An adventure above and below the ocean’s surface, Aquaman is one of the best DC films made to date. Jason Momoa first portrayed the character in Justice League and the wait to see him really strut his stuff was well worth it.

Aquaman is a pretty goofy character on paper, after all, he can talk to fish. There have been many good comic book runs for him over the decades and there’s a reason why he’s a longtime member of the Justice League: the guys a hero. It’s been a long time coming for Arthur Curry to get his own movie and the technology to make his world believable is here alongside director James Wan to give it much needed flair. Aquaman runs the fine line of being weird but not too over the top and serious without taking itself too seriously.

I think this movie succeeds in all the right areas. The introduction to the main character’s background is well done and paced well. Half human and half Atlantian Arthur grows up without his Atlantian mother because she broke the rules running from Atlantis and falling in love with a man from the surface. She must leave her young family to keep them safe and when Arthur finds out she was executed for her “crimes” he becomes bitter to the world. Not to say he doesn’t succeed and grow up with his father but it makes a lasting mark on his psyche. While he does accept training from an Atlantian named Vulko when he discovers he has extraordinary powers, Arthur is pretty reserved when it comes to helping others. He’s not one for the spotlight despite his boisterous personality. And then Atlantis comes knocking on Arthur’s door when a war on the surface is called by his half-brother King Orm. Having sworn off having anything to do with Atlantis, as heir to the throne Arthur is forced to act.

And the globe trotting adventure begins! An eye popping film, Aquaman is vibrant and beautiful in every scene. James Wan dances with the camera during action scenes and I lost count of how many stunning poster quality shots there are. There are some sections that look like they were torn right out of a comic book. Seeing Black Manta in his full comic book outfit fighting Aquaman in real life was an absolute trip.

This movie could have been a complete disaster if the SFX were done poorly. Plenty of time for pre and post production was clearly given as I can’t complain about any of it. The underwater visuals are done fantastic and that’s about half of the movie. There are some odd looking things here and there but for me that’s nitpicking. I believed what I was watching and that’s all I need.

I feel like this movie was the perfect length, even if parts of it feel rushed. There’s a lot of quick setups just to get to the next scene and how Arthur and Mera travel the world with seemingly no resources is never considered. But I liked the overall story arc, watching Arthur basically grow to become a hero for everybody. When he dons the classic yellow and green suit it feels earned and amazing. I think my only big knock on the movie is the odd music choices that don’t fit the mood or the action of the movie.

Aquaman is a great example of getting the right people on a project. A lot of love and care was put into making this and it shows on screen.

With this third film, the John Wick franchise continues to be the best American action film series, hand down. While there are a few contenders for the crown (the last Mission: Impossible comes to mind) the level of creativity and execution is nearly unmatched.

The first John Wick released in 2014 and took everybody by surprise, I don’t think many people even knew it was being made while in production. Until then, Keanu Reeves action resume basically revolved around the Matrix series where we all saw his level of dedication (along with the rest of the cast) to fight prep. The Wick series is his continuation of that crazy work ethic. Gunplay far beyond what we saw in the Matrix movies married with intricute fight choregraphy and brilliant stunt work filmed from a distance with long takes. Usually you have to turn to Hong Kong cinema to see that. We all rejoiced to see John Wick get revenge on the punks who killed his dog.

While I’m in the middle of the road for part 2 (I think the original is a better watch) Parabellum is a sight to behold. The plot, John Wick desperately trying to survive a massive bounty on his head after killing a high ranking assassin on sacred ground in part 2, is just there to stitch the action scenes together.

And these action scenes are nuts. Right away, we are treated to a monstrous one on one fight in a library. It just explodes from there, with the first half hour of the movie being almost entirely action. Fights with I think every kind of weapon in existence. Small fights with one or two people, huge fights with waves of baddies and everything in between. Different locales all gorgeously lit and framed. The dance of violence in this movie hasn’t been done since The Raid and The Raid 2 (and the first two John Wick movies).

I’ve seen a ton of action movies so I thought I’d seen it all until Sofia (the fantastic Halle Berry) hits the scene with her two trained German Shepard attack dogs. I think the fight scene with those dogs is somewhere around 8 minutes long and I have no idea how they did it. I mean they had these dogs doing insane stunts, mauling dudes left and right like they were made of Snausages. Some of the most riveting action and stunts I’ve ever seen.

Odds are if you are into action movies, you’ve already scene this so I’m preaching to the choir. This whole thing is just a long way of me saying I love Keanu Reeves and I love John Wick.

Another great speaking event in the books!

These are so much fun. Meeting people who took the time to read my work and talking about the in and outs is a special experience. It also helps the ego when a room full of people tell you that they like what you’ve put so much hard work into.

There were a dozen women in this book club and they had their questions prepared and ready to go. So this time, I kept my introduction briefer than I did before. Talked about the genesis of the novel (which actually answered a few of their questions) and then I went right into Q and A. I did my best to keep eye contact with everyone (seating was arranged in a circle) and I made a conscious effort to move on when I noticed people losing interested. It’s very easy for me to give a long-winded answer to a question.

The hour went by fast, the conversation was easy and the questions were good and spurred conversation about the world and society (which is what the book is about). That was really exciting to see that my main message is getting across and it makes people think. A few women talked about their own blackout experiences. Two women there became close friends years ago because the power was out for days and they met and bonded at a community relief center!

I sign a bunch of books and one woman was a standout, she was really excited to meet me, talk, and was first in line to get her book signed. It reminded me of when I’ve gone to a signing and watching others be so happy to meet that author/artist. An honest and real excitement to meet a creator. That’s a trip.