John's Journal

Hello everyone and welcome to a new list. As most of you know there has been a huge push for diversity in media. Especially in the world of superheroes. By now it's a well known fact that most superheroes are white, but thankfully as time went on there have been more superheroes of color introduced and have made their names known. And as a long time comic book reader I can say from experience that the excitement felt from seeing heroes that look like you is one of the most dynamic emotions one can experience. So for Black History Month we are going to honor the brothers and sisters that use their amazing gifts to fight for truth and justice. So without further ado, here are my top five favorite black superheroes. 5. Cyborg "BOOYAH!" Starting off this list is the perfect blend between man and machine, Cyborg. Victor Stone was originally a high school football star who was at the top of his class and had scholarships coming at him in every direction. Unfortunately he...

Hello everyone and welcome to a new installment of Rise and Fall. In this series, we take a look at movie franchises that used to reign supreme only to hit rock bottom. And today we’re taking a look at yet another animated film franchise that I adored in my childhood, but unfortunately I don’t have the highest opinion of it nowadays. I’m talking of course about the Ice Age franchise. For those of you who don’t know, Ice Age is the flagship franchise of Blue Sky Animation Studios and second only to Shrek when it comes to the title of highest grossing animated film franchise of all time. But in spite of it’s massive success, the series has been experiencing a slump lately in terms of critical and audience reception. Why is that? Well first of all let’s go back all the way to the beginning. The Origin Way back in the 1990’s, Disney was kicking ass and taking names in an era known as the Disney Renaissance, with highly successful animated musicals such as Aladdin and The L...

Hey guys. It's a new year and to celebrate, today I'm going to be showcasing a new segment on my blog called "Rise and Fall", in which we take a look at how certain film franchises became one of the biggest in Hollywood only to lose their spark and eventually hit rock bottom.  Now to kick this segment off, I'm going to be looking at a series that I used to love back in my childhood. The series in question is none other than Shrek. Some-BODY once told me For those of you who don't know, Shrek is a series of animated films made by Dreamworks animation studios about about a green ogre named Shrek as he goes on various adventures in a world full of fairytale creatures and characters. It also holds the honor of being the highest grossing animated film franchise of all time with all of the films totaling at over $3 billion worldwide. So with a series that had this much success why would it end up on a segment like this? Well let's start at the ver...

Good Grief! And I mean that in a good way! Hey guys, it's John. Now let me tell you all something, if there was anything that was a shining gem from my childhood, it's Peanuts. For those of you who don't know, Peanuts, a newspaper strip created by Charles Schulz, tells the story of the every day lives of a boy named Charlie Brown and his dog Snoopy. It is hands down one of the most influential and iconic comic strips of all time and it has spawned numerous television specials (most famously the Christmas and Halloween ones) and even a couple of feature films. But now after 35 years, Charlie Brown and the gang have made a return to theaters. So how does the peanuts latest film fair? Let's find out. The Good Hoo boy, where do I begin? Because this film got numerous things right. Let's start off with the animation. When I first heard that the movie was going to be in CGI I was extremely worried because I thought that this meant that the characters wouldn...

Hey guys, it's me again, and hoo boy it's been a while since I last posted. Mainly due to the fact that school and things in my personal life have been getting in the way, but alas the hiatus is finally over and I'm back for the month of October! Now since October is known for being a month full of spooks, I started to ponder what I should write about. Suddenly, I began to think about writing about a superhero for October. And there is truly no other superhero that fit's the Halloween atmosphere more than this guy: DARKNESS! NO PARENTS! Yes folks, today the spotlight is gonna be on the dark knight. For over several decades, Batman has been entertaining people worldwide with his kickass adventures, memorable supporting cast and of course, his iconic rogues gallery. And with a history as rich as Batman's, you can be sure that there were some moments that disturbed the hell out of a lot of people. But which one's stood out the most? Which one's left the gr...

Sonic's the name speed's his game! As many Sonic fans may already know, the 25th anniversary for the blue blur is right around the corner. Sure he may have had his ups and downs and all arounds  throughout the years but regardless, the fans have stuck by his side through thick and thin. And to prepare for Sonic's 25th birthday, I have decided to take a look back on some my personal favorites of the blue blur's best levels throughout his his history. Now for this list I'm only going to include levels from games I have played. Oh and another thing, this list is entirely opinion based. So don't feel upset if your favorite level isn't on the list. Without further ado, let's get things started. 7. Music Plant (Sonic Advance 2) Now the first Sonic Advance believe it or not was my first Sonic game and it was the game that turned me into a loyal fan of the series. So when I found out there was a sequel, I was stoked. So when my mom finally bought the game ...