Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Logan


Finally learning that bigger isn't always better (see X-Men: Apocalypse and X-Men: The Last Stand), 20th Century Fox has moved away from the super-sized team film. With both Logan and Legion (FX's new series based around the X-Men character of the same name), the X-Men universe is taking some interesting turns with a darker tone and smaller character-driven stories. Logan may not be as entertaining as Deadpool, but it definitely ranks as one of the better X-Men films (and easily the best of the Wolverine standalone movies).

Beyond - Into the Light


Beyond closes out its First Season with Holden (Burkely Duffield) and Willa (Dilan Gwyn) blackmailed into leading Frost (Martin Donovan) into the Realm and to the bridge he has spent his entire life searching for. Not surprisingly, the reality doesn't quite match up to the man's dreams, forcing Holden and Willa to flee the Realm and leave Frost trapped inside with the bizarre creatures. It appears the method of their escape, teased earlier on this season, will have ramifications for both Holden and the Realm next season.

The Visitor: How and Why He Stayed #1


For the latest Hellboy storyline, creator Mike Mignola (along with the five-issue mini-series co-writer Chris Roberson) goes back to the beginning. Showing up just before Hellboy's arrival, an unnamed visitor was also on hand with explicit instructions to kill the beast prophesied to destroy the world should it appear.

Seeing a helpless infant with many possible futures, and not a monstrous beast determined to wipe out all life, the visitor chose to watch rather than act rashly and see what the creature might become. Taking place along Hellboy's timeline but outside of it, the new five-issue series ponders an important idea about how far you would go to prevent someone from becoming a monster. Is Hellboy indeed destined to destroy? Or is his fate in his own hands?

Supergirl - Homecoming


Everyone at the DEO and Casa de Danvers is happy with the return of Jeremiah Danvers (Dean Cain), rescued after being held for years by Camdus. Everyone that is except for Mon-El (Chris Wood) who not only questions the doctor's story but also raises the possibility that Jeremiah might have been sent in by Cadmus as a mole. Souring the honeymoon period with Kara (Melissa Benoist), and drawing the ire of Alex (Chyler Leigh), Mon-El's suspicions begin to divide the team and provide the perfect distraction to allow Jeremiah to perform his real mission.

Infamous Iron Man #5


I'll admit I'm a bit lost as to what's happening here. Here's what we know: Doctor Doom has taken over the role of Iron Man. S.H.I.E.L.D. sent the Thing to find and take down the former super-villain turned hero. Discovering Ben Grimm went to Latveria in search of his prey, Doom returns home to the country he once ruled with an iron fist only to discover... his mother? What is going on?

Monday, February 27, 2017

Star Wars Rebels - Through Imperial Eyes


Believing Fulcrum's identity might have been discovered, Ezra (Taylor Gray) is sent in to extract Agent Kallus (David Oyelowo). Things get a little complicated, however, by the sudden arrival of Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen). Focusing primarily on Kallus, the episode showcases the man's skill as a spy and Rebel saboteur as he deftly manipulates events to frame another Imperial officer for his crimes. However, there's nothing Kallus can do to prevent Thrawn from surmising Ezra's identity which leads to Kallus' ruse falling apart and the true traitor standing exposed. Never one to relinquish the upper-hand, Thrawn chooses not to expose Kallus and instead allow Fulcrum to continue to serve the Rebellion (not realizing from this point on he's actually serving the interests of the Empire).

Justice League of America #1


Logically, Justice League of America #1 makes about as much sense as the plot to the Oscar-winning Suicide Squad. This isn't the first time Batman has assembled his own team (although events concerning his role in the Outsiders are still a bit fuzzy after the Rebirth reboot). Believing the Earth needs a new super-team to fight the DCU's larger threats, Batman cobbles together one hell of a bizarre looking group. Longtime Justice League mainstays such as Black Canary and Vixen are givens. And the Ray and Ryan Choi certainly make sense. But the former super-villain Killer Frost? And the uncontrollable galactic bounty hunter Lobo? Just what is Batman thinking?

Emerald City - The Villain That's Become



Big changes and revelations are in store in "The Villain That's Become" setting up next week's season finale. For Dorothy (Adria Arjona) this means accepting the magic given to her and picking a side - her own. For Lucas (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) this means the end of his days as Dorothy's traveling companion. For the Wizard (Vincent D'Onofrio) that means turning the tables on Lady Ev (Stefanie Martini). And for Tip (Jordan Loughran) this means giving up the thing she most desires in order to assume her role as Ozma, heir to the throne of Oz, and lead the army of witches assembled by West (Ana Ularu).

Sunday, February 26, 2017

The Red Turtle

It begins with a man lost at sea in a storm. Shipwrecked on a deserted tropical island, for eighty-minutes without a single word of dialogue being spoken (other than a guttural grunt or two) our nameless protagonist attempts to survive but finds his attempts to escape the island thwarted by a giant red turtle. Initially believing the turtle to be and adversary to be overcome, the increasingly-confused sailor struggles to deal with what his eyes show him and the consequences of his actions as he lives out a life he never thought possible.

An animated feature without dialogue is ambitious to say the least. Filled with the sounds of the island (such as the birds, scampering crabs, crashing waves, buzzing flies) The Red Turtle is hardly a silent film, but words are not needed to convey the emotions of the sailor. Co-produced by Wild Bunch and Studio Ghibli, you may have to travel to the closest art house to view the film, or wait until its release on home video, but the unique experience is certainly worth your time.

Powerless - Emily Dates a Henchman


The title pretty much gives away what happens in the latest episode of Powerless. Playing on the trope that even good men are actually bad guys whose secrets haven't been discovered yet, Emily (Vanessa Hudgens) begins dating a man she believes to be a doctor but who is in fact a henchman (Robert Buckley) for the Riddler. While her co-workers (many of whom have been through this themsleves while living and dating in a city with heroes and villains) see through Dan at once, it takes a little longer for Emily to recognize he's actually a henchman (even though the trip to the secluded super-villain base should have been a pretty big clue).

The Blacklist: Redemption - Leland Bray


The first episode of the new spin-of throws Tom Keen (Ryan Eggold) together with the woman he believes to be his mother Susan Hargrave (Famke Janssen). Tom has several reasons for accepting the job at the covert mercenary organization, including attempting to learn more about himself while keeping his true identity secret. A meeting with the biological father (Terry O'Quinn) who recently faked his own death, along with the warnings from Reddington (James Spader), force Tom to keep quiet about his true identity while suspecting that his mother is up to something.

Saturday, February 25, 2017

Disney Card Trader - Awesome Pack 2


Also check out the first Disney Pack.

The Blacklist - The Apothecary


The final episode before its hiatus, allowing its new spin-off to spread its wings, "The Apothecary" would be a more interesting episode if the solution to the entire episode wasn't so obvious to everyone but Reddington (James Spader) and the FBI. Poisoned by a member of his inner-circle, with hazy memories of the night before, Red spends the entire episode stumbling around the city in search of his murderer before time runs out. Meanwhile, the FBI is sent after the Apothecary (Jamie Harrold) who invented the custom poison Red was doused with and alone knows the cure.

Astro City #41


After 22 years and issues spanning more than a dozen series, mini-series, and one-shots, Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson deliver the 100th issue of Astro City with Astro City #41. Very much in the same vein of those stories that have come before, the over-sized issue is presented not from the perspective of a hero but an ordinary man whose life was touched by heroes. Beginning in the Great Depression, we're told the story of the the Astro-Naut (a world-class inventor and hero responsible for giving the town its name) through the narration of a City Councilman who witnessed the ups and downs of the city and the hero over the years.

Friday, February 24, 2017

Legion - Chapter 3


Leave to the craziest character to make the most logical deduction. Ever since he left the mental institution, David (Dan Stevens) has been surrounded by people telling him that he isn't sick and that all his episodes and mental problems are only manifestations of his powers which he never properly learned to deal with and control. The idea that no one, other than David himself, has raised is that it isn't necessarily and either/or proposition. Mutant or schizophrenic? Why can only one of those be true? Just because he's a mutant doesn't necessarily mean he doesn't also have mental issues. And if a mutant of David's ability is indeed crazy, what does that mean for the world?

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #14


Leaving John Stewart to work out the logistics of how to get the Green Lantern Corps to work with the Sinestro Corps going forward by pairing Lanterns up and sending them after missing members of the Sinestro Corps, Hal Jordan and Kyle Rayner head out on a mission of their own.

La La Land as directed by David Lynch

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

The Flash - Attack on Gorilla City


The first-half a a two-part event, "Attack on Gorilla City" finally offers the return of Grodd (David Sobolov). The arrival of Jesse (Violett Beane) on Earth-1 prompts Barry (Grant Gustin), Cisco (Carlos Valdes), Caitlin (Danielle Panabaker), and Julian (Tom Felton) to head to Earth-2 to rescue her father who is being held captive in Gorilla City. I've been waiting the better part of a year for Grodd's return, and the episode doesn't disappoint. Not only one of Barry's strongest adversaries, Grodd is one of his smartest which is highlighted here in his manipulation of events leading Barry to cause the very event he was attempting to prevent.

Batman #17


For one of the smartest people on the planet Batman is sometimes pretty damn dumb. The second chapter of "I Am Bane" begins with the Dark Knight Detective enlisting the help of Superman to keep his Bat-Family out of harms way while he attempts to deal with Bane alone. I guess taking the super-villain down as a team would have been too easy? With the Bat-kids off the books, Bane targets others close to Batman including Catwoman, Commissioner Gordon, and Duke Thomas. Maybe if Batman had help finding Bane they would be safe.

Scorpion - Dirty Seeds, Done Dirt Cheap


A mission to Greenland to fix world's seed trust turns unexpectedly dangerous when Happy (Jadyn Wong), Sylvester (Ari Stidham), and Cabe (Robert Patrick) are all exposed to spores which begin to make them individually hallucinate their deepest fears (which turn out to be more cute than macabre). For Cabe this means getting stuck in a sitcom where the age difference between he and his latest lady friend becomes the stuff of canned laughter. For Sly it means being scared by a room full of hallucinatory chickens. And Happy finds herself back in the orphanage where no one wants to adopt her.

Michael J. Fox 4-Movie Laugh Pack

This two-disc set collects four comedies of Michael J. Fox. As a set it's problematic given you only have one good film here, one okay movie, one not-so-great flick, and one pretty awful piece of garbage. However, at the cost of $10 you are only really paying for the good movie, so it turns out to be a bit of a wash.

Starting from worst to best, 1994's Greedy is a dumpster fire of a film about a greedy family after an old man's (Kirk Douglas) fortune. 1991's The Hard Way is an ill-conceived, but not all-together worthless, buddy-cop comedy starring Fox as an actor partnered with a real detective (James Woods). 1993's For Love or Money is a pretty standard romcom casting Fox as a concierge with dreams of owning his own hotel who falls for the mistress (Gabrielle Anwar) of the man who might be able to make his dream a reality. It's a fun, if lightweight, film. The best of the set, however, is 1987's The Secret of My Succe$s starring Fox as a mail-room clerk who begins to work double-duty as a company executive under an assumed name. Gloriously goofy, the entertaining film is responsible for firmly cementing my long-time crush on Helen Slater.

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Supergirl - Mr. & Mrs. Mxyzptlk


Love is in the air in Supergirl's Valentine's Day episode. Unfortunately for everyone but Winn (Jeremy Jordan) the stench is a bit hard to bear. The arrival of the Fifth-Dimensional imp Mr. Mxyzptlk (Peter Gadiot), who declares his love for Supergirl (Melissa Benoist), throws a wrench into Kara and Mon-El's (Chris Wood) romance before it even gets started. Mxyzptlk's attempts to prove himself, and Mon-El's attempts to kill him, force Kara to make some drastic moves to keep the Daxamite at arms length while finding just the right motivation to send her would-be suitor back to the Fifth Dimension.

Daredevil #17


When the latest volume of Daredevil launched you couldn't help but notice some disconnect with the previous series where Matt Murdock was living in San Francisco with Kristen McDuffie and the entire world knew his identity as Daredevil. Daredevil #17 begins to explain what changed, how Matt Murdock returned to New York, and why no one seems to remember he likes to get horny, put on tights, swing from rooftops, and beat up criminals with billy clubs.

Elementary - Rekt in Real Life


The murder of a former gamer (Bobby Moreno) turned online personality and agent for eSports during his live streaming sends Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller) and Watson (Lucy Liu) in search of the victim's missing client, an Inuit (Connor Johnston) who Sherlock believes has been framed for the crime. The true motive takes more than a little untangling as the detectives slowly unravel the motives which it turns out don't have to deal with a $2,000,000 cash prize, cut-throat competition, human traffickers, or prostitution, but instead involve land rights in the missing gamer's hometown. There are certainly some interesting pieces here, but it turns out some of the red herrings and wrong turns are more interesting than the final reveal.

Monday, February 20, 2017

Super Sons #1


Robin and Superboy get their own team-up title in Super Sons. Benched by Batman for not taking his studies more seriously, a bored Damian shows up in Kansas to see how the other half lives. Hiding in a disguise as the school bus driver, Damian spends some time getting a measure of Jon Kent before deciding to reveal himself.

Emerald City - Lions in Winter


As Oz prepares for war allegiances continue to shift. Now a prisoner of Glinda (Joely Richardson), Dorothy (Adria Arjona) struggles with the truth about Lucas (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) now revealed to be Glinda's (Joely Richardson) husband Rowan. Glinda can see her husband is conflicted, and urges Rowan to take the only possible step to end his feelings for Dorothy - by killing her. It appears Lucas/Rowan will need to choose between the love he remembers and the new feelings which he can't seem to reconcile with Glinda and their life together.

Star Wars Rebels - Legacy of Mandalore


Following the events of "Trial of the Darksaber," the latest episode of Star Wars Rebels takes Sabine (Tiya Sircar) back home to Mandalore. With Kanan (Freddie Prinze, Jr.), Ezra (Taylor Gray), and Fenn Rau (Kevin McKidd) in tow, Sabine's mission is to reconnect with her disapproving mother (Sharmila Devar) and estranged family and attempt to get them to turn against the Empire. For the second episode in a row, Star Wars Rebels gives us a look into Sabine's past and the troubled history that led her to joining the Rebellion.

Anime Los Angeles 2017 Cosplay Showcase

Powerless - Sinking Day


"Sinking Day" plays on the incompetence of Van Wayne (Alan Tudyk). After her boss costs Wayne Securities their oldest client, raising the ire of Van's father (Corbin Bernsen), Emily (Vanessa Hudgens) rallies the team to land an even bigger client in Atlantis. Despite his obvious ineptitude, Van shows surprising skill in helping to schmooze the Atlantians and help close the biggest deal the company has ever seen. Directed by Broken Lizard's Jay Chandrasekhar, the latest episode has a goofy energy that is highlighted by Tudyk's comic timing while showing us that Van Wayne does have some game, even if I'm not sure anyone knows what that game might be. Bernsen is unexpectedly terrific as Van's far more successful father; here's hoping we see more of him this season.

Saturday, February 18, 2017

Legion - Chapter 2


On his own outside of the mental institution, David (Dan Stevens) accepts the invitation to go with Syd (Rachel Keller) to a sort of summer camp for mutants run by Dr. Melanie Bird (Jean Smart) who hopes to repair David's mind and teach him that his delusions are actually manifestations of his powers. With the help of Ptonomy (Jeremie Harris), David begins reliving memories from his past, but it soon becomes clear there's more going on in David's mind than Bird or Ptonomy bargained for. The folks at Summerland also discover David's willingness to cooperate has its limits as his time in a MRI ends with another impressive use of his powers, while also showing David's ability to touch his sister's mind from miles away.

The Accountant

The Accountant is your basic action-thriller with the twist being our main character is an autistic accountant who turns out o be a genius both with math and guns. Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) is targeted not by any one of his any number of dangerous clients but by a robotics company for confirming embezzling found by one of the firm's junior accountants (Anna Kendrick). The story also features a subplot involving a retiring agent (J.K. Simmons) of the Treasury Department and his protege of sorts (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) who are hunting the forensic accountant whose client list includes some of the world most dangerous criminal organizations.

The script by Bill Dubuque gets a little too cute for its own good tying in Christian's past, but the movie works better than I expected. Affleck is put to good use here as the autistic character I wouldn't mind seeing more of, and the pairing with Kendrick is refreshingly not by-the-book.

Thursday, February 16, 2017

Arrow - Spectre of the Gun


Arrow gets a bit preachy with "Spectre of the Gun." After a shooting in city hall that leaves multiple victims injured or dead, the show's response isn't for Green Arrow (Stephen Amell) to suit up and track down the killer but instead for Mayor to take a hard look at his position on guns and examine what the Mayor can do that Green Arrow cannot. For most of the episode the arguments in favor and against stricter gun laws are handled by Curtis (Echo Kellum) and Rene (Rick Gonzalez) who go twelve rounds about guns in the hands of private citizens and whether or not they help or hurt the public good. Flashbacks this week aren't from Ollie's time in Russia but from Rene's past where we learn more about events which led him to pick up a hockey mask and crystallized his view on guns. The usually opinionated Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards), however, is cast in the role of Switzerland trying to keep the peace on a topic she believes can never be worked out.

Red Hood and the Outlaws #7


Jason Todd isn't know for making the hard choice when an easier path presents itself. At least he wasn't before the recent Rebirth reboot. Now, things appear to be different. First, the reboot curbed most of his villainous murder history. No it focuses on the man actually thinking through hard decisions and responsibilities rather than shooting first and asking questions later.

Film Noir: The Case for Black and White

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - The Man Behind the Shield


"The Man Behind the Shield" offers some context to why Anton Ivanov (Zach McGowan) has gone to all the trouble to create the Watchdogs and hunt Inhumans. Although racist, it seems Ivanov's real problem isn't with aliens or Inhumans but with the man he deems responsible for beginning the entire series of events (questionable logic at best) beginning with stealing alien tech from Russia years ago - Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg). Far from a true zealot, the episode downplays the villain as the show ends the episode moving the LMD storyline in a new direction.

Detective Comics #950


A prelude to the series next arc, Detective Comics #950 centers around Cassandra Cain. From her spying on the Gotham City Metropolitan Ballet's prima ballerina Christine Montclair to taking down a gang of human traffickers, the entire issue is presented (and narrated) from the character's point of view. We see her fear of her own training and nature, and her inability to tell those closest to her in on the thoughts and feelings bottled up inside. In many ways it's a sad (even melancholy) standalone issue, but at the same time writer James Tynion IV and artist Marcio Takara create an unexpectedly quiet and beautiful character-driven issue that should be a must-read for any fans Cassandra.

Beyond - The Hour of the Wolf / Last Action Hero


The last two episodes of Beyond highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the series. Leaving much of the show's baggage in its dust, "The Hour of the Wolf" takes Holden (Burkely Duffield) and Charlie (Eden Brolin) on an impromptu road trip. Originally set out to gain Holden's trust and deliver him to Frost (Martin Donovan), Charlie changes sides midstream - although threats against her foster sister lead to some serious internal conflict. The episode pushes larger questions aside while allowing Holden to grow close to someone new and begin exploring his powers not for someone else, or for some greater purpose, but for himself.

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Jessica Jones #5


Jessica Jones #5 leaves Jessica's secret undercover mission, and her drama with Luke Cage (although we do get an interlude with Luke and Ben Urich), to focus back on the case she involving a scared client who should couldn't save from her homicidal husband. Sitting down with the man, who turned himself in and asked for Jessica specifically, our normally tough-as-nails private eye gets her world rocked by a kind of crazy that makes more and more sense the longer the man explains his actions and view of the world.

Supergirl - Luthors


Perhaps better than any episode of the series so far, "Luthors" highlights just who Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) is and what she stands for. When Lena Luthor (Katie McGrath) is accused of helping break Lillian (Brenda Strong) and Metallo (Frederick Schmidt) out of prison only Kara stands up for her friend despite overwhelming evidence. When Metallo breaks Lena out of prison as well, further cementing the public's perception yet another bad apple from the Luthor tree, Kara continues to believe in her friend. While revealing more about Lena's relationship to various members of the Luthor clan, what makes "Luthor" work is that Supergirl is correct in her evaluation of Lena here... but from the final flashback, the show continues to tease that there's likely more to the youngest member of the Luthor clan than meets the eye.

Pinocchio

Adapted from Carlo Collodi's The Adventures of Pinocchio, Walt Disney's second animated film features a morality tale about a young puppet brought to life who struggles to learn lessons about right and wrong. Helping him, but not always being successful, is Jiminy Cricket who is drafted into service as Pinocchio's conscience by the Blue Fairy who instills life in the marionette after answering the fondest wish of his creator Gepetto. If Pinocchio can prove himself brave, truthful, and unselfish, he may become a real boy, but before that can happen he'll make a few wrong turns along the way.

Paroled from the Disney Vault, Pinocchio is re-released on Blu-ray as part of the new Signature Series. Extras include all the previously-released features (behind-the-scenes featurettes, storyboards, deleted scenes, and more) along with a handful of new short featurettes on the film, music, and Pleasure Island, and a vintage black-and-white cartoon.

Monday, February 13, 2017

Emerald City - They Came First


"They Came First" is a turning point for several characters while setting Oz on the path to war. On meeting Glinda (Joely Richardson) and having his memory restored, Lucas (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) chooses the witch over Dorothy (Adria Arjona) who sees her dreams of preventing a war and returning to Kansas vanish before her eyes. What that means for Dorothy herself isn't quite certain, but it certainly appears she isn't going home any time soon. All isn't good news for the witches, however, as the Wizard (Vincent D'Onofrio) chooses to make a public display of their betrayal by executing the entire council and declaring a war on magic.

Powerless - Wayne Dream Team


After successfully stopping Wayne Security from being shutdown, Emily's (Vanessa Hudgens) latest struggle is to try and be both a boss and friend to her team while getting them to take the deadline of their next product release more seriously. To do this she plays a little fast-and-loose with the truth, using the head of HR (Michael D. Cohen) to fight her battles for her, which of course eventually blows up in her face. While Emily's choices initially backfire, standing up to take one for the team does buy her some credibility going forward as well build some trust between the team and their new leader.

Wonder Woman #16


While Wonder Woman appears in this issue, primarily while being shown in news footage or while discussed by other characters, the primary focus of the issue is on the secret organization known as Godwatch. The issue reintroduces us to powerful businesswoman Veronica Cale with a resentment towards Wonder Woman given the Amazon's ease at finding acceptance and acknowledgement in a patriarchal world.

Sunday, February 12, 2017

Legion - Chapter 1


Imagine the most powerful person on the planet might be an escaped mental patient. Taking a far different tact to introduce us to mutant than any of the X-Men films (which were very quick to introduce and explain the abilities of each character), "Chapter 1" of Legion is more methodical as we witness David Haller (Dan Stevens) interviewed about recent events which led to the diagnosed schizophrenic leaving the mental institution. The episode slowly reveals to us, and eventually David, that the government agents are lying to him and know and understand more about David than he does himself. In the scenes of the institution we meet David's best friend Lenny (Aubrey Plaza) and his girlfriend Syd (Rachel Keller), both of whom it appears will continue to play important roles for him outside of the institution.

Saturday, February 11, 2017

Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders

Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders is another middling recent entry to DC's straight-to-DVD animated films. Playing up the nostalgia to the hilt, the film casts Adam West and Burt Ward to reprise their roles in this animated version of the 60s Batman television show. While the look an style of the movie hearkens back to the original, the tone is never quite right (paticularly after Batman is turned into the villain in the film's second-half).

Jeff Bergman is well-chosen for the Joker, capturing the sound of Cesar Romero's version of the character. William Salyers and Wally Wingert are passable as the Penguin and the Riddler. The casting of Julie Newmar seems like a nice touch, except when you hear an elderly voice coming out of the character meant to be the sexy femme fatale.

Friday, February 10, 2017

John Wick: Chapter 2


2014's John Wick was a thoroughly-enjoyable throwaway action flick. A simplistic revenge story with style and some unforgettable stunts, director Chad Stahelski's film knew exactly what it was and just how to deliver. A callback to 80s-style of gun-toting heroes who shot first and asked questions later, the movie ignored modern trends of cutting action scenes into an unrecognizable mess and kept the camera still to allow us to see the awesome unfold on screen. Stunts we could actually watch and enjoy, imagine that.

The LEGO Batman Movie

A sequel of sorts, The LEGO Batman Movie may not be quite as good as The LEGO Movie but it still proves to be a hell of a good time. Centered around Batman's (Will Arnett) inability to trust and rely on others, the film's plot throws the Dark Knight Detective several curveballs including an adopted son in the energetic Dick Grayson (Michael Cera) combined with the retirement of Commissioner James Gordon (Hector Elizondo), who is replaced by his daughter Barbara (Rosario Dawson), and a new plot by the Joker (Zach Galifianakis) which throws Batman's life into turmoil.

Without spoiling the plot, the Joker's plan is actually ingenious given the pair's relationship (which Batman refuses to acknowledge). The Crown Prince of Crime's coup de grĂ¢ce is perfect in its simplicity and leaves Batman completely without direction as even the solitary comfort of Wayne Manor is disrupted both by Dick and Alfred (Ralph Fiennes) who will no longer indulge Master Bruce's solitude. While longtime Bat-fans are likely to get more out of the movie's in-jokes (including references to every Batman movie ever made and the 60s television show), the high-action film with a good message for kids is fun for all.

Thursday, February 9, 2017

Arrow - Bratva


The search for the escaped General Walker (Garry Chalk) and his stolen nuclear weapon take Oliver (Stephen Amell) and company to Russia where he'll be forced to make some hard choices to prevent Diggle (David Ramsey) and Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) from both going down a dangerous road. Getting the information they need from Anatoly (David Nykl) means opening a door to his past and letting the Bratva back into his life which will likely have lasting consequences for everyone connected to Star City's Mayor.

90s Movies Dance to The Bad Touch

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

The Flash - Untouchable


"Untouchable" offers a remnant from the Alchemy storyline, as a Flashpoint meta-human stalks those that hurt him in a reality rewritten by Barry's (Grant Gustin) time jumps. Clive Yorkin is a minor Flash villain to be sure, but his power set of being able to kill with a single touch does allow him to fit into the show fairly well. The fact that Joe (Jesse L. Martin) is one of his targets, Julian (Tom Felton) feels responsible for his existence, and Iris (Candice Patton) is hurt by him, all make the Yorkin's threat personal to the members of the team.

Green Arrow #16


Green Arrow #16 begins with a happy reunion but ends in tragedy. The return of Emiko Queen certainly lightens Oliver's recent hardships which include being hunted by the Seattle Police, having Oliver Queen thought dead, and living in the forest as a modern day outlaw.

Scorpion - Sharknerdo


Taking on a job on the high seas in search of sunken treasure leads to Walter (Elyes Gabel) and Paige (Katharine McPhee) becoming stranded on wreckage after their boat explodes leaving them at the mercy of the ocean. Oh, and then the sharks show up. With the help of Sylvester (Ari Stidham) and Happy (Jadyn Wong) working from home, Cabe (Robert Patrick) and Toby (Eddie Kaye Thomas) are able to find the stranded sailors, but with boat issues of their own and a frenzy of sharks attacking their stranded friends, the rescue just became far more complicated.

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Supergirl - The Martian Chronicles


As teased in the previous episode, a pair of White Martians come to Earth in search of M'gann (Sharon Leal) in "The Martian Chronicles." Initially rejecting the help of the D.O.A., M'gann eventually is talked into accepting their proctection from J'onn (David Harewood) which leads to Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) and her friends being trapped in the D.O.A. with a pair of shape-shifting Martians out to kill M'gann's friends and return the traitor home to Mars.

Will Eisner's The Spirit: The Corpse-Makers #1


The first issue of the new five-issue mini-series written and drawn by Francesco Francavilla starts with the hit-and-run of a 58 year-old man. Neither the Spirit nor the police see anything suspicious about the crime, but then why do an odd group of men show up in the morgue to collect the body?