Goodfellas, by Albert W. Vogt III
Why is Goodfellas (1990) a good movie? Put differently, in keeping with the theme of these past few weeks, why does the American Film Institute (AFI) rate it as the 92nd greatest American film of all time? If you look at the list that I have been going off of, it does not explain why it has ordered them in…
Fast X, by Albert W. Vogt III
The most emotional part of my trip to the cinema to see Fast X, or whatever it is called, came during the commercials before it started. Olay has been running an advertisement featuring a young woman at different stages in her thus far short life. You see her as a beaming, happy child, and then somewhere around her…
Apocalypse Now, by Albert W. Vogt III
For reasons that are beyond my ability to explain, Apocalypse Now (1979), the American Film Institute’s (AFI) thirtieth greatest American movie of all time, has gone through a few different re-releases. There is a director’s cut and something called a “Redux.” What these basically mean is that they are longer versions of the same film. Why anyone would want to…
The Godfather Part II, by Albert W. Vogt III
If you have been a keen observer of The Legionnaire over the years, then thank you! Also, if this describes you, you might be asking, hey, what happened to The Godfather (1972)?! It is a fair question because I have yet to address it. Another thing you may have noticed is that I have been saving certain legendary films for when my…
Blade Runner, by Cameron J. Czaja
Imagine it, the year 2019, a year so technologically advanced that we will have flying cars and androids so life-like that the only way to recognize one without killing it is through a test. Sounds like a pretty cool, cyberpunk type of a year, right? Unfortunately, that’s not how our real life in 2019 turned out.…
Do the Right Thing, by Albert W. Vogt III
With a title like Do the Right Thing (1989), the American Film Institute’s (AFI) 96th greatest American film of all time, I am immediately interested. I had no idea about this movie before seeing it. I am aware of its director, Spike Lee, who also produced, wrote, and starred in it. I have enjoyed his other work, like Malcolm X (1992) and Inside Man (2006). Lee’s…
Ghosted, by Albert W. Vogt III
The weekend after a big cinematic release is often a dud. Last weekend, the long-awaited Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 premiered. I, like many others, went to the theaters to see it. What separates me from others is the fact that I try to go on a weekly basis. Doing so means that you get familiar with all the trailers…
The Deer Hunter, by Albert W. Vogt III
With the opening shot of The Deer Hunter (1978), number fifty-three on the American Film Institute’s (AFI) 100 Greatest American Films of All Time list, I was already depressed. It is a dark, desolate steel town deep in the Pennsylvania mountains. It is the kind of place that (if you know your recent American History or are from this…
Unforgiven, by Albert W. Vogt III
Westerns have changed over the years, but Clint Eastwood has remained the same. I mean, he is older, and looks it, but he has stayed as gruff as ever. The genre predates the actor and director, but when he began making them, he was part of a shift from the more heroic stories of the first decades…
Spartacus, by Albert W. Vogt III
The career of Stanley Kubrick is an interesting one. At some point in the 1960s, it appears that he went a bit batty. Before this, he produced well made movies that, on the surface, look no different than any other made at the time. There is a little context needed. By the end of the 1950s, the rules that…
Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3, by Albert W. Vogt III
There is nothing new to Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3. At the same time, it had me on the verge of tears more than once while watching it. Does that mean that I am an emotional sap? Maybe. It could also be that there is a little more going on here than your typical Marvel fare. You can draw your…
Pulp Fiction, by Albert W. Vogt III
People love Pulp Fiction (1994), including the American Film Institute (AFI). They have it as the ninety-fourth greatest American film of all time on its list of the top 100. At first glance, you can look at such a ranking and not think much of it. After all, that is near the bottom. Then again, when you compare that to how…
Platoon, by Albert W. Vogt III
When I was younger, I used to romanticize war. I look back on those days, and I thank God I did not go through with a military career. In the meantime, I continued to study warfare, even when my graduate coursework had nothing to do with the subject. Of course, this meant movies about the subject. The change in…
Ben-Hur, by Albert W. Vogt III
One of the unfortunate aspects of Ben-Hur (1959), the 100th entry on the American Film Institute’s (AFI) 100 Greatest American Films of All Time list, is the scene for which it is most remembered. If you think about or remember this movie at all, you likely recall the chariot sequence. Do not get me wrong, it is thrilling. You have to…
Taxi Driver, by Albert W. Vogt III
Recently, I watched The French Connection (1971), the American Film Institute’s ninety-third greatest American film of all time. Lower on the list is Taxi Driver (1976) at number fifty-two. These movies are linked in showing a New York City seemingly beyond saving, culturally, economically, and, most importantly, spiritually. If you read my review of The French Connection, you will note the hopelessness with…
Shane, by Albert W. Vogt III
Who does not want to see a movie about the change over from free range cattle raising to homesteading in the late nineteenth century American West? I do not know about you, but this is the kind of thrilling material I look for when it comes to the Westerns I want to watch. To be fair to Shane (1953),…
The African Queen, by Albert W. Vogt III
There were many misconceptions I brought into my viewing of The African Queen (1951), number sixty-five on the American Film Institute’s (AFI) list of the 100 greatest American films of all time. For starters, I thought it was filmed in black and white. The opening credits quickly take care of that one when it proudly displays the Technicolor logo. I…
Chevalier, by Albert W. Vogt III
There were three films premiering this weekend: Evil Dead Rise, Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant, and Chevalier (2022). If there is a moment when you thought that I would be seeing Evil Dead Rise, then you have not read many reviews fromThe Legionnaire. Regardless, if this is your first time reading this blog, then know that, with a few very select exceptions, I…
The French Connection, by Albert W. Vogt III
Number ninety-three on the American Film Institute’s (AFI) 100 Greatest American Films of All Time is The French Connection (1971). Honestly, I have no idea how to describe this movie in terms of fitting it into my usual model. It follows two New York City Police Detectives, Buddy “Cloudy” Russo (Roy Scheider) and his partner Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle (Gene…
The Bridge on the River Kwai, by Albert W. Vogt III
There are many things that I admire about the British. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), the American Film Institute’s (AFI) thirty-sixth greatest American film of all time, calls many of these traits into question. I will not spend a lot of time on these details, hoping that it will become evident as this review unfolds. Instead, I…
North by Northwest, by Albert W. Vogt III
Have you ever traveled by car through the state of Indiana? It is one of the dullest parts of the country. Then again, one could say the same thing about my native Illinois. You will have to pardon me for being partial. And, to be fair, I have not done an extensive amount of exploration of the Hoosier State. Or…
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, by Albert W. Vogt III
There is a line in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) that has been echoed over the decades, and I am not sure why it is so famous. At one point, Fred C. Dobbs (Humphrey Bogart) is holding a gun on the infamous Mexican bandito known as Gold Hat (Alfonso Bedoya). Gold Hat is trying to claim that…
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, by Albert W. Vogt III
Most people know today’s film, number thirty-nine on the American Film Institute’s 100 Greatest American Films of All Time, as simply Dr. Strangelove (1964). Its full title is Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Besides being easier to say, the shortened title does not do justice to the bizarre and frightening nature of…
Renfield, by Albert W. Vogt III
At this point in Nicolas Cage’s career, I think he is just playing characters that give him the freedom to ham it up as much as possible. For further evidence of what I am talking about, please refer to The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022). I did not see that one, but I did read Cameron’s review,…
Chinatown, by Albert W. Vogt III
Such is my growing appreciation for old movies thanks to the American Film Institute’s (AFI) 100 Greatest American Films of All Time list that I was initially taken in by its twenty-first entry Chinatown (1974). By the time of its production, the majority of films had done away with the old school opening credits you see here. That, and…
The Super Mario Bros. Movie, by Cameron J. Czaja
Whether you’re into video games or not, one can’t deny not knowing one famous video game character that has delighted people of all ages and that character is nonother than Mario from the Super Mario Brothers video game series by Nintendo. From his red hat and blue overalls to his famous catchphrase “it’s a me,…
Lawrence of Arabia, by Albert W. Vogt III
Here is a brief list of things I did while watching Lawrence of Arabia (1962): played (and won) two games of chess, checked Facebook, threw a tennis ball against a wall, did research on the real-life T. E. Lawrence (Peter O’Toole), made and ate dinner, texted and had a conversation with Isaac, stared off into space, almost…
E.T. the Extra Terrestrial, by Albert W. Vogt III
If you pay attention to production companies that are displayed at the beginning of movies, then you have probably been exposed to something related to today’s movie, E.T. the Extra Terrestrial (1982). This is because Steven Spielberg made it, and he decided to name his enterprise Amblin Entertainment and use as its logo a memorable moment from the…
On the Waterfront, by Albert W. Vogt III
Priests have an unfortunate reputation, at least regarding how they are portrayed in popular culture. It is unfair, too, but that is the nature of stereotypes for you. As these things often begin, you have a small sample of a population behave in a manner that brings them attention, negatively or positively, and the zeitgeist now sees…
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, by Albert W. Vogt III
There are a few things that can be definitively said about Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Namely, it is that there are dungeons, dragons, and thieves in it. Outside of these, like the game on which the film is based, the rest is a bunch of made-up crap. I should not be so harsh. It is hard for me…
The Maltese Falcon, by Albert W. Vogt III
The first movie that likely comes to mind when you think about Humphrey Bogart, if you think about Humphrey Bogart, is likely Casablanca (1942). According to the American Film Institute (AFI), there is good reason for such esteem. It is number three on its list of the 100 Greatest American Films of All Time. The Legionnaire celebrated its 500th review by covering…
King Kong (1933), by Albert W. Vogt III
How many of you believe that the recent Godzilla and King Kong are original concepts? Probably not many of you, since the most recent iteration of them on screen is the ridiculous Godzilla vs. Kong (2021), or at least I hope this is not the case. I would think that those of you unfortunate enough to see it, like me, realized that it…
John Wick: Chapter 4, by Albert W. Vogt III
As I drove away from the theater after seeing John Wick: Chapter 4, I grew reflective. I wondered who is at fault for such a movie? Is it the people who make this nonsense, or those who consume it, that are to blame. I suppose I should be counted with the latter group. After all, I paid for a ticket…
The Searchers, by Albert W. Vogt III
If it was me picking the American Film Institute’s (AFI) 100 Greatest American Films of All Time, I would not choose The Searchers (1956) as the highest rated Western on that list. It is ranked twelfth overall, while the next one of its genre is High Noon (1952) at twenty-seven. I would put that one above The Searchers. Indeed, I do not know…
High Noon, by Albert W. Vogt III
The highest rated Western on the American Film Institute’s (AFI) 100 Greatest American Films of All Time is The Searchers (1956). It stars John Wayne. If there is a brand of cinema that has come to represent the movies this country has produced, it is the Western. The most recognizable star of this most recognizable genre was John Wayne. Having said…
Shazam! Fury of the Gods, by Albert W. Vogt III
Sometimes I regret the dedication I have to keeping up with The Legionnaire. I am currently visiting with some friends of mine, who have blessed me with the honor of being Godfather to their new daughter. How do I repay my good friend? By taking him to see Shazam! Fury of the Gods. Poor guy. He spent the entire day picking up…
The General, by Albert W. Vogt III
For reasons I could not explain to you, when we think of the silent film era, the first name that usually comes to mind is Charlie Chaplin. That statement is not meant to be ironic. Chaplin rightfully deserves his due. Yet, that era of cinema does not necessarily begin and end with the famous tramp. Those who are familiar…
R.I.P.D., by Albert W. Vogt III
Recently, I noticed on Netflix that some mad person made R.I.P.D. 2: Rise of the Damned (2022). There is a title of significance to a Catholic reviewer. Now, perhaps I am being unfair by letting snark creep in already, in case you have not already sniffed out my attitude. After all, I had never seen the original, R.I.P.D. (2013). What I had heard…
RoboCop (2014), by Albert W. Vogt III
Remakes. Re-imaginings. Reboots. Whatever it is that you want to call the process of taking a popular film from back in the day and retelling it as you desire, there is one way of describing it that you cannot deny: unoriginal. There will be those that argue that the way it is done is unique in some ways. Take, for…
RoboCop 3, by Albert W. Vogt III
After about a half hour of RoboCop 3 (1993), I paused the film. I had to look at how much time had transpired since it began. I was concerned because with the aforementioned period of time gone by, the title character had clocked in roughly five minutes of screen time, maybe less. Indeed, I would go so far as to…
Creed III, by Albert W. Vogt III
Well, I did not watch all those Rocky and Creed movies for nothing, you know? By the way, as a matter of procedure, if you read that last statement and did not know what it pertains to, then you are likely not subscribed to The Legionnaire. If this is the case, then you missed what I have to say about the eight…
Gamer, by Albert W. Vogt III
Netflix, I have noticed lately, has a new category of movies that are around ninety minutes long. This is great for me as I try to watch a few movies a day. I do this in between all the other duties a typical day brings me. While scrolling through the choices this evening, I landed on a film…
Arctic, by Albert W. Vogt III
The first film in which I recall seeing Mads Mikkelsen was Casino Royale (2006). He played Le Chiffre, the villain opposite James Bond (Daniel Craig). He made for a great bad guy, and that is a role that I have seen him fill in a number of other films. We tend to look at people with thick foreign accents as…
2 Guns, by Albert W. Vogt III
Recently, I began watching Bill Russell: Legend on Netflix. I opted for this while looking for something to view while eating breakfast and lunch. As an aside, did you know that the most successful center in Boston Celtics’ history graduated from a Catholic University, the University of San Francisco? My curiosity about this led me to research his faith further,…
The Pink Panther 2, by Albert W. Vogt III
Upon beginning this review of The Pink Panther 2 (2009), there was one thought that ticked slightly above idle curiosity: why did Kevin Kline not return as Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus? Instead, the role is filled by John Cleese. I am not complaining. As a Monty Python fan, I like Cleese. I am not sure why he opted to not do the outrageous…
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, by Albert W. Vogt III
What does it tell you that for the title to my notes for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, I simply wrote “Ant-Man 3?” Does it mean that I am getting Marvel fatigue? Is it simply short-hand for a long title? Is it a sign of a lack of detail on my part? The answer lies somewhere in the middle of…
The Pink Panther (2006), by Albert W. Vogt III
When I was knee-high to a grasshopper (or three apples tall as they say in France, apparently), I watched a lot of cartoons. There were the classic Saturday morning variety, like The Smurfs. There were the ones that were supposedly geared mostly to boys (ah, the 1980s) like G.I. Joe. Then there were holdovers from a bygone era. These included several…
The Big Lebowski, by Albert W. Vogt III
My least favorite sport of all time is bowling. Apologies to anyone who is an aficionado, but it seems mundane to me. You roll the ball, the pins are knocked down, you set them back up, and repeat. A round could go on forever if they did not cap them at ten frames. Admittedly, part of my distaste is…
Reservoir Dogs, by Albert W. Vogt III
Okay, I know I said I was going to try to be less critical in my reviews. I have also commented that when it comes to Quentin Tarantino’s work, I am less a fan of his early stuff. There are a lot of people who like Reservoir Dogs (1992). It is a movie I heard a lot about in high…
John Wick: Chapter 2, by Albert W. Vogt III
The only reason I decided to watch John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017) is because I imagine there will be a day in the not-too-distant future when I will be sitting down in the theater viewing John Wick: Chapter 4. Yes, I realize there is a gap. The missing one is John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019). I know I went to the…
Creed II, by Albert W. Vogt III
One good thing to say about the Creed franchise to this point is that it does not follow the same pattern as its predecessor, Rocky, with reminding you for the first few minutes what happened in the last one. Some may appreciate the reminder of what they had last seen. I do not. But, hey, if that is you, then more…
Knock at the Cabin, by Albert W. Vogt III
Okay, so, I believe I wrote somewhere recently that I am trying not to be so critical. I know this is difficult as the root word from that adjective is my self-appointed job. The director of the new release I saw this weekend, M. Knight Shyamalan, makes abstaining from too much criticism harder. That movie, by the way,…
Creed, by Albert W. Vogt III
Now that we have gotten the entire Rocky franchise out of the way, it is time to address the next cinematic prodigy of pugilism. It starts (again) with Creed (2015). In case you are not an idiot like myself and have not recently rewatched the entire previous series, the name in the title refers to Robert “Rocky” Balboa’s (Sylvester Stallone) former…
Rocky Balboa, by Albert W. Vogt III
Through the first five movies in the Rocky franchise, the title character’s love interest and eventual wife, Adrianna “Adrian” Balboa née Pennino was played by Talia Shire. Shire is still alive and well, thus clearly available for this last of the series to bear the famous fictional boxer’s name. There is a cynical notion that Hollywood does not want…
Rocky V, by Albert W. Vogt III
Here we are, Rocky V (1990). The series at some point became a punchline for how many sequels have been made. I will not trouble with you any of the jokes, but you can probably get the picture just by knowing there is a fifth one. And this is not even the last iteration. Having said that, I am not sure…
Rocky IV, by Albert W. Vogt III
It was inevitable that I would run out of ways of introducing movies in the Rocky franchise. Like many real-life athletes, they probably hung around for too long. Their box office returns would say otherwise. I mean, even Tom Brady won Super Bowls in his forties. That does not change the fact that he is old, by athletic standards. Then again, I…
Rocky III, by Albert W. Vogt III
How do you keep a franchise going when your main character, the title one in the Rocky franchise, is supposed to always be the underdog? The answer lies with sports. The problem is that not everyone enjoys these pastimes. A good movie will bring most anyone to the theater, but the material will only keep a large audience’s attention for…
Shotgun Wedding, by Albert W. Vogt III
This past weekend had nothing remarkable released, so I did not go to the cinema. It was just as well. It was my birthday weekend and I felt like I had much better things to do than to sit through Infinity Pool. Then again, the same could be said for today’s film, Shotgun Wedding (2022). Why the different premier year, you may…
Rocky II, by Albert W. Vogt III
Honestly, I had never seen any of the films in the Rocky franchise. As I indicated in my review of the original, Rocky (1976), there are many aspects of them that are familiar. What has been a treat so far in watching the first two is the connection to the South Philadelphia Italian neighborhood that raised and nurtured Robert “Rocky”…
Rocky, by Albert W. Vogt III
With the imminent release of Creed III, I thought it would be nice to go back to where it all began with Rocky (1976). It is one of those movies that many people are familiar with, even if they have not seen it. The name has become synonymous with the underdog triumphing over all odds. There is the music, often used…
A Fish Called Wanda, by Albert W. Vogt III
There is much about A Fish Called Wanda (1988) that does not necessarily feed the soul. That is, of course, what a Catholic reviewer such as myself prizes the most from a film. There is dishonesty, infidelity, robbery, unfaithfulness, and violence. It is also a comedy. Sometimes these things can be funny, although I confess that I did not laugh as…
The Legend of Zorro, by Albert W. Vogt III
After watching The Legend of Zorro (2005), a current house guest of mine and I went down to the beach. We did so because an expensive looking yacht had beached itself, a rare occasion. At this particular moment, they were beginning the process of towing it off the sand in which it had become lodged. While we did not stick…
The Mask of Zorro, by Albert W. Vogt III
When cable began, one of the first companies to take advantage of this new broadcast opportunity was Disney. My family, I feel, got in pretty early with this up-and-coming way of watching television. My sister and I were never huge Disney people, but we loved watching the Disney channel. I suspect it was for vastly different reasons. In those…
Missing, by Albert W. Vogt III
Have you ever sat or stood over someone’s shoulder and watched them use their computer? Well, if you see Missing, get ready for almost two hours of this kind of nonsense. Perhaps I am not being charitable. At the same time, neither am I lying. The movie is shot entirely from the perspective of somebody looking at a computer screen. I…
Sneakers, by Albert W. Vogt III
Sometimes we look at the things in the world and feel there is nothing to do but something drastic. Such are the problems we face that we feel powerless to do anything about them, which leads to the kind of desperation that coincides with drastic. What such thoughts often engender is a desire for control. If only I…
Plane, by Albert W. Vogt III
What I saw this weekend was a Plane old, okay new, movie. Actually, I thought of that pun before I got to the theater. It is also nice when your predictions in pun form come true. This is also not to say it is a bad movie. It is not a great one, either. Hence, pun becomes reality. I do not know much…
Emily the Criminal, by Albert W. Vogt III
Aubrey Plaza, the star of today’s film Emily the Criminal (2022), and I probably have little in common. As I understand it from watching interviews with her, she had a Catholic upbringing. So, there is one trait we share. Given other things I have learned about her, being baptized in the Church is perhaps where our similarities begin and end. I…
True Grit (2010), by Albert W. Vogt III
There will be some of you who might rail against me doing the 2010 remake of True Grit instead of the 1969 original, starring John Wayne. You may be even more scandalized when I tell you that I have never seen the earlier film. My job here, or with any other review, is not to catalog the differences between…
Sleeping Beauty, by Albert W. Vogt III
Perhaps The Legionnaire is bigger than even I realize? It could be that in quantity of reviews, anyway. When somebody recently suggested on social media that I review Disenchanted (2022), it came with the caveat that I should first watch Enchanted (2007). Fine, says I, who am I to deny all my fan. . . ? I liked neither of them, but dutiful wrote an…
Zoolander, by Albert W. Vogt III
Here is another entry from the golden age of Ben Stiller films: Zoolander (2001). I have to confess to not being excited for this one when it came out. I recall seeing previews for it in the theaters and thinking, what in the world. . . ? It was not until well after it came out that finally got around…
Jackie Brown, by Albert W. Vogt III
Not all Quentin Tarantino movies are created alike. I believe in other reviews of his films I have basically said as much. Jackie Brown (1997) is one that, for whatever reason, does not get talked about much amongst his total body of work. Everyone likes Pulp Fiction (1994), except this Catholic reviewer. Go ahead. I will give you a moment to rage against…
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, by Albert W. Vogt III
By now, if you have been reading The Legionnaire for some time, I would think you would know what a release of an animated movie means for me. If you are new, I will spell it out anyway: I gather my nieces and head to the cinema. One day, they will get too old for these things, or so…
John Wick, by Albert W. Vogt III
There are many reasons why John Wick (2014) is a completely asinine movie. It has nothing to do with what sets off Jonathan “John” Wick (Keanu Reeves) on a murderous rampage through a Russian mafia family. Having a former hitman turned family man turned revenge man say lines like “They killed my dog” may sound dumb, but if you…
Avatar: The Way of Water, by Albert W. Vogt III
Lately, while grading late into the wee hours of the morning, I have been putting on Dances with Wolves (1990). If you look at my review of that film, you will see a humorous anecdote about how it is one of the longest movies in the entire world. Hyperbole aside, my goal in putting it on is to race…
Intolerance: Love’s Struggle Through the Ages, by Albert W. Vogt III
One of these days I will run out of reasons to refer to my dissertation, “The Costumed Catholic: Catholics, Whiteness, and the Movies, 1928-1973.” For now, here is more context. When looking at the release year for today’s film, Intolerance: Love’s Struggle Through the Ages (1916, and henceforth just Intolerance because I do not feel like typing out the subtitle every…
Prometheus, by Albert W. Vogt III
Ever since the release of the first Alien film in 1979, they have been trying to replicate its ground breaking blend of science fiction and horror. Space can be a scary place, in conception anyway. Who knows what it is really like out there in the stars. We have not even come to fully understand our own solar system. It is…
Oblivion, by Albert W. Vogt III
Actual oblivion might be preferable to watching the movie called Oblivion (2013). At the same time, the word, which is a state of being unaware of what is happening, is a fitting title. It is one of those films with a big reveal at the end that you can kind of guess while watching it only to be disappointed. Like…
Elysium, by Albert W. Vogt III
Do you not just hate rich people? Man, rich people. It would just figure that they would come up with the secret to immortality, wait until the Earth is completely screwed with disease and pollution, and then bounce to outer space. This clichéd hypothetical is the premise of today’s film, Elysium (2013). It is so strange to me that Hollywood would…
Star Trek: First Contact, by Albert W. Vogt III
As has been documented, I do not care much for anything Star Trek related. For the record, a Star Destroyer from the Star Wars universe would annihilate any ship in Star Trek. Nerd side rant over. The only reason I deal with anything from the other science fiction giant, for lack of another term, is because I have friends that like it. My best…
Logan, by Albert W. Vogt III
With the recent announcement of Hugh Jackman reprising his iconic role as Logan, also known as Wolverine from the Marvel Comics famous mutant team of heroes known as the X-Men, I thought, why not do Logan (2017)? Actually, I am surprised I have not covered it sooner. It is also interesting to think about it in regards to the…
Violent Night, by Albert W. Vogt III
When I first say the trailer for Violent Night, I thought it was a joke. With my mouth slightly agape for a few seconds afterwards, I seriously believed that what I witnessed, like Santa Clause himself, was not real. We Catholics have the genuine article of St. Nicholas, but for all intents and purposes, none of the traditions…
Interstellar, by Albert W. Vogt III
There are movies that I frankly do not understand. There was also a time in my life when that would have aggravated me. One of the benefits of growing in Faith is becoming more in tune with how God sees you. I can, in no way, shape, or form tell you that I have completed this process. The…
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, by Albert W. Vogt III
If The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is not a movie, then I am not sure what else to call it. Granted, at only forty minutes in run time, it is not what you would call feature length. I have to confess to having a not an insignificant amount of trepidation going into watching it. There may be some…
Devotion, by Albert W. Vogt III
Whenever there is a new animated movie out, the first people I turn to are my nieces. Call me crazy, but I do not want to be that guy who sits in the corner of a theater by himself seeing a kid’s movie about which I care little. Hence, earlier in the day I took my niece…
Strange World, by Albert W. Vogt III
The de facto chorus in “America” (1968) by Simon and Garfunkel talks of going to look for the title country. It is about two people, boyfriend and girlfriend presumably, who board a bus in their quest. They spend most of their trip observing either the people around them or the scenery they pass. At one point, the man…
Murder Mystery, by Albert W. Vogt III
There is never any reason to watch an Adam Sandler movie, and I am including any of his so-called “classics.” Perhaps I am being uncharitable. Yet, outside of 50 First Dates (2004), you can keep the lot of them. At the same time, I have The Legionnaire to consider. If there is one thing for which you can credit Sandler, it is that…
Wing Commander, by Albert W. Vogt III
Recently, some old and dear married friends of mine asked me to come north to watch their dog as they go on what they call a “baby moon.” If you are like me and had never heard this term before, it is when you are expecting your first child but decide to take one last trip…
Commando, by Albert W. Vogt III
In the moderately long teaching career I have had, the class I enjoyed teaching most was, unsurprisingly, a film course. It is a class I mostly inherited from my mentor at Loyola University Chicago, though I made some changes to it. The biggest one was a group project. When I first started as a professor, I was only…
Rush Hour 3, by Albert W. Vogt III
Well, let us get this over with, finally. If you have read the reviews of Rush Hour (1998) and Rush Hour 2 (2001), you might have noticed my lack of enthusiasm. The next logical question then is: why do it? There is nobody anywhere telling me to continue writing The Legionnaire. The only explanation I can give you is that it is Faith. There is…
Rush Hour 2, by Albert W. Vogt III
Well, here we go with Rush Hour 2 (2001). Pardon me if that is not the most enthusiastic of starts. In reflecting just this moment, I ask myself: why did we ever like these movies? To be fair, there are worse films. I have reviewed some of the most unwatchable pieces of cinema known to man. Yet, this trilogy bears a little…
Rush Hour, by Albert W. Vogt III
I have a theory that every show on television is cop show. Even the shows that are not cop shows are cop shows. Shows. This commentary is equal parts in reference to the formulaic nature of pretty much everything you see, and my annoyance with the rest. With streaming services these days, it is even harder to find something…
See How They Run, by Albert W. Vogt III
When See How They Run debuted in theaters this year, I intended to see it. Unfortunately, it came out the same weekend as The Woman King. I am one person, and I tend not to force Cameron to reviewing anything. He has his own life to live, though I appreciate any contribution he gives. Throw in the rest of the usual excuses…
Enola Holmes, by Albert W. Vogt III
It is not often that I start to fall asleep while watching a movie. Oh, and by the way, if you have read my review of Enola Holmes 2, as it turns out I had not seen the first Enola Holmes (2020). This became clear after a few minutes a watching it. And as the minutes ticked away into the hours,…
Enola Holmes 2, by Albert W. Vogt III
Apparently, I have not reviewed Enola Holmes (2020). I probably should have checked here on The Legionnaire, but I decided my memory was good enough and forged ahead anyway with Enola Holmes 2. I could have sworn I had at least seen the predecessor, though something else tells me I turned it off in annoyance. Given how this latest addition to revisionist…
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, by Albert W. Vogt III
In the She-Hulk: Attorney at Law series on Disney+, Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany), the titular Hulk, has a fourth wall breaking moment. Not liking how the finale of her show is going, she busts through the menu on the streaming service and hops into a behind-the-scenes documentary about the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Eventually, she comes face-to-um . .…
All Quiet on the Western Front (2022), by Albert W. Vogt III
I have never thought of my educational experience as being special in any manner, aside from attaining a terminal degree. I say this because I am guessing that like many of you, I had to read Erich Maria Remarque’s classic anti-war novel All Quiet on the Western Front, first published in 1929. I am also surmising that I…
Police Academy, by Albert W. Vogt III
It is Halloween. People dress as cops on that day, right? We will call this the excuse for watching Police Academy (1984). Actually, a bigger reason would be the fact that I had never seen it. It is simultaneously logical and strange that this would be the case. As a child of the 1980s, like everyone else then, I knew about…
Zulu, by Albert W. Vogt III
It is difficult to say which is the best war movie. As only Yoda (voiced by Frank Oz) could put it in Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980), “Wars not make one great.” The whole of civilization, yesterday, today, but hopefully not in the future, have been shaped by armed conflict. There seems to be something…
Spider-Man, by Albert W. Vogt III
With the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) now a well-oiled machine, it is fun to go back to when it was basically just Spider-Man, and a version of the famous web-slinger not played by Tom Holland. It also belies a time when the folks at Marvel seemingly did not know what they were doing, outside of making…
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, by Albert W. Vogt III
If you are a child of the 1980s like I am, you probably have a greater appreciation for “Weird” Al Yankovic than most other generations. You could hardly be aware of a popular song from that decade for too long before Yankovic released a hilarious parody of it. There are some who say parodies are mean. I am…
The Legionnaire 