Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Reviews

  • REVIEW: ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Is a Frustratingly Fantastic Return to the Streets of New York City

    REVIEW: ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Is a Frustratingly Fantastic Return to the Streets of New York City

    Daredevil has always dealt in duality. Even before Frank Miller redefined the character–and the city in which he spent his days and nights–by introducing a gritty, noir-inspired take on the hero, Matt Murdock still split his time fighting for justice in a courtroom while also dispensing justice as a vigilante. Though Miller‘s drastic reinvention of the character took him to far darker places as a lawyer-by-day, vigilante-by-night type of hero, the character has always been a fascinating study of psychological inconsistency and cognitive dissonance. And so as Marvel Studios relaunches one of the most beloved superhero shows ever made with the first season of Daredevil: Born Again, it is fitting that the new series is teeming with dichotomies.

    For nearly one-third of the season, Daredevil: Born Again dares to tease the unthinkable for Charlie Cox‘s Matt Murdock. Following an audaciously aggressive reintroduction to the world of the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen that shatters the comfort zone so carefully constructed over three seasons of Netflix’s Daredevil, Marvel Television’s revival allows Murdock to feel how awful goodness is. But fear not, true believers, the studio could not resist the urge to drag Daredevil back into the darkness, once more choosing Frank Miller over the field.

    Who fate gave the ability to hear and smell and touch better than anybody in the world can, which is a great way to catch all the misery of being alive

    -Daredevil as written by Frank Miller
    Daredevil/Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) in Marvel Television’s DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Giovanni Rufino. © 2024 MARVEL.

    The first episode of Marvel Studios’ Daredevil: Born Again chaotically catabolizes everything that both Matt Murdock and the fans of Netflix’s Daredevil hold dear, abruptly and refreshingly changing the status quo for the beleaguered vigilante. Stripped bare, Murdock is born again into a brighter world full of new relationships, professionally and personally, and one that ironically holds hope for the hero. However, just when Matt thought he was out, they pull him back in!

    Just as Matt seems to be free of his dark past, it comes rushing in to upset the shaky new scaffolding. As has been clear since the series was first announced in 2022, Daredevil: Born Again could just as well have been titled Kingpin: Born Again and the new and improved Wilson Fisk’s ambitions and love for New York City set the pair on a path that challenges each’s best intentions. A tense meeting over coffee in which both men swear they’ve left their alter egos behind them slowly devolves into a pissing match between the better angels of their natures; indeed, the next three episodes prove that neither man ever moved too far away from his true self and follows the co-leads as they slowly let their devils out of whatever cage they believed to have contained them, setting them on a path toward yet another inevitable confrontation.

    Tonally divergent from the ethos of the Netflix series for the first seven episodes of the season, Daredevil: Born Again constructs a brighter world around a more devil-may-care Matt; unfortunately, both that world and Matt ultimately fall victim to the darkness of the city and its inhabitants as a serial killer throws the city into a frenzy. By the time the series heads into what will stream as a two-part finale, the replacement creative team of showrunner Dario Scardapane and directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorehead put together what could only be described as “peak Netflix”, allowing both Daredevil and Kingpin to be “Born again.” Steering the show back in that direction is a frustrating decision, even if foreseeable; however, it’s not damaging to the quality of the series in any way and works to push the characters to a precipice that will have to wait to be resolved in Season 2.

    Daredevil/Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) in Marvel Television’s DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Giovanni Rufino. © 2024 MARVEL.
    Less bloated than any season of the Netflix series, Season 1 of Daredevil: Born Again spins a tight, well-paced narrative that impressively stands strong despite the mid-stream change of creatives. Though the marketing for the series isn’t necessarily the most honest work Marvel Studios has ever done, the show does return to its gritty, noir roots despite spending a large chunk of time playing in the sun, delivering the “whole new deal” Cox once promised while also relishing in the edgey brutality of the old deal. A wonky VFX scene or two, a bit of overacting here and there and a few superfluous characters aren’t enough to tip the scales here: Daredevil: Born Again is, from start to finish, a fantastic series. With its hero and its villain equally saturated in blood and emotional trauma, the show examines the futility of pursuing sustainable change without addressing the deeply nested layers of human behavior.

    Despite standing tall not only among Marvel Studios’ streaming series but also among the three original seasons of Daredevil, Daredevil: Born Again is also frustrating in its insistence on keeping Murdock’s story drenched in blood. While sanguinary and savage storytelling defined the Netflix era of The Man Without Fear, it’s not the defining trait of the character who has been a staple of Marvel Comics since the 1960s. While Miller‘s reinvention did elevate the character to new heights, it’s bizarre to see his dark and violent vision for Daredevil become THE vision for the character. Miller‘s Daredevil portfolio is hardly prolific (8 other writers have spent more time on Daredevil books than Miller) and perhaps the particular itch for wanton violence would be better scratched in the MCU by Punisher or Moon Knight. And so to see the series briefly flirt with a new direction inspired, it would seem, by Mark Waid‘s long run on the book only to retreat into darkness again begs the question: why do the writers hate Matt Murdock?

    Given all the media hype that followed the news that Scardapane, Benson and Moorehead were brought on board, one would assume that the trio swooped in and saved the series from disaster. In reality, upon seeing the entire season, it hardly feels that way at all but rather feels that the new creatives were brought in because Daredevil: Born Again was not Netflixy-enough. To everyone’s credit, the blending of “new” and “old” is seamless throughout; if you didn’t know there was a creative overhaul on the series before you sat down to watch, nothing would alert you to it while watching the series. Episodes 2 and 3, which adapt Brian Michael Bendis‘ “Trial of the Century” arc from his early 2000s run on the book, deliver the best courtroom drama in the history of the series. The trial of Hector Ayala challenges Murdock and his new partner, Kirsten McDuffie, at every turn, creating true tension that will be palpable to viewers. High profile and high stakes, the trial puts Matt in the spotlight and, unfortunately, in a position where a win can’t just be a win.

    Hector Ayala / White Tiger (Kamar de los Reyes) in Marvel Television’s DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Giovanni Rufino. © 2024 MARVEL.

    Following Ayala’s trial, what would seem to have been the original outline for the show looked to be headed to some dark enough places. Cleverly written with a narrative throughline that continually pulled Murdock further away from the new life he believed he had established, Episodes 2 through 7 are incredibly engaging and if this show were a binge release, fans would have a hard time walking away as Hector’s trial bleeds into the search for a serial killer who unknowingly has put himself right in the middle of Murdock’s life. We may never know where the first season was originally going to land and where the original team meant to go next; however, it’s safe to say that Scardpane‘s Season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again, which should hit D+ in 2026, might just as well be titled Daredevil Season 4.

    No matter which material they worked with, Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio delivered top-tier performances, especially in their brief time together. Jon Bernthal‘s return as Frank Castle comes complete with all the squealing brutality one might expect from The Punisher while also serving as a wonderfully necessary foil for Murdock. The late Kamar de los Reyes stands out as Hector Ayala, whose legacy is left to be explored should the powers that be choose to do so; Margarita Levieva‘s subdued Heather Glenn ends up a much more interesting character than her comic book counterpart; and Ayelet Zurer‘s Vanessa works as a driving force behind the central plot. The Fisks’ relationship works as an interesting parallel to that of Matt and Heather and the intersection of the two ultimately leads to the season’s biggest surprise.

    For nearly a year, Marvel Studios has been operating according to a new strategy behind the scenes as shifting priorities have led them to focus on developing series that can premiere annually. It’s clear that the studios intends for Daredevil: Born Again to be both the canary in the coal mine in that regard but that they also have enough faith in it that they’ve already established it as the flagship of the new era of Marvel Television. To that end, each new season must entice viewers to return for subsequent seasons while also being able to stand alone not only as a season but with weekly episodes that drive conversation and interest. Season 1 of Daredevil: Born Again accomplishes that mission. Its weekly releases will have people buzzing (I’m looking forward to the response to the series St. Patrick’s Day-set bottle episode) and the response to the season finale may actually trigger Richter scales. Grace and retribution. Reward and punishment. Hopes and fears. Daredevil: Born Again‘s return to the streets of New York City is frustratingly incongruous in its treatment of its Guardian Devil and a contradiction in itself but I’ll be damned if it isn’t an incredible season of TV.

  • Review: ‘Skeleton Crew’ Episodes 1 & 2

    Review: ‘Skeleton Crew’ Episodes 1 & 2

    First announced at Star Wars Celebration 2022, Lucasfilm’s Star Wars streaming series, Skeleton Crew, has finally arrived on Disney Plus. After being delayed by over a year, the eight-episode series now finds itself in the unenviable position of following one of the studio’s most harshly treated projects in The Acolyte. While Skeleton Crew is the tonal antithesis of The Acolyte, a growing subset of Star Wars fans have begun to approach every new project with an accumulated skepticism and, in many cases, an increasingly choral disregard for the Dave Filoni era of storytelling in the galaxy far, far away. Skeleton Crew may well provide Lucasfilm’s best effort to combat and contravene the online vitriol that has become endemic to Star Wars fandom. And it does so with kids!

    I’ll break protocol for a moment to explain that this review won’t conclude with some judgment of whether Skeleton Crew is “good” or “bad” nor make any accurate predictions about how fans will feel about it. That’s because I cannot know if it is “good” or “bad” or even begin to evaluate how I feel about it. Members of the media were given a screening package that included the first three episodes of an eight-episode series. By the time the third episode ends, it is clear that the show has the potential to continue in an entertaining direction; however, anyone pretending to review a full season after only seeing 38% of a series is at best disingenuous and at worst, deliberately causing chaos and harm.

    Following an opening scene steeped in Star Wars tradition, Episode 1 of Skeleton Crew presents as a slice-of-life project before quickly morphing into a rollicking and spirited adventure into some peripheral corners of the Star Wars universe that have always existed but have never been explored in live-action. Pirates have played a major role in canonical animation and in Legends continuity and after first popping up in The Mandalorian where the Pirate King Gorian Shard caused some issues, here, there be pirates. From the daring boarding that breaks the silence of space and is Pirates of the Caribbean in space to the boisterous and bawdy Port Borgo full of scurvy swashbucklers, Skeleton Crew is all hands hoay into buccaneering, including some elusive booty that will likely sit as a central mystery throughout the series. That said, calling it a show about pirates wouldn’t be fair.

    (L-R, second from left): Vane (Marti Matulis), Gunter (Jaleel White), Brutus (Frank Tatasciore, performance artist: Stephan Oyoung), Pax (performance artist: Mike Estes), and Chaelt (Dale Soules) in Lucasfilm’s SKELETON CREW, exclusively on Disney+. ©2024 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.

    Despite boasting Jude Law as a key figure who is kind of mysterious and kind of dangerous and definitely none of the people he says he is, Skeleton Crew is a show about children but probably not specifically for children. Rather, in the mold of Stand By Me, it’s a little coming-of-age adventure that also vibes with, yes, The Goonies but also with a less well-known adventure film like 1985’s Explorers and maybe even a little bit with the ridiculous Ice Pirates. Skeleton Crew treats its core kids a bit in the way Stephen Spielberg always did. They get to behave a little older than they are, live out their fantasies, meet people they’ve only read of in legends and be in danger without actually being endangered. And most importantly, not one of these kids is learning any lessons through two episodes.

    However, putting children at the center of the story allows co-creators Christopher Ford and Jon Watts to create within their comfort zones As a result, at a time when the Star Wars franchise is in need of renewed hope and a return to the innocence that the first audiences to see Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back took with them into the theater, along comes a Star Wars project full of kids who while vulnerable, are full of true wonder.Skeleton Crew‘s core four are the archetypal rebel (Fern), explorer (Wim), innocent (Neel) and caregiver (KB) who may well provide exactly what audiences need to reconnect with the magic of the Star Wars universe. Despite having kids at its core, Skeleton Crew looks to be intended to do some expansive world-building which seems likely to be why Filoni gave it the green light and set it in the New Republic era. I won’t even tease spoilers here but there are enough hints in the first two episodes to catch on to the fact that At Attin, the homeworld of the leads, is quite unlike any planet we’ve ever seen in the franchise.

    (L-R): SM-33 (voiced by Nick Frost), Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers), Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), KB (Kyriana Kratter), and Neel (Robert Timothy Smith) in Lucasfilm’s STAR WARS: SKELETON CREW, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Matt Kennedy. ©2024 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.

    Following a bit of a slow, exposition-heavy start, Skeleton Crew does weigh anchor and hoist the mizzen and it looks like it’s going to be one hell of a ride through space as the crew tries to find their way back home. Despite its small sample size, accentuated by Mick Giacchino‘s quirky, uncanny and neo-nostalgic themes, Skeleton Crew checks the boxes of an adventure worth taking. Indeed in the best ways, it feels quite like a successful adaptation of a Disney theme park attraction into a live-action project, except there’s no Disney theme park attraction being adapted. Perhaps it’s best to take it for exactly what it is: a return to innocence that’s been missing from one of the world’s premiere franchises for far too long.

    Episodes 1 and 2 of Skeleton Crew are now streaming on Disney Plus.

  • Review: ‘Alien: Romulus’

    Review: ‘Alien: Romulus’

    In 1979, Ridley Scott‘s Alien traumatized unsuspecting audiences with its lack of adherence to traditional sci-fi norms and indulgence in abject body horror. Forty-five years later, the film is recognized as one of the best horror films ever made. In 1986, James Cameron delivered Aliens, an undisputed masterpiece that is recognized as one of the best sequels ever made. Since then, the Alien franchise continued on through multiple mediums while never quite reaching the heights of its building blocks. Like the Xenomorphs that inhabit its fictional universe, the franchise has sought out perfection through adaptation and evolution though it seems that too often, the creators behind each project seemingly selected the wrong traits to help their creations maintain the necessary fitness to survive in a changing world. Even Scott’s return to the franchise in 2012’s Prometheus and 2017’s Alien: Covenant, while being major improvements over the two poorly received sequels to Aliens, failed to provoke the same sense of awe as the franchise’s first two installments. It seemed, unfortunately, as though it might be time for the franchise to be jettisoned into the vacuum of space where, as the saying goes, no one can hear you scream. And then…Disney stepped in.

    In 2019, as part of its acquisition of 21st Century Fox, Disney acquired the rights to the intellectual property of the Alien franchise. Despite some bogus online dramatics raising concern that Disney would somehow ruin the legacy of the franchise or crown Ellen Ripley and the Xenomorph Queen as Disney Princesses, the company chose to take its time developing the next installment, even as Scott hoped to push out a sequel to Alien: Covenant and complete his prequel trilogy. After a five-year gestational period, Alien: Romulus has emerged as the result of Disney’s careful curation of the property and it comes complete with the necessary components to put the Alien franchise back on its rightful throne.

    Xenomorph in 20th Century Studios’ ALIEN: ROMULUS. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    Disney turned to horror director Fede Álvarez to not only bring Alien back to the big screen after a seven-year hiatus but also to reinvigorate the franchise for a new generation of moviegoers who may well not be familiar with previous installments. Scott’s work on Prometheus and Alien: Covenant may not have landed well because, in some sense, it was work the director was doing for himself to flesh out a mythology he had been building in his mind for over thirty years. While a third film in that prequel series may yet come to fruition, it also seems a little self-indulgent (and when you’re Ridley Scott that’s actually just fine) and/or made for longtime, hardcore fans of Alien; however, Disney probably saw the writing on the wall that a Covenant sequel was unlikely to attract new viewers or do big bucks at the box office and wisely set a new course for the property.

    Alien: Romulus remarkably stands on its own legs as one of the best horror films in recent years while also serving as a gateway to the Alien franchise of newcomers and an installment worthy of admiration by longtime fans. There’s a reverence to the works of Scott, Cameron and others who have shepherded the franchise over the last forty-five years without feeling entirely derivative. AI: check. Jump scares: check. Body horror: check. But even while checking all the right boxes and channeling the past greatness of the franchise, Alien: Romulus goes further and does more by not being weighed down by connectivity and mythology. So while Álvarez clearly made choices to include echoes of the property’s predecessors, including lore from the video games and graphic novels, he also bravely laid out his own path by subverting an expectation here and there. The cumulative effect of those choices is a film that will shock you–even if it doesn’t surprise you–and could be rightfully said to challenge Alien and Aliens as a top-tier entry in the franchise.
    (L-R): Cailee Spaeny as Rain Carradine and David Jonsson as Andy in 20th Century Studios’ ALIEN: ROMULUS. Photo by Murray Close. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    While Ridley Scott certainly cannot be labeled as a “sci-fi director”, he did indeed set out to make a sci-fi film in Alien and in the making of that film, he measured out the right amount of horror to make a classic. Though he loves the Alien franchise as a fan, Álvarez clearly did not ask Scott if he could borrow his cookbook before directing Alien: Romulus. Álvarez is a horror director making a sci-fi film and masterfully uses every tool in his toolbox to create tension, trauma and horror. Alien: Romulus is viscerally grating and stunning. It is barbaric and sanguinary while also tapping into deeply rooted emotions by pushing the audience to the edge of what is comfortable and acceptable and then savagely crossing the line. Simply put: you are highly unlikely to walk out of the theater feeling really great about the human condition.

    In addition to creating an incredible horror flick, Álvarez also deserves credit for making the much-talked-about decision to explore familiar territory with a young cast. One of the new turns Alien: Romulus takes is centering the story around a group of close friends who are among the many, many colonists the previous installments always talked about but never showed. The straightforward first act feels far less contrived than the openers of both Prometheus and Alien: Covenant while also feeling totally relatable: young folks being overworked and underpaid by a big company decide to head for greener pastures. And thus Cailee Spaeny‘s Rain, Isabel Merced‘s Kay and David Jonsson‘s wonderfully wonky synthetic, Andy, embark on a journey that none of them could have predicted. While you think you’ve seen this journey before–and again, in parts, there’s an intent by Álvarez to rhyme with what the audience expects and knows–Álvarez‘s horror chops make a familiar journey almost untenably uncomfortable. If there’s a better use of sound to create tension and distress, I’ve never seen it.

    Akin to what Disney accomplished by redirecting the course of the dying Predator franchise with 2022’s Prey, Alien: Romulus gives new life to the Alien franchise. While it might not be quite the perfect organism, Alien: Romulus shows that the House of Mouse isn’t afraid to embrace the darkness of their 21st Century properties and provides a wonderful example of how the influence of iconic visionaries like Scott can inspire greatness in others. Fans becoming directors of their beloved franchises has proven dangerous in the past but Álvarez avoided those pitfalls here and created something that even the creator himself must have loved.

    4 out of 4 stars and the best movie I’ve seen in 2024.

    Moderate

    Alien: Romulus hits theaters on August 16th.

  • REVIEW: ‘Secret Invasion’ Episode 2-Broken Promises, Big Dreams and Colossal Talent

    REVIEW: ‘Secret Invasion’ Episode 2-Broken Promises, Big Dreams and Colossal Talent

    In the case of all things which have several parts and in which the totality is not, as it were, a mere heap, but the whole is something besides the parts…

    Aristotle

    It’s safe to say Aristotle wasn’t talking about Episode 2 of Secret Invasion when he wrote those words in his principal treatise, Metaphysics, but that doesn’t mean they don’t apply. “Promises”, the second of six episodes in Disney Plus’ latest Marvel Studios streaming series, is a coruscating collection of incredibly well-written scenes, made great by a set of colossally talented actors, that when viewed holistically appear as one of the finest episodes of television from the studio to date. Bookmarked by some damn interesting retconning that gives fans a lot to chew on when it comes to what they thought they knew about Nick Fury, “Promises” delivers a perfect follow-up episode to its more slowly-paced predecessor and provides hope that Secret Invasion could be full of surprises.

    Short of the awkward scene in which we learn that Maria Hill had a mother, “Promises” provides the audience with the necessary exposition to understand precisely what Gravik’s Skrulls are up to AND why Gravik is up to it. Kingsley Ben-Adir‘s air of nonchalance as the character proves a compelling choice in relaying to the audience that–in his mind–the war he wages on Earth is already won. As seen in the episode’s opening flashback, his shared history with Fury has put a chip on his shoulder that can never be repaired. And as Gravik’s impressive vibe check of the Skrull Council shows, he will find a way to get his way. As the newly minted War Time Skrull General, Gravik will now have the (almost) full support of the Council to carry out his plan to create an army of Super Skrulls. That plan, revealed via one of Marvel Studios’ coolest Easter eggy scenes since Iron Man 2‘s “map scene”, involves using the work of human scientists to bind the DNA of a collection of powerful beings, such as Groot and Cull Obsidian, to that of Skrull warriors. As promotional footage for the series has already revealed, Gravik’s plan will be successful which makes you wonder how Fury, who won’t call in The Avengers, can save the day.

    (L-R): Ben Mendelsohn as Talos and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury in Marvel Studios’ Secret Invasion, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2023 MARVEL.

    The strength of “Promises”, however, lies not in the revelation of a pretty comic book-y plot by the bad guys, but in the strength of the individual performances given by the ensemble cast. One episode after some heavy-handed writing bogged down the series debut, Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Mendelsohn’s Tarantino-esque train car scene should be the gold standard for how dialogue can be enjoyable and move the story along. The two stars share such chemistry that you wish they’d had a longer train ride. Next, it’s Don Cheadle‘s turn to star, including an especially powerful conversation with Fury that makes it clear–if it somehow wasn’t already–Rhodey is nobody’s sidekick but rather a force to be reckoned with in or out of the armor. And if you didn’t enjoy Olivia Colman‘s display of her massive talent while she tortured the captive Skrull…masterful. And the episode’s final scenes provide one of the MCU’s biggest jaw-droppers to date…and jaws will drop even further before it’s over. Scene after scene after scene, “Promises” delivers a series of moments that ultimately do coalesce into a damn good episode of Marvel TV that gives the series some necessary momentum.

    I’m Nick Fury. Even when I’m out I’m in.

    The stage is set for the series’ second act, one that will certainly see the “old Fury” find his way back to take on his “wayward son.” Gravik may think he’s already won the War for Earth but this is Fury’s war, too, and he hasn’t even started fighting yet.

  • REVIEW: Amazon’s ‘Jack Ryan’ Finds a New Clear and Present Danger in Its First-Rate Final Season

    REVIEW: Amazon’s ‘Jack Ryan’ Finds a New Clear and Present Danger in Its First-Rate Final Season

    Amazon Studios rolled the dice in 2018 with what at the time was perceived as yet another, other attempt to reboot author Tom Clancy‘s Ryanverse into a successful franchise. From the start, however, it was clear that the team behind Amazon’s Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan had no interest in putting out more page-to-screen adaptations of Clancy’s novels but rather taking the central character of those novels and creating original stories set in modern times. Then they rolled the dice again by casting John Krasinski, an actor who certainly did not have the action resume most fans associated with the role of Ryan. As the streaming series comes to an end with its fourth and final season, it’s now clear that Amazon’s gamble paid off.

    While the first season of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan wasn’t critically beloved, it provided a template for the show’s success: drop Jack Ryan–who’s a little more Jack Bauer than previous versions–in the middle of a complex, multi-faceted problem, surround him with an interesting supporting cast and put him up against a compelling antagonist. Over the second and third seasons, that template was tweaked, adding some seedy secondary villains, introducing some nefarious conspiracies and, most interestingly, bravely taking the series to places in the world where real issues exist that might not always make the headlines. Season 4 of the show ultimately (and smartly) works as a highlight reel of what worked well across the previous three seasons only falling short by failing to find an antagonist as uniquely formidable as Season 1’s fascinating Mousa bin Suleiman.

    The Problem

    The final season of Jack Ryan shines the spotlight on one of Hollywood’s favorite group of faceless baddies–a Mexican cartel–but spices things up a bit by adding some more evil to the mix from a place most folks couldn’t find on a map in Myanmar. A hot bed of organized crime in the real world, the Ryanverse’s Myanmar (almost certainly influenced by real world events) is home to a Chinese triad who has made its home in the Shan State and is looking to up its game by joining forces with the cartel. That convergence requires some nasty work done in Lagos, Nigeria. That work, which has the earmarks of the CIA all over it, ultimately comes across the desk of the CIA’s new Deputy Director, Jack Ryan, the one man baddies all over the globe should know by now to fear!

    The Villains

    Jack Ryan Season 4 has no shortage of bad guys for Jack to take on; on the contrary, if there’s weakness to the final season it’s that there are so many that none of them get anywhere near enough screen time to be as bad as they wanna be. Not quite cannon fodder, not quite on the level of Season 3’s more memorable assemblage of baddies, the group of villains that Jack and his team work their way through over the course of the season’s six episodes has the feel of a “AAAA ball player”: too good for AAA and can’t quite cut it in The Show. And while the writers gave the old college try to throwing a surprise villain or three in the mix, you’d have to have slept through the first 3 or 4 episodes to truly be surprised.

    The Supporting Cast

    As it turns out, the lack of a great villain who chews up the screen works out in that it allows for the supporting cast of the series to really take off. National treasures Wendell Pierce and Mike Kelly return as tritagonists James Greer and Mike November, respectively, and do what they do best: elevate every scene they’re in. Pierce owns the role of Greer now and seems to be having a blast delivering ass kicking and mother fuckers left, right and center and Kelly, who definitely hit the gym, plays the Howling Mad Murdock to Ryan’s Hannibal Smith with all the appropriate reckless abandon. Neither seems to have a wasted moment on screen. They’re matched in that regard by newcomer Michael Pena whose Domingo Chavez provides a wonderful “Ready. Fire. Aim” foil to Krasinski‘s analytical Ryan. Betty Gabriel gives Elizabeth Wright a little more depth in her second go around and Abbie Cornish gets more to do as Cathy Mueller. A lead is only as strong as the supporting cast and Amazon has understood that–and nailed it–from the start.

    If you’ve been watching all along, Season 4 of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan will serve as a great farewell to the characters and Krasinski’s final big speech truly captures the spirit of Clancy’s iconic character. While beyond Michael B. Jordan and Chad Stahelski’s Rainbow Six film the future of the Ryanverse is largely undefined, whatever comes next will rest comfortably on a firm foundation built over four seasons of a very solid series.

  • REVIEW: Jackson’s Star Aside, A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action Would Have Benefitted the Debut of ‘Secret Invasion’

    REVIEW: Jackson’s Star Aside, A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action Would Have Benefitted the Debut of ‘Secret Invasion’

    Billed as a paranoia-laced spy thriller, Marvel Studios latest Disney Plus streaming series, Secret Invasion, has been pretty hotly anticipated by MCU fans who while not at 2020 levels yet, are starting to starve for content following Disney’s decision to slow their roll. It’s been made more than clear that the series was not intended to be a superhero spectacle, like the Marvel Comics event from which it took its name but rather a dive into the world of espionage where Nick Fury has always reigned supreme. That means that Samuel L. Jackson gets to take the lead in an MCU project after 15 years of being part of the supporting cast and for an actor of Jackson’s prodigious talent, that means room to explore all the nooks and crannies that make Fury tick, promising an entertaining character study. On that promise, the first episode of Secret Invasion, “Resurrection”, delivers as Jackson’s endless well of charisma floods every scene. However, bogged down at times by exposition and filled with too few thrilling moments, “Resurrection” feels like a disappointing return to Disney Plus following a nearly year-long wait.

    It’s clear Jackson is having the time of his MCU life in the space he’s given to explore Nick Fury in Secret Invasion. It’s also made clear–nearly excruciatingly painfully clear at times–that this isn’t the Fury fans remember from before because, in case you missed it, he’s just never been the same since Thanos. If you missed it the first time, no sweat, the writer’s room had you covered making sure that Ben Mendelsohn, Olivia Colman and Cobie Smulders all let the audience know that this Nick isn’t that Nick. And in case them telling him didn’t catch your ear, Killian Scott‘s Pagon–possibly the most useless character in MCU history (everything he did could have been done offscreen to no detriment to the story)–tell’s the series’ big bad Gravik all about Fury’s downfall. Obviously, this is an incredibly heavy-handed setup for the reveal, somewhere down the road, that Nick Fury is back, mother fuckers, but a little more show and a lot less tell would have been appreciated. That aside, whether he’s sharing a remorseful scene with Mendelsohn‘s Talos, trading barbs with Colman’s absolutely delightful Sonya Falsworth or reconnecting with his closest ally in Smulders‘ Maria Hill, Jackson‘s star is on its full, brilliant display throughout the episode…and he’s only just getting started.

    (L-R): Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury in Marvel Studios’ SECRET INVASION, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Des Willie. © 2023 MARVEL.

    As for the “paranoia”, it seems to be unfortunately kept at bay for most of the first episode of the series. The opening five minutes or so ahead of the credits tries its level best to get those juices flowing with Agent Prescod’s parody of Charlie Day‘s Pepe Silvia rant but it falls short of hitting those conspiratorial heights because it lacks any true intrigue. Nearly from the moment Martin Freeman‘s Everett Ross enters the room, it seems all too clear he’s been simmed by a Skrull. Lack of intrigue aside, those opening moments do nicely lay out the plan in place by Kingsley Ben-Adir‘s Gravik and make it clear that Fury isn’t just returning to Earth, he’s returning to Earth at the beginning of a war…and war means casualties.

    Casualties there were in the episode’s closing moments as hundreds of innocent Russian men, women and children were killed by the bombs detonated by Gravik before he dealt Fury one more blow by killing Maria Hill…and no death has felt flatter than hers. While it’s obviously supposed to help Fury recapture his lost mojo and return him to his pre-Blip form, it has little to no impact with the audience. While Hill is a major player in the comics, she’s hardly been tertiary in the MCU with her last big action coming in Captain America: The Winter Solider and you can bet that a significant chunk of the audience tuning in to watch Secret Invasion has either never seen that 2014 film or hasn’t seen it in quite some time. That’s the increasingly unbearable weight of the massive volume of projects in Marvel’s shared cinematic universe; anyone other than the hardest of hardcore fans just doesn’t really know why Hill is supposed to matter. It’s clear that the audience is supposed to feel bad; it’s just not really clear why because there’s no deep connection to the character.

    (L-R): Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Ben Mendelsohn as Talos in Marvel Studios’ SECRET INVASION, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Des Willie. © 2023 MARVEL.

    As fans will discover in Episode 2, much of Episode 1 could have ended up on the cutting room floor. The pace picks up nicely in the next episode, specifically surrounding the Skrulls’ plans to take over Earth. However, “Resurrection” does make the Skrulls threatening enough and does so in a very modern way. To be sure, there’s plenty of hatred in the real world and the alien Skrulls take full advantage of this in Secret Invasion, posing as members of any number of terrorist cells and setting off enough chaos to bring the world to the brink of World War III. The episode doesn’t reveal the entirety of their plan, which they hatch from the safety of an abandoned nuclear reactor outside of Moscow, but it provides enough of a heads-up that things are headed in a bad direction. As bad guy lairs go, an abandoned nuclear power plant is a new twist that even a Bond villain could be envious of; however, despite their explained immunity to radioactivity, couldn’t the Skrulls just be easily tracked with some sort of modified Geiger counter?

    A little light on the paranoia and a lot light on the action, “Resurrection” is a less-than-thrilling Lazarus act for the MCU on Disney Plus. Fortunately, however, its cast, led by Jackson, makes it entertaining enough for one sitting despite the heavy-handedness of the writers’ room. While that feels almost inescapable at this point, especially as they continue to try to rake in new fans, it’s going to continue to be a topic of discussion and debate and a point of frustration for those who have been along for the entire ride.

  • REVIEW: ‘Star Wars Visions’ Returns With Style and Beauty

    REVIEW: ‘Star Wars Visions’ Returns With Style and Beauty

    There’s no easy way to really talk about a project like Star Wars Visions. The anthology series offers something unique with different studios getting the chance to tell a unique story in a galaxy far far away. Going into the second season, Lucasfilm is taking a new approach by expanding beyond Japanese studios to give the world an opportunity to leave a unique stamp on this anthology series. Did their ambitions continue to make this series stand out in this ambitious era of animation?

    One thing is clear: the idea to go beyond anime made this season truly stand out. The animation is beautiful and every studio brings something unique to each project. What continues to be the big selling point of this anthology is just taking known concepts and giving them new life by allowing other creatives to play around with the world we are familiar with. With the added variety of creatives, it adds to the feeling that these stories are quite a bit more personal this time around.

    El Guiri’s Sith offers a visual showcase that blends the lines between reality in its visual style to add something that uses color in such a creative way, it caught me off-guard when its story caught up with the visuals. A lot of this season, at least early on, explores the themes of on which side of the Force you’ll find yourself. Screecher’s Reach by Cartoon Saloon and Mir’s Journey to the Dark Head offer these really interesting stories in two distinct ways. They offer a look at what you’re willing to do to accomplish your goals but end up in very different places.

    Then you also have some fun with Aardman’s animated I am Your Mother, which just looks at a young X-Wing pilot cadet and her relationship with her mother. Of course, there’s also something just so charming about the stop-motion approach from the creators of Wallace and Gromit that makes this little special just stand out, especially with its humor.

    Then you also have 88 Pictures’ The Bandits of Golak and Punkrobot’s In the Stars, which explore the galaxy far far away from the unique perspectives of those just trying to survive. It highlights how two very distinctly animated projects explore tales of survival in a Sith-dominated world. Even Studio La Cachette’s The Spy Dancer uses that concept to offer a rather heartfelt twist in its short runtime.

    Then you also have Triggerfish’s beautifully animated Aau’s Song and D’art Shtajio’s The PIt that highlight just how diverse these stories can be told. The new season continues where the first left off and hopefully, they will continue making more seasons. Stand-outs personally were Screecher’s Reach and The Spy Dancer which felt like the perfect combination of beautiful animation with emotional storytelling. It’s not to say that the others didn’t provide the same but when you have so many good choices, it becomes difficult to truly pinpoint what makes a project stand out.

  • REVIEW: ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ is the Mario Film We Wanted in 1993

    REVIEW: ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ is the Mario Film We Wanted in 1993

    There’s been a surprisingly big discussion online surrounding The Super Mario Bros. Movie after critics seemingly felt quite mixed about the project. Nintendo’s first real foray into producing a project based on their IP mixed with Illumination adds a lot of pressure for this film to succeed. Box office-wise the film is set to break records left and right but the question remains if the plumber’s adventure to the Mushroom Kingdom truly translated well into animation after the questionable first attempt in live-action.

    What stands out is that the film is visually stunning and the designs are certainly true to the original game franchise; a sign that Nintendo had close control over their work to stay true to the original. Part of me did wish that the minions got a Paper Mario treatment with some unique standouts outside of a Toad wearing a backpack being one of the main characters. The worlds were captivating and it definitely ranks among Illumination’s more creative works, which was something I had some concern about as their overall design work can be quite plain.

    The biggest concern for some was the voice work with the film going all-in with the modern “big name actors” casting choices. Yet, I was surprised by Chris Pratt’s overall performance with some great performances here and there. Seth Rogen could’ve put in a bit more work to give Donkey Kong a more familiar voice, as we also just get his signature laugh in this film. He had some great moments but I won’t lie it felt like a missed opportunity given how iconic his voice is in Donkey Kong 64.

    Anya Taylor-Joy was okay as Princess Peach, she gave a good performance but it didn’t really stand out either. The true scene-stealers were Jack Black as Bowser and Charlie Day as Luigi. They both perfectly brought the right energy to these characters even if I do wish Luigi, who is cutely named Lu by Mario in this rendition, was given a bigger role in this film but perhaps we get a Luigi’s Mansion spinoff film one day.

    As much as I’ll definitely say I had a blast with the film, it does overall feel a bit rushed at parts. It didn’t really have a strong plot pulled together that would build upon each other but rather just wanted to hit some vignettes with loose character motivation to keep it together. Peach wants to protect her people and is willing to give up everything for it. Mario wants to prove to his family that he isn’t dragging his brother down with him, which actually was the best part of the film’s theme.

    Bowser has a neat surprise in his overall motivation that is inspired by some of the most recent entries in the Super Mario franchise, though I wished they kept it a secret for a longer period of time. Its overall issue is that it simply tries too much and doesn’t set a clear focus. We spend time with Bowser and find out his motivation, trying to create a dynamic between him and Mario even though they never face each other to build up to an eventual climax. Yet, it would’ve been great to actually have these two compete, he actively takes his brother away adding to one of the main conflicts in the film.

    Luigi taking Peach’s role in the story as confirmed in the trailers is a good way to add something new without falling into cliché territory but it all feels rather disconnected. We spend most of the film’s runtime building up to one storyline that is squashed after a fun action sequence. Mario’s main motivation set early on was probably the best jumping-off point they could’ve given the film but it never truly comes together to become its central theme until the last few minutes.

    Yet, even with these issues and Illumination’s usual hyper-fixation on including pop songs in sequences (especially with the now-confirmed fantastic Donkey Kong-inspired song having been scrapped), the film has heart. I still got a bit teary-eyed during the final moments. Mario and Luigi make a great pairing, which I didn’t think the film would make me care about for as little screen time they share. There’s heart here and it overshadows its very easter egg showcase, as there are a lot of them.

    There are certainly a lot of Easter eggs for long-time Nintendo fans and likely one of the major draws of this film. It knows it is playing to nostalgia in a big way, which is surprisingly more dominant than what Marvel has been accused of throughout the years. It wouldn’t be too surprised if they use this film as a jumping-off point for spinoffs moving forward and there’s a chance that they could get some of these elements together in a sequel.

    Best case, they start taking some more inspiration from Paper Mario or the Mario & Luigi games, as those had some really great storytelling. The first film had to ease viewers into this world but now there’s no stopping them from going all-in. Introduce a new villain in the form of Cackletta and the super memorable Fawful. Introduce viewers to Koopa’s normal living environments that are more than just those minions we witnessed in the film. Otherwise, these films might just end up as more of the same.

    Either way, the film is a blast through and through. Yes, it falls into some usual pitfalls but there’s still a lot of fun to have. The jokes land when they land. We have a surprisingly strong cast here that brings it together. Peaches will be trapped in my head for all eternity. The heart that this film has overshadows most of its issues, and while it doesn’t offer too much depth in its story, it still does what it needs to do to keep you engaged throughout. It’s definitely worth a watch and is the Mario film we wished the 1993 film was.

  • REVIEW: ‘Doom Patrol’ Episode 5 — Youth Patrol

    REVIEW: ‘Doom Patrol’ Episode 5 — Youth Patrol

    Doom Patrol’s fifth episode of Season 4 provided much-needed plot leverage as the series nears its mid-season break. After the disconnected previous episode, it was satisfying to be back with our main team exactly where Episode 3 had left off. In this week’s episode, we finally received more of a concrete explanation of what the season is truly about. The plot pacing paired with definingly creative character moments made this episode a very strong inclusion in Season 4 thus far.

    Notably, Willoughby makes his genuine debut of the season to inform the group about what exactly “Immortus will rise” is all about. Rather than the General Immortus Doom Patrol comics fans may be more familiar with, Immortus in Doom Patrol is supposedly an interdimensional deity that can rip apart reality—and he wants to. What he needs, however, are certain shards of his that have been scattered around. Notable inclusions of these shards are Niles Caulder’s/Dorothy’s talisman and the miniature shards of it placed in Rita, Larry, Jane, and Cliff that gives them immortality. Immortus and his henchman are looking to extract immortality from them, and Dr. Janus succeeded in Episode 3 with Rita.

    In her aging panic, Rita sets free a poorly-designed de-aging spell that initially turns the team into teenagers. The gag is generally used to put the characters in the comical space of the classic dumb teenager trope, which, in the midst of trying to stop yet another apocalypse that they are somewhat responsible for, the fact that their priority becomes a pool party with other random youth is very classic Doom Patrol. It also ultimately delivered some phenomenal character moments.

    Jane’s teenagerhood is perhaps the most interesting, as she herself had never been one. Only created by Kay in young adulthood, Jane never experienced being a teenager. Prior in the episode, Jane gave in to her desire and began to masturbate, but seemingly knocked herself into the Underground subconsciously. The burden on Jane to protect Kay at all costs is extremely interesting when looking at it from the perspective of Jane as a full being. Jane, of course, was created in the aftermath of sexual abuse and trauma sustained by Kay. So naturally, it makes sense that Jane had a primary or major focus on avoiding that type of relationship. The fact that Jane struggles on her own to let herself feel any sexual pleasure is an interesting twist on the usual Jane-Kay narrative. In teenager form—perhaps the form that best symbolizes raw sexual desire and exploration—Jane has some form of hallucination where Kay tells her that Kay’s body is both hers and Jane’s body, leaving Jane with the suggestion that she may be more free to live as her own person. Considering Jane’s initial push this season was to find her purpose other than protecting Kay, this move toward autonomy certainly seems par for the course. However, the fact that Bunbury the magic rabbit appears to extract her immunity at the end feels a bit more pressing.

    The absolute standout moment of the episode, however, came from Rita and Laura. The two have been absolute masters both last season and Season 4 so far, but their bus top scene is every example of why. First, the two argue over Laura’s team leadership, but it devolves into the real issue between the two—Madame Rouge betraying Rita and having her boyfriend killed—and from there ends up at an extremely touching place. First, Laura has this important conversation with Rita’s now-child form, which amounted to a fully grown woman pleading with, apologizing to, and admitting again the extent of her shame and regret she will never be forgiven for to a child. When Rita tells her she cannot move past it, but misses her best friend, the dynamic between the innocent child who is hurt at her core and the adult who embodies all of the complexities of the relationship is remarkable. Finally, when Rogue beaks down so completely that she loses control and becomes her child form, the true level of pain, friendship, hate, love, and grief is beautifully captured in a near-perfect sequence.

    Elsewhere in the episode, Larry and Mr. 104 bond over each other’s shared traumatic pasts at the Bureau of Normalcy due to Kheeg’s role as wingman. Mr. 104’s connection to Lazarus is key to his motivation, but it is still a little unclear. However, there is no doubt this episode sets up a romantic connection that will quite possibly end up breaking many hearts. Larry’s loneliness is a constant theme for the character and the fact that there is not someone around who understands some of his hurt and can even safely be with him unwrapped is almost too good to be true. Add in the fact that Mr. 104 is a quite charming, handsome man for Larry (and the actors have that chemistry) it is just a recipe for love and warmth, but it does not feel safe in a series like Doom Patrol.

    Overall, Episode 5 is on par with the strength of the first three episodes of Season 4. It worked with its strongest elements while also pushing the boundaries of how successful that can make their character development. It is stunning that much of the development feels familiar, almost repetitive. Yet, despite the series’ best attempts to hammer a point home too many times, on the whole, each character and each line of personal development continues to consistently improve as if there is no ceiling. Next week’s Episode 6 will be the final episode of Part One of Season 4, so expect it to be action-packed with plenty of cliffhangers.

  • REVIEW: ‘Doom Patrol’ Episode 4 — “Casey Patrol”

    REVIEW: ‘Doom Patrol’ Episode 4 — “Casey Patrol”

    The latest episode of Doom Patrol was probably the weakest of Season 4 so far. After three episodes of building up the main team’s dynamic, we take a hard detour back to Dorothy who we have not seen since the pandemic-induced Season 2 finale and Season 3 premiere. While Dorothy, Danny, and now Casey Brinke are certainly some of the most unique characters in the universe — which is saying something — they just were not that interesting here.

    Alan Mino Jr.’s return as Maura Lee Karupt simply was the best of the episode. Despite his character’s default supporting role status, the episode would have been devoid of interest and energy. Abi Monterey as Dorothy Spinner puts in a strong performance, but the character is never one that truly stuck the landing. Her presence throughout the second season constantly felt like a burden, and frankly, the character’s departure at the very beginning of the third season ushered in a new, bright, and reset era for Doom Patrol. Dorothy has always had, via the series’ writers, quite a lot to contribute to the plot. In this case, it feels a bit unwanted. Granted, Dorothy’s role is rather unknown at this time, but the first three episodes set up a solid foundation for the season that now seems at risk to be thrown into disarray.

    With relatively few episodes in the season, having Episode 4 be a complete departure from what came before it was unfortunately a bit disappointing. While Dorothy and Casey could in theory have the potential to truly break out, they do not have that much time. And assuming they will meet up with our main team sooner rather than later, it would be preferable for the strength of the main team to keep shining from their own self-contained merit. Adding a(pleasantly) bizarre character to the mix will surely shake the foundation — and it is just a strong one.

    Worries aside, Episode 4 still remained more or less a non-starter. Madeline Zima’s Casey Brinke is fine. The character clearly has the capacity to reach some more profound places personality-wise, and the innocent ignorance of many beloved Doom Patrol characters. Of course, we do not get to see her full form in just the introduction, but this episode struggled by essentially making itself an entire episode of side story exposition. It perhaps could have succeeded better by making it shorter and working it into the existing season better rather than taking a break from the strong momentum. Casey in particular seems like one who could interact well with the main group, but it can’t help but be wondered if there will be enough time and space in the remainder of the season to accomplish that, or if the character will feel like a constant distraction.

    One thing is still for sure: Immortus will rise. The fact that Casey’s comic book alien father person is somehow involved in the same scheme as Dr. Janus from the last episode is interesting. Will we see more obscure characters pop up until the mysterious man drawing comics has all the trinkets he needs to raise Immortus? Dorothy’s presence certainly teases that Niles Caulder could make some kind of an appearance yet again in the series. As discussed last time, his role in the Immortus Initiative in the first place is clearly significant. Time will tell how Episode 4 merges into Season 4, but the initial impression is that the season just got a lot messier.