Summertime sci-fi: ‘Spider-Man,’ ‘Star Trek,’ & ‘Stuart’

Posted on by earthtoshawna

I have three reviews for you today; a gripe about captioning devices at the movies; and a fun phrase you’re going to want to add to your vocabulary.

First up: You may have heard of this obscure little film called “Spider-Man: Brand New Day”? Yeah, you probably have. It is the highest-grossing film of the year, the highest opening weekend gross for the United States and Canada, and the second highest worldwide (highest was “Avengers: Endgame”).

It was bumped from IMAX by “The Odyssey,” but on opening day, our theater was packed with Spidey fans, as evidenced by the sea of Spider-Man t-shirts in the lobby. I wore mine too. There is something exciting about going to a Marvel movie on opening day (or weekend), the shared energy which makes it more than just “going to the movies” and more of an experience, like going to see your favorite band live.

Tom Holland’s Peter Parker/Spidey has grown on me since he first appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2016 (in “Captain America: Civil War”), maybe because he’s grown from an earnest, innocent teen to an adult who has been somewhat beaten down by life. He is more relatable now.

We last saw him in “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (2021), which ended with Peter asking Doctor Strange to cast a spell erasing him from everyone’s memory.

Everyone forgets who he is, including his girlfriend MJ and his best friend Ned. It’s a clever way to clean the slate for “Brand New Day,” which opens with Spider-Man anonymously protecting New York City.

Jacob Batalon and Zendaya reprise their roles as Ned and MJ, Mark Ruffalo is back as Bruce Banner/Hulk, Florence Pugh as Yelena, and Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle/Punisher.

I will not give away the plot in case you’re one of the few MCU fans who have not had a chance to see it yet.

I loved the movie. I laughed, I cried. I love Ned and MJ. Yelena and Bruce are two of my favorite Marvel characters, and I also am a fan of “The Bear,” so it was also nice to see Mikey (Bernthal) and Tina (Liza Colon-Zayas, who plays Detective Jean DeWolff in this movie).

I think they did a good job with the plot reset, and even though the film is long (nearly two and a half hours), it is fast-paced and action-packed, so you probably won’t mind unless you got a large soda with your popcorn, or if, say, on your second viewing, your closed-captioning device isn’t working properly and after leaving the theater three times to ask an employee to fix it, it still doesn’t work.

Note to Cinemark: Please get the captioning devices sorted for your deaf and hard-of-hearing customers, I’m begging you.

If you don’t know what these things look like, I’m attaching a photo. It has a rectangular head and a flexible neck. The base fits into the seat’s cupholder. It is not a camera; I am not recording the movie. Yes, people ask me this.

It is inconveniencing to look back and forth between the screen and the captions, which are close enough to my face that I have to wear reading glasses, which make the screen blurry.

Having said that, I can barely understand the dialogue without it, so it really is cool. It would be even cooler if they worked every time. I also wish they had a few showings with captions on the screen, like we have on our TVs. That brings us to my TV reviews:

‘Stuart Fails to Save the Universe’

“The Big Bang Theory” has always been about nerds who like sci-fi, and the fourth series in the franchise goes all in on the genre.

Dorky but lovable comic shop owner Stuart Bloom (Kevin Sussman) finds himself responsible for preventing a multiversal Armageddon after accidentally damaging a device built by Sheldon, Leonard, and Howard.

He gets some help (and sometimes harm) from Kripke, Bert, and Denise (John Ross Bowie, Brian Posehn, and Lauren Lapkus).

It’s a fun but silly show that places the characters in a different universe in each episode, and there are cameos from other BBT alums, including Raj, Penny, Bernadette, and Wil Wheaton.

At this point, it feels a little like the creators are cashing in on the familiarity of these characters. They know we love them. That’s why this is the third spinoff. But to make this series as good as BBT, they need to step it up. I don’t think the novelty of the show’s premise is enough to sustain it. It’s still early though, so maybe it will get better with time.

“Stuart Fails to Save the Universe” is on HBO Max.

‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’

We are now on Season Four of this Star Trek series. The premiere aired on Paramount+ on July 23, and the rest of the episodes are being released weekly. We are only a few episodes into the season, so maybe it’s not fair of me to say I’m not loving it as much as I have loved previous seasons. My main beef is with the second episode, “The Griffin Incident.”

Let me preface this complaint by saying this iteration of Star Trek has fun episodes that diverge from the usual fare. There was an animated episode, an episode in which the actors were replaced by puppets, a musical episode, etc. “The Griffin Incident” was horror. If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you know I am not a big fan of horror, and I was completely unprepared and not in the right mood for this creepy, gory, supernatural episode. If you’re sensitive to horror also, skip that episode!

In the third episode, the burned-out crew gets some much-needed downtime on a resort planet where the atmosphere intoxicates everyone in a different way. Ortegas and Scotty wake up with no memory of what has transpired and must put the pieces together with the help (or lack thereof) of their inebriated crewmates. It’s sort of silly, like most shore-leave episodes, but it’s fun to see another side of these characters.

I also assume the actors enjoy doing these types of episodes, as well as the parallel or mirror universe episodes, so they can flex their acting skills. And more importantly, get a break from memorizing scripts full of technobabble.

And speaking of technobabble. …

The first episodes of both the aforementioned series blame the characters’ predicament on “quantum entanglement.” It reminds me of “Ant-Man and the Wasp.”

In “Stuart Saves the Universe,” it is explained that the damage to Leonard and Sheldon’s gizmo has led to quantum entanglement, transporting them to different universes, and in “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” the crew of the Enterprise finds itself thrown back in time – to the age of the dinosaurs. This is explained, again, by quantum entanglement.

Yes, I know quantum entanglement is a real thing, a phenomenon having to do with particles, wormholes, Einstein-Rosen bridges … Something like that. I didn’t major in physics.

My friend and I have begun to blame quantum entanglement for any stroke of bad luck or disaster that befalls us. Your A/C broke while you were on vacation? It must have been quantum entanglement. Your captioning device didn’t work when you went to the movies? Quantum entanglement. If you get a flat tire and a jury duty summons on the same day, you are quantumly fucked, or a victim of quantum fuckery. I think it’s going to catch on. You heard it here first.

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‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ is a fun ‘Star Wars’ adventure

Posted on by earthtoshawna

Is “Star Wars” suffering from franchise fatigue? “The Mandalorian and Grogu” was a fun movie, but it did not do as well as expected at the box office.

Maybe it’s because it’s a sequel to “The Mandalorian” series which ran for three seasons on Disney+. Or maybe the “baby Yoda” craze has worn off, which is unfortunate because baby Yoda, I mean Grogu, is actually so great in this movie that you forget he’s a puppet. Well, a combination of puppet, CGI, and animatronics.

Writer and director Jon Favreau breathed new life into this franchise, and the movie version of his creation is just as good as the series, if not better. Pedro Pascal plays Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin (aka “Mando”) and Grogu is his apprentice/foundling/adopted child. Their father-son relationship was established in the series, but if you haven’t seen the series, you won’t be lost – it’s a brand-new adventure/plot for our fearless heroes.

Sigourney Weaver plays a leader of the New Republic who gives Mando the assignment of tracking down an Imperial warlord, Commander Coin. Mando also reluctantly agrees to work with the Hutts (Jabba’s siblings), who supposedly have info on Coin, but in exchange, they want Mando to locate their nephew, Rotta, voiced (unrecognizably) by Jeremy Allen White (“The Bear”).

The bigger budget and the big screen make for a more fun viewing experience for audiences. Grogu is more adorable than ever, and there are a lot of cute and funny moments with Grogu and the little mechanic dudes, the Anzellans.

It’s also sweet to see how Mando and Grogu take care of each other, because that’s what family does. Having said all that, it’s not that deep, and it’s not going to change the world, but it’s a fun Star Wars adventure that isn’t about boring trade wars, so I’m happy.

‘Spider-Noir’

This live-action spinoff of the animated “Spider-Verse” films features Nicolas Cage as Ben Reilly, an alternate-universe Spider-Man who is a detective in 1930s New York City.

Noir is not my favorite genre. Hardboiled detective, femme fatale, tragedy, corruption … yawn. I also am not a huge Cage fan. (And he’s 62. Only a man would be cast as the main character in a superhero series at that age.)

I am apparently alone in my criticism of the Amazon Prime series; it earned an impressive 92% on the Tomatometer. I found it boring and formulaic. Maybe it got better. I admit I could not stick it out to the last episode.

Sony had a great opportunity to create a series for one of the really cool Spider-Man alternates in the Spider-Verse. Gwen Stacy and Spider-Punk are reportedly getting spin-offs, but I don’t know if they will be movies or series, or if they’re animated or live action.

I also think the afro-haired, motorcycle-riding, pregnant Spider-Woman would be a great story to bring to the big or small screen.

I’m not sure why they picked one of the less spectacular iterations for their first Spidey spinoff. My theory is that they’re cheap, and noir costs less than the flashy special effects that would inevitably be a part of any modern-day setting. Or, judging by the reviews, other people like noir a lot more than I do.

‘Klara and the Sun’

I loved Kazuo Ishiguro’s 2021 novel “Klara and the Sun,” about a solar-powered android named Klara who is purchased as a companion for a sickly teenage girl. It’s dark and dystopian, and like most stories about androids, explores what it means to be human.

Should robots have rights?

It’s a timely question in this age of Artificial Intelligence. Humanoid robots are already being manufactured, and their mass production, for better or worse (my money is on worse), will likely come much sooner than we realize. But that’s a topic for another blog post.

I’m very excited that “Klara and the Sun” has been adapted into a movie, and that Taika Waititi is the director. I am a big fan and am interested to see his take on Ishiguro’s book.

Some of my favorite actors are in the movie too: Amy Adams, Natasha Lyonne, and Jenna Ortega, who plays the robot, Klara. The film will be in theaters Oct. 23.

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‘Supergirl’ doesn’t live up to potential

Posted on by earthtoshawna

I loved “Superman” (2025), and I was so excited for “Supergirl.” Milly Alcock is adorable and a great actress. She’s perfectly cast as Supergirl, aka Kara Zor-El. Her naughty pup, Krypto, is also adorable. They’re a spunky superhero duo! What’s not to love? Well, unfortunately there were multiple things about this movie that I did not love.

Don’t get me wrong – I didn’t hate it. It was entertaining, and it had its moments. But it could have been so much better! For starters, Kara is not a great role model for young girls, which is fine, but if you are thinking this is a cute movie to take your little girl to see, you might be disappointed to find out that Kara is less of a fun party girl and more of a full-blown alcoholic. I actually don’t mind this being part of the story except that they don’t really address her addiction in a meaningful way.

There is also lots of violence, and I know that’s par for the course, but I’m talking about massacres of whole families by space pirates who also abduct and imprison teen girls to be their “brides.” It isn’t the most feel-good, family-friendly summer flick, is what I’m saying. (And “Supergirl” doesn’t address human trafficking in any meaningful way either.)

Having said that, I am going to give a lot more spoilers after the following photo, so if you don’t want the movie spoiled, come back later.

I am sad to be giving this film a somewhat negative review, because I really, really wanted to love it. Women-centered films are often unfairly criticized, even before they’ve been released. Like “The Marvels” (2023) there was some anti-women hatred aimed at “Supergirl,” picking on Alcock’s appearance, of all things. There’s nothing wrong with her appearance of course. My issues with the movie are its plot holes and lack of originality.

My first gripe is with the origin story of Clark’s cousin. In “Superman,” we found out Clark’s birth parents were sort of evil and wanted their son to conquer Earth and to rule “without mercy.” Luckily, he didn’t get the memo because their message was cut off, so he became a good guy instead.

Now we are told Kara’s parents were awesome and told her to be a good person! Maybe there was a good brother and a bad brother, and Supergirl’s dad was the good one? That’s possible, but they don’t go into that. We are left to puzzle over it. (I know there’s a theory that the “Go conquer Earth” message translation in “Superman” was a lie, but there’s a line in “Supergirl” about Kal-El being sent off to be a conqueror, and anyway one would think Kara would be able to clear up any doubt, as she speaks fluent Kryptonian.)

It’s hard not to compare the two superheroes. The story and plot in “Superman” felt fresh and original, and also timely. But “Supergirl” felt like a mashup of “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Mad Max: Fury Road.” And not in a good way.

The villains and the fight scenes were sort of boring, Supergirl’s sidekick, Ruthye, was one-dimensional. Her sworn-to-avenge-her-family storyline was very “My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die.” And as much as I love Jason Momoa, his character Lobo was extraneous. He could have been removed, and it wouldn’t change the story.

How did all of this pass the first-draft stage? I suspect movie makers don’t expect women superheroes to bring in the big box-office bucks, so they invest less effort in these films. Then when the movies do poorly, they can say, “See we told you, audiences don’t want women superheroes!” (Script writers and directors should study 2017’s “Wonder Woman.” The Patty Jenkins-directed film proved that we can have women superhero movies that don’t suck!)

Another issue I have with “Supergirl” is that, while Kara does help Ruthye and the other kidnapped girls, there’s no follow-up for the girls after they’re freed, because Kara’s main concern is her dog, left paralyzed by the brigands. Krypto spends most of the movie on a doctor’s table, waiting for the heroes to find him a cure, just like Rocket in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.”

Maybe I’m being unfair. Kara is younger than Clark, so it makes sense that she’s more immature and self-centered. She also has had childhood trauma which she’s still working out. It’s possible the writers are planning more growth for her in a future film.

I did love seeing Kara and her puppy meeting for the first time, and going to Earth, meeting Superman. Her flaws (and that space scream!) are relatable. I will re-watch the movie. Like I said, I didn’t hate it. But Alcock deserves a better script. (Another note to writers: If you want us to take women superhero movies seriously, don’t use cringey songs like “The Middle.”) I’m holding out hope Alcock will get to play Supergirl again and have a better story the next time around.

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‘Good Omens’ finale: The good, the bad, & the cop-out

Posted on by earthtoshawna

Season Three of the fantasy comedy “Good Omens” just dropped and it was not a season at all but one 99-minute episode. I know I should be happy we got an ending at all, but like a lot of rushed endings (“Rome,” “Game of Thrones”), this one just felt, well, rushed.

Season One gave us the Antichrist, and our heroes, the angel Aziraphale and the demon Crowley, joined forces to save the world from that threat. The conflict of Season Two was less apocalyptic, centering on the angel Gabriel’s mysterious amnesia. In part 3, the story returns to the threat of Armageddon, this time with the Second Coming of Christ.

The following contains spoilers, so come back later if you haven’t watched the new episode yet.

My first gripe is that Jesus gets short shrift, but I guess if you consider that an entire season had to be condensed into one episode, it makes sense. I guess he would have gotten a lot more screen time if there had been a full season.

However, I would have preferred to see more of him rather than the car-swindling mobster and his daughter. I didn’t really care for the repetitive three-card monte either. I’m sure there’s some symbolism here that I’m not picking up on. Are we supposed to come to the conclusion that Jesus’ miracles were nothing more than sleight of hand? Or that card tricks are more palatable to modern humans than parables? (I’m admittedly biased; as a Christian, I feel a twinge of annoyance at some of the more blasphemous aspects of this series, and yes, I realize that’s the point.)

I did like the allusion to the loaves and fishes, with the never-ending pizza. That was a nice touch. I also found it funny that the games Crowley and Aziraphale played for the Bentley were Monopoly and crossword puzzles.

It was heart-warming to see Michael Sheen (Aziraphale) and David Tennant (Crowley) together again in these roles, as it has been three years since Season 2. The religious satire is clever (and absurd), but the actors, and their portrayal of these characters are superior to the script, and are what make this series worthwhile.

My second beef with the finale is one pointed out to me by someone else, which is that deleting the Earth/people and replacing them with new ones was not much different from the episode in which Job’s children were going to be killed and then replaced with different children. Good point!

My third, and biggest, complaint is the scene in which Aziraphale and Crowley don’t have a goodbye kiss, but instead Aziraphale kisses his fingers and touches them to Crowley’s lips. They have kissed before, so why the cop-out here? It doesn’t make sense and is insulting to queer audiences. Would they have had a real kiss if they were a heterosexual couple?

The writers and/or director should watch “Our Flag Means Death,” a master class on representation. “Our Flag” went all in and embraced the queerness and diversity of its characters with no apologies or cop-out “kisses.” (Also, “Our Flag” is perfect in every way, and you should go watch it right now.)

Even though the very end (where they meet as humans) was predictable, it was a tidy bow that wrapped up the series.

Is it sad that as humans, they have no memory of their thousands of years together? A little. But I think God gave them the same “souls.” Yes, I realize they shouldn’t have souls since God and Heaven no longer exist. But they are the same: They still wind up together when they’re in human form.

It’s not sad to me that they’re humans and no longer angel and demon, because when they were angel and demon, they loved living on Earth. They loved books and cars and food and tea, and they loved humans! And they loved each other. Heaven and Hell are gone, their old memories are gone, but their love survived. Maybe the moral of the story is that love is the only thing that lasts forever.

I leave you with the kiss from Season 2. What did you think of this finale? Let me know in the comments!

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‘Project Hail Mary,’ ‘Wonder Man’ bring the bromance

Posted on by earthtoshawna

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I love the Andy Weir novel “Project Hail Mary,” and I was excited about the adaptation. I am happy to report it lived up to my expectations.

Ryan Gosling was great as Ryland Grace, and everything about the film was beautiful: the cinematography, the story, the bromance between two dudes bonding over science in outer space. … I’m getting ahead of myself.

If you have not seen it yet, here’s a little background: Grace wakes up on a spaceship with no memory of how he got there. He discovers he’s the only survivor of a three-person crew light years away from Earth. He slowly remembers the events that led him to this distant solar system.

There was a lot of detail in the book that didn’t make it to the screen, and that was to be expected. If they did everything that was in the original, it would have been a lot longer than two and a half hours, and it would have been more tedious, to be honest. They did a pretty good job deciding what to keep, what to cut, and what to add. (I loved the addition of the karaoke scene.)

I really liked the adaptation of Weir’s novel “The Martian” as well. “Project Hail Mary” was even better. My one gripe is that it’s a little too perfect. The book is grittier. In the movie, the conflicts that arise are solved with less blood, sweat, and tears.

The crew of Artemis II wearing special glasses to view the solar eclipse during their lunar flyby (NASA photo)

NASA’s real-life Artemis II flight is giving a similar positive vibe. The crew of four astronauts flew around the moon and launched from Cape Canaveral just a couple weeks after “Project Hail Mary” premiered in theaters. It was a rare parallel. A convergence? Maybe not so rare after all:

CBC reporter and film critic Jackson Weaver has pointed out astronaut movies often align with NASA milestones: “The Martian” (2015) was released a few weeks after NASA’s announcement about water on Mars. “First Man” (2018) came out a few months before the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. It’s not really coincidental; NASA has had a hand in this, having collaborated on many films.

Understandably, NASA will not put its brand on anything that depicts NASA in a negative light. The sci-fi horror flick “Life” was denied the use of the NASA logo, and Alfonso Cuaron’s “Gravity” had a major disaster in space, which NASA would not support.

Maybe this has something to do with the happy, shiny perfect-ness of the movie I mentioned earlier. Might the setbacks Grace encountered have been minimized in the film – compared with the book – due to NASA’s involvement?

Don’t get me wrong, I think NASA is “amaze,” and I think space exploration reminds us to look at the big picture and moves us to see each other as neighbors and collaborators, rather than enemies. As Jeremy Hansen, one of the Artemis II astronauts, recently said, “Our purpose on the planet as humans is to find the joy in lifting each other up by creating solutions together instead of destroying. When you see it from out here, it doesn’t change it; it just absolutely reaffirms that.”

In that context, it’s easy to see why NASA approved of “Project Hail Mary.” They want us to see them in a positive light, but they also want us to be inspired by astronauts – even fictional ones.

I’ve been seeing comments online about fans becoming “obsessed” with “Project Hail Mary,” and feeling encouraged and motivated by the characters to do something meaningful with their lives.

The Artemis II astronauts worked together, not just with each other, but with all the NASA people on the ground, to carry out their mission.

Ryland Grace felt alone in space, but he did not get there alone. And ultimately, Grace is not alone. He develops a unique friendship with another scientist light years away from Earth, a friendship which is really the heart of the story.

Even though I complained about it being too perfect, I really did love “Project Hail Mary,” and I give it all the stars! It is possible that I like to complain so much that I even complain that there is nothing to complain about. Or maybe I’m too jaded; I need more than a good movie to make me feel hopeful right now – even if it’s a really, really good movie.

‘Wonder Man’

Another bromance I enjoyed recently is Marvel’s series “Wonder Man,” which was released at the end of January on Disney+. The character of Wonder Man first appeared in comics in the 1960s, but this is his first live-action appearance!

In this version, Simon Williams, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Black Manta in the Aquaman movies) is an actor who is excited to hear about auditions for a remake of the “Wonder Man” movie he loved as a child. He hears about the auditions from fellow actor Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley), whom you may remember from “Iron Man 3,” in which he was hired (by Tony Stark’s nemesis) to portray a terrorist called “the Mandarin.” (Trevor also appeared in “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” and the short film “All Hail the King.”)

Due to their shared love of acting, Simon and Trevor become friends. It’s not a typical superhero story. Often serious and suspenseful, exploring themes like trust and self-control, the show is also at times light-hearted and funny, and refreshingly unpredictable. “Wonder Man” is also interesting because it depicts what it’s like to be a struggling actor in Hollywood – and everything that comes with that.

There were reportedly two separate series planned, one about Simon and another about Trevor, and their stories were combined, which is surprising, as their friendship is my favorite thing about the show.   

One of the best episodes is a flashback story behind Hollywood studios’ “Doorman Clause,” which bans people with superpowers from working in the film and television industry. The episode is in black and white and features a cameo from Josh Gad, playing himself and singing his Frozen character Olaf’s song “In Summer” in a nightclub. It is very funny and surreal. 

I thought this might be a one and done miniseries, but it has already been renewed for a second season. It will be interesting to see what happens next for these characters.

The next new series on the Marvel slate is “VisionQuest,” a spinoff of “WandaVision.” Paul Bettany will reprise his role as Vision. The show is expected to premiere on Disney+ later this year but does not yet have a release date.

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Ten sci-fi & fantasy movies coming to theaters this year

Posted on by earthtoshawna

How’s it going, sci-fi fans? Not great? I get it. The news lately is even bleaker than usual. There are so many horrible things happening on planet Earth – but it keeps turning. We can do our part and also be grateful for art – for music and books and film, and the escape from reality they provide, at least for a few hours. 

I already mentioned the upcoming astronaut movie “Project Hail Mary” (in theaters March 20) in my last post. Here are 10 more movies I’m looking forward to seeing in 2026. 

If you can’t get enough of “baby Yoda,” you’ll be happy to know “The Mandalorian and Grogu” are coming to the big screen. Pedro Pascal reprises his role of the Mandalorian, aka Din Djarin. Sigourney Weaver and Jeremy Allen White also star.

Jon Favreau created the fresh, original Star Wars series, and there have been three seasons so far. It’s unclear exactly why the producers decided to release a movie rather than a fourth season. The only explanation I’ve seen thus far is that Disney is “pivoting away” from streaming.

The movie’s plot has been somewhat shrouded in secrecy as well. Some fans were annoyed by the Super Bowl ad parodying the Budweiser Clydesdales. (The ad shows Mando and Grogu in a wagon pulled by tauntauns in place of the famous draft horses.) A longer, 2-minute trailer was released about a week later.

The film will be in theaters May 22.

Steven Spielberg is one of the biggest names in sci-fi; he gave us “Jurassic Park,” “E.T.,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” and many others. His newest movie, “Disclosure Day,” stars Emily Blunt as a TV meteorologist receiving extraterrestrial communication. The trailer is somewhat suspenseful. I hope the movie isn’t too anxiety-inducing.

Colin Firth, Josh O’Connor, Eve Hewson, and Colman Domingo also star in the UFO flick, which will be in theaters June 12.

We got a preview of the new Supergirl (aka Kara Zor-El) at the end of Superman (2025), and it was obvious she’s a fun party girl – a stark contrast to her straitlaced cousin. She is played by Milly Alcock (“House of the Dragon”).

Matthias Schoenaerts (who was amazing in “Rust and Bone”) will play Krem of the Yellow Hills; David Corenswet reprises his role as Clark Kent, aka Superman, aka Kal-El; and Jason Momoa plays Lobo, an “alien mercenary from planet Czarnia.” (I guess he’s not Aquaman anymore?) Most importantly, though, Kara’s adorable dog Krypto will be in the movie! Can’t wait!

“Supergirl” will be in theaters June 26.

It has been five years since the release of “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” At the end of that movie, Doctor Strange casts a spell that makes everyone forget Peter Parker (Tom Holland) exists. Even his friends don’t recognize him. He’s now protecting New York City anonymously – no one knows he is Spider-Man.

Zendaya and Jacob Batalon return as MJ and Ned. Mark Ruffalo reprises his role as the Hulk/Bruce Banner. “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” will be in theaters July 31.

The film adaptation of Peter Heller’s 2012 novel, “The Dog Stars,” is coming to theaters Aug. 28. Directed by Ridley Scott and starring Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, Guy Pearce, and Benedict Wong, the movie is set in a post-apocalyptic future and centers on a pilot (Elordi) and an ex-Marine (Brolin), survivors of a flu pandemic.

The sixth Hunger Games movie, “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping,” will be released in theaters on Nov. 20. Based on Suzanne Collins’ 2025 novel, the adaptation is a sequel to “The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,” and takes place 24 years before the first film. A young Haymitch Abernathy (Joseph Zada) is chosen to compete in the Hunger Games.

The cast also includes Jesse Plemons, Elle Fanning, Kieran Culkin, Mckenna Grace, Whitney Peak, Maya Hawke, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Ralph Fiennes, and Glenn Close.

“Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew” is coming to theaters later this year, and I’m super excited as it will be written and directed by Greta Gerwig (“Little Women,” “Lady Bird,” “Barbie”). The film is based on the sixth book in “The Chronicles of Narnia,” by C.S. Lewis. This will be the fourth adaptation of the series, but the first by Gerwig.

Carey Mulligan, Emma Mackey, Daniel Craig, Denise Gough, and David McKenna will star, and the film will be in theaters Nov. 26 – Thanksgiving. It will be streaming on Netflix on Dec. 25, Christmas Day.

I love the “Jumanji” movies. They’re silly, I know, but also funny and sweet. The series’ newest movie (which is as yet untitled), will be in theaters on Dec. 11. Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas, Awkwafina, Alex Wolff, Morgan Turner, Ser’Darius Blain, Madison Iseman, Danny DeVito, and Rhys Darby reprise their roles.

The new Spider-Man flick isn’t the only Marvel movie coming to theaters this year – “Avengers: Doomsday,” the third film in Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, will be in theaters Dec. 18. Tony Stark/Iron Man is gone, but Robert Downey Jr. is playing a new role: Doctor Doom.

Doctor Doom is a prominent supervillain in the Marvel comics, and will face off against an all-star cast of superheroes, including the Avengers, the Wakandans, Fantastic Four, New Avengers, and X-Men. The film is set 14 months after the events of “Thunderbolts” (aka the New Avengers).

The huge cast makes me wonder if my favorites will get enough screen time, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see. I’m especially looking forward to seeing what happened with Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), as he sort of disappeared after “Endgame.”

“Dune” isn’t my favorite franchise, but I’m invested after seeing the first two movies, so I will be going to see “Dune: Part 3” in theaters. Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jason Momoa, Josh Brolin, Rebecca Ferguson, and Robert Pattinson star in the Denis Villeneuve-directed film, which comes to theaters Dec. 18 (bumping “Doomsday” – which releases the same day – from IMAX).

Which movies are you most excited about this year? Let me know in the comments!

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Sam Rockwell makes satire ‘Good Luck’ worth watching

Posted on by earthtoshawna

I have not posted in a while but I’ve seen a lot of sci-fi movies and TV series in the meantime – some good, some not so good. One good one that I saw recently was our Valentine’s Day date movie, “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die.”

The movie, directed by Gore Verbinski, is not terribly original: We are doing the time loop again, and the tech has taken over. Sam Rockwell plays an eccentric weirdo who shows up at a diner and holds the customers hostage, trying to recruit them for a mission to save the world from an Artificial Intelligence apocalypse.

It’s hard to tell at first what kind of movie this is. During a creepy scene in which phone-addicted teen zombies come after a teacher (Michael Pena), I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to laugh or be scared. Both, I guess – it’s a satire, and it’s sort of disjointed, but I suspect that was the goal.

Rockwell is one of my all-time favorite actors, and I don’t know if I would have liked it as much if he wasn’t in it. But as someone who constantly rails against AI, and as someone who loves time travel movies, it felt like the target audience was me. If that is also you, check it out.

“Good Luck” is still in theaters. If you’re looking for a great Sam Rockwell sci-fi flick on streaming, I recommend Duncan Jones’ trippy 2009 astronaut movie, “Moon.”

‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’

If you saw the first two Avatar movies, you already know what this movie series is about. Even if you haven’t seen them, you probably already know what it’s about – humans colonizing a planet (actually a moon) called Pandora, where tribal clans called the Na’vi are just trying to live their lives without humans taking over.

The films, a combination of live action and CGI animation, are visually spectacular. I didn’t get really invested in these characters – or at least I didn’t realize I was invested in them – until this third film. The Sully family tugged on my heartstrings this time. And the messages about protecting our environment and letting others live in peace is more relevant than ever. You know you’re really enjoying a movie if it’s more than three hours long and you’re not annoyed and wishing they would just wrap it up.

“Avatar: Fire and Ash” is still in theaters. There are two more sequels in the works. The next one is expected to be released in 2029.

‘Predator: Badlands’

My husband has been a huge fan of the Alien and Predator films since the ’80s, so I’ve seen a lot of these movies – maybe all of them. I don’t have as much enthusiasm for them as he does, but this new installment is different. Instead of the usual, serious warrior action flick, this one involves a predator – a Yautja – named Dek, who is seen by others in his clan as a weakling.

To prove himself worthy, Dek decides to hunt an apex predator called the Kalisk. He meets an android named Thia. Their relationship is the departure from the typical plot of these movies, and is what made the movie more fun, a little sillier, and more enjoyable than I had expected. Also, Elle Fanning is wonderful and adorable.

“Predator: Badlands” is streaming on Hulu and Disney+.

‘Project Hail Mary’

I really liked the book by Andy Weir, on which this movie is based, and I also love “The Martian,” which was based on another Weir novel, so I have high hopes for this adaptation, which stars Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace, a man who wakes up on a spacecraft with no memory of how he got there or what he’s doing there.

I gave copies of the book to my stepmom and stepbrother for Christmas, and we all read it at the same time, and my husband has read it before too, so it holds a special place in my heart. Don’t let me down, Ken!

“Project Hail Mary” will be in theaters March 20.

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Summer picks: ‘Superman,’ ‘Strange New Worlds’

Posted on by earthtoshawna

Hey, sci-fi fans – let’s talk about “Superman” and “The Fantastic 4: First Steps.” How cool is it that we got both these movies in theaters this summer?

“The Fantastic 4” is a departure from the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s “Sacred Timeline” (also known as Earth-616).

Our fantastic superhero team lives on Earth-828 – in the year 1964. That’s why their 1964 looks so different and futuristic. They are the only superheroes in their timeline/parallel universe/whatever you want to call it. There are no Avengers there.

Once you wrap your head around that, you can sit back and watch their story unfold.

Their origin story is not the main plot, but it is given in the movie: Reed (Pedro Pascal), Sue (Vanessa Kirby), Ben (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), and Johnny (Joseph Quinn) acquired their powers after a space mission exposed them to “cosmic rays.” They’ve been fighting villains and protecting their planet for years when a supervillain named Galactus enters the picture.

It was entertaining and fun, but like “The Eternals,” it doesn’t feel connected to the MCU. I know it is going to be tied into future Marvel films, however, so I’m looking forward to seeing how that plays out. I’m not really a big fan of the multiverse plot lines, and it’s mostly for this reason that I enjoyed “Superman” more.

I had mixed feelings about director James Gunn switching from Marvel to DC. He made some of my favorite Marvel movies, but when he ousted Henry Cavill (Superman) and Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman), I was bummed out. But he wanted to take these characters in a different direction, so it makes sense to re-cast them.

Gunn gave the Guardians of the Galaxy humor and heart, and he’s brought that same winning combo to “Superman.”

David Corenswet had big shoes to fill, and he did an amazing job as the pure and good Clark Kent/Superman. A model of goodness, hope, and compassion is exactly what we all need right now.

I honestly loved everything about this movie – the characters, the casting, the special effects, the dialogue, and of course Krypto, the adorable mutt with superpowers. (Gunn modeled the dog’s mischievous personality after his own pup!)

I’m also loving Season 3 of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” so far. This series was well cast, and I especially love Ethan Peck as Spock.

I was so excited to find out Rhys Darby was added to the cast, but unfortunately, he was only in one episode.

We are halfway through the season, with five episodes left. The finale will be Sept. 11. Season 4 is already in production, and a fifth and final season is expected to begin filming later this year. “Strange New Worlds” is on Paramount+.

My hubby is a huge fan of the “Alien” movies, so we could not pass up an opportunity to see the “ad” for the new “Alien: Earth” TV series on the corner of Hollywood and Vine.

The display features a life-size alien xenomorph and billboards, containment units with buttons and door handles, and sound effects. Here are some of the photos I took when we were in Hollywood last weekend.

The new series, a prequel set two years before the events of the 1979 film, will premiere on FX and Hulu on Aug. 12.

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‘Andor’ is must-see sci-fi TV; ‘Electric State’ misses the mark

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I will get my negative reviews out of the way first: I did not love “The Electric State.” It is set in the ’90s – an alternate ’90s in which humans have been at war with robots.

It stars Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt, who I love, and is directed by the Russo brothers – it should have been a hit. Unfortunately, it was kind of dumb and I don’t recommend it.

I finally got through Season 3 of “The Witcher.” I really liked the first couple seasons of this series, but then it veered into “Xena: Warrior Princess” territory and now I’m over it. Henry Cavill will be replaced with Liam Hemsworth for Season 4, which clinches my decision.

Michelle Yeoh’s character in “Star Trek: Discovery” was cool, but the spinoff movie didn’t live up to my expectations. I can’t pinpoint exactly where it went wrong; I guess it was just too cliched and silly. (It seems to be going around.)

Let’s talk about Season 2 of the Star Wars series “Andor,” on Disney+. Although Season 1 took a few episodes to get interesting, Season 2 hit the ground running.

In the first episode of the season, Cassian impersonates an Imperial pilot in order to steal a prototype of a new ship – the TIE Avenger (I predict a new Lego set!), while Bix, Brasso, and Wilmon hide out on the agricultural planet Mina-Rau. On Chandrila, Mon Mothma prepares for her daughter’s arranged marriage.

It’s been two and a half years since Season 1; I sort of wish I’d rewatched it before beginning Season 2, and if you haven’t started Season 2 yet, I’d recommend doing that. Still, it’s very suspenseful and exciting. As much as I love Mando and Grogu, “Andor” is arguably the most well-done of all the Star Wars TV series.

In the last season and this one, the most powerful scenes are those in which the characters realize the consequences of their decisions and sacrifices. Sacrifice is a major theme in “Andor.” The writers also leaned hard into allegory this season, with the Empire and the Resistance mirroring our current political climate.

One more thing I will say about “Andor” is that while it’s essentially good guys vs. bad guys, there’s more of a blurring of the lines with some of the characters; for example, some of the “good” guys do some very bad things – for a good cause. It is a gray area that hasn’t been seen much in this franchise and boosts this series above the others.

Upcoming films and series

Neill Blomkamp is working on a new “Starship Troopers” movie! This is less a remake of the 1997 Paul Verhoeven film, and more an adaptation of the 1959 novel by Robert A. Heinlein. I really like Blomkamp’s films “District 9,” “Elysium,” and “Chappie,” so I am looking forward to seeing his interpretation of “Starship Troopers.”

If you did not see “The Old Guard,” I wholeheartedly recommend it; it’s on Netflix. I may rewatch it myself before the sequel is released July 2 (also on Netflix), as it has been five years since the first film. Charlize Theron stars as Andromache of Scythia, an immortal mercenary who has been around for thousands of years. It is an adaptation of a comic book (which is also good) by Greg Rucka.

The sequel will have a different director than that of the first movie. Victoria Mahoney took over directing duties from Gina Prince-Bythewood, who is a producer on the film. Theron, KiKi Layne, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli, Matthias Schoenaerts, Van Veronica Ngo, and Chiwetel Ejiofor will reprise their roles, and Uma Thurman and Henry Golding have been added to the cast for the sequel.

I loved “Thunderbolts,” as you know if you read my last post. Next up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.”

After several not-so-great movies of this quartet, I’m not super hyped about another attempt, but maybe it will surprise me.

I do love the cast: Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Vanessa Kirby star as the team of four superheroes who must save their 1960s-inspired planet (a parallel Earth).

It will be in theaters July 25.

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Thunderbolts*, Academy museum, Ren Faire, & more

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Before I tell you about my latest sci-fi/fantasy themed outings, let’s talk about Marvel’s newest movie, “Thunderbolts*.”

We went on opening night (the IMAX “fan event”) and, fittingly, it was the same day as our rare Southern California thunderstorm. Unfortunately, the power went out halfway through the movie, and we had to come back the next night to finish it.

The setup is nothing we haven’t seen before – a ragtag team of misfits forced to work together to defeat a common enemy, blah blah blah. But it works. I laughed, I cried, I can’t wait to see these characters together again in another movie.

The MVP (unsurprisingly) is Florence Pugh. She always brings it, and as much as I love her as bratty Amy March in Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women,” I love her even more as Black Widow’s little sister Yelena.

David Harbour reprises his role as the scruffy and comical Red Guardian. There are so many great actors in this: Sebastian Stan, Hannah John-Kamen … I will even reluctantly admit that the cast’s nepo babies were good. (Wyatt Russell is the son of Kurt Russell, who has also been in a Marvel movie, and Lewis Pullman is the son of Bill Pullman, who has not.)

My biggest issue with the MCU is that some of the villains (such as Gorr the God Butcher and Ronan the Accuser) are a little over the top. I love Julia Louis-Dreyfus but her character is also a bit one-sided, but that’s par for the Marvel course, I guess.

“Thunderbolts*” is a fun (and funny) action movie, but its greatest strength is its emotional impact. Early in the movie, Yelena is asked what you are supposed to do with your dark feelings, your emotional trauma? Well, you just stuff those feelings down. Way, way down. I laughed out loud at this dialogue (which I’m paraphrasing), but Marvel does not get enough credit for addressing things like PTSD and mental health. This movie in particular does a good job of exploring these topics, which are so important.

Even though I’ve seen it one and a half times already, I would go see this in the theater again, and I may do just that, as it’s playing at El Capitan Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. There are even costumes from the film on display as well. For more information: https://elcapitantheatre.com/

If you’re a movie lover who lives in Southern California, check out the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on Wilshire Boulevard, which opened in 2021.

We went for the Bong Joon Ho exhibition and happened to be there on May the 4th – Star Wars Day! There were photo ops with droids and Jedis, a Star Wars mural painting opportunity, and lots of people dressed up as Star Wars characters.

The Bong exhibition was pretty cool. Even though I have not yet seen all of his films, there were a lot of props, film clips, and story boards from his movies. I especially loved the drawings and concept art from the movie “Okja.” The only bummer: nothing from “Mickey 17.” The only nod to the new film is a copy of the novel from which the film was adapted, for sale in the museum gift shop.

Another current exhibition at the museum is “Cyberpunk: Envisioning Possible Futures Through Cinema.” Featured films include “The Matrix,” “Tron,” and “Videodrome” (a Cronenberg film from the ’80s that scarred me for life). There were props from the movies “Blade Runner,” “Ex Machina,” and more. Be sure to check out both floors of this (somewhat sparse) exhibition.

Don’t miss the other galleries – even though we had seen a lot of the costumes and props the first time we visited (in 2022 for the Miyazaki exhibition), there are a lot of new additions, including Barbie and Ken’s costumes from the Barbie movie. For more information, go to https://www.academymuseum.org/en

There are two weekends left of this year’s Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire in Irwindale.

We went opening weekend; the weather was nice, and the entertainment and food were great. We enjoyed the various shows and vendors. I especially love the Seraphim Arabesque Ensemble. Maybe I was a belly dancer in a past life?

Throw a costume together and bring the family! Make sure to follow the directions on their website – and don’t miss the joust! For more info, visit renfair.com/socal.

Photos of the Academy Museum and the Renaissance faire by Earth to Shawna.

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