falling in love”, for that matter).

Tags 2023, 21st Century, Celine Song, Drama, Greta Lee, John Magaro, Movie Milestones, Past Lives, PG-13, Rated PG-13, Romance, Teo Yoo, Top 25

4 1/2 Stars Movies

28 Years Later (2025)

Whether it was at the age of 10 when I discovered the idea of zombies through the OG Resident Evil games (and later, the atrocious movies), my brief obsession with The Walking Dead (I stopped watching not long after Carl was killed off), or only recently catching up with the 28 days films, I have come to one solid conclusion: I would not last long in a zombie apocalypse.

There are too many factors to consider, but the main reason is that without the meds I normally take, I’m a goner. Nevertheless, the idea of a zombie apocalypse has been lodged in our society’s psyche since the days of George A. Romero. Now, director Danny Boyle (along with Alex Garland as a script writer) have come back to the universe they created in 2002, with 28 Years Later, the third in the series (both were absent for 28 Weeks Later).

Tags 2025, 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later, 28 Years Later, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Alex Garland, Alfie Williams, Danny Boyle, Jodie Comer, Matt Reeves, Movie Reviews, Planet of the Apes, R, Rated R, Resident Evil, The Walking Dead, Zombies

Mark's 21st Century Movie Milestones Movies

Number 18…

In my mind, a foreign language film can go one or two ways.

Either the film can be so ingrained into a country’s culture that it would not work anywhere else, or the film can be so universal that it could be told virtually in any language or country. I personally try for the middle ground, where a movie shows characters that are relatable to any nationality or race, and no other live action foreign language film has impacted me in that way this century more so than 2011’s Iranian film, A Separation.

Tags 2011, A Separation, Asghar Farhadi, Family Drama, Foreign, Foreign Language, Iran, Iranian, Rated R, Top 25

3 1/2 Stars

Materialists (2025)

I won’t lie and pretend I know the history of online dating apps, but I am pretty sure that the last 15-20 years or so are when they began to explode in popularity (two of my brothers met their wives that way).

The thing is, I can not think of every coming across anyone in my life who used an in person match making service like the one shown in Materialists. Still, that is focus taken by writer/director Celine Song (who, I have learned, was once a match maker herself for a few months before becoming a film maker).

Tags 2025, Celine Song, Chris Evans, Comedy, Dakota Johnson, Drama, Madame Webb, Materialists, Past Lives, Pedro Pascal, R, Rated R, Romance