Tag: TV

REVIEW: ‘Cowboy Bebop’ 1×02 “Venus Pop”

“Venus Pop” takes a departure from the original by exploring the Teddy Bomber, who doesn’t appear until shortly before the final episodes of the anime. Well, he’s a bit sidelined in this story, as it primarily is continuing the story set-up in the past episodes. Spike gets attacked by an assassin and it sets him out on a small side story to make sure that his past doesn’t catch up with him. Jet, on the other hand, is trying his best to get a bounty to buy his daughter a present, who is also a new addition. So, for most of the episode, our duo is on their own stories.

In my opinion, it wasn’t the best idea to separate them this early on. Their banter and dynamic give the series some energy, but we take a detour so early that it kind of downplays the highlight of the original series. It was all about their dynamic early on so their splitting on adventures had a stronger impact. Once again we’re focusing more on world-building than character development, which is something carried over from the first episode. It adds to the fact that it’s a show that fell in love with Spike’s backstory and wanted to flesh it out more.

Speaking of, this episode gives u our first real change from the original, as Vicious is married to Julia and both are given quite a bit of screentime. In the original, they are a non-factor until the ending, as Julia is famously described as a distant dream. This episode purposely changes the core storyline with some familiar aspects to ease fans into the fact that this show is not following the original closely. Vicious is much more complex yet not as intimidating as he was in the original. He was a mystery and that’s why he was scary.

Here, he’s a bit more of a coward and that’s a hard pill to swallow, but does give him some more agency within the story. We even get hints about the inner workings of the Syndicate, and I did love the touch of the anime’s version of the Elders being masks. That was quite a nice visual touch. Still, while great for developing our antagonists, this does come at cost of the actual main characters we spend the most time with. It’s probably why the show feels like it doesn’t quite capture the original, as its focus is completely different.

Still, we do get some great character moments even if it is closer to the end. When they reunite, their banter was a highlight in the episode. Cho and Shakir play off of each other quite nicely. They even carried over the joke surrounding the Teddy Bomber by playing on his insecurities was quite fun. Though, it does feel like them being bounty hunters is more of an afterthought at times. The show is still trying to find its legs but this departure from the original offer new opportunities moving forward.

November 23, 2021
How Kingpin is the Perfect Antagonist for ‘Spider-Man: Freshman Year’

There are a lot of questions to be asked regarding where Spider-Man will go after the December release of No Way Home. While it’s unknown what the next chapter in Spidey’s cinematic book will be, we do have an answer about where we’ll see him next. According to the recent Disney+ Day event, the future of Spider-Man will be found in his past. Marvel Studios is producing an animated series with the subtitle Freshman Year. It’ll explore the character’s origins in the MCU. The problem is, aside from the likelihood we’ll see yet another iteration of Ben Parker get gunned down in the streets, we know almost nothing about the story’s details. It also opens up the question: who will Spidey face in this prequel series?

The parameters set by the cartoon’s place in the Marvel timeline prevent it from showing Peter Parker going head-to-head with any of his major rogues. Spider-Man: Homecoming was fairly clear in its assertion that Michael Keaton‘s Vulture is the most intimidating villain Parker has faced by that point in his career. Plus, context clues would indicate the web-head hadn’t done anything extravagant enough to be more than a YouTube star before Tony Stark discovers him in Civil War. This would mean that, for the show to have a genuine bad guy looming over our freshly made hero, they would have to be a threat that both exists outside of the public eye and appears low on Peter’s danger scale. As such, it’s the perfect time to introduce Wilson Fisk as his main threat.

The Kingpin has made a profession out of appearing moral. There is arguably no character who has mastered the art of discreet villainy like Fisk, who simultaneously runs New York with an iron fist and an entrepreneurial spirit. Fans are, obviously, no strangers to the character, who reached peak popularity in the last decade with a recurring role on Netflix’s acclaimed Daredevil series. It feels like a return to the screen, big or small, is imminent, with live-action MCU shows like Hawkeye and Echo bringing the criminal underworld back to the forefront of Marvel’s storytelling. If the Kingpin of Crime were to be slipped into either, or both, of these projects, placing him and his infamous gangster land into a story that is set nearly a decade earlier would be a wonderful way to retroactively tie that part of the MCU together.

It would be far less than a stretch if whoever takes out Ben is portrayed as being in the employ of Fisk, whose on-the-low activity happened to cross paths with a newly-powered Peter and his altruistic uncle. From there, a misguided, vengeful, and inexperienced Spider-Man may want to hunt down whoever was responsible for the death of his father figure, much like the first act of 2012’s The Amazing Spider-Man. However, in this story, Parker’s search would lead him directly into the path of “Mr. Big” and his Enforcers, a group of men with wildly individual and specific skill sets like having quick feet and being large (yes, those Enforcers).

There are enough goons, like the Enforcers who worked for Tombstone in The Spectacular Spider-Man cartoon, that could provide an appropriately difficult combat challenge for an untrained Spidey. They might also be small enough not to garner any headlines for the wallcrawler. Skirmishes with Spider-Man may be chalked up to one of the aforementioned YouTube videos. That way, they could be the prominent threat of Freshman Year before it is inevitably revealed who they work for. This plot point would line up with the original Amazing Spider-Man comics, while still leaving room for creative interpretation.

It should be acknowledged that a member of the Enforcers did appear in Homecoming, played by Logan Marshall-Green as a member of Adrian Toomes’ team and the first person to wield the Shocker gauntlets. However, this version of Jackson Brice has almost nothing in common with his comic namesake Montana. Freshman Year could easily separate those names into two characters. Brice could also be left out of the Enforcers altogether, with another rotating member of their squad taking his place.

Using Kingpin and the Enforcers as antagonists allows for a story that features plenty of Spidey action without ever dipping into “Avengers-level” notoriety. Peter would be able to dig into the mystery of his new opponents and come to terms with a full emotional arc, learning about great power and great responsibility, as well as plant seeds for a connection with the MCU’s underworld without ever actually taking down Kingpin or his empire. The end of the show would fit perfectly into the MCU if it saw the wall-crawler taking down the Enforcers, embracing his newfound heroism, and placing himself on Wilson Fisk’s list of threats for a possible future showdown. All without contradicting anything we’ve seen from the film trilogy so far.

November 23, 2021
WandaVision’s “Agatha All Along’ Nominated for Grammy

Here’s something you don’t expect every day. It looks like the catchy “Agatha All Along” song from WandaVision has been nominated for the Grammy for Best Song Written for Visual Media. It is joined in the category by From Inside‘s “All Eyes on Me”, Judas and the Black Messiah‘s “Fight for You”, One Night in Miami‘s “Speak Now,” and Respect‘s “Here I Am.” Agatha’s theme song from the seventh episode was written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez with the lyrics sung by Agatha herself, Kathryn Hahn, with back-up from Eric Bradley, Greg Whippie, Jasper Randall, and Gerald Whites. You can check out the announcement here:

🎉 Congratulations 64th #GRAMMYs Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media nominees: @krisbowersmusic, @HansZimmer, @ludwiggoransson, @composer313, and @JonBatiste & @trent_reznor & Atticus Ross. https://t.co/WzKIndGKqJ
— GRAMMYS (@RecordingAcad) November 23, 2021

It’s a great win for Marvel Studios and their first venture into Disney+ long-form storytelling. In September, the series won the studio’s first Emmys, which was impressive for their first venture into TV-style programming. Loki also included a song that was quite popular but it hasn’t been nominated. The Mandalorian, however, was nominated for its soundtrack in this year’s Grammys. So, WandaVision won’t be the only Disney+ series represented at the award.

Source: Twitter

November 23, 2021
‘Hawkeye’ Episodes 1 and 2 Primer

Fans should be excited to see these first two episodes of Hawkeye because we haven’t seen Clint since Avengers: Endgame. The show is placed two years after the end of Endgame. Infinity War and Endgame were very hard on Clint. First, he lost his family due to the Snap. Then, he lost his mind and started killing criminals while taking on the identity of Ronin. Finally, in Endgame he lost his best friend. It would be nice for him to have a relaxing holiday with his family, but we all know that’s not going to happen.

The series will introduce Kate Bishop, a member of the Young Avengers in the comics and Clint’s partner in the Matt Fraction and David Aja Hawkeye run. Kate, played by Hailee Steinfeld, has the potential to be a big part of the future of the MCU. The show will also introduce The Tracksuit Mafia, who you may know as the “Bros” in the comics (they just go around saying “Bro” all of the time, Bro). It is also introducing Echo to MCU, played by Alaqua Cox. Echo is a great character and, in the comics, is the adopted daughter of a character who is rumored to show up, but we’ll save that for later.

Arlyn’s Assumptions

If you remember, Yelena Belova from Black Widow is also going to enter into the mix. She was told that Hawkeye killed Natasha and she is coming after him. Even though she was given some bad info and that she and Clint will get off to a rough start, I think they’ll eventually become friends once Clint explains to her what Nat really did. If you did not know Jacque Duquesne, Clint’s mentor in the comics, is also in the show. Maybe he will still have some loose ends with Clint that could explain those fancy sword skills Clint showed off in Endgame. And rumor has it that Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin, is lurking in the shadows as the big boss behind the organized crime in New York, like the Tracksuits. As I hinted above, Fisk has a big role in Echo’s life and obviously would hint at other characters showing up soon as well. There’s really a lot going on here and a lot to sort out. Let’s get started!

November 23, 2021
Jeremy Renner Says a ‘Hawkeye’ Adaptation Has Been in the Works for a Decade

Iron Man. Hulk. Thor. Captain America. Black Widow. Each and every one of the original MCU Avengers has led at least one solo project…except Hawkeye. That all changes tomorrow when the Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series Hawkeye kicks off with a two-episode debut.

Star Jeremy Renner has been on board as the Avenging Archer since 2011’s Thor and was pretty vocal about the treatment his character received in 2012’s Avengers. The character started to take on a bigger role beginning in Avengers: Age of Ultron and was given plenty to do in both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame and it was during the filming of the latter that discussions about the project that became the Hawkeye series began. However, according to Renner, a Hawkeye project has been in the works significantly longer than that.

“I think there [were] ideas of adapting it initially, but it was 11 years ago,” said Renner in an interview with Jimmy Fallon. “I remember one of my first thoughts in like 2010, 2011, was like, I don’t want to be 50 in tights! No one wants to see me at 50 in tights.“

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-e3pgY5oPs

As it turns out, the decision to wait to go ahead with the project might end up being one of the best choices Marvel Studios has made. The comic upon which the series is based, Matt Fraction and David Aja’s Hawkeye, wasn’t published until 2012 and it’s the relationship that Clint has in that run with Kate Bishop that is central to the Disney Plus series. Renner and co-star Hailee Steinfeld, who plays Bishop, are both stand-outs in the series which will complete its 5-week run on December 22nd.

November 23, 2021
‘Sons of Anarchy’s Roberto Patino to Adapt Scott Snyder’s ‘Nocterra’ as Part of Multi-Year Deal With Netflix

Roberto Patino, who is fresh off writing and producing series like Sons of Anarchy, Westworld, and DMZ, just inked a multi-year deal with Netflix to create his own production company. The producer’s contract with Warner Bros. ended in 2018, and he’s been searching for a new home since. With this contract, Patino will establish Analog Inc. to focus on original productions.

Usually, news of a deal like this means we have to wait to see what projects these producers will tackle first, but this time is different. Variety reports that Patino‘s flagship project will be an adaptation of Scott Snyder‘s comic Nocterra. He will write, executive produce, and serve as showrunner on the project in collaboration with Aquaman director James Wan’s production company Atomic Monster. Patino shared the following words on his new partnership:

Netflix is an extraordinary champion of intentional and inclusive storytelling, and I’m so eager to use this opportunity to tell bold stories that properly represent the Latinx community in entertaining, exhilarating and powerful ways. I couldn’t be happier to call Netflix my new home, and I can’t wait to hit the ground running with ‘Nocterra’ and my boundary-pushing friends and partners at Atomic Monster.

Nocterra, for those unfamiliar, follows the story of Valentina Riggs. She’s a skilled ferryman who transports people and goods along dangerous roads in her 18 wheeler during a 10 year period after the world is plunged into an everlasting night. All living creatures were turned into monstrous shades. Scott Snyder and Tony S. Daniel created the original comic storyline, and it was released earlier this year. So, the success was a quick choice

Source: Variety

November 22, 2021
‘Doom Patrol’ Spinoff ‘Dead Boy Detectives’ Recasts Main Cast

Doom Patrol is one of those rare situations where a spin-off is so good it manages to outshine its original in many ways. The series had become so popular that it went on to score a spin-off of its very own, focusing solely on the Dead Boy Detectives. The series introduced the characters this past season with Charles Rowland, Edwin Paine, and Crystal Palace making their live-action debuts. Before the season had even debuted the characters, they already got their own series but with a twist.

It’s being reported by Variety that the pilot has found its stars with George Rexstrew set to play Edwin Paine, Jayden Revri as Charles Rowland, and Kassius Nelson as Crystal Palace. Alongside the main cast, Alexander Calvert will play Thomas The Cat King, Briana Cuoco as Jenny, Jenn Lyon as Esther, Yuyu Kitamura as Niko, and Ruth Connel. She’s the only actor reprising their role from Doom Patrol, where she was Night Nurse.

One of the most bizarre revelations in this news was the fact that HBO Max had already cast actors in these roles since they’d already appeared in Doom Patrol. But with this spin-off the producers decided to toss away everything and start new, now official recasting the roles. They were previously played by Sebastian Croft, Ty Tennant, and Madalyn Horcher.

The project is being written by Steve Yockey who will also serve as executive producer alongside Jeremy Carver, Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and David Madden. The project has to receive a series order from HBO Max and is currently going to film the spinoffs title pilot.

Source: Variety

November 22, 2021
REVIEW: ‘Cowboy Bebop’ 1×1 “Cowboy Gospel”

Netflix’s live-action adaption of Cowboy Bebop has finally arrived. While you can check out our overall review by Nicole Sobon by clicking here, it was time to take a look at the various episodes and see how the series holds up and adapts some of the iconographies from the original 1999 anime. So, let’s start off with the first episode titled “Cowboy Gospel” as Spike Spiegel and Jet Black take on a bounty that’ll draw the wrong kind of attention. Will the first episode grip your attention, or falter early on?

We start off with a casino heist that goes wrong when John Cho‘s Spike arrives on the scene not putting much care into hiding. It’s a curious way to kick off the adaptation, but it tries to give us a fast feel for what the series is going for. It’s a bit of a departure from the original, as not only are episodes running quite a bit longer, moving to an hour from the usual half-hour fare, but also it being more comedy driven. This could be a make or break aspect of this adaptation, as it is less a bounty-of-the-week but tries to spend more time with characters, which is a big aspect of later episodes.

The opening tries to quickly introduce viewers to Cho‘s version of Spike and Mustafa Shakir‘s Jet Black, who’s dynamic is a highlight of the series. It mostly adapts “Asteroid Blues” from the original anime, but also sets up the main narrative of the story. There’s a noticeable cost thought for this direction, as Katerina’s arc is a bit sidelined for the introduction of the Red Dragon Syndicate. It’s a shame because her story is more a plot device rather than an emotional core. This is one of the live-action adaptations biggest problems throughout: it lacks the subtlety of the original.

Daniella Pineda‘s Faye Valentine makes an early introduction in the first episode and highlights that aspects. She’s there to set-up an appearance later on, which is in line with more Western story structures. But, the issue is that appearance in this story takes away from Katerina and Spike’s moment together. Even with her time cuffed in the toilet is a nice nod, it felt a little too early. Especially as she interrupts the first and main interaction between Spike and Katerina to set up their connection.

Cowboy Bebop has a curious love for the dutch angle, especially in its first episode. It seems to be used primarily to add a style to it rather than lean into it’s original intent of creating uneasiness. It’s not bad but can be distracting or requires at least some getting used to for new viewers. This decision once again highlights the fact that this show is a bit more “in your face” unlike the original.

The first episode ends on a rather disorienting gun fight with some fun nods to John Woo action sequences. It’s something you’ll notice fast in the opening as well that the action is there, but it feels like it’s not given enough time to breath. So, it’s not as impactful as it could be. But, it does give us our first name drop of Spike’s Syndicate times as Fearless, which is something new added to this adaptation. These events leads into the ending of the episode that will dramatically change one characters’ direction.

Overall, it’s a decent start to the show. It’s seems deliberate to utilize the first episode from the original to showcase the similarities and differences moving forward. It does drag a bit with its doubled runtime but it uses that time to flesh out characters early on. The only issue of the lack of subtlety, especially in the way the ending visually shows the aftermath of Katerina’s final decision rather than letting the events tell you its outcome, is something that does bog it down a bit. We’ll see if future episodes follow a similar pattern.

November 22, 2021
HBO Max and Disney+ Share 20th Century Streaming Rights Until 2022

The streaming market has become quite competitive with many jumping in to get a piece of the action. Disney+ and HBO Max have been harsh competitors for Netflix, but also each other. This is especially a big factor in the fact that Warner Bros. still had an exclusive deal with 20th Century Fox to add their library to HBO and HBO Max. Well, it seems that this deal is slowly coming to an end.

In a new report by Variety, it turns out that HBO Max’s streaming access will end with one more year. Yet, they will also share the streaming releases with Disney+ and Hulu moving forward with Ron’s Gone Wrong being the first in December. The deal will end in 2022 however, and there’s no expectation it’ll get extended due to Disney wanting to include the library in their streaming service.

For now, they will co-share rights to 20th Century Studios and Searchlight Pictures productions with Disney’s in-house streaming offerings. Ron’s Gone Wrong will release on December 15th on both platforms. So, they’ll also share the same release date moving forward. Any production for an older audience will release on Hulu most likely and in the Star expansion of Disney+ in specific countries.

November 22, 2021
Jon Favreau Talks Boba Fett’s Rocky Transition to Crime Lord in ‘The Book of Boba Fett’

To hear Jon Favreau tell it, the ease with which Boba Fett calmly strolled into Jabba’s Palace and offed a fattened Bib Fortuna belies the tough road ahead for the bounty hunter. In fact, it seems that Boba’s move has will cause him more problems than even he anticipated when we see him in next month’s Disney Plus streaming series, The Book of Boba Fett.

Speaking to Empire, Favreau, who along with Dave Filoni has given new life to not only Boba Fett but the Star Wars franchise, explains that Boba is going to have to learn on the fly.

Although Boba Fett is a very experienced bounty hunter, he’s not experienced at running a criminal syndicate or managing forces. He’s not normally a newcomer. He’s an expert as we see him in most areas. But in this case, he’s trying to transition to another position.

The first look at the series showed fans that not everyone in the criminal underworld is going to readily accept Boba as the new boss and that he’s going to have to resort to some less political means to change some opinions, going so far as what director Robert Rodriguez called “barbarian mode.” While Fortuna may have been running it, it was always Jabba’s empire and with the big guy out of the way, Boba probably isn’t the only one gunning to be the new number one.

“There is a power vacuum because Jabba is gone. Jabba was clearly a very strong and imposing leader, who people were very scared of, and who seemed to rule with an iron fist. You pull somebody like that out of the ecosystem of Tatooine – and Hutt Space in general – and you have the opportunity that’s ripe in the gangster genre.

Who knows what organizations and which villains Boba will meet along the way. With Qi’ra and Crimson Dawn, along with some other criminal factions, getting a lot of run in the Star Wars comics, it’ll be interesting to see who Boba finds himself facing off with to fill that Jabba-sized void in the galaxy.

November 22, 2021