Murphy's Multiverse

Author: monarchwrites

  • ‘Star Trek: Picard’ to Reunite the ‘Next Generation’ Cast

    ‘Star Trek: Picard’ to Reunite the ‘Next Generation’ Cast

    Multiple Star Trek: Next Generation alumni are joining the Paramount+ Original Star Trek: Picard for its final season. The returning cast from Next Generation includes LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, and Brent Spiner. While multiple actors on this list have cameoed in Picard, this will be the first time McFadden and Burton have appeared.

    With Patrick Stewart reportedly saying goodbye to the character of Picard after the end of the third season, it’s great to see him getting to interact with other Star Trek characters before his departure. So, it’s certainly a way for them to give it one final hurrah and see the Next Generation cast unite once again. The third and final season of the show will be 10 episodes on Paramount+.

    Along with the news, a new teaser trailer for Season 3 was also released. Star Trek: Picard is currently streaming its two seasons on Paramount+. The show follows Picard as he and his team are trapped in an alternate reality by his nemesis, Q. It’s unclear where this unlikely adventure will leave Picard and his crew. The final season is definitely adding a lot of emotional weight to the final hurrah for everyone involved, which will definitely leave us with an emotional finale.

    Source: YouTube

  • Long-Rumored ‘Rainbow Six Mobile’ Finally Confirmed

    Long-Rumored ‘Rainbow Six Mobile’ Finally Confirmed

    It’s almost time for Rainbow Six fans to take the fight from their TVs and monitors to their mobile phones. After countless leaks, rumors, and other discussions floating around, the game was a terribly-kept secret. However, event after event, no news would come. Finally, Ubisoft has confirmed the game, which is being developed by a new team based out of Montreal.

    The game was built from the ground up as the team has promised fans that their team will be staffed up and ready to support the game for a long time. While the game seems to look a lot like Rainbow Six Siege, the game was definitely built with the new device in mind, taking the 5v5 tactical gameplay fans love but letting them enjoy it on the go.

    The final confirmation isn’t all, as Ubisoft will be running multiple live tests for the game over the upcoming weeks to get ready for the official release. We don’t know quite yet what they might change throughout production to accommodate the new format. Mobile games also are more fast-paced due to players being on the road. So, we should expect some changes going from the regular version to mobile, but that’s not uncommon.

    You can watch the trailer right here:

    Source: Ubisoft

  • Unreal Engine 5 is Officially Available to All Developers Starting Today

    Unreal Engine 5 is Officially Available to All Developers Starting Today

    The era of Unreal Engine 4 is officially over. Starting today, all video game developers will have access to the new Unreal Engine 5 to create new next-generation gaming experiences across PC, Console, and Mobile. We have seen a lot of Unreal Engine 5 over the last few years, starting with the announcement and showcase of the engine during PlayStation’s initial marketing campaign for the then-unreleased PlayStation 5.

    The engine promised jaw-dropping visuals, incredible lighting tools, and is easily the most advanced game engine to date. For those that don’t know what an engine is, they are essentially the tools that developers use to create their games. For example, if every game that someone makes requires lighting, whether that be the sun or from an indoor source, it makes no sense to create the tools to do that from scratch for every single project. Instead, it can be added to the engine so when the next game is being made, you have the tools prebuilt to make those lighting effects come to life without the need for the labor and budget-intensive task of creating those tools.

    With Unreal Engine 5 now being released to all video game developers, we should start seeing games running on the engine very soon from partners that have had access to the engine early, like PlayStation for example. For everyone else, we can expect to see UE5 become the staple engine of choice for many game developers, similar to how UE4 became the go-to engine for most studios. I cannot wait to see more games on the engine to showcase the true capabilities of next-gen video games, hopefully, UE5 is a stepping stone to get to the experiences that the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles are capable of.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘I Am Groot’ May Be Headed to D+ This September

    ‘I Am Groot’ May Be Headed to D+ This September

    While we still know very little of the second Marvel Studios animated project, I Am Groot, we may have gotten a rough release date thanks to Marvel Collectors Corps, a subscription box containing collectibles from Funko.

    Marvel Collector Corps has been ongoing for a while now, with each box being themed around a different Marvel release. For example, the next Collector Corps box will be themed around Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, while another in November was themed after Eternals. Typically, each release is scheduled around the same month that the project is based on comes out in theaters or to Disney+. Thanks to a new release schedule, we know that the I Am Groot themed box will be out in September, seemingly confirming the show’s late summer release date.

    This lines up with the show dropping after Ms. Marvel and likely either shortly after, or shortly before the second season of What If…?. With two animated shows coming from Marvel Studios close together this year, it seems like the expansion into animation is definitely going to be a big extension of the Marvel Cinematic Universe going forward. Also to look forward to on the animation front are Spider-Man: Freshman Year, which will follow Peter Parker before we met him in Captain America: Civil War, and X-Men ’97, a reboot of the original X-Men: The Animated Series. It is great to see a possible release date for I Am Groot in order to get a clearer picture of the release schedule for the year. While this doesn’t mean the September release is confirmed, it is hard to picture the show coming long before or after based on previous Collector Corps boxes.

    Source: WhatsOnDisneyPlus

  • ‘Mission Impossible’ Almost Got a Paramount+ Spinoff Series

    ‘Mission Impossible’ Almost Got a Paramount+ Spinoff Series

    As many people may know, before Tom Cruise was the face of Mission Impossible, the franchise actually began as a 1960’s TV show for CBS. Reportedly, the series was almost set to return to the realm of television via Paramount+, but the show never came to be.

    With Paramount+ needing to bolster its offerings to compete in the streaming wars, the obvious answer is to create sequels, spin-offs and reboots to their biggest franchises. Naturally, Mission Impossible is of course a prime candidate. The streamer reportedly wanted Tom Cruise‘s production company to develop a show in the same universe, but it never came to be, likely because of the release disputes over MI:7. The production crew was also pitched a Days of Thunder show, also as a streaming exclusive, but that one fizzled out as well.

    With Paramount+ definitely needing content when compared to the juggernauts like Disney, HBO, and Netflix, these potentially large and exciting projects must be a tear in their plans. While the shows aren’t going forward right now, things are constantly changing in the industry. Maybe another opportunity will arise after Mission Impossible 7 releases next year.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • Tom Cruise and Paramount Execs Clash Over ‘Mission Impossible 7’

    Tom Cruise and Paramount Execs Clash Over ‘Mission Impossible 7’

    Mission Impossible 7 and its sequel are still in active development, as both were postponed at the beginning of the year. Ever since many fans have been wondering why such a seasoned team is running into issues. Of course, COVID-19 protocols, environment hazards, and political events can be looked at as the obvious answers, it seems there may be more than meets the eye. According to reports, Tom Cruise lawyered up due to Paramount’s new release strategies for their films and shows, as they rolled out their new streaming service alongside an ever-growing budget due to COVID constraints and a changing development.

    The movie was originally filmed in Northern Italy, which got impacted hard during the early stages of the pandemic, with Tom Cruise contracting the virus. To add to the issues, Paramount+ is expected to get films 45 days after their theater debut, half of what the Hollywood norm is. As a result, the film’s star has reportedly gotten his lawyers involved due to the change. The argument is apparently on hold until MI:7 finished production, which has seemingly been purposefully been pushed out as they started work on the eighth entry.

    Add in the countless other issues like the film’s multiple shutdowns over COVID-19 infections, needing to move shooting locations multiple times, dealing with an insurance company due to those moves, and an inflating budget, MI:7 just can’t seem to catch a break. Hopefully, the dispute over the film’s runtime and budget are resolved and we get to see the film hit its new targeted release date, but we may need to wait three months to stream the movie because of it.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • REVIEW: ‘How I Met Your Father’ Episode 10 – “Timing is Everything”

    REVIEW: ‘How I Met Your Father’ Episode 10 – “Timing is Everything”

    How I Met Your Father‘s Season 1 turned out as expected, but with giant twists that will definitely have giant repercussions for the future. As you may remember from the last episode, viewers were left with Sophie waiting for Jesse on their big date after finally giving them a shot. Charlie and Valentina were in a good place, while Ellen was in a bad place, and Sid and Hannah were on shaky ground. The characters all had different drama brewing in their lives, but the finale managed to turn that all on its heels, resolve a lot of issues, and leave an exciting premise for Season 2.

    Coming into the finale, it seemed like Jesse and Sophie would be getting together, but then Ian came back to put a knife in the plan. Valentina and Charlie would become a stronger couple, while Ellen would find some sort of happiness, and Sid and Hannah would break up. Almost none of this happened, though. It gives fans a look as to how the team on How I Met Your Father is approaching the story, both intending to make it more interesting and to keep viewers in the blind. With most shows, I break down the play by play of the episode in terms of humor, drama, story…etc. That looks to be the wrong approach here, however. Instead, let’s break off each character’s journey as they are truly what makes this franchise great, and so we can see what works, and what doesn’t.

    Let’s start with Charlie and Valentina. The two made great strides during the season, from being selfish and unwilling to change, to developing into a strong couple that seemed to be able to move past everything. Unfortunately, a serious conversation comes up with major repercussions for their future, which turned the couple from an amazing developing duo to one that might not know what’s next. While I came into the episode thinking they would end up in a happy place after a pretty great season for them, turned into some sad moments as we watched the pair have to face a serious reality. I loved this approach, even if a little borrowed, but I feel their story isn’t quite over.

    Ellen’s ending was very sitcomy, and not in a good way. After going all season to a pretty dark place, getting used to a new city, not having friends, and being in a terrible situation with her love life, things just manage to magically work out in the end. I understand the season can’t focus on all characters equally, especially with only 10 episodes, but Ellen ended up being a glorified side character at the end of things. The only redeeming element for her story is that she is in a place to have a more interesting story in Season 2. Maybe we will see her blossom later on, but as of right now, she has potential as a character, but the story just isn’t there for her yet.

    Sid and Hannah left off in a bad place. Finding out they had even more time needing to be away from each other, feeling a lack of trust and confidence, the pair definitely seemed to me as heading the route of Marshall and Lily and breaking up in the first season. This was the case even more at the start of the finale when wedding planning managed to set off their other relationship issues. However, throughout the episode, they don’t get a lot of screentime, but the pair makes a comeback with a pretty big moment for them at the end. Of course, it seems their story is far from over, and rocky water may be ahead, but as of now, they are in a good place. The two just seem so real with their issues, even if some parts are largely exaggerated, they are very relatable.

    Finally, onto Sophie and Jesse. The two came into the episode strong, and I was sure that Sophie was about to get stood up on their date. This didn’t end up becoming the case, with the two going through a lot. The episode is titled “Timing is Everything” for a reason. It is a central theme in both the original and new show. As Robin says in How I Met Your Mother, “You got chemistry, you only need one other thing… Timing. But timing’s a bitch.” This rings true for the pair. No spoilers of course, but as the return of Jesse’s ex, Sophie’s new career developments, and Sophie’s two past relationships for the season, with Drew and Ian, timing is as important as chemistry, and the pair are left in a great place for their characters, but maybe not the best place with each other.

    Thanks to some incredible story developments, amazing twists and turns, and a few pretty big cameos from How I Met Your Mother, the finale delivered on a great season. The show started off in a pretty rocky place, but throughout its 10 episode run, it truly managed to deliver a great story, with so much potential for the future.

  • REVIEW: ‘How I Met Your Father’ Episode 9 – “Jay Street”

    REVIEW: ‘How I Met Your Father’ Episode 9 – “Jay Street”

    The two-part finale of How I Met Your Father begins with giant setups, new drama, and a surprising cameo. Following a season of twists and turns, the love triangle that formed over the last few episodes gets even messier with Jesse’s ex, Meredith, throwing a curveball into things. Let’s unpack that, shall we?

    Going into the episode, my expectations for Sophie were to see her choose between two–or possibly three–men to get into a relationship with. Although I was anticipating one to begin, I will state that this does not mean I believe this relationship will lead to Sophie’s son being born. The episode’s entire runtime is setting up the events of the finale, complete with a “to be continued” at the end. What was already a messy situation with Sophie dating Drew but then ending up kissing Jesse, has gotten worse, as Jesse’s ex put a wrench into things when she released her new single, admitting to missing Jesse. From the start, things look great for Sophie and Jesse but all that changes is when he hears that Meredith regrets leaving him.

    Obviously, I’m not going to spoil what happens from that point on. You will need to watch yourself to get the full picture, but let’s just say that the entire situation has changed since we checked in with Jesse and Sophie last week. I already thought we’d be in for a great finale, but things are looking even better than expected. Stakes are high, and things are uncertain for our leading lady. Outlook on her relationships is suddenly out of her control, yet, a progression in her career may help lessen the blow. Although we don’t have a clear picture of what the next episode will look like, I have a feeling things are going to center on that career change, but once again, you will have to watch yourself to see what that is.

    A surprise cameo made this week’s episode for me. Although I was emotionally invested and on the edge of my seat with Sophie’s love story, a callback to How I Met Your Mother will always stand out for me. Not only did we get one cameo, but two due to the circumstances surrounding the two characters showing up, and no, it isn’t who you think it might be. The two characters were supporting cast in the original show, but two stand-outs that I’m sure most fans loved as much as I do. I call out the cameo now because, as I said before, the finale might connect with her new career step. I’m not entirely sure how all of this will tie together, as there are still a lot of loose ends that seem to be coming to a close.

    Although plenty of loose ends are looking like they will be tied, even more, seem to be unweaving as we lead up to the show’s confirmed second season. Of course, with a television show, not everything can be tied until the final episode. Sophie still has multiple possible suitors in addition to Drew and Jesse. New twists have developed for Sid and Hannah, Ellen is interviewing for a job, and Charlie is feeling homesick. All of these things get the spotlight in this episode, and that is definitely not the sign of a slowing plotline. While I believe we will definitely see an outcome for the relationship troubles, there is still plenty to leave open for next season, and that is what will keep me coming back.

    While the humor wasn’t there in this episode, at least not like with other traditional sitcoms, this was much needed for the story they are trying to tell. This is the same approach How I Met Your Mother took with many of its important episodes, which works really well to keep the emotional moments flowing without interrupting with weirdly placed humor. The show definitely still feels like a sitcom, but the humor was able to take a backseat to the plot, and I definitely enjoyed that. The show has once again left me wanting more and more. Viewers will be left at the edge of their seats in anticipation of the final episode next week, but until then, all I can do is recommend you watch and stay tuned for what’s yet to come.

  • REVIEW: ‘How I Met Your Father’ Episode 8 – “The Perfect Shot”

    REVIEW: ‘How I Met Your Father’ Episode 8 – “The Perfect Shot”

    The race for Sophie’s love is full steam ahead but now things are murky. We follow her as she continues her relationship hunting and further develops what she built with Drew. Yet, things take a turn in episode 8, as we see a relationship bloom rather unexpectedly. So, without further ado, let’s just dive in.

    The latest episode does start off slow, looking to be a typical sitcom story in the same vein as the previous one. Yet, as it progressed, however, I liked more and more of it. Random civilians on the streets are now getting involved in comedic moments, much like How I Met Your Mother. The silly humor was captivating whereas in some previous episodes it could get a little cringy. The character’s situations this time around were far more relatable, as instead of the usual pairings, this episode certainly changed some things up.

    Last week, I complained that for being in a relationship, Valentina and Charlie hadn’t had a lot of development ever since their heart to heart earlier in the season. Luckily, this week was different. While still presenting their relationship as a comedic duo, the two still managed to progress in this episode as Charlie begins to do things for Valentina that aren’t selfish. Compared to when we first saw him with his higher-than-thou attitude, it’s nice to see him break out of his shell more and more, especially when it comes to his love.

    Sid and Ellen have paired up this episode, as they attempted to cover for Jesse with his ex-girlfriend who has suddenly appeared. The two haven’t been majorly involved up until now, but as they are both the closest to Jesse–being his sister and best friend–it was nice to see them together to help her out. Speaking of his ex, it’s great to see her in the picture for some added tension going into the last two episodes, but I’ll dive deeper into that later on.

    The largest moments from the episode, of course, surrounded Sophie. But this time it did not only involve Drew. We know that Jesse has had a crush on Sophie since day one, but up until now, the two have agreed neither of them is ready for something serious and that they are better off as friends. However, this episode may put a knife in those plans. As Sophie suffers from drama with Drew, Jesse seizes the opportunity. No further spoilers on that, however.

    With Drew and Jesse both competing for Sophie now, and on more equal footing than before, Meredith, Jesse’s ex showing up, and multiple other suitors still in play, the final two episodes are definitely being set up for something big. I have said before that Ian, a gentleman that Sophie had an immediate connection with in the first episode, is definitely in play still and I feel he might make his return. I don’t see why they would have set him up with Sophie if they weren’t going to do something with him.

    Considering they did not know they were being renewed for a second season until after production was already over, I’m betting we see that comeback sooner rather than later. Having three established relationships in play, drama in at least two of them, and plenty of more possibly fathers out there, the race is on and more confusing than ever. This emotional attachment is definitely what the show needed, as it was what made How I Met Your Father so popular during its run time.

    The finale is just two weeks away, and I currently believe How I Met Your Father is on track for an unforgettable end to its first season. I currently cannot wait to see how all of these loose plotlines come together for what’s looking like a major decision for Sophie, and a possibly amazing twist for fans. The show needs to end on an iconic moment, as it is going up against How I Met Your Mother‘s original conclusion with Robin and Ted getting together, as well as the unfortunate break-up between Marshall and Lilly. That moment would set the tone for the entire rest of the show, with those iconic moments coming into play multiple times per season. It’ll surely keep viewers coming back week to week. Hopefully, How I Met Your Father will be able to deliver, and so far with what has been set up, I believe they can.

  • REVIEW: ‘The Dark Knight’ is the Batman Film We Deserved

    REVIEW: ‘The Dark Knight’ is the Batman Film We Deserved

    Much like the spoken lines of the film, The Dark Knight is the film we deserve, but without the “not the one we need right now“. It is without a doubt that the Batman franchise has seen better days. What was once one of the front runners in superhero films with Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale‘s take on the character, has mostly gone down in quality since one of the greatest superhero trilogies wrapped up with The Dark Knight Rises. His next two appearances, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and the Justice League were panned by critics. Not only was The Dark Knight the movie we deserved from the franchise, but also an inspiration for the movie we need right now. One to restore Batman as one of the best superhero properties in media.

    The Dark Knight is largely considered one of the best Batman movies of all time. Thinking back to watching the trilogy for the first time, I remember watching The Dark Knight most out of the films. The dynamic between the Joker and Batman is a match made in heaven. Not only does Heath Ledger remain as my favorite iteration of the infamous villain – even if not comically accurate – but his ability to so easily bounce off of Christian Bale‘s Batman is one of those dream pairings in modern media. The two actors act out the relationship between these opposites amazingly. Batman is portrayed as the morally aligned superhero that does not care about fame and only cares about the people of Gotham. Joker, on the other hand, is the perfect portrayal of “some men just want to watch the world burn”.

    This dynamic between the hero and villain carries this movie. Not to say the rest of the film is bad, the movie basically perfected the modern superhero genre. However, when you have such a standout part of a movie, it’s hard not to accidentally overlook the rest of the film’s strengths. That being said, not all of the movie has aged well 14 years later. The plot still stands firm, the cinematography is still amazing, yet the combat, however, stood out to me in my recent rewatch. Once again, I do not think this is a fault of the movie, the combat was definitely ahead of its time and nothing in the film is going to be considered qualified for eternity. It was a tad jarring going back to one of the most beautifully shot superhero films and going back to stiff action scenes compared to the fanfare we see in today’s films in the genre.

    Superhero films today are flashy, from acrobatic magical martial artists to colorful guns with a mix of explosion and beauty. Modern technology has progressed the abilities for moviemakers to put us into the colorful and flashy pages of a comic book. While this does make the combat of the film feel stiff nowadays, I can’t help but feel this departure from the common superhero tropes of the modern-day really makes The Dark Knight stand firm as one of the most unique superhero films. And in a good way, opposed to the unique but odd Batman Forever.

    The Dark Knight is gritty, dark, and violent. The Joker in this form just couldn’t be done without this atmosphere. The man with no morals is sinister, manipulative, and even worse, fearless. This excellent villain to the already serious Batman really puts the character on his toes, I don’t think I have quite seen a hero so powerless since this film. Not even mind control in Jessica Jones and Avengers: Age of Ultron can quite compare. When powers or physical control are involved, there is a thing to break, a thing to fix.

    The thing with Joker is that none of that is involved. This is a man with no powers or high-tech machines, just a desire to take down the heroes of the world and prove humanity’s flaws. This desire and his cunning makes him powerful. His insanity and his unpredictability, that is what give him power. That power makes him real, a man that could exist, one that would terrify even the best of us in the real world. That is what makes the Joker easily one of the best villains in modern media.

    I didn’t have a definitive ranking of my favorite Batman films, but upon rewatching many of them leading up to The Batman releasing next month, I think it’s safe to say The Dark Knight easily tops my list. The Nolan trilogy of movies is easily the highest quality in my eyes, and this is the movie that makes the trilogy. From a perfect atmosphere to an amazing villain and hero, the film is almost perfect. Now looking back, not only is this easily my favorite DC film, but one of my favorites of all time, and that is coming from a die-hard Marvel fan. The Batman is looking like a snapback to this amazing quality, and I truly hope it leads Batman back to being in the spotlight like when The Dark Knight launched to critical and financial success more than a decade ago.