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.
Sitting in the dark theater, watching the many horror trailers, or rather, trying not to watch them, I suddenly realized (with horror) that the movie I was about to watch, “Mickey 17,” might in fact also be a horror movie. I hadn’t even seen a trailer for it. I only knew it was the newest film from Bong Joon-ho, the director of “Snowpiercer,” “Okja,” and “Parasite.”
It isn’t scary. But, like his other films, it’s disturbing and intense (and not for kids). It’s also pretty great. You know going into a Bong movie that it’s going to be dark and funny and meaningful. That’s why I bought tickets for opening weekend, even though I knew almost nothing about it.
(If you also want to go in knowing nothing about it, you may want to come back after you’ve seen it, as the following description includes some spoilers.)
The film, based on an Edward Ashton novel, centers on a mission to colonize a distant planet. The titular Mickey (Robert Pattinson) has signed up to be an “expendable” – his job is to be a guinea pig for things like poisonous gases, radiation, etc. He repeatedly dies and is reborn – from a giant human printer.
Mark Ruffalo plays Kenneth Marshall, an egotistical politician who heads the mission. Most of the crew members have signed on because they’re crazed fanatics who would follow him anywhere. (Remind you of anyone?)
If it sounds silly, it’s supposed to be. It’s one of those crazy movies where you don’t know what is going to happen next. It had a similar vibe to Bong’s movie “Okja,” so if you liked that movie, you would likely enjoy this one. The great thing about Bong’s movies is that while he’s holding a mirror up to our own society, you are laughing and cringing and going along for the ride.
Bong’s style is reminiscent of another well-known director of outlandish and satirical movies, Yorgos Lanthimos. (I much prefer Bong’s style, as Lanthimos’ goal often seems to be inspiring disgust.)
I also was reminded of other clone stories like the 1996 movie “Multiplicity” and the 2019 series “Living with Yourself,” but the clone concept in “Mickey” was only one part of the larger story. Check it out for yourself; I don’t want to give too much away.
Two other movies I had been eagerly anticipating did not live up to my expectations. The first is “Captain America: Brave New World.” The Disney+ series “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” was well done, and I hoped for this new movie to continue with that level of writing. Unfortunately, the new movie is not one of the better entries in the MCU franchise.
It is possible I was not following along very well, but I found the plot confusing, and a little cheesy. Sam Wilson (who has taken up the mantle and shield of Captain America) and Joaquin Torres investigate a conspiracy involving Thaddeus Ross, who is now the U.S. president and is played by Harrison Ford. (Ross was previously portrayed by William Hurt, who passed away in 2022.)
I will not go into detail, but among the many inconsistencies that don’t make sense to me: “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” ended with super soldier Isaiah Bradley in hiding. In “Brave New World,” Bradley is no longer in hiding, and no explanation or background is given regarding that plot point.
Another issue I have is with Bucky Barnes, who appears only briefly, and is running for Congress. No explanation is given here either, although there must be one, as this is out of character for the Bucky we have come to know. Perhaps that will be explained in the upcoming “Thunderbolts*” (scheduled to be released May 2), which will, I hope, be more fun.
(Did “Brave New World” meet your expectations? Let me know in the comments or on my Facebook page!)
The animated movie “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” was just OK. There is an anime vibe, but the backgrounds look like they were taken from photos, which was interesting but also slightly jarring, and I’m not sure if that was the intention.
The plot was formulaic and clichéd: Hera, the strong-willed daughter of the king of Rohan, turns down a marriage proposal from Wulf, the son of a Dunlending lord. Wulf feels entitled to Hera and is angry by the rejection, which leads to the two sides fighting in a long, drawn-out war. It feels Games of Thrones-ish, in that hundreds of people have to die in a war for someone else’s stubbornness and spite. I guess that describes most war stories – and actual wars, for that matter.
Southern California happenings
March is the 10th annual Mermaid Month at the Ventura Harbor Village. Enjoy mermaid-themed treats, scavenger hunts, and shopping specials all month long. Mermaid and pirate cosplay is encouraged.
A special event from 1 to 4 p.m. on March 22 will include mermaid photo ops, ice sculpting, bubble shows, arts and crafts activities for kids, live music, and more. Parking and admission are free.
A Salute to the Women in Sci-Fi convention is coming to Burbank on March 22 and 23. Special guests include Tricia Helfer, Adrianne Palicki, and Denise Richards. All profits will be donated to Los Angeles charities including Defy: Disaster & Random Acts Natural Disaster Recovery Fund. Learn more about this event and purchase tickets here: https://www.creationent.com/cal/scifi_bur/index.html
There are a lot of sci-fi and fantasy conventions coming up – too many to list in this post. To find events in your area, go to https://fancons.com/
The Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire will be Saturdays and Sundays from April 5 to May 18 in Irwindale. Themed weekends include Pirate & Marketplace Weekend April 12 and 13, Cottagecore Weekend April 19 and 20, and RennCon April 26 and 27.
If you have never been to the Faire, I recommend going at least once. It’s especially fun to dress up in costume, and there are lots of vendors and shows, live music, acrobats, jousts, and more.
One of the best things is seeing everyone’s costumes and pretending you’re living in a different era, at least for a few hours.
Universal Studios Hollywood has announced its new Universal Fan Fest Nights, select nights from April 25 to May 18. Themes include Star Trek, Back to the Future, Dungeons & Dragons, One Piece, Jujutsu Kaisen, Harry Potter, and Super Nintendo World, and will include “experiences,” themed food, and exclusive merchandise. You can buy tickets here: https://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/hhn/things-to-do/events-and-seasonal-activities/fan-fest-nights
I didn’t watch the Oscars this year, but I was very happy to hear the movie “Flow” won for Best Animated Feature. It was the first indie film to win in this category, and it was the first Latvian movie to win an Academy Award and a Golden Globe.
When I say I love sci-fi, people think I mean Star Wars and Star Trek, and I do love those (and will talk about them in this post), but I also count time-loop stories like “Edge of Tomorrow,” “Run Lola Run,” “Russian Doll,” and even “Groundhog Day.”
I know time travel stuff doesn’t always make sense, but I don’t care. I love the idea of getting time back, for a day or week or whatever, and thinking about the differences each of our actions make. The best science fiction makes us think: about the meaning of life, what it means to be a human being, how we should be spending our time on Earth – all the big questions.
“Omni Loop,” written and directed by Bernardo Britto and starring Mary-Louise Parker and Ayo Edebiri (“The Bear”), is an excellent entry in the time-loop genre. Parker’s character, Zoya, is living the same week over and over when she meets Edebiri’s character, a fellow scientist named Paula. The two attempt to solve the mystery of a bottle of pills Zoya found when she was a kid. Taking a pill from the bottle sends Zoya back in time one week.
Unlike some of the other titles I mentioned, it’s not an action movie – more of a slow burn, and, more importantly, emotional and profound.
‘Flow’
Set in a maybe not so distant future, “Flow” is a beautiful but suspenseful fantasy about an adorable black cat who must rely on others to survive a natural disaster. It is the work of Latvian filmmaker Gints Zilbalodis, who made the movie using the open-source software Blender.
I love animals and I love dystopian stories; an added bonus was that I didn’t have to use a captioning device during this trip to the theater as the movie is completely free of dialogue. (I’m hearing impaired.) It was a refreshing change of pace to see animated creatures sounding like animals instead of Chris Rock or Ben Stiller.
I thought about the symbolism in this movie a lot after watching it. This isn’t “Kung Fu Panda”; this one makes you think. (No offense to “Kung Fu Panda.”)
The movie is rated PG, but I don’t feel it was made for kids. There are parts that may be too sad or scary for little kids, or kids who are sensitive. Obviously, every child is different; use your own discretion.
‘Arcane’
Season two of “Arcane” is every bit as visually impressive as season one, and has a lot of twists and turns. My only complaint is that it is confusing as it has been three years since season one. Admittedly, that’s on me; I should have rewatched the first season.
Season two is dark and intense, just like season one. If you liked season one, you’ll like season two. But don’t expect it to cheer you up or anything if you’re already feeling down.
The second season is the series’ last, but showrunner Christian Linke has said there will be more series based on other characters from “League of Legends,” the game on which the series is based. Linke has also suggested that the tone for future series may be less dark and more “whimsical.”
“Arcane” is rated TV-14.
‘Mars Express’
Like “Arcane,” this one is not for kids even though it’s animated (Amazon Prime age rating is 16+). It is also pretty dark. The movie, co-written and directed by Jérémie Périn, is a French, futuristic film noir, about a detective named Aline Ruby, who is tracking a suspect who illegally hacked robots. Ruby’s partner is an android replica of her partner who died five years earlier.
It is an interesting commentary on the relationship humans have with machines, and it’s hard not to wonder if this fictional future is what’s in store for Artificial Intelligence.
Star Wars
Only three episodes of the new series “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” have aired so far, but it’s interesting, and it’s different from recent series in the franchise in that it is centered on kids. It’s also different in that they live on a planet unlike any we’ve seen before in the Star Wars movies or series. It is reminiscent of the suburban “Counter-Earth” created by the High Revolutionary in “Guardians of the Galaxy 3.”
On this planet, called At Attin, a boy named Wim discovers what he thinks is an old Jedi temple, but his discovery turns out to be even more surprising.
There’s sort of a “Stranger Things” vibe here, with a group of kids who ride hover bikes instead of bicycles.
Spoilers incoming. If you haven’t watched the first three episodes, come back later.
OK, so Jude Law is in this, which is reason enough to watch it. (Obviously we watch every Star Wars title regardless of reasons other than “It’s Star Wars,” but you know what I mean.) The identity of Law’s character is (sort of) a mystery, but he can use the Force, which prompts some amusing repartee:
Oh – the thing the kids found wasn’t a temple; it was a ship and they accidentally end up in outer space. Oops! Adventures ensue.
I like it so far, but it’s not without cringey and yikes moments. My biggest gripe is the scene in which they’re fleeing from the authorities, and the kids are cheerfully shooting at the pursuing X-wings. This isn’t a video game, kiddos, you’re shooting at real people – the “good guys,” no less. I feel like the writers didn’t think that one through.
Star Trek
“Star Trek: Section 31” will be the franchise’s first TV movie, and is a spin-off of “Star Trek: Discovery.” The movie, streaming Jan. 24, follows Philippa Georgiou (played by Michelle Yeoh). An emperor when she was in the Mirror Universe, Georgiou has now joined Section 31, a black ops division of Starfleet.
This was originally supposed to be an ongoing series, but I imagine Yeoh’s schedule got a bit busier after winning an Academy Award. Just a guess. I really loved her character in “Discovery” and I hope this new movie is as good as her storyline in that show. The trailer looks a little cheesy, but we’ll see how it goes. Here it is:
Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all my readers! See you in 2025.
Hey sci-fi fans! Is it just me, or is there nothing groundbreaking or earth-shattering on TV or the movies lately? I think the last movie I saw in the theater was “Deadpool & Wolverine.” I really wanted to love it, but I didn’t. That’s all I will say about that mess.
Let’s talk about “Agatha All Along,” the newest Marvel series on Disney+. I love Kathryn Hahn, but I’ve never been a huge fan of witches or witchy things. I blame it on the creepy witches from my childhood, like the Wicked Witch of the West and Witchie-Poo from “H.R. Pufnstuf.” I used to have recurring nightmares about being kidnapped by witches. Movies like “The Blair Witch Project” didn’t help.
I am fine with non-threatening witches like Samantha from “Bewitched” and Kiki from “Kiki’s Delivery Service,” but Agatha Harkness – the evil, dog-killing Agatha Harkness from “WandaVision” – is not a nice witch. Is she irredeemably evil in the spinoff series? That remains to be seen. There are three episodes left. I’m wondering if we will yet see a redemption of this villain, a la “Loki.”
If you’ve not watched the first six episodes, you may want to come back after you’re caught up – there are some spoilers after the photo.
It seems Agatha is an LGBTQ character, of note because we rarely see lesbian characters on Disney+ but when we do, they’re witches (in “Acolyte” and “The Owl House”). I’m not sure what to make of that. Is Disney testing the waters? Maybe if audiences accept villainous main characters who are queer, they’ll branch out to queer main characters who aren’t villains? Hmm.
Joe Locke (who stars in the series “Heartstopper”) plays a character known for the first few episodes as a guyliner-wearing teenager referred to simply as Teen because someone put a spell on him so he wouldn’t reveal his identity.
I thought he was going to turn out to be Agatha’s long-lost son Nicholas, but no. He has now been outed (see what I did there?) as none other than Wanda Maximoff’s son Billy! Well, not none other. He’s the spirit of Billy Maximoff inhabiting the body of William Kaplan. Such a great twist, and one I did not see coming, as I did not read the comics. Oh, and he is also gay. In the comics and in the series.
I am happy for all the queer fans who are finally getting more representation in the MCU, but it’s been a long time coming. Better late than never, I guess.
I’m enjoying the series more than I thought I would. It has a great cast which also includes Aubrey Plaza, Debra Jo Rupp, and Patti LuPone; and it’s Halloween-y in a fun way, and not a super-scary way. (Or maybe witches aren’t as scary to me now that I’m not 6?)
Another fun note: The Witches’ Road song is brought to you by the songwriting duo (Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez) who did the tunes from the “Frozen” movies – and now that you know, you’ll be able to tell when you hear it.
In other Marvel news, I’m looking forward to 2025, when “Captain America: Brave New World” (Feb. 14) and “Thunderbolts” (May 2) will finally be in theaters. I love Florence Pugh and based on the trailer, it seems she is the main character, so I’m here for it! Observe.
Well, that’s all I have to say for now. Until next time!
Have you ever wondered what the world would be like if the United States was never colonized? What if the Europeans were driven away by Native people?
Yesterday, I posted about how disappointing this season of Marvel’s “What If …?” (on Disney+) has been so far. Then last night I watched the new episode, “What If … Kahhori Reshaped the World?”In it, a young Mohawk woman finds a lake that contains the Tesseract, aka the Space Stone (from the Avengers movies).
Kahhori is not in the Marvel comics. She’s a brand new character, created by writer Ryan Little, who spent four years creating the episode, researching the Mohawk people so he could get every detail right – right down to the tattoos and the baskets.
Little worked with a Mohawk language expert, Cecilia King, for the episode, in which the characters speak Mohawk. There are English subtitles.
Doug George-Kanentiio, an Akwesasne Mohawk and historian, was the cultural adviser. In a recent NPR interview, he discussed the stereotypes of Native Americans in early comics, and in the media: “Those figures were angry and aggressive and, you know, had war paint on and were always in a state of conflict and warfare. And that wasn’t – you know, that kind of turns you off as a kid.”
In a recent post on X, Devery Jacobs, who voiced Kahhori, explained that she worked on the episode for three years. “Never did I think I’d be able to bring a character like this to life; few roles mean as much as this one,” she said.
I love the new character and am impressed with the amount of work that went into this. It’s the first time I’ve watched this show and wanted more of the story. I hope we will get to see more of Kahhori in future Marvel series and movies.
What did you think? Let me know in the comments or on my Facebook page!
Just when I was starting to think, “Maybe I just don’t like anything right now,” the second seasons of “Loki” and “Our Flag Means Death” started off with a bang and are exactly what I needed. (Stick that in your pipe and smoke it, Scorsese!)
Loki and Mobius have the best friendship and make such a great team, and how great is Ke Huy Quan? He’s so funny and charming. I want to give all of them a hug. There are so many multifaceted characters in this series. I really wanted to see B-15 in her ’70s garb for more than just the few seconds she was on screen. Give us a whole episode in the ’70s please!
Taika Waititi as Blackbeard
“Our Flag Means Death,” everyone’s favorite gay pirate show, is soooo good. The mermaid (merman?) scene! The unicorn leg! There are so many flawless moments in these first few episodes, I can’t wait to see what is going to happen next. Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby are amazing, and the entire cast of characters and their neuroses are so ridiculously funny while at the same time being poignant and perfect.
I have been thinking a lot about the entertainment industry and the arts, and the writers’ and actors’ strike. Some people think things like TV and movies aren’t essential, and maybe they aren’t as essential as say, health care, but lately we have been using the word “comfort” a lot – as an adjective: “I am re-watching Mike Birbiglia’s stand-up; he’s my comfort comedian.” “I’m on my third viewing of Season One of ‘Our Flag Means Death’ – it’s my comfort show.”
When mass shootings and war are dominating our news headlines, and when bad things are happening in our lives or in the lives of our loved ones, there is only so much space we can hold for those feelings of hopelessness. Something art and entertainment offers is a break – however brief – from thinking and feeling all the things we don’t want to think and feel.
What are your comfort shows? Do you have a favorite sci-fi or fantasy movie that makes you feel warm and fuzzy, or like maybe someday everything will be OK? Leave me a message in the comments, here or on my Facebook page.
More Marvel
Tickets are now on sale for “The Marvels,” opening in U.S. theaters on Nov. 10. I am hoping our favorite flerken gets a lot of screen time.
Inktober
Some of my (admittedly amateurish) Inktober art
I am not a good artist by any stretch of the imagination, but my daughter is, and she convinced me to do Inktober with her this year.
The annual October art celebration, begun in 2009 by illustrator Jake Parker, offers a different art prompt for each day of October.
I think the prompts are supposed to be sort of spooky themed. For “rise,” I assume the word association is supposed to be a zombie or something, rising from the grave, for example. But that’s not what I did, and there are no rules, really; the important thing is to have fun.
I saved my solar eclipse glasses from 2017, which came in handy for the eclipse that was visible in some areas (including mine, in Southern California) this morning.
The picture taken on my phone through the glasses came out a little fuzzy. We also had fun taking photos of the crescents in the shadows of the leaves.
I’m a little behind on things lately (still not caught up on “Shadow and Bone” or “The Witcher”!) but my most recent favorite thing on Netflix is the animated film adaptation of ND Stevenson’s award-winning 2015 graphic novel “Nimona,” about a shapeshifter who joins forces with a disgraced knight. Anytime you read the book first, you expect the screen adaptation to pale in comparison, but this was well done, and I loved it. Chloe Grace Moretz voices Nimona, and Riz Ahmed is Ballister.
Bard and barbarian
If you missed “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” when it was in theaters, you can now find it on Paramount+ and Amazon Prime. Like “Nimona,” it’s fun and funny, and also unexpectedly sweet and touching. You don’t need to know anything about the game to enjoy the movie, and it’s a pretty safe bet for a family movie night (if you let your kids watch PG-13 movies).
Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Rege-Jean Page, Hugh Grant, Justice Smith, and Sophia Lillis star. A spin-off TV series is reportedly in the works.
Star Trek
Capt. Pike and Ensign Boimler
While I liked “Star Trek: Discovery” and “Star Trek: Picard,” my fave new Trek right now is “Strange New Worlds.” I expected it to be a return to the classic Trek style (as it’s a prequel), but I love the way the series is breaking new ground in their second season. The musical episode and the crossover (with the animated Trek series “Lower Decks”) were quirky and fun.
You can watch “Strange New Worlds” on Paramount+.
Star Wars
Ah, the smell of starship fuel in the morning …
The first six episodes of “Star Wars: Ahsoka” are on Disney+, with Rosario Dawson reprising the role. (She played Ahsoka on “The Mandalorian” also).
“Ahsoka” is set in the same time period as “The Mandalorian,” and is also a continuation of the animated series “Star Wars: Rebels.” I never watched “Rebels,” so I can’t comment on how faithful it is to that show, but there are apparently a lot of the same characters.
I like Sabine, Ahsoka, and Hera, and I like the CGI animals, the loth-cat and the howler. But, like the Boba Fett and Kenobi series, it’s a little slow and boring. Maybe it’s just me?
“The Mandalorian” set a high bar, and I don’t think any series since then has lived up to it, except for “Andor,” but even that one took a while to hit its stride. Maybe the “Ahsoka” story will suddenly get amazing, but there are only two episodes left, so we’ll see.
Oh – I almost forgot to complain about waiting for Wes Chatham (“The Expanse”) to finally show up, only to have him covered up with that weird gold stormtrooper helmet/mask. It’s almost as bad as covering up Pedro Pascal’s face for almost the entirety of “The Mandalorian.”
Marvel
Coming to the big screen Nov. 10 is “The Marvels,” featuring Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, and Monica Rambeau. In the trailer, we see the trio’s powers getting mixed up as the women end up mysteriously swapping places with each other.
I was looking forward to the Marvel series “Secret Invasion,” but it didn’t blow me away. It was a bit of a downer. Don’t get me wrong, Samuel Jackson was great, as usual, but they killed off some of the best characters, and it was just sort of depressing overall. There seems to be a lot of that going around lately.
He’s a Loki! Well, probably not.
My favorite Marvel series is still “Loki,” the new season of which will be released on Oct. 5. The trailer looks really cool; I can’t wait to see Loki, Mobius, and Sylvie back in action, and it was really cool to see Ke Huy Quan in the trailer, joining Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson, and Sophia Di Martino in the cast for Season 2.
The “Hawkeye” spin-off miniseries “Echo” has been pushed to January 2024. Unlike other Marvel series, “Echo” will be released all at once, instead of one episode per week. “Echo” will focus on Maya Lopez, the leader of the Tracksuit Mafia, Clint Barton’s nemeses in “Hawkeye.” Alaqua Cox reprises her role as Lopez, who will reconnect with her Native American roots, and Vincent D’Onofrio and Charlie Cox will also return, as Kingpin and Daredevil.
Spider-Man and other delays
“Madame Web” is scheduled to be released in the United States on Feb. 14, 2024. Dakota Johnson will play the title character, Madame Web, a “clairvoyant whose psychic abilities allow her to see within the ‘spider world.’ ” Hopefully it won’t be as cheesy as it sounds.
In other Spider-Man news, “Kraven the Hunter” has been delayed till August 2024, and there is now no release date for “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse” – the upcoming Ghostbusters movie took the March 2024 release date from the Spider-Verse sequel, pushing the latter off the release calendar until further notice.
“Dune: Part 2” has also been delayed by the writers’ and actors’ strike; it is now expected to be released in March 2024.
Fantasy (and fantasy adjacent)
Season 2 of the fantasy comedy “Good Omens” was released in July on Amazon Prime. The series, based on the novel by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, is about an angel (Michael Sheen) and a demon (David Tennant), and is a co-production between Amazon and BBC studios.
The second season of “Wheel of Time,” also on Amazon Prime, is now airing, releasing one episode at a time. Again, I like that there are a lot of women characters, and the actors (including Rosamund Pike as Moiraine) are really good, but it’s a dark, depressing show, and it’s also pretty gruesome. I imagine it’s more interesting to people who read the books, which I did not.
I loved “Barbie,” and saw it in theaters twice. It’s now streaming and is available to buy or rent on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, and other platforms.
Time for tea on the high seas!
“Our Flag Means Death” is coming back! Season 2 premieres Oct. 5 on Max (formerly HBO Max). If you haven’t watched this sweet and funny series, now’s the time to get caught up.
Taika Waititi stars as Blackbeard and Rhys Darby plays Stede Bonnet, aka “the Gentleman Pirate.”
I saw the new Marvel movie “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” a few weeks ago, but I haven’t had a chance to write lately. Let’s get started: I really like Paul Rudd, and the first two “Ant-Man” films are some of my faves in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But if you watch Marvel movies, you know that even if Ant-Man isn’t your favorite, you’re still going to see this movie. In that respect, Marvel is really smart. They know that we are going to see all of the movies and series in this franchise because if we don’t, we are going to be confused.
Some of the criticism I’ve seen surrounding this latest sequel is of the “it’s confusing if you haven’t seen all the films” variety, to which I say of course it is. That’s their goal. The movies are meant to be viewed as an episodic series, a series with multiple characters – and directors.
The director of the Ant-Man films is Peyton Reed, a comedy guy, and he was great at making the first two Ant-Man films funny. Unfortunately, this one is not as funny. First of all, Michael Pena (Luis) was missing from this film. The director’s explanation was basically that there were already a lot of characters in the film and there wasn’t room for Pena, which seems strange to me considering the inclusion of some other non-essential characters (no offense, guy who plays Baskin-Robbins manager).
Also, even though the special effects were great, the Quantum Realm sort of veers into the territory of silly, with its Star Wars-y aliens. I know I should love that stuff since I write a science-fiction blog, but I think Marvel isn’t really at its best here. It almost felt a little … Sharkboy and Lavagirl.
I’m not thrilled about the direction the MCU is headed with this concept of multiverses. It seems like a minefield of plot holes. But maybe they can pull it off. We’ll see.
Having said all that, I didn’t hate it. It was still fun and funny, just not as good as the previous Ant-Man movies.
More Marvel news
I have higher hopes for the next “Guardians of the Galaxy” movie, which is coming May 5. This may be the last Guardians film, which I’m sad about because they’re my faves, so I hope they at least go out with a bang.
The release date for “The Marvels” movie has been moved yet again, this time to Nov. 10. Bummer! Disney is reining in Marvel’s output. It was originally reported that six (new and returning) Marvel series would be released on Disney+ in 2023, but that has changed. Even “Echo” and “Ironheart,” which have already wrapped, are being put on hold. Now it looks like the only ones we’ll see this year will be “Secret Invasion” and Season 2 of “Loki.”
According to a February article in The Hollywood Reporter, “The pullback on Disney+ is coming amid an industrywide shift in rethinking the best way to achieve profitability in streaming.”
So, it’s about money. (I know, it’s shocking.)
I already mentioned HBO’s “The Last of Us” in my last post. It was really good, and I recommend it, if you haven’t watched it yet. I liked that the zombies aren’t super scary – and I love it when sci-fi proves that the scariest thing of all is really other humans. Pedro Pascal is amazing, as always. Apparently, some people complained that there wasn’t enough zombie action but there was enough for my liking and like I said, it’s not about zombies – it’s about human nature, and it was very moving. I laughed, I cried, I immediately wanted more. Enough said. Go watch it. Just don’t watch it with your kids or they’ll probably be scarred for life. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
The new season of “Carnival Row,” on Amazon Prime, is out now, and it’s just as terrible as the first season. Why is this show so bad? Well for starters, it doesn’t make sense. There’s so much illogical plot stuff going on, I can barely keep up. If I ever actually had sympathy for rich successful actors, it would be for the stars of this ridiculous show. I haven’t finished watching Season 2 but I’m not sure I will.
What can I say about Season 3 of “The Mandalorian”? Hmm. It’s better than the Obi-Wan show. Because Grogu. And Pedro. I love Amy Sedaris, and Katee Sackhoff. But the plot isn’t blowing me away so far.
The story with the other Mandalorians is sort of boring, and I am not sure what is happening with Dr. Pershing. Are we supposed to care about him? Am I just being nit-picky? Maybe it will get more exciting in the upcoming episodes.
Lately I find myself being annoyed by their helmets. Just bugged in general because wouldn’t your face get all hot and sweaty under there? And more specifically, I want to see Pedro’s face, and also, is Grogu going to have to wear a helmet? Because NO.
The second season of “Shadow and Bone” (Netflix) has been released but I haven’t had a chance to see it yet. I have heard it’s good, so I’m looking forward to it.
“Willow” fans disappointed to hear the show has been cancelled will be happy to hear that it actually hasn’t. It’s reportedly just on hiatus. (The full explanation can be found on writer/producer Jon Kasdan’s twitter.)
If you are in Southern California, the Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire in Irwindale is coming up, on Saturdays and Sundays from April 8 to May 21. The themed weekends this year are pirate and marketplace weekend (April 15 and 16) and RennCon™ weekend (April 29 and 30).
Please note that if you bought tickets during their “Holidazzle” sale, you may only use them through April 23.
The New York Renaissance Faire starts in August, and the Bristol Renaissance Faire (in Wisconsin) begins in July. Go to renfair.com for more info.
Is it really 2023? Being a member of Generation X, I imagine 2023 as a destination in a time travel movie from the 1980s, not the actual present time. I guess I’m getting old.
There are a lot of science fiction, fantasy, and superhero movies scheduled to come out this year, which is exciting for all of us nerdy folks. Here are some on my watch list (in no particular order):
‘Quantumania’
Tickets are already on sale for “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” in theaters Feb. 17. The sequel will be the first film of Marvel’s Phase Five. Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, and Michelle Pfeiffer will reprise their roles and Kathryn Newton will play Cassie Lang, Scott’s daughter. The trailer, set to a trippy version of Elton John’s “Yellow Brick Road,” got me hyped up for this movie, so hopefully it won’t let me down like certain other Marvel sequels from 2022.
The “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” trailer also got me hyped up, with Spacehog’s ’90s hit “In the Meantime.” The Guardians soundtracks are usually full of 1970s tunes from Peter Quill’s Walkman, but now we are moving into a new era (remember when Kraglin gave Peter a Zune?). Although I’m sad that this will probably be the last Guardians film, it looks like it will be a good one. Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Sean Gunn, Elizabeth Debicki, and Sylvester Stallone reprise their roles, Will Poulter has been added to the cast as Adam Warlock, and Chukwudi Iwuji is the High Evolutionary. Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel reprise their roles as the voices of Rocket and Groot, and Maria Bakalova voices Cosmo the Spacedog. It’s scheduled to be released on May 5.
‘Spaceman’
An adaptation of the Jaroslav Kalfar novel “Spaceman of Bohemia” is coming to Netflix in July. “Spaceman” is about a Czech astronaut (played by Adam Sandler) on a solo mission to explore a mysterious cloud of space dust. The film also stars Carey Mulligan, Paul Dano, Isabella Rossellini, and Kunal Nayyar.
Marvel seems to be dominating in theaters this year – or at least dominating my must-see list. Brie Larson and Iman Vellani will reprise their roles as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel and Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel in “The Marvels,” on July 28. The cast also includes Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. I think it’s interesting that so many characters introduced in Disney+ series are going on to the big screen. For example, we’ll see Kang from the “Loki” series in the new Ant-Man film (or I guess the one from Loki was a Kang variant?) and Kamala and Monica (from “Ms. Marvel” and “WandaVision,” respectively) in this one. It’s a smart – and sneaky – move by Disney to get us all to subscribe, so that we will be caught up when we head to theaters.
“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” is based on the Suzanne Collins novel and is a prequel to the other Hunger Games books and films. Tom Blyth portrays young Coriolanus Snow (the president played by Donald Sutherland in the other movies). The film also stars Rachel Zegler, Hunter Schafer, Jason Schwartzman, Peter Dinklage, and Viola Davis, and is scheduled to be released on Nov. 17.
Coming to theaters on June 2 is the computer-animated sequel “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.” The theme of parallel universes seems to be a trend lately, and the Spider-Verse is another one doing the multiverse thing. Shameik Moore and Hailee Steinfeld reprise their roles as Miles Morales/Spider-Man and Gwen Stacy/Spider-Woman.
The next film on my list is from the people who brought you “A Quiet Place” (Scott Beck and Bryan Woods). At first glance, “65” looks kind of – how can I put this? – stupid. A sci-fi thriller with astronauts and dinosaurs? Hmm. But it has Adam Driver. That’s how they get you. “65” is in theaters March 17.
“Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” is (obviously) based on the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons and stars Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Rege-Jean Page, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, and Hugh Grant. The effects and setting in the trailer are impressive, and it looks like it might be a really fun fantasy film. Or it could be a huge flop. Guess we’ll have to, um, roll the dice on this one. The film premieres at SXSW March 10 and will be in theaters March 31.
Films with release dates TBA
Another sci-fi film on the SXSW slate is “If You Were the Last,” starring Anthony Mackie, Natalie Morales, Zoe Chao, and Geoff Stults. It has been described as “When Harry Met Sally” in space. Make of that what you will.
The Zack Snyder movie “Rebel Moon” (Netflix) was inspired by Star Wars and Akira Kurosawa films. The ensemble cast includes Sofia Boutella, Charlie Hunnam, Ray Fisher, and Djimon Hounsou. Snyder has said he hopes the movie will become a “massive IP and a universe that can be built out.” Sounds very ambitious. I’m excited at the prospect of something original and new. It could be really cool. Or it could be really boring. Like “Dune.”
‘The Pod Generation‘
Sci-fi rom com/satire “The Pod Generation,” starring Emilia Clarke and Chiwetel Ejiofor, premieres at the Sundance Film Festival today (Jan. 19). Directed by Sophie Barthes (“Cold Souls”), the film may not be released in mainstream theaters, as it’s an independent movie, and it might not be released this year at all, but I will keep you posted. It looks interesting.
There were supposed to be new Star Trek and Star Wars movies in theaters this year, in June and December, respectively, but it doesn’t look like either of those will be happening. Hopefully we will have more news on those soon.
Now streaming
After we finished “Paper Girls,” which we loved, my daughter and I were looking for something similar to watch together. Our contenders were “The Wilds” and “Runaways” (both of which we only watched one episode), and “Parallels” (Disney+) which we declared the winner of the three. We binge-watched all six episodes of Season 1. A French series dubbed in English, “Parallels” follows a group of teenage friends who are accidentally separated into parallel universes during testing of a nearby particle collider. (Rated TV-14.)
‘The Last of Us’
A new series on HBO, “The Last of Us” is based on a video game and stars Pedro Pascal as Joel, a survivor of a creepy zombie plague. I’ve only seen the first episode so far (it just came out on Sunday), but so far it’s really good. The epic first episode walks us through the events before the apocalyptic plague hits, Joel’s harrowing fight to get out of the infected city with his daughter and brother, and the dismal aftermath. (Rated TV-MA.)
Franchise series expected in 2023
Star Wars series coming to Disney+ this year: “Ahsoka,” “Skeleton Crew,” and the third season of “The Mandalorian.”
New seasons of the three (live-action) Star Trek series are also coming this year: the second season of “Strange New Worlds,” Season 5 of “Discovery,” and the third and final season of “Picard.”
Marvel series coming to Disney+ this year: “Secret Invasion,” “Ironheart,” “Echo,” “Agatha: Coven of Chaos,” and the second seasons of “Loki” and “What If …?”
Somehow it is already December, and I know you all have holiday stuff to do. I know you don’t want to waste your time trying to find something to watch when you finally get some time to wind down. I’m here for you.
First up is the Disney+ series “Willow.” If you’re from Gen X, like me, you will remember the fantasy film “Willow,” starring Val Kilmer as Willow. Just kidding! Kilmer played Madmartigan who thus far does not appear in this series.
Willow is played by Warwick Davis, and my favorite part was when he showed up. His return had the same energy as the original Star Wars characters showing up in “The Last Jedi,” and and in fact Davis has said he was inspired by Mark Hamill’s portrayal of Luke Skywalker in that film.
I’m not sure how this is possible, but I did not realize Davis would be reprising his role from the 1988 film. I guess I haven’t been paying attention, and honestly, I don’t remember much from the original movie which I’ve mixed up with the 1985 fantasy film “Ladyhawke.”
As awesome as it was to see Davis back in the titular role, it doesn’t bode well that that scene was the best part of this show. Instead of reminding me of those earlier movies, this new series reminds me of nothing so much as Amazon’s adaptation of “Wheel of Time.” That’s not a bad thing, it’s just … a little confusing. It’s possible my middle-aged brain can only keep track of so many teenagers going on quests, but that’s probably a problem exclusive to myself (and maybe my fellow Gen X-ers).
One of these is “Wheel of Time” – the other is “Willow.” (If you’re confused, remember: The teens from “Wheel of Time” are on a dangerous quest to save their world, and the teens from “Willow” are on a dangerous quest to save their world.)
So is “Willow” worth watching? I’ve only seen the first two episodes and I’d love to say it started out with a bang but so far it’s just meh. I will keep watching, in the hopes it will go from boring to amazing (which seems to be the trend – I’m looking at you, “Andor”) but if you have Disney+ and are into fantasy, or you’re just plain nostalgic, you’re probably already watching this one.
‘Wednesday’
Netflix’s new series “Wednesday” is, of course, about Wednesday Addams from the 1960s TV show and the movie remakes from the ’90s. Actually, there are multiple iterations of this family’s story, but those are the only ones I’ve seen.
The earlier versions are dark comedies, but this one’s genre is a bit less clear. With Tim Burton producing (and directing the first few episodes), we know it will be dark, but is it a comedy? Is it horror? Or a murder mystery? I think it’s trying to be all of those, but not entirely succeeding.
Wikipedia calls it a “coming-of-age supernatural comedy horror television series.” I feel that’s at least one too many ingredients in the cauldron, but maybe I’m not the target audience. This Wednesday, now 16, is played by Jenna Ortega, who is perfect in this role. Christina Ricci (who also stars) is my generation’s Wednesday, and her deadpan Thanksgiving speech at Camp Chippewa is still one of my favorite movie scenes. The witch hunt story line in “Wednesday” seems to be a callback to that takedown of whitewashing American history in “Addams Family Values,” but it’s just one of many side plots in a somewhat tangled story.
That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it. I did, and I’m not alone – “Wednesday” is so popular it even broke a record held by “Stranger Things” – the most hours viewed in a week for an English language series on Netflix. It is similar in some ways to “Stranger Things.” Both shows are creepier than I would like, but they also both have themes of friendship and perseverance against the odds. Both shows focus on teen outcasts, and they also both have some great musical scenes: Wednesday’s dance scene (accompanied by The Cramps’ “Goo Goo Muck”), is the one most talked about, but I prefer her cello cover of The Stones’ “Paint It Black” (although nothing can top Eddie Munson’s “Master of Puppets” moment).
Despite its flaws, “Wednesday” is suspenseful and addictive. If you like coming-of-age supernatural comedy horror, stock up on popcorn and binge watch this one.
‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’
If you are a Marvel fan, you know “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is absolutely worth going to see in the theater as you’ve likely already seen it and don’t need me to tell you how great it is. If you haven’t seen all the movies, you might be confused, as this is not just a sequel to 2018’s “Black Panther,” but also … lots of stuff has happened since that came out, in the films and TV series, but also in real life. Sadly, the actor who played King T’Challa/Black Panther, Chadwick Boseman, passed away in 2020.
The film did a great job in handling the death of his character and was a beautiful tribute to Boseman. I tried to avoid reading any spoilers, so I did not know who would be chosen as T’Challa’s successor. In that way, the film was unpredictable, which I liked. There are also some new characters introduced, who will likely have bigger roles in future installations.
I was less thrilled about the conflict the Wakandans had with the sea people, who reminded me too much of the underwater people from “Aquaman,” I guess because people who live in the ocean seem silly to me. Marvel has aliens and wizards and talking raccoons, but I apparently draw the line at mer-people. I don’t know why. Marvel villains always seem to lean toward the cheesy side anyway, so maybe it’s just par for the course.
Overall it was an exciting and emotional movie, and just as good as the first “Black Panther.” Maybe it was even better, since we already know and love these characters. I don’t think I’m giving away anything when I say this one is a tearjerker. Bring tissues.
‘Guardians of the Galaxy’
Despite the fact that it looked a little low-budget, I enjoyed “The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.” It was silly and fun, and it was released the day after Thanksgiving, which I thought was a good choice. Mantis’ and Drax’s antics were funny and the ending was even sort of touching and sweet.
The Guardians are my favorite MCU characters and the upcoming “The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is rumored to be the last film with these characters, which I hope is not true.
The new movie is scheduled to be released in theaters on May 5, the second Marvel film of the new year, after “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” coming Feb. 17. The trailers for both films have been released.
Earth to Shawna 