1.21 Gigawatts Comics Toys and Nostalgia

09/22/2025

It’s been a little while but here’s a new movie review!
Well a retrospective.

Ghostbuster Frozen Empire.
Let me tell you when Ghostbusters Frozen Empire was announced, I was heck yeah all in! Ghostbusters has always been one of my favorite franchises, so the thought of seeing the original team back in action had me hyped. I went in opening weekend full of excitement and left feeling disappointed. The OG crew mostly stayed in the background, and it just did not feel like the epic return I was hoping for.
But here is the thing. On my rewatch, knowing the OG Ghostbusters were not the main focus, I could appreciate the movie for what it really was. And honestly, it is a pretty good Ghostbusters film. The new threat is clever, the danger feels bigger than ever, and the story is much tighter than I gave it credit for the first time around.

Main Cast:
Paul Rudd as Gary Grooberson
Carrie C**n as Callie Spengler
Finn Wolfhard as Trevor Spengler
McKenna Grace as Phoebe Spengler
Celeste O’Connor as Lucky Domingo
Logan Kim as Podcast
Bill Murray as Peter Venkman
Dan Aykroyd as Ray Stantz
Ernie Hudson as Winston Zeddemore
Annie Potts as Janine Melnitz

Honestly, there is a lot to enjoy.
Paul Rudd quoting the Ghostbusters theme song? Comedy gold.
The firehouse set looked just like it did in 1984 and gave the whole movie that authentic Ghostbusters feel.
Slimer is back, and Finn Wolfhard’s reaction to him was hilarious.
The opening chase and final battle? That is the Ghostbusters magic I signed up for.
Of course, it’s not perfect. I really wish there had been more about Ray Stantz and his passion for keeping Ghostbusting alive. Ray has always been the heart of the team, and giving him just a little more focus would have taken this up a notch.
Comparing it to Afterlife, I do think Frozen Empire is actually the more complete movie. Afterlife was a fantastic reboot and gave us the emotional farewell to Harold Ramis, which is untouchable, greatly needed, but it leaned pretty hard on nostalgia and Gozer 2.0. Frozen Empire on the other hand pushes things forward with a new villain, higher stakes, and a stronger use of the original crew without letting them take over.
Seriously we all went in with the same expectations and missed a good movie because of it. Critics were too harsh, and the fact that this ranks lower than Answer the Call is just wrong.
In the end, Ghostbusters Frozen Empire deserves way more love than it got. It is a strong sequel that shows Ghostbusters can keep growing past its original story. And with a new animated show on the way and potential for future films, I am hoping for even bigger threats, more Finn Wolfhard (seriously, that kid is funny), and plenty more chances for the next generation to strap on the proton packs.

Have any of y’all seen Frozen Empire? What do you think of the Ghostbusters franchise? Is there something you’d like me to review?
Let me know.

And always remember you can see the latest movies at yesterdays prices at The Morley Theatre

08/03/2025

Shout out to The Morley Theatre for providing entertainment to the city of Borger for nearly 80 years!

Big Stu’s Movie Review: The Naked Gun (2025)

I walked into The Naked Gun 2025 with the emotional armor of someone who’s been burned before. Reboots are usually a coin flip, and sometimes that coin lands on Ghostbusters 2016 and melts your childhood in a vat of store-brand slime. But this one? Shockingly… it didn’t suck. In fact, it kind of ruled.

From the jump, the tone was locked in like it came straight out of a time capsule labeled “Do Not Open Unless You Remember Jokes.” No desperate attempt to make it “cool” or “relevant” or “for the algorithm.” It felt like a real Naked Gun movie; proudly dumb, sneakily clever, and rapid-fire ridiculous in the best way. Also, shout-out to the trailer editor for not blowing every good joke three months early. Turns out, comedy is funnier when it’s not spoiled by a YouTube ad.

Liam Neeson as Frank Drebin Jr. wasn’t just a good choice; he was exactly what this movie needed to work. His deadpan delivery, granite-faced seriousness, and total lack of self-awareness were the secret sauce that made the chaos around him feel even funnier. He played it like a man delivering a eulogy in a clown car, and that contrast was perfect. You need an anchor of complete seriousness to sell this level of absurdity, and Neeson brought it like he was born to read arrest reports in a hurricane of banana peels.

And Pamela Anderson? Genuinely hilarious. She delivered her lines with the perfect “I have no idea what I’m saying, but I’m committed” energy. She still looks incredible, which is scientifically unfair, but even better she’s funny. Like, “coulda had a comedy career” funny. Better late than never.

The movie didn’t lean too hard on the nostalgia gas either. No cheap “Hey remember this gag?” rehashes every five minutes. It honored the original's spirit instead of treating the audience like they were on a theme park tour of Zucker Bros History. It felt like a love letter from someone who actually got the assignment, not someone skimming Wikipedia before the pitch meeting.

The jokes? Solid. No single moment had me coughing up a lung, but the laughs were steady and satisfying. There’s a love montage in here that involves a snowman, and I’m not going to say it made me emotional, but I did whisper “Poor little guy” under my breath. It’s that kind of movie.

As a parody, it worked. It skewered detective tropes, hardboiled narration, overdramatic slow-motion, and everything in between. Imagine a noir thriller that got hijacked by The Three Stooges and directed by someone who thought airplane glue was a seasoning.

Look, it’s not the funniest thing I’ve ever seen. I didn’t laugh so hard I blacked out and saw my ancestors. But it was a genuinely fun trip. Silly, smart-dumb, and actually made by people who like comedy which is more than I can say for most things released in the past five years.

Big Stu rates this a 57 5/4th out of 5 worth a watch.

07/28/2025

Big Stu’s Movie Review: The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)

I walked into The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) like I was headed to a bad high school reunion skeptical, jaded, and braced for disappointment. Let’s be real; FF has never had a good movie Ever! Their cinematic track record reads like a cursed scroll. Add in the superhero fatigue sweeping through theaters like a plague of capes, and yes… I was ready to hate this thing.

Then the movie started.

And damn it… from the opening scene, I knew I was in trouble. It was actually good.

All the actors took the roles seriously and played it straight. No wink-wink meta snark, no overcooked slapstick. Just committed performances. I was especially worried when they announced the Silver Surfer would be Shalla-Bal instead of Norrin Radd. I was already drafting my nerd-rage tweet. But Julia Garner sold it more than sold it. She had this haunted, heavy presence that made the Surfer feel like a cosmic monk on the edge of a breakdown. I’m still disappointed we didn’t get fan-favorite Norrin, but Garner’s performance was so well done, I’ll shut up about it.
… For now.

The cast as a whole? Fantastic (yeah, I said it). The chemistry was so good it felt like a dysfunctional-but-loving space-faring family. I was bracing myself for a soulless, Girl-Boss overpowered portrayal of Invisible Woman, but Vanessa Kirby brought depth, conflict, and actual humanity. No slogans, no strutting just a fully developed character who felt like she belonged at the core of the team.

Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm was a surprise knockout. I fully expected them to turn him into a whiny Gen Z influencer with fire hands but nope, he felt like Johnny straight out of the comics; cocky, impulsive, and stupidly lovable. It was a true comic book portrayal.. thank goodness.

Even Pedro Pascal impressed me and trust me, I’ve never been on the Pascal hype train. I’ve seen houseplants with more range in some of his past work. But as Reed Richards? He nailed it. Played Reed like a man carrying the weight of every possible future mistake on his back. Tortured, brilliant, and awkward as hell. For once, the guy’s sleepy eyes worked for the role.

And don’t even get me started on Ralph Ineson’s Galactus. That deep, growling voice could have made a Yelp review sound menacing. He felt like a wounded god starving for meaning and planets. The kind of villain who’s terrifying and tragic, and maybe just needs a giant hug.

And Paul Walter Hauser as Mole Man? The MVP of the background. His brief, awkward scenes with Pascal were somehow both hilarious and weirdly endearing. When he popped in to help during the finale, I smiled like I just saw my weird uncle crawl out of a sewer and save Christmas. He made it weird. And it worked. Thought he was going to tell them “ The Sh..ers full.”

Speaking of weird the 1960s alternate universe setting? It was like a cosmic acid trip through a retro-futuristic fever dream. A little gimmicky, a little gutsy, and somehow just the right amount of nuts. Think bell bottoms, nuclear optimism, and jetpacks all filtered through Jack Kirby’s brain during a thunderstorm. Bold move, Marvel and I’m weirdly into it… Sock it to me!

And the visuals? Forget the usual CGI soup. There’s a scene where Silver Surfer tears across fire-space and surfs through a black hole as Galactus’s world ship looms in the distance. It was like watching a Pink Floyd video directed by Stanley Kubrick. I knew what was going on but still felt like I needed 3D glasses and a faint understanding of quantum physics. Fun!

Now let’s not pretend this thing was flawless. No, no, no.
The first plan to stop Galactus (and I cannot stress this enough) was to “teleport the Earth” to another solar system. Teleport the earth…really??? I’ve heard better ideas from drunk nerds arguing about space wizards (Jedi for those who are uninitiated). It was a plan so dumb it circled back around to offensive. Playground-tier logic. Thank God the plot course-corrected before I started throwing things.

Still even with the occasional eye-roll The Fantastic Four: First Steps shocked me. It didn’t just clear the absurdly low bar set by its predecessors; it launched over it like Johnny Storm on an espresso bender.

So what would I say to someone as skeptical as I was?

In a world suffocating under creatively bankrupt, overcooked superhero sludge, this movie is a breath of fresh air much like like Mel Brooks cracking open a can of Perri-Air in Spaceballs. I came in ready to hate. I left wanting a sequel.

Yeah, That good.
I can’t give it 5 out of 5 stars it will just have to make do being Fantastic 4 out of 5.

07/17/2025

Spencer Blackwelder

07/14/2025

Big Stu’s Movie Review: Ghostbusters (2016)

Who ya gonna call?
Literally anyone else. Seriously. Call pest control, a medium, or your grandma with a camcorder — just not this movie.

This wasn’t just a misfire — it was a Hollywood dumpster fire, soaked in slime and lit with the flaming remains of what used to be a beloved franchise. Ghostbusters 2016 didn’t simply miss the mark; it vaporized it, laughed, and asked for a participation trophy.

The original Ghostbusters had brains, wit, charm, and that perfect balance of spooky and hilarious. It was lightning in a proton pack. This reboot? It's like a toddler found the controls to a CGI blender and someone let it run for two hours. The humor was less “clever quip” and more “desperate sketch comedy tryout.”

Instead of eccentric scientists, we got a crew who behaved like middle-schoolers on a sugar high. Every character was a caricature, like a fan fiction written by someone who’d only heard about the original secondhand. Leslie Jones had a few moments of real comedic timing, but it was like finding a single working lightbulb in a haunted house. And Chris Hemsworth... I’m still not sure if his character was a prank on the audience or the actor himself.

As for the plot? Imagine trying to piece together a puzzle, but every piece is from a different box, and someone keeps yelling about feminism in the background. It wasn’t just preachy — it was smug. And no, it wasn’t the all-female cast that was the problem. It was the fact that they were shoved into a script that treated them like walking punchlines instead of characters. Want strong female leads? Great. Give them a story that doesn’t feel like a clumsy PowerPoint presentation with fart jokes.

The disrespect to the original was almost aggressive. The cameos? Painful. The tone? Like a forced office team-building exercise trying to “go viral.” The effects? All sizzle, no soul. And the comedy? If awkward silence were a soundtrack, this film would be platinum.

If you want a real Ghostbusters sequel, watch Ghostbusters: Afterlife — a movie that actually understands what made the original special instead of trying to Frankenstein its co**se into a focus-tested meme factory.

Ghostbusters 2016 wasn’t just bad. It was the cinematic equivalent of crossing the streams — and not in a good way.

Would I watch it again? Only if I were trapped in the Ghost Dimension with no escape.
Would I recommend it? Only to people I actively dislike and want to confuse emotionally.

07/13/2025

Review: Superman (2025) – Hope, Heart, and the Man of Steel

Okay, let’s talk Superman (2025). I was cautiously optimistic going in, but by the end, I was genuinely impressed. This isn’t just another Superman movie—this one really gets what makes the character tick, and I’m here for it.

David Corenswet as Clark Kent? Nailed it. The guy brings heart and a touch of innocence that I haven’t seen since the golden days of Superman. The standout moment for me was that interview scene—where he’s just desperate to save everyone, no matter the cost. You could feel his internal conflict, and it really brought the character to life in a way that felt raw and real. That’s how you make Superman relatable without making him dark and brooding.

Now, on to the visuals—overall, they were great. It didn’t feel like the CGI was ever distracting (except maybe during some of the flying scenes, which, let’s be real, just don’t hold a candle to Superman 78). But the way Metropolis looked? Totally engaged me. Bright, full of life, and really gave that classic Superman vibe, which we haven’t had in a while.

As for the story, it hit the mark. It was classic Superman through and through but still fresh enough to keep me engaged. The addition of the Justice Gang and Krypto? Chef’s kiss. And I’ve gotta say, it was refreshing to watch a superhero movie where there wasn’t some heavy-handed, “woke” message jammed down your throat. This movie just let the characters be themselves.

The tone was mostly spot on—until we hit that final confrontation with Lex Luthor (played by Nicholas Hoult). I’m all for a good villain monologue, but Luthor’s speech just didn’t land the way it should’ve. Still, it didn’t ruin the whole vibe.

As for the cast, they crushed it. Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern? Perfect. Edi Gathegi as Mr. Terrific? Great. The Lois Lane played by Rachel Brosnahan was exactly what you’d want—strong, smart, and had a real connection with Clark. And I didn’t expect much from the side characters like Ma and Pa Kent (played by Neve Howell and Pruitt Taylor Vince), but they were surprisingly good. Even Perry White (played by Wendell Pierce) was unexpectedly excellent—who knew the guy had such perfect comedic timing for the role?

A special shoutout to Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen—a character who usually gets lost in the shuffle in most Superman movies. Here, Jimmy feels like more than just the quirky, camera-wielding sidekick. Gisondo really makes the character fun and endearing, giving him more depth than I’ve seen in ages. It was nice to see him get more attention, and honestly, he adds a lot of heart to the film.

Now, let’s talk action. Oh man, this is where the movie really shines. The action scenes were intense, and they did a fantastic job of showing just how much Superman struggles to save people while fighting these huge threats. We’ve seen Superman in battle before, but this movie brings a much-needed human element to it. There’s this constant back-and-forth where Superman’s not just trying to take down bad guys—he’s also saving civilians caught in the crossfire, guiding people to safety, and stopping falling debris—he’s stretched thin, doing everything he can to save lives.

It’s easy to forget that while Superman might be invincible, he’s still only one man, and he can’t be everywhere at once.

The flying fights and punch-ups are great, but it’s these moments of Superman’s true heroism that make the action feel earned. It’s not just about the spectacle; it’s about the people he’s trying to protect. And when those moments land—when you see that sense of responsibility on his face—it makes the big explosions and CGI-heavy battles feel more grounded.

Pacing was pretty good overall, but I’ll admit, the pocket dimension scenes kind of slowed things down for me a bit. Honestly, I’m just over the whole “pocket/ alternate dimension” trope at this point. It’s become this go-to crutch for writers when they need a convenient plot device, and it’s getting tired. The concept isn’t new, it doesn’t always make sense, and it often just adds unnecessary complexity. Here, the pocket dimension plot felt more confusing than cool, and it really took me out of the story for a while. Can we just retire this trope already? It’s like the movie didn’t trust itself to tell a simple story without throwing in this extra layer of weirdness.

Lastly, the vibe of this movie was everything I needed. After all the dark and gritty stuff we’ve been getting lately, this was a much-needed breath of fresh air. It’s hopeful, uplifting, and packed with just enough nostalgia (thanks, John Williams score callbacks) to scratch that Superman itch we’ve all been missing.

Rating: 4.5/5 – There were some minor flaws (that Luthor monologue, a couple pacing issues, and the confusing pocket dimension), but this is still a Superman movie I’m excited to revisit. If you’re a fan of the character, this one definitely delivers.

04/11/2025

Hello boys and girls Big Stu here!
Sorry that I’ve been off the grid lately but I’ve had to deal with some stuff in the past few months!

That being said I’m glad to announce that starting May 9th we will be open on Saturdays! From 12- 6 for your nostalgia needs! Also we will be hosting DnD game nights on Monday and Friday nights starting at 7pm so come have an adventure with us!

Also check us iut on our EBay store
https://www.ebay.com/usr/1.21_gigawatts_comics_toys

Again thank you for the supporter
and your pacients.

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