The Old Guard

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

Posted on by earthtoshawna

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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Check out Netflix’s ‘The Old Guard’ and ‘Warrior Nun’

Posted on by earthtoshawna

(Contains spoilers.)

When I was in my teens and twenties I was somewhat obsessed with vampires. I loved “The Lost Boys” (which is getting a musical prequel – no I’m not kidding) and Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles. Vampires fit into my goth aesthetic* but also the idea of immortality and what it would be like to never age or die is an intriguing concept all by itself.

It’s why I love Matt Haig’s novel “How to Stop Time” about a 400-year-old man who looks like he’s 40. It’s interesting to imagine what kind of perspective you would have if you were centuries old, but still living as a young(ish) person. And of course you would wonder, Why me?

In “The Old Guard,” Andromache of Scythia (Charlize Theron) faces similar questions. She and her fellow immortals are mercenaries, but in modern times, they have a harder time keeping a low profile. U.S. Marine Nile (KiKi Layne) is the “new guard” to Andy’s old.

Gina Prince-Bythewood

Matthias Schoenaerts, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli, and Chiwetel Ejiofor also star in “The Old Guard,” which was adapted from a comic book by Greg Rucka, and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood (“Love & Basketball,” “The Secret Life of Bees”).

Prince-Bythewood is the first black woman to make a comic book film, and she’s also working on adaptations of the Black Cat and Silver Sable comics. The film which would have combined the heroines’ stories in one movie called “Silver and Black” has been cancelled (boo!), but the characters are now reportedly getting separate series (yay!). Prince-Bythewood has said that the research and preparation she did for the now-cancelled film, which included getting advice from “Wonder Woman” director Patty Jenkins, helped her with “The Old Guard.”

In Charlize Theron news, her character Furiosa is reportedly being recast in the Mad Max prequel, a decision Theron said was “a little heartbreaking, for sure. I really love that character, and I’m so grateful that I had a small part in creating her.”

Fortunately, we will be seeing Theron again in an “Atomic Blonde” sequel (which will reportedly be a Netflix exclusive) and also (I hope) a sequel to “The Old Guard.”

‘Warrior Nun’

My latest late-night binge is Netflix’s “Warrior Nun.” If you were a fan of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” or even if you weren’t, you may enjoy this comic book adaptation about an order of nun soldiers who fight demons.

Alba Baptista (a Portuguese actress in her first English-speaking role) stars as a quadriplegic orphan who dies but is resurrected when an angel’s halo is placed in her back, giving her the ability to walk again – and also magical demon-hunting abilities.

I know it sounds bizarre and sort of silly – because it is, but it’s crazy and fun. Just go with it.

‘Monster Hunter’

I guess audiences can’t get enough witchers and slayers. Another supposed-to-be summer 2020 blockbuster has been postponed: “Monster Hunter,” a film adaptation of the video game, has been delayed till April 23, 2021. Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson (“Resident Evil,” “Mortal Kombat”) and starring Milla Jovovich (who is married to Anderson), Tony Jaa, T.I., Ron Perlman, Meagan Good, and Diego Boneta, the movie follows a UN military team who end up in an alternate world where Hunters fight monsters. The soldiers and Hunters work together to keep the monsters from entering the portal to Earth.

In describing the monsters, Anderson said in an interview with Empire, “We’re building them in even more detail than the dinosaurs of Jurassic World. And they look even better. …” OK. But. Does your movie have Star-Lord? Didn’t think so.

Trailers

The trailer for “The One and Only Ivan” is here, and it looks like the plot may be a little different from the book, but I’m still looking forward to seeing it. It’s coming to Disney+ on Aug. 14.

HBO Max released a trailer for all their new stuff, including a cool-looking new Ridley Scott show called “Raised by Wolves.” (Don’t blink or you’ll miss it.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=69&v=s-og_rj0NfI&feature=emb_logo

There’s also a release date (Aug. 6) and a trailer for the new animated series “Star Trek: Lower Decks.” Check it out below.

Photo credits: “The Old Guard” and “Warrior Nun,” Netflix; “Interview with the Vampire” and “The Middle,” Warner Bros.; “Jurassic World,” Universal Pictures.

* Me in the 1990s, wishing I was a vampire.

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New films & series adapted from sci-fi & fantasy books

Posted on by earthtoshawna

Fans of Aldous Huxley’s dystopian novel “Brave New World” will be happy to hear there’s a release date for the adaptation, a series which will air on NBC’s Peacock – on July 15, which is also the launch date of the new streaming service.

The series is set in a future society that is rigid and controlled. Bernard (Harry Lloyd) and Lenina (Jessica Brown Findlay) go to the Savage Lands where they become involved in a rebellion and meet John the Savage (Alden Ehrenreich). Hannah John-Kamen and Demi Moore also star. David Wiener is the showrunner.

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’m very excited about the upcoming adaptation of one of my favorite books, the post-apocalyptic novel “Station Eleven,” by Emily St. John Mandel. The miniseries is coming to HBO Max, but the premiere date still has not been announced. Mackenzie Davis and Hamish Patel will star.

Another film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s “The Witches” is coming in 2021. This one changes the setting from ’80s England to ’60s Alabama, and is written by Robert Zemeckis, Guillermo del Toro, and Kenya Barris. The cast includes Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer, Stanley Tucci, Chris Rock, and Jahzir Kadeem Bruno.

Guillermo del Toro (“The Shape of Water”) is also working on an adaptation of “Pinocchio” for Netflix, which will also be released in 2021. The film, a musical, will feature stop-motion animation and the voices of Ewan McGregor, Ron Perlman, Tilda Swinton, Christoph Waltz, and David Bradley.

Another miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s “The Stand” is coming to CBS All Access. Filming was reportedly completed in March, but a release date has not yet been set. James Marsden, Amber Heard, Whoopi Goldberg, and Alexander Skarsgård will star.

The latest adaptation of Frank Herbert’s “Dune” will be directed by Denis Villeneuve (“Arrival”). The ensemble cast includes Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, David Dastmalchian, Chang Chen, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem. The film is scheduled to be released in U.S. theaters Dec. 18.

“The Old Guard,” July 10
Charlize Theron stars in this superhero film, based on the comic book of the same name. KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli, and Chiwetel Ejiofor also star. “The Old Guard” will premiere on Netflix.

“Cursed,” July 17
The Netflix series is adapted from the illustrated fantasy novel of the same name, by Frank Miller and Tom Wheeler. It is based on Arthurian legend, from the viewpoint of a young woman destined to become the Lady of the Lake.

“The One and Only Ivan,” Aug. 21
I love this book (by Katherine Applegate), about a gorilla who lives in a cage in a shopping mall. The film adaptation is a mix of live action and CGI and was originally going to be released in theaters, but will premiere on Disney+.

Bryan Cranston, Ramon Rodriguez, and Ariana Greenblatt star, and the voice cast includes Sam Rockwell, Angelina Jolie, Danny DeVito, Helen Mirren, Chaka Khan, Mike White, Brooklynn Prince, Ron Funches, and Phillipa Soo.

“The Boys,” Sept. 4
The subversive superhero series, based on the comic book, will return to Amazon Prime for Season 2.

All release dates subject to change.

Top photo: “Brave New World,” NBC Universal.

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