Murphy's Multiverse

Category: Reviews

  • REVIEW: ‘The Bad Batch’ Go Where No One Will Hear Them Scream

    REVIEW: ‘The Bad Batch’ Go Where No One Will Hear Them Scream

    Star Wars: The Bad Batch, as a concept, has so much potential. The context surrounding its titular team, as well as its placement on the galactic timeline, makes the animated series ripe for a mix of cerebral storytelling and unique action scenes. Perhaps this is why it’s so frustrating that the show constantly ignores its best attributes for the sake of forgettable plotlines and run-around episodes, and more importantly, why it feels so good when an episode actually does something interesting. Thankfully, this week’s entry is among the latter. Titled Metamorphosis, the latest chapter in The Bad Batch saga combines serious political intrigue with an exhilarating play on genre to craft a narrative that’s both entertaining to watch and momentous in the grand scheme of the series.

    In Metamorphosis, Dee Bradley Baker‘s Hunter and his tactile band of misfits investigate the mysterious wreckage of an Imperial cargo ship, only to find that what lies inside might have been best left undiscovered. The first half of the episode, especially its opening moments, is maybe the most horrifying Star Wars has been in recent memory. From the beginning sequence, which highlights a lone Imperial Commando desperately fleeing from an unseen terror through dark and silent hallways, Metamorphosis promises to be different from what viewers have grown accustomed to seeing. Most of what follows falls more in line with a suspenseful science-fiction thriller, specifically in the vein of Ridley Scott’s Alien than the protagonists’ usual cookie-cutter escapades. The gimmick, though sadly short-lived, works completely for the time it’s on screen.

    (L-R): Tech, Hunter, and Wrecker in a scene from “STAR WARS: THE BAD BATCH”, season 2 exclusively on Disney+. © 2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    Star Wars is often its most fun when reviving, or replicating, the pulp of old-fashioned adventures. Watching a vintage space horror occur in the galaxy far, far away makes for a wildly enjoyable ten-to-fifteen minutes before the episode takes a surprising turn, shifting from one monster-based genre to another. Halfway through the runtime, the danger at hand is revealed to be a Zillo Beast, an evolving creature first introduced in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. From there, Metamorphosis becomes a miniature kaiju film, with the Bad Batch chasing the larger-than-life organism across an otherworldly cityscape. The change in tone happens pretty organically, resulting in a delightful, pulse-pounding romp that pits the clones against an opponent they’ve never faced before. Especially striking in the climactic scenes is the show’s cinematography, its most consistent positive this season, vividly portraying the power of the beast against a sickly sky.

    The Zillo, however, is not the episode’s true villain. That honor belongs to Dr. Royce Hemlock, a fresh Imperial baddie hellbent on expanding Kaminoan cloning technology for the benefit of the Empire. Played to menacing perfection by the great Jimmi Simpson, Dr. Hemlock is exactly the type of antagonist The Bad Batch has needed. His existence, and ultimate plot to condense and control the galaxy’s cloning operations, immediately tie a loose narrative together and raises numerous thought-provoking questions for the Bad Batch and the show itself to answer going forward. Hopefully, the series doubles down on this seemingly new direction and follows up on it next week, instead of leaving it until the season finale.

  • REVIEW: ‘Daisy Jones & the Six’

    REVIEW: ‘Daisy Jones & the Six’

    Daisy Jones & the Six quickly took over the book charts when it was published in 2019. The story of a fictional rock & roll band and their ultimate demise is a fascinating concept and author Taylor Jenkins Reid managed to successfully hook readers with their story. Translating that story to another medium, such as television, was never going to be easy… but the Prime Video television adaptation is damn near perfect thanks in part to a stellar cast and stellar songs.

    Riley Keough stars as the titular Daisy Jones, a woman coming of age and trying to make her way in the music world. She works as a waitress and in her free time pens songs that she hopes to one day record. After having one of her songs stolen by a boyfriend, Daisy seeks to carve her own way out in the music world – not realizing just how quickly things will change, for better and worse. Starring alongside Keough’s Daisy is Billy Dunne, played by the always great Sam Claflin. He has Billy’s arrogance down to a tee; he’s stubborn, driven and easily gets wrapped up in the music. Like Daisy, Billy is driven to be bigger, to be more and live out his dreams of making music for a living. Something he eventually does with The Six. However, it isn’t until Daisy and Billy cross paths that their dreams truly take off and their worlds are changed forever.

    Taking place in the 70s, Daisy Jones and the Six showcases multiple viewpoints of characters trying to break into the music scene. There’s Daisy, who starts off as a singer-songwriter too afraid to put herself out there, and Simone, a woman with a voice who finds herself too scared to speak up for herself. Finally, there are The Dunne Brothers led by Billy. They start off playing in their garage before seeking to play local gigs where they eventually run into another band that’ll put The Dunne Brothers on the course for world domination… as The Six. Getting to watch as these three acts set out to follow their dreams, each taking a different path than the other, it’s hard not to get caught up in the story of Daisy Jones and the Six.

    One of the most fascinating things about Daisy Jones and the Six is that the series doesn’t try to make its characters likable. Daisy and Billy are both selfish assholes, and the series does not shy away from this; we see them as they battle addiction and as they struggle to work together. Even Simone, who is one of the strongest characters in the series, is allowed to make some mistakes along the way to her musical journey. None of the characters are perfect – in fact, the entirety of the Six is a pretty big mess – but that’s what helps to make the story so worth the ride it’ll bring audiences on. This is the type of the series that shouldn’t be binged. It’s full of heartache, anger, love and pain — which might sound bad — but in due time, we get to see these characters get to a healthier place… and the journey there is worth the time.

    Keough and Claflin are electric on screen. Their story, in particular, is frustrating, anger-inducing, and yet, one of the most compelling stories the series has to offer. Keough delivers a career best performance as Daisy, and Claflin gets to show off his chops as Billy. The often-overlooked Suki Waterhouse is great as Karen, and Nabiyah Be is captivating every moment she is on screen as Simone. While there might be some departures from the book, Daisy Jones and the Six successfully captures the heart of the novel and delivers a heck of a powerful story perfectly captured for the small screen.

  • REVIEW: ‘The Last of Us’ Leaves Nothing Behind In Ellie Showcase

    REVIEW: ‘The Last of Us’ Leaves Nothing Behind In Ellie Showcase

    Ellie is, without a doubt, the strongest character in The Last of Us. A complex, endearing, multi-layered, endlessly interesting survivor. She is, and always has been, the true protagonist of the entire post-apocalyptic franchise, from the original video game to all of its sequels, spin-offs, and adaptations. Without her, there is no The Last of Us, so it’s about time HBO’s acclaimed series finally took the dive into what makes her tick. Based on and titled after the celebrated downloadable expansion Left Behind, this week’s episode steps away from the mainline narrative to explore a bit more of Ellie’s backstory, and give some much-needed context heading into the season’s backend stretch. The result is another beautifully heartbreaking stand-alone outing and the perfect showcase for Bella Ramsey‘s immense talent.

    Ramsey has been incredible from the start. Their portrayal of Ellie, a beloved personality so distinctively brought to life by Ashley Johnson in the video games, has been joyfully spot-on since they first charged Pedro Pascal’s Joel with their signature switchblade and found themselves eating drywall. Left Behind, however, was always going to be their toughest challenge, with its looming presence in the series teased for months via trailers and other promotional materials. The story told in this chapter, yet another rooted in love, is Ellie’s character thesis. It explains almost everything about her constitution, and informs every decision she’s made, or will make, from here on out. Ramsey needed to nail their performance, for the sake of Ellie and the series at large, and unsurprisingly, they pull it off with what seemed like spectacular ease.

    It is important that the audience feel what Ellie is experiencing throughout the hour. To not just see it, but to become immersed in the story and really understand its characters. Of course, this feat can’t be achieved with handholding. It has to be subtle, and it has to appear real. Furthermore, viewers aren’t slow, and they’re likely to recognize Left Behind is leading toward a clear ending. As such, it becomes critical that the episode not do the same thing. The entirety of the entry’s runtime is building towards something tragic, but the final moments of the episode are only effective if the people watching forget what they know is coming. They need to perceive hope and they need to get it from the faces on screen. This is potentially the most difficult task an actor can come up against, which is why it’s so impressive what Ramsey and special guest star Storm Reid are able to accomplish through even the most minor of glances.

    The chemistry shared between the performers is impeccable. In terms of casting, The Last of Us struck gold. Ellie and Reid‘s Riley spend most of Left Behind talking about everything except what they’d actually like to say, yet the actors are still able to convey the rest through hopeful eyes and nervous glares. It makes for a wildly compelling, and far more convincing, exploration of their relationship, something that becomes absolutely essential when the episode swaps out action set pieces for more character-driven conflict. Even if the audience is aware that Riley is bound for death, they still want to believe the same fairytale whimsy that Ellie is clinging to.

    For most of Left Behind, that lie is sold through the ghostly dreamscape of the mall and the soothing winsome with which the leads find ways to interact with it. Though weighted by heavy questions, much of the episode is bolstered by a childlike innocence, used in large part to make the ending pack a harder punch. People often remember Left Behind for its devastating conclusion, but HBO’s take should serve to remind them it’s actually a pretty fun, smile-inducing journey for the large majority. It’s a continuation of what makes The Last of Us, as a whole, so addictive. A dangerous combination of enchanting, heartwarming, fantastic love with the soul-crushing reality of imperfection and consequence. An upper and a downer. The human condition.

    Ultimately, Left Behind is yet another example of television at its best. Ramsey and Reid are flawless, working magic across more gorgeous set design. Thought-provoking ideas bouncing between the walls of a neon-lit cavern, acting as a parabolic playground for emotion. The Last of Us continues to be more of an experience than something simply observed, which may sound dramatic or hyperbolic, but has come to be apparent in its manner of affecting those who view it so drastically. Perhaps this is because, as Left Behind so efficiently demonstrates, The Last of Us taps into something so incredibly human it becomes difficult to deny. People see themselves in Ellie, and thankfully, they’ll get to see more down the line.

  • REVIEW: ‘The Bad Batch’ Continues to Give Omega Room to Grow and Balance the Scales

    REVIEW: ‘The Bad Batch’ Continues to Give Omega Room to Grow and Balance the Scales

    Perhaps The Bad Batch would be better served as something other than an animated show. Its themes are semi-consistently as heavy as those explored in Andor, which was praised for handling adult themes; however, the animated nature of The Bad Batch seems to prevent it from being thrown into the discussion of how impactful the Empire’s rise was to the galaxy far, far away, in particular the places farthest away.

    Episode 10 of Season 2 of The Bad Batch, Retrieval, does its measured best to keep up with the adult themes of Andor while placing the animated series’ youngest character, Michelle Ang‘s Omega, at the core. Many of the best episodes of The Bad Batch come when Omega’s life lessons take up the bulk of the runtime and Retirevel is no different.

    (L-R): Benni Baro and Omega in a scene from “STAR WARS: THE BAD BATCH”, season 2 exclusively on Disney+. © 2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    In order for Omega to ultimately become whatever it is she’s meant to become, she’s going to have to continue to learn some hard lessons and in Retrieval she learns another while faced with a dark, alternative path taken by a peer. A bit of an orphan herself, Omega meets Benni Baro, the thief of the Marauder, and bears witness to one of what’s probably a thousand undocumented horrors of the Empire. While Omega’s adopted family is fortunately made up of the quirky but devoted Batchers, Benni has unfortunately fallen in with the greedy slaver Mokko. In one sense, Retrieval serves as equal parts “ignorance is bliss” and “stupid is as stupid does.”

    At the end of the day, the episode’s commitment to putting Omega at the center of the story allows for a teachable moment for her and the audience. As Palpatine’s grip on power grows, so do the outlaws that don’t threaten his rule. People like Mokko don’t pose a threat to Sheev, so their disgusting practices are allowed to carry on, something Omega experiences though her interactions with Benni, whose path could have been hers had she simply fallen into different hands. Fortunately, as Tech tells Omega, there are plenty of people like the Bad Batch out there to keep the universe in balance.

  • REVIEW: ‘The Last of Us’ Layers Up In Brilliant Sixth Episode

    REVIEW: ‘The Last of Us’ Layers Up In Brilliant Sixth Episode

    The Last of Us is shaping up to be something rather special. Kin, the brilliant sixth episode of HBO’s acclaimed video game adaptation, is carried on the back of an incredible performance from Pedro Pascal, who so effectively demonstrates the gripping intimacy with which the franchise has become synonymous. In a stroke of genius, the latest hour from showrunner Craig Mazin and director Jasmila Žbanić expands on an otherwise brief sequence from the game and turns it into one of the series’ best entries, taking full advantage of a talented cast and an immaculate atmosphere to flesh out characters in ways previously thought unimaginable. Kin is, for all intents and purposes, as close to perfect storytelling as one might find on television.

    The true genius of Kin is hidden in its title. At first, it seems remarkably simple, or even more so, straightforward. This chapter of The Last of Us revolves around Joel finally reuniting with his brother, Gabriel Luna‘s Tommy, and meeting his unexpected sister-in-law, Rutina Wesley‘s Maria, for the first time. “Kin” is a rustic way of saying family, so the use of the word in a Wyoming-set episode about folks coming together makes a lot of sense. However, it quickly becomes apparent that “Kin” is referring to more than just the Millers. It’s an episode with a lot of layers, thematically speaking, outside of the many fantastic jackets worn by survivors in the middle-American flatlands, and its moniker is reflective of that in masking the real kinship developed over the course of the hour – Joel, and his begrudgingly paternal role in the life of Bella Ramsey‘s Ellie.

    From the moment viewers are reintroduced to Joel and Ellie, in the midst of traversing gorgeous landscapes, the duo already seems more familiar with each other than in previous outings. There’s a decent time jump between the events of the prior episode and this one, and it’s a credit to Pascal and Ramsey for how naturally that shift takes place. There are plenty of entertaining moments between them early in the episode, but it’s not until the two ultimately arrive in Jackson that the extent of their relationship unfolds. Joel and Ellie are both fairly guarded individuals, so it’s with much resentment that they come to the realization they’ve grown to view each other as family, even if they don’t care to admit it. In the same way that Tommy introduces Joel to his wife, Joel finds himself ostensibly introducing Tommy to his daughter, and that unlocks something wildly profound inside of him.

    Once this awareness comes into play, Pascal begins to shine. Everyone in the episode is doing wonders, including the woefully underrated Luna, but in a series of scenes between the brothers, Pascal delivers a masterclass in complexity. In the original game, Joel mostly confronts his feelings for Ellie in the form of indifference. A grizzled nonacceptance. Here, however, the choice is made to sprint headfirst in the opposite direction. Joel tries to pass Ellie off to Tommy, not because he’s afraid of bonding again, but because he knows he already has, and he cares too much to risk failure. Joel, the toughest man in the apocalypse, suffers from bouts of pearl-clutching anxiety, and his character is infinitely better for it. In a matter of seconds, Pascal and Mazin transform Joel into a frightened, emotional human being. Not a protector, not a machine, and not a monster. A father, and a broken one at that.

    Like Kin itself, he’s given layers to work with. As is Ellie, who sees the potential of family and tribe for the first time through her interactions with Maria and the townsfolk of Jackson. Perhaps this is what loosens her to confront Joel later on, at last revealing that she too understands their dynamic as familial. The climactic argument between the two is heartbreaking and inevitable but results in a healthier connection going into the future. It’s necessary, at this point in the story, for Joel and Ellie to develop past the point of standoffishness. Kin is about their ability to move forward, and evolve. Otherwise, the shocking end of the episode, in which Ellie finds she may be forced to live without the one person who hasn’t given up on her, doesn’t hurt quite as bad.

    The Last of Us continues to impress every week, and this episode is no exception. Aside from exploring the inner workings of Joel and Ellie’s relationship, it also offers plenty of goodies for diehard fans of the franchise, who will notice multiple hints at what’s to come throughout. The set design is stunning, even more than usual, and the sage-like execution of Wesley and Luna‘s roles is admirable. There’s just something so special about the way each installment of the series manages to build upon the last, and how each new episode becomes increasingly layered in the way it weaves plotlines together. With only a handful of entries left, fans can rest assured they’re in good hands as the finale approaches.

  • REVIEW: ‘The Bad Batch’ Remembers How To Use Omega

    REVIEW: ‘The Bad Batch’ Remembers How To Use Omega

    Star Wars: The Bad Batch is usually at its best when it’s tackling one of two ideas – the state of the Galaxy in a post-Order 66 world, or the possible extent of humanity in its titular clones. This week’s episode, titled The Crossing, doubles down on the latter. After a tense midseason event altered the course of the series forever, the latest installment offers a bit of levity with an easier and more straightforward adventure, using its quieter moments as an opportunity for some much-needed character work. It does what more of its one-off episodes should do by standing alone as a semi-independent story while also progressing the development of its protagonists. In balancing these successfully, The Crossing continues the series’ current path toward a more interesting end to the season.

    When fans last saw their favorite band of intrepid misfits, they were bidding a fond farewell to one of their own. Dee Bradley Baker‘s Echo, a Star Wars: The Clone Wars staple who joined the team after their inaugural outing and then never really did much, left to rejoin his old friend, Dee Bradley Baker‘s Captain Rex, on a separate mission in the heart of Imperial territory. There’s no telling whether this means Echo is gone from the series for good, but it’s certainly something that concerns Michelle Ang‘s Omega, as she spends most of the episode coping with her loss alongside either Dee Bradley Baker‘s Wrecker or Dee Bradley Baker‘s Tech. Oddly enough, Echo’s presence is felt much harder when he’s not on the team, used expertly by the writers as a means of exploring Omega’s youthful perception of abandonment.

    (L-R): Omega, Tech, Hunter, and Wrecker in a scene from “STAR WARS: THE BAD BATCH”, season 2 exclusively on Disney+. © 2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    The actual task at hand in The Crossing, which has Dee Bradley Baker‘s Hunter spearhead the group on a mission to extract dangerous resources from a remote mine, is not particularly interesting. If it weren’t for the tender, familial scenes shared between Omega and her older siblings, the episode may fall flat. Most of the action is unremarkable, and the story as a whole is not overly memorable. Luckily, that doesn’t seem to be the main purpose of the plot or its arcs. Throughout it all, Omega expresses immense concern over the fact Echo is no longer part of the Batch. It’s clear that Omega, a child who has just recently found a genuine family, is not used to the prospect of losing one of her own. The Bad Batch utilizes this as a means of taking a deeper dive into the compassion and individuality of the clones, and The Crossing is much better for it.

    So far this season, The Bad Batch has teetered precariously between redundancy and forward progress. Omega, as she’s always been, is the key to maintaining the momentum of the second option. The show is consistently more intriguing when it leans into her and what she has to offer as a wildly unique persona. Hopefully, the series continues to do this as the story moves on, and Omega is used as the centerpiece to a spectacular season finale.

  • REVIEW: A Sometimes Messy ‘Carnival Row’ Pulls It Together for a Solid Second Season

    REVIEW: A Sometimes Messy ‘Carnival Row’ Pulls It Together for a Solid Second Season

    After a long wait following its first season, Carnival Row returns to Amazon Prime Video for ten final episodes to conclude the story. The titular city continues to escalate its boiling tensions built around prejudice towards the immigration of mythical beings. After an extended hiatus, the audiences should be curious to follow if the conclusion to the epic fantasy series will be worthwhile. Having seen the entirety of the second season, the conclusion of Carnival Row will likely be well-received among already-existing fans of the series. However, there are noticeable faults that will hold back the quality for anyone who may be on the fence about one of Prime Video’s marquee series.

    Something worth discussing in season two of Carnival Row is how the pandemic adversely affected its production. Filming for the show faced multiple extended pauses following its start in November 2019 which meant it didn’t fully conclude until September 2021. With that information in mind, one can understand how the narrative pacing issues came to be, though as time passes, it will be harder for audiences to use this notion as a crutch for some faults with the show’s ending. 

    A potential silver lining for the extended production time is that the visual effects for Carnival Row are top-notch. The creative team behind this season put what was likely an extremely high budget from Amazon Studios to optimal use. This is especially the case with the mysterious monster who quickly should rise to the ranks of great fantasy villains for audiences.

    One major credit that Carnival Row deserves is its high-quality acting. Across the board, the ensemble cast predominately provides strong performances that help level the characters for the audience despite the fantastical nature of the story. In particular, Karla Crome soars as Tourmaline Larou in an elevated role from season one that places her right in the heart of the main plot throughout the ten episodes. The pairing of David Gyasi and Tamzin Merchant’s Argeus Astrayon and Imogen Spurnrose also provides many highlights for season two of Carnival Row. And one would be remiss not to mention how well Darius Sykes, played by Ariyon Bakare, fits in a supporting role to elevate his scene partners. This is especially the case in providing Orlando Bloom’s Philo with a stronger sense of relatability throughout his story.

    Even though Carnival Row is home to various great acting performances, the writing and directorial teams struggle to unify these performances into what feels like a cohesive television season. The most predominant flaw in these ten episodes is how disparate most plot threads are for most of the runtime. The issue is especially the case with Argeus and Imogen’s characters who are geographically and narratively distant from anything of significance to the main story for more than half of the final season.

    And even for the storylines based directly on the location of Carnival Row, the two protagonists in Orlando Bloom’s Philo and Cara Delevigne’s Vignette seldom connect for most episodes. The separation between the two plays into themes of issues between the reunited relationship, but there are critical moments in the plots for both characters that would’ve been resolved if Philo or Vignette simply communicated more often about their plans. Anyone who enjoyed the developed relationship between Philo and Vignette in season one is likely to be disappointed in this component of season two.

    In addition to the disparate nature of various storylines, their pacing is another issue season two of Carnival Row faces. Multiple important threads move slowly for the first three-fourths of the season but reach radical turning points towards the endgame that don’t appear in line with what got set up in earlier episodes. Audiences also will find a critical component of Philo’s character set up to be an important lynchpin ignored throughout most of the conclusion. It ultimately leads to a notion of if Carnival Row was always meant to only last two seasons. The scripting for the show would’ve been better served if the creative team divided the show into a solitary second season followed by a concluding third.

    But even with a rushed ending, audiences will greatly feel the stakes of the conclusion once it begins to be set into motion. While pacing for numerous threads is inconsistent, they all are successful in building towards an epic conclusion by the final few episodes. And the issues of disparate storylines are erased by the time of the last few episodes. The close of the series provides some truly unexpected moments through its willingness to kill off lead characters as needed for a robust ending.

    The process of setting up the finale is ultimately emblematic of Carnival Row’s final season as a whole. There are noticeable issues in how audiences reach their destination, but there are equally enough dynamic elements that it shouldn’t be considered a bad ending. Season Two of Carnival Row earns its stripes as a landmark Amazon Prime Video series.

  • REVIEW: ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ Hands Kang the Keys to the Franchise

    REVIEW: ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ Hands Kang the Keys to the Franchise

    Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is a whole lot of movie. Massive in scope, bold in its choices, and heavy on thrills, the blockbuster sequel is a lively, fast-paced deep dive into the weirdest corners of Marvel Studios’ ever-expanding universe. The film takes its titular terminology to heart by infusing a healthy dose of manic energy with the series’ signature sense of family fun, creating a unique experience that’s both fresh for the franchise and familiar to fans. Not every creative decision delivers, and the script can sometimes move too quickly for its own good, but what does land hits with impact and makes one thing perfectly clear – the Marvel Cinematic Universe now belongs to Jonathan Majors.

    Since its inception, Quantumania has promised to be a bigger, “more important” affair than its light-hearted, mostly self-contained predecessors. Whether it really needed to serve this function is another question entirely, but there’s no doubt the project accomplished what it set out to do. Marvel Studios’ latest offering still houses much of the storytelling DNA that defines an Ant-Man adventure, but this time, the pint-sized entertainment comes with an innate feeling of gravitas. Where other Ant-Man flicks featured smaller, intimate tales highlighted by distinctly personal villains, Quantumania makes room for something much larger and far darker to wrap itself around the narrative. The aura of Kang, Majors‘ impressive new MCU antagonist, is enough on its own to push the film far beyond the Ant-Man series’ normally-relegated status, and it seems apparent Kevin Feige and the folks at Marvel Studios understand exactly what kind of force they’ve secured for their future.

    Much will be said about Jonathan Majors‘ performance in the film, and rightly so. The actor is a powerhouse. An undeniable presence on screen. When the Conqueror speaks, everybody listens. Majors is already a star, but his showing in Quantumania and the implications it has for the next several years of superhero cinema are enough to make him, and his character, names on par with Robert Downey Jr.‘s Iron Man. Faithful fans have been searching for the next face of Marvel since credits rolled on Avengers: Endgame, but they’ve been looking in all the wrong places. There is no hero coming to take the throne from Tony Stark. With Quantumania, the MCU has been overtaken by another power entirely. For the foreseeable future, all will bow to Kang, and the box office will be ruled by Majors.

    Jonathan Majors as Kang The Conqueror in Marvel Studios’ ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2023 MARVEL.

    Yet, despite Kang’s encompassment of the film, he’s not the only facet to admire throughout its two-hour runtime. Particularly, the visuals that compose the Quantum Realm’s stunning aesthetic do a lot to set the movie apart from its precursive outings. Quantumania’s writer, Jeff Loveness, once boasted that designs for the project were partially inspired by Alejandro Jodorowsky’s Dune, the great unmade science-fiction epic known for its proposed over-the-top imagery and colorful concept art. The delightful absurdity with which Quantumania presents its new characters and their world would suggest this is true and is a refreshing step forward for the genre’s overall embracement of comic book silliness and the awe-inducing joy it has to offer. Truthfully, there should be more comic-inspired films that treat semi-sentient houses and hole-less blobs as viable supporting players in large-scale action sequences. It’s good for the soul.

    Also sufficiently understood, and often commented on by director Peyton Reed, is the importance of family dynamics and the relationship between Paul Rudd‘s Scott Lang and his daughter, Kathryn Newton‘s Cassie. Although it tries with everything it has to be a different type of movie than the first two installments, Quantumania still carries the Ant-Man name in its title, and therefore should also continue the overarching themes of the franchise. Thankfully, it does so and asserts the familial connections between its protagonists as driving forces behind the plot. Everything in the movie circles back to Scott and Cassie, from its chaotic third act to a memorable midpoint scene that rivals the Doctor Strange films in psychedelia. Without that, there is no emotional core to the film, and everything else fragments into an overstimulated mess.

    Unfortunately, regardless of the many promisingly poignant seeds planted as potential talking points early in the movie, much of what could have become a weighted payoff seems to dissipate by the time of the film’s conclusion. This can probably be attributed to Quantumania‘s high-speed script, which barely gives even its most tragic moments room to breathe. Cassie is a character who cares deeply about humanity, and many of her concerns are raised briefly and then never subsequently addressed. Michelle Pfieffer‘s Janet van Dyne is finally given something tangible to do but is vastly overshadowed by the rise of Kang and pacing that feels eager for the plot to end. Even Quantumania‘s attempt at tying the story to the Ant-Man tradition of heisting quickly becomes just a simple fragment of the larger sensory storm at hand.

    One may leave the theater wishing they had felt a little more than excitement, but if the goal is simply to arrive and undergo two hours of absolute crowd-pleasing, popcorn fun, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania is the warm winter escape a moviegoer might be hoping for. Full of remarkable creature effects and gleeful moments of nerdy fulfillment, the movie is a madcap start to Marvel’s fifth phase. There should be no questioning where the MCU is headed after this. All roads lead to Kang, or some variation of him, and Majors is a steady hand to put the keys to the vehicle in. It’s his multiverse, and the Avengers are living in it.

  • REVIEW: ‘The Last of Us’ Explores the Darker Side of Love in Heartbreaking Fifth Episode

    REVIEW: ‘The Last of Us’ Explores the Darker Side of Love in Heartbreaking Fifth Episode

    *SPOILERS*

    Another week, another reminder: The Last of Us is a love story, and sometimes, love can be destructive. Thus far on their journey, Pedro Pascal‘s Joel and Bella Ramsey‘s Ellie have seen devotion take many forms. They’ve witnessed Marlene and Tess’ reserved commitment to responsibility, Bill’s tender endearment to his beloved partner, and now, Henry’s brotherly protection of his vulnerable sibling, Sam. More importantly, however, they’ve seen the consequences that come with each of those stories, and the variable effects that pure love can have on a person and those around them. In Endure and Survive, the series’ stellar fifth episode, the protagonists are forced to explore the darker side of intimacy and learn that love doesn’t always have a happy ending.

    To address the elephant in the room, the closing moments of Endure and Survive are incredibly difficult to watch. The episode does an extremely efficient job of introducing Lamar Johnson and Keivonn Woodard as their respective characters early, bringing the show back to the uniquely semi-anthological feel it’s crafted throughout the season, and making their ultimate demise hurt all the more. Not only that, but the duo excel in their roles, evoking exactly the same sense of innocence and optimism that Sam and Henry represented in the original 2013 video game. Much like the other pairs of survivors Joel and Ellie have met on their travels, they mean more than the physical function they serve. They are hope, compassion, and the dream of a better future. So, when they inevitably meet their end, it’s absolutely devastating.

    As painful as it is, however, it’s also essential to Joel and Ellie’s own development. No matter what happens in The Last of Us, or who else is present, the story will always come back to Joel and Ellie. That is the singular, unwritten rule of the series. Sam and Henry, as wonderful as they are, exist almost purely to put the show’s protagonists through a certain level of trauma together. The chemistry between the four survivors is immaculate, and for a moment, it seems Joel and Ellie have found a scenario where they can be happy. The beginnings of an informal family. It’s enough for Ellie, and even Joel, to briefly let their emotional guard down, something that they won’t be as quick to do after Sam and Henry’s deaths. Ramsey is particularly excellent in the final scene of Endure and Survive, where Ellie’s freshly hardened exterior is on full display.

    If Bill and Frank, in all their glory, were meant to show Joel the potential of a lasting relationship, then Sam and Henry are there to remind him what can happen on the other end of the spectrum. Love, for all its worth, is also the foundation behind some of life’s cruelest acts. There are consequences to letting people open your heart, both good and bad, and The Last of Us is hellbent on spelling this out at every turn. Luckily, it has a sublime cast and talented creatives bringing its heartbreaking spectacle to life. They make the worst of it all feel immensely human, which is also perhaps why fans are so compelled to watch in spite of all the hurt.

    Also of note in this episode is the work done with Melanie Lynskey‘s Kathleen. The Last of Us operates best in a grey area and has always maintained this by pitting Joel and Ellie against enemies who aren’t exactly straightforward baddies. Yes, Kathleen is willing to perform acts of violence that would even give Joel pause, but showrunner Craig Mazin does his best to make it clear that doesn’t come from nowhere. Just like everything else in this episode, it emerges from the darkest corner of love. She is human, and her susceptibility to grief also makes her volatile. Joel and Ellie may not be there yet, but there’s nothing to say one or both of them couldn’t reach that point eventually. Not even Henry, who reveals he’s also committed ostensibly atrocious acts in the name of love, is safe from his own humanity. It all comes together so nicely and is simply genius storytelling.

    Lastly, as a fan, there’s no way Endure and Survive can be discussed without mention of the Infected horde. Ever since Joel and Ellie survived that Clicker attack in the show’s second episode, the threat of Infected has been far and few between. Several locations of fan-favorite Infected encounters come and go in the series without a hint of the fungal monstrosities in sight. The reasoning behind this, that the heart of the story is about the people and not the creatures, makes total sense, but there has been a wanting desire to see the show’s heroes go up against the living undead again for a while now. With a stirring third act, HBO’s The Last of Us makes up for the intermediate absence of Infected with one fell swoop of chaos, carnage, and a big ole’ Bloater. The resulting exodus of characters is a glorious mix of pain and pleasure.

    Endure and Survive is potentially the best episode the series has yet to offer. It contains nearly every aspect of The Last of Us that makes the story memorable. The desperate exhilaration of survival, antagonists both alive and unwell, the fear of fungus, and a deep dive into the intense complexity of emotion that only Neil Druckmann and Mazin could configure. Everything boiling down to a clipboard, asking Ellie, and everyone at home, to stay awake. It’s beautiful and draining all at the same time. At this point, there’s no doubt audiences will be back for more.

  • REVIEW: Palpatine’s Political Acumen Takes Center Stage in ‘The Bad Batch’

    REVIEW: Palpatine’s Political Acumen Takes Center Stage in ‘The Bad Batch’

    Star Wars has always been just as much of a political allegory as hit has been a series of adventures in a galaxy far, far away. The allegory certainly became more overt during the prequels, however, as those stories took the audience into the Galactic Senate where Sleepy Sheev Palpatine played the long game and finally imposed his authoritarian rule over the galaxy. Sheev’s shifty and shady machinations all served his own endgame and the Senator from Naboo used anybody and everybody he could on his way to becoming the Emperor. Once someone served Palpatine’s purpose, no amount of loyalty or years of service could spare them, a lesson towards which Season 2 of The Bad Batch had slowly been building before Episodes 7 and 8 brought the idea into the spotlight.

    The Bad Batch has taken its time dealing with the fallout from the destruction of Kamino seen in the Season 1 finale but The Clone Conspiracy and Truth and Consequences do a wonderful job of finally putting a bow on it. The two episodes weave together a nifty narrative that continues to tell the tale of the transition from the state of the galaxy in the prequels to the state of the galaxy in the original trilogy and remind the audience of the devious chess master behind it all. Now that they’ve served their purpose and all but eradicated the Jedi, the Clones, like the droid armies before them, are set to be decommissioned following the tragic “incident” that wiped out the Kaminoan cloning facilities and made the further production of Clone Troopers all but impossible.

    Senator Riyo Chuchi in a scene from “STAR WARS: THE BAD BATCH”, season 2 exclusively on Disney+. © 2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    Clone Force 99 finds themselves at the center of a high-stakes mission to stop the decommissioning of Clones (part of the Defense Recruitment Bill which also proposes a conscripted military take their place) that would also expose Season 1 villain Vice Admiral Rampart’s part in the Kaminoan genocide. Alas, the Batch and Rampart find themselves as pawns in Palpatine’s 4D chess match. Though they procure the evidence of Rampart’s evil act and relay it to their ally in the Senate, Riyo Chuchi, the Clones learn the hard way that Palpatine can and will twist anything to his advantage when the evidence they provide is twisted by the Emperor and serves as the nails in the coffins of their fellow Clones.

    There’s a bit of historical horror as Palpatine, presiding over the Senate, announces that these acts of terror are reason enough for him to pass the Defense Recruitment Bill and usher in the era of the Imperial Stormtrooper. As fans of series in which stories are told anachronistically, knowing the heroes of The Bad Batch played a major role in the coming terrors that these Stormtroopers will commit is a hard pill to swallow. But as evil as Sleepy Sheev is, these two episodes go a long way in reminding us why he was able to keep his grip on power for so long: his prowess as a Sith Lord is matched only by his incredible political acumen and spin tactics. It’s Sheev’s galaxy, everyone else is just barely surviving in it.