Finding Dory, Pixar’s sequel to their hugely successful 2003 film Finding Nemo, has a new full-length trailer. Despite the long gap between the films, Finding Dory is supposed to pick up a mere six months after the events of the first film.
Here goes:
Pixar president Jim Morris had this to say about the sequel:
“The movie will be mostly set at the California Marine Biology Institute, a huge complex of sea life rehabilitation and aquarium, where Dory was born and raised… We will get to meet new characters, like an octopus, sea lions, a beluga whale, among others.”
Along with the new characters, it looks like Nemo and his dad, Marlin (voiced by Albert Brooks), and the crew in the fish tank will be back for the adventure to help Dory find her family. Along with Ellen DeGeneres voicing Dory and Brooks returning, other voices include Ed O’Neill, Kaitlin Olson, Ty Burrell, Michael Sheen, Eugene Levy and Diane Keaton.
The first issue of Boom! Studio’s Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers was simply “morphenominal”. We were enamored with the premiere outing when it was released back in January and couldn’t wait to get our hands on this one.There is always the worry that these licensed titles will be offer a product akin to a putty patroller rather than the Goldar standard, but Higgins and Prasetya proved their dedication to producing a comic that stood on its own merits. With over 100,000 copies sold, I think it’s safe to say that they’ve managed to do just that and exalt the source material in the process. Can the momentum be maintained, however, or will the series go the way of the Dino-zord?
Don’t let the numbering confuse you, this is really the second issue of the series and reading what came before is central to your understanding of the context of character moments. Luckily, for those of you who missed out last time, Higgins provides a nice cliff-notes version of the Power Rangers TV series and the previous issue to get you up to speed. Following on from the Ranger’s collateral damage caused by the Rangers’ fight with one of Rita’s monsters, questions are raised regarding Tommy: the Green Ranger’s loyalty and competency. The framing for the issue is quite clever with Bulk and Skull are recording a Power Rangers-themed web show as they interview our heroes along with a number of Angel Grove denizens about what the Rangers mean to them. It’s always been unclear in the show just how much the public are aware of us the intricacies of the conflict between the Rangers and Rita, but this issue reveals that they know much more than we have might thought.The advantage of a comic like this is that it provides the opportunity for exploring those quieter moments that the show normally skimmed over. We get a better sense of the world the Ranger’s inhabit and how the general public react to them. This is an area that is worth delving into more and the comic gives them the opportunity to do that, If Higgins was inclined to throw in a reference to the UN or military creating their own team of Rangers in response to global threats, I wouldn’t complain.
Tommy’s inner conflict is still very much at the forefront, but Higgins takes the time to learn more about the rest of the Rangers. In particular, Kimberley’s relationship with Tommy is given room to cultivate. Interestingly, she takes the initiative to ask him out, even if Tommy doesn’t necessarily take the hint. It’s a small touch, but one that is demonstrates Kimberley’s agency over her love-life and her willingness to pursue what she wants. This Pink Ranger’s very much in the vein of Fletcher’s Batgirl, understandable given he is co-writing her solo spin-off with Kelly Thompson. Jason is given some room to show-off his natural leadership, but it’s main a vehicle for discussing how the other Rangers, Zack in particular, feel towards Tommy. Billy: the Blue Ranger and Trini: the Yellow Ranger still remain underdeveloped and have yet to receive substantial attention. This was also true for the show for it’s first bunch of episodes, but that’s hardly an excuse. It’s quite a slow-paced edition, reminiscent of the show’s pre-morph second acts, allowing for much needed character development as the villains plot in the background. The action is played down this issue, but we are rewarded instead with a quite introspective piece that has each of the characters examining. What action is offered is merely a forum for Tommy to work out his own frustration. The spectre of Rita still haunts our beloved Green Ranger throughout the issue as she weaves a web of insecurity in his mind. It is still ambiguous enough to leave us questioning whether or not she is an actual remnant of the evil witch’s programming or a mere representation of the PTSD that Tommy is suffering from. Most of this issue sees the Rangers out of their cheap spandex, potentially a risk move so early in the series, but it’s all the better for it. It gives us time to really come to understand these characters better. Higgins has an ensemble cast to juggle and he has done so admirably to date.
One small issue, and this is especially nick-picky, is one of continuity. In one scene, the Red and Black Rangers are discussing Tommy becoming a member of the team and express their unease with Zordon bringing him into the fold without consulting the others. In light of his Tommy’s inability to control his Zord and their initial interactions with him, it’s not an unreasonable comment. The problem is that it was Jason and not Zordon that invited him to join the team to begin with. If anyone is to blame then surely it is the Red Ranger? The strength of the writing and this retcon’s substantial contribution to the cast’s character development is such that I’m more than happy to over look that hiccup, but it’s worth bearing in mind nonetheless. What some writers and commentators fail to understand is that continuity isn’t an end onto itself. Continuity is useful to the extent it provides us a basis from which to tell good stories. Retcons and tweaks to continuity are welcome where they better establish that basis for story-telling. Dogmatic reverence to continuity is unhealthy for the industry and for a creative team’s potential to spell-binder you with new and interesting ideas. In this respect, having the team doubt Tommy’s role as a Power Ranger and question their leader’s wisdom is a solid foundation from which new narrative possibilities emerge. Higgins shouldn’t be afraid to deviate where the story would benefit from it, but he’ll have to thread careful lest the purists emerge from the woodwork.
Prasetya’s interior artwork continues to leave up to the high standards he has set for himself. The characters are animated throughout. Bulk and Skull continuing to reflect their comic relief role in both design and execution. Some proportion issues remain, but it is a noted improvement from the first issue. The characters look more like teenagers than they did before and seem to possess the more appropriately lean physique of the martial artists they are meant to be. I’m still quite uncomfortable with Rita’s outfit, with all the redesigns to make some of the villains look more threatened, we could have done with seeing the ice-cream cone bra taken out of the equation. Power Rangers has always been campy, but it doesn’t seem to meld where with the more sincere interpretation offered by the team over at Boom! Studios.
Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers deserves to be one of the breakout hits of the year. The art presents a dynamism rarely seen in today’s comics. Higgins has a grasp of the characters that only really comes from someone who has lovingly embraced the material and ingrained it into their psyche. Some more effective balancing of the ensemble would be nice, so as to give Trini and Billy time to shine outside of their traditional roles, but that is sure to come with time. The comic dares to challenge a lot of the assumptions we make about our beloved characters.The TV series never really had the chance or the desire to ask how working alongside someone who once tried to kill you would affect the Ranger’s morale. Such a nuance was unsurprisingly excluded from syndicated programming but we are presented with those questions here. With Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, we are given the gift of viewing a childhood favourite with a more mature and refined palette. It’s as satisfying now as it was back then.
A review copy was kindly provided by Boom! Studios.
The striking thing about this episode of American Crime Story is how characters viewers have come to know continue to develop. How O.J. Simpson, the man, is presented in this series is a testament to his effect on the world around him. Everything and everyone revolves around Simpson, but he gets so little screen time. Cuba Gooding Jr. makes his moments on screen count. Audiences want more, and the celebrity legend goes beyond the universe in the series. It’s a strange spectatorship process.
This episode heavily features Marcia Clark, and rightly so. Clark is the driving force behind the prosecution and their ability to battle Simpson’s resources. One fantastic moment in this show, which is often forgotten in this media frenzy, is Ronald Goldman. Goldman’s family has a private moment with Clark. It’s a fantastic scene, and exemplifies how she repeatedly gets emotionally invested in this case. First, it was Clark as a woman speaking up for Nicole as an abuse victim. Now it’s Clark speaking up for the Goldman family losing a son. Both crimes either get overshadowed by Simpson’s fame, or forgotten altogether.
Sarah Paulson gets a serious chance to show her talent here. Paulson’s character illustrates inherent sexism professional women battled. I bet the female demographic watching American Crime Story still feel these problems today.
The scene with the perspective juror’s focus group analyzing Clark in court scream internalized sexism. The detail that hammers the nail in the coffin is when a middle aged white woman describes Clark as, ‘a bitch.’ Clark is dismissed, labeled as overbearing and bitchy because she’s aggressive – because she’s good at her job. But the truth is if Marcia Clark was a man people would praise her as fierce, intelligent, and powerful. The reaction to the focus group’s negative response to Clark is met with classic condescending male advice. Clark is told what to wear, to act more submissive, and everything short of downright discrediting her. Would Clark have to deal with all this absurdity if it were any other case? Probably not.
The celebrity effect pushes continuous ramifications on the case. One huge moment is when Faye Resnick publishes a book on Nicole Brown. Once again the Dream Team holds unnecessary press conferences, and the prosecution scramble to keep up. In an interview with Larry King Resnick says, “Women need to break the chain of violence.” Resnick’s false grief and concern for abuse survivors actually translates into more internalized sexism. This incredible quote puts the onus on women to get out of their situations, but also glosses over the fact Nicole did divorce her abuser. The woman still got murdered. Clark knows better, and continues to push.
Filming has already begun for Star Wars Episode VIII, and it seems that the leaks concerning the highly anticipated follow-up to the Star Wars: The Force Awakens have started as well. Today an image was leaked on Reddit of what supposedly is the title of the new film currently being shot in London. The person went on to state that this image will be made public on May 4th which makes sense because that is a national holiday for all Star Wars fans. So if you don’t want to spoil anything then go on but if you want to see what was leaked … just keep scrolling down.
Here’s the image that was leaked.
What do you guys think? Personally, it looks real to me, but we will soon find out because May 4th is not that far away.
Disney’s 55th animated film Zootopia opens nationwide this weekend. While the movie has moments of spectacular animation and an energetic cast (Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman especially), it is maligned by a story that seems too interested in social commentary and not in entertaining an audience.
Zootopia boasts a perfect voice cast with the likes of Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, and Idris Elba. Ginnifer Goodwin plays Zootopia’s first ever bunny police officer, Judy Hopps. She discovers breaking barriers can be an uphill climb. Although Judy cannot wait to bust her first bad guy, the police chief Bogo (Idris Elba), a surly cape buffalo, has the mindset of her being a just meter maid. Hopps exceeds expectations by writing 200 tickets before noon on her first day. However, when some of Zootpia’s residents suddenly go missing, Bogo gives Judy the green light to try and crack the case. Judy finds herself partnering up with a sneaky scam artist of a Fox, Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), as she only has 48 hours to try and crack the case or she will be forced to turn in her badge.
Zootopia visually pops off the screen thanks to the stellar production design of David Goetz. The color palette of animation was vibrant, and the architectural backdrops were whimsical and fun. Every microclimate (suburb) in Zootopia is meticulously designed to be representative of where these animals would call home and just how it would be plausible for these homes to co-exist.
Looking at the individual characters of the film, head of animation Renato dos Anjos and animation supervisors Kira Lehtomaki, Nathan Engelhardt, Jennifer Hager, and Chad Sellers all did fantastic jobs adding elements of realism to the multiple animals and buildings in Zootopia. The animators understood that Judy’s physicality would change as she went from meek rabbit, to officer in training, and finally a cop. To convey this, as the film went on they backed off just making her look so cute and adjusted the posture gradually and the tone of her voice ever so slightly to show a sense of confidence in Judy as she gained more experience as an officer. If they had not done this, then the audience would have had a hard time believing that Judy could be a cop.
The other challenge that Zootopia faced was how to make these animals realistic on screen. Disney used the same technique that they employed in Big Hero 6 and utilized the Hyperion Render. For those that may not remember, the Hyperion Renderer was first used in Big Hero 6 to help path trace the geometric complexities of how light moves into a scene, and how it bounces off objects. As light hits fur, it has a way of softening the way it looks and enhancing the richness and color of each animal. To enhance this effect, each of the animals in Zootopia has a surprising amount of hair. One mouse in Zootopia has 480,000 strands of hair, and a Giraffe has 9.2 million strands of hair. To put those numbers in context, Elsa in Frozen had 400,000 strands of hair and that one Giraffe has more hair than all the characters in Frozen combined. In a film with a variety of fur and complex building structures, using the Hyperion Render was a crucial decision that paid off with images so rich in color that you felt that animals were life like.
Where Zootopia falls off a big cliff is when the film meanders from being entertaining to making a point. Screenwriters Jared Bush and Phil Johnson attempt to craft a screenplay riddled with social commentary. At one point we have our first ever bunny cop Judy Hops instructing the desk cop (who happens to be a cheetah) that he is addressing her in an offensive manner to which the cheetah claims “he does not want to offend.” There is also a continuous story line where we are discussing that not all predators are “savages” (even though some of them are acting that way). Not to mention the fact that Officer Hopps is dealing with bunny discrimination from the other cops and a fox who’s been labeled as “sly.” There comes a point where you reach overkill and Zootopia does that at around the 20-minute mark of the film. While I understand the need for filmmakers or screenwriters to make a point but come on, this is supposed to be a family movie that’s entertaining, not some hard hitting look at society. I get it; we live in a world full of discrimination but when you spend most of the movie making that point you lose sight of what matters as well and that is being entertaining. There has to be a balance between the two sides (entertainment and societal commentary). Without balance, the film tends to drag, and a perfect example of this is Zootopia. Remember that less is more and that balance is everything in a movie.
For those of you who were expecting some visually stunning crisply relevant film that’s an anthropomorphic CG menagerie of fun will instead be treated to a visually stunning, albeit preachy film that’s an anthropomorphic CG menagerie of disappointment.
Zootopia
Cast: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Jenny Slate, Tommy Chong, J.K. Simmons, Octavia Spencer, Shakira, Maurice LaMarsh.
Titan Comics announced Tuesday the publisher will launch an on-going series of the Showtime series, Penny Dreadful starting in May.
Penny Dreadful issue #1 is drawn by Louie De Martinis and written by show scriptwriter Krysty Wilson-Cairns.
The hit TV series is presented in comics for the first time, and the covers of issue #1 have been released! This prequel reveals the terrifying events that led Vanessa to try and find her missing childhood friend, Mina Harker, and exposes the true nature of the vampiric monsters infesting Victorian London. Beautifully realized by Louie De Martinis, and written by the scriptwriters of the hit show!
Penny Dreadful #1 will be available from you local comic book store on May 5.
What if your father decided to go to college with you? That’s the question Back to School asks at the audience. Rodney Dangerfield stars as Thornton Melon, the owner of a department store chain called Tall and Fat. His son Jason has enrolled into college and is not doing too well; he’s bullied, and he hardly has anyone for support. So Thornton decides to enroll himself in school to keep a closer eye on him, but also to prove that anyone can do it.
Back to School is a very funny film, with a killer performance by Dangerfield. His character is so well written and he truly throws himself at the role, making the best out of it. Dangerfield’s persona is perfect for the role, making great use of his comedic timing and voice. In many ways, this is completely his movie and he overshadows just about everyone else, but it’s hard to complain when he’s so funny. Robert Downey Jr. stands out more as supporting character Derek, Jason’s best friend. While Jason may be something of a sad sack, Derek almost lacks any dignity, embarrassing herself and those around him. There is also a brilliant cameo by Sam Kinison as a History teacher that will have you rolling on the floor. I really wish there had been more scenes with him.
One of the movie’s greatest achievements is that it feels true to the college experience, asserting its value but also poking fun at its own greed and pretentiousness. The movie doesn’t take itself seriously, and it stays grounded for the most part, but there are a couple of zany moments that feel a bit of touch with the reality of the film and its tone, but they’re there for laughs and they hit right in that spot.
Back to School is a very funny movie that seems to go under-appreciated nowadays. It doesn’t match up with the great comedy classics of the 80s, but in its own right, it’s a great way to spend two hours.
In this week’s Episode Supergirl goes head to head with Indigo, a version of Brainiac. It’s exciting as Indigo who first appeared in the Teen Titans, makes a fitting adversary for Supergirl. Plus, it was a fun bit of casting having Smallville’s, Supergirl: Laura Vandervoot as Indigo.
WARNING FULL SPOILERS FOLLOW
Now that I will be reviewing Supergirl I want to be clear that I like the fact that TV finally has a very powerful, very positive female superhero to watch. Melissa Benoit has been nothing short of fantastic in the title role. She switches between the geeky Kara Danvers and the confident Supergirl with ease. Plus there are other strong female characters. Calista Flockhart plays Cat Grant to a tee, making a character that could be very unlikeable, likable. Chyler Leigh has grown into the Alex Danvers role. Oh, it’s a kick seeing David Harewood’s Martian Manhunter.
Still, this first season has certainly had it’s glitches and kinks:
1. The Superman problem. He exists in this world, yet we can never see him. On one hand, that’s okay as this is Supergirl’s story. On the other hand, Superman not showing up is problematic at best when to say a bunch of Kryptonians are invading Earth.
2. Jermey Jordan’s, Winn Schott and Mehcad Brook’s, Jimmy Olsen have been characters searching for their role to play. Certainly they need to do more than pine over Kara. Especially since Jimmy has been in a relationship with Lucy Lane (Jenna Dewan Tatum).
3. The bad guys motives are a little fuzzy.
This episode started with Cat’s new evil (and soon to be more evil) assistant Siobhan Smythe (Italia Ricci) anxious to deliver a very private note to Cat. Even though Kara warned Siobhan that Cat likes her mail to be opened for her. Cat quickly scolds Siobhan for not opening the envelope as it could contain anthrax. Jimmy opens the envelope, and it has a thumb drive from a hacker that will expose a whole bunch of powerful people’s nasty, sexy secrets. Cat though refuses to publish these secrets because Cat has morals and is more interested in doing the right thing than selling papers. (Remember this is a fantasy series.)
Turns out the hacker is the super evil computer, Indigo. Kara, Jimmy, and Winn learn this the hard way when Indigo attacks them through Winn’s computer. She sends Supergirl flying and threatens to kill Jimmy and Winn but for some reason runs away when Hank and Alex show up. Hank ask Kara to come back to the DEO, but she is still angry because she believes Hank killed Astra.
Meanwhile, Indigo and Nan meet, and she complains about being part of an internet that has Candy Crush and tells Nan she’s glad Astra is dead. They exchange a few quips and both of them keep their goals kind of vague. We just know something big is coming that will pretty much wipe out anything that’s not from Krypton.
Alex shows up at CatCo but for Winn instead of Kara. They want to use Winn’s super hacking skills. Finally, Winn has a vital role to play on the show; he’s their Felicity. Since Kara no longer has access to the DEO’s knowledge, she and Jimmy head to the Fortress to learn more about Indigo. This has a lot of nifty moments. We learn Kara is supposedly faster than Clark and that she can fairly easily lift a million tons (though I thought the key only weighed 1/2 a million tons). We also get to see the Fortress of Solitude which is cool — only a small pun intended. So cool in fact that it snows inside which is silly. Outside of the inside snow, it’s a great moment for the show and fans. Benoit knocks it out of the park with her sense of wonder and also a bit of angst. We learn she has been invited to the Fortress many times by Clark but never took him up on the offer because she was afraid it would remind her too much of her past on Krypton. A very nice moment as it helps illustrate how Kara is so different from Clark. He was basically raised as a human, she spent her formative years on another planet. While this certainly was a touching moment for the show it was a shame that Superman couldn’t be the one to introduce Supergirl to the Fortress. But such is life these days for the DC TV shows.
Turns out Indigo’s whole plan, well start of a plan, was to gain access via a general’s phone to an “off internet” nuclear silo. Indigo quickly takes control of the silo and gets ready to launch a missile or two. Luckily Supergirl shows up for a fun knockdown drag out fight between Supergirl and super computer. Before Supergirl can kick her e-butt though Indigo launches a nuclear missile at National City. Since there’s no safe way for Supergirl to stop a nuclear warhead without making it go boom she needs to work with Hank to get the “kill codes” so she can deactivate the big bomb. Supergirl racing through the sky in pursuit of a nuclear missile is a great action packed scene, in particular on a TV show budget. Once Supergirl takes the missile out she returns to the silo to finish off Indigo. Before Supergirl can stop her though Indigo reaches through her phone to grab Winn by the throat. Luckily for Winn (and Earth) he has developed a super virus that he downloads into Indigo. Indigo “dies” but not before revealing to Supergirl that she is the reason Kara and the others made it to Earth. It was kind of like an “you owe me”, moment.
Finally, we get a resolution to the “who actually killed Astra dilemma”. Alex unable to bear Kara being so angry at Hank confesses that she is the one who plunged the sword through Astra. Alex let Hank take the blame because she couldn’t risk losing Kara in her life. This turned into a great personal moment as Kara embraced her sister. She even reached out a hand for Hank letting him know he was not only forgiven but appreciated for what he tried to do.
In the epilogue, we see Nan rebuilding Indigo as now he figures she will see things his way. Not really sure if that makes sense, but it’s nice that we will see Indigo again.
Once aspect of this episode I skipped over was the personal relationship stuff. Yes, I know it’s important especially considering the show’s demographics. But this material tends to bog down everything else. The show has had lets call it a “love square” where Lucy is in love with Jimmy who claims he is in love with Lucy but pines for Kara as does Winn (even though he has been friend-zoned) and we have Kara who does have a thing for Jimmy and also has feelings for Cat’s son. It’s all relatively complicated. But such are the ways of the heart, I guess. Things at least cleared up a bit this week with Lucy realizing Jimmy and Kara have eyes for each other even if they don’t know it. Though can’t be sure if that will work in the “long term” considering one of them is a superhuman, best not to think about it. Plus the breakup occurred because Kara was quite inept in her attempts to tell Lucy how much she meant to Jimmy. Showing that despite Kara’s vast power when it comes to ways of the heart she is very naive. Which in a way is part of her charm. Also, Winn and Siobhan seem to be hooking up, kind of, despite all her threats to kill him. Now that should be interesting considering her future as a super villain.
Most fun moment: Kara fantasying about tossing Siobhan into space.
Lamest moment: a soldier in the silo reminding the crazed android that you need two keys to launch the missiles.
Next episode should be fun as we get to see the bad side of Supergirl after she’s exposed to red kryptonite.
Zootopia Is Disney’s Most Relevant Movie In Decades!
I’ll admit that I didn’t know much about ‘Zootopia‘ before going to the screening. I would constantly get the commercials for the movie confused with another upcoming animal-themed film. By the time Disney Animation’s newest project finished, I was pleasantly surprised by the most culturally relevant & progressive Disney piece in years. Outshining recent films with its character & animation, Zootopia is a sure-fire winner!
The film follows Judy Hopps (Ginnfer Goodwin) as a rabbit who leaves her huge family on their small farm to join the police force in the big city of Zootopia. In this universe, animals were once savage creatures who have now come together to live in a utopia where predator and prey can live in harmony. The world is seemingly a wonderful place and Hopps wants to maintain the peace but being a cop isn’t so easy for a tiny (don’t you dare call her cute) bunny! With the world telling her “NO!”, Judy defies the odds and becomes a member of the Zootopia Police Department. Her high hopes to be impactful on the ZPD are crushed when she is placed on parking duty upon arriving. She is waiting for her chance to shine when the case of a missing otter falls right into her lap. Joined by a con-artist fox named Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), Judy unravels a convoluted plot of corruption & prejudice. With themes like feminism, racial profiling, & abuse of power; the film has its finger on the pulse of what’s going on in the zeitgeist at the moment.
The film isn’t all serious; ‘Zootopia‘ has some of the funniest scenes I’ve seen from Disney in a long time. The DMV scene, in particular, featuring Flash The Sloth has some of the most laugh-out-loud worthy moments in the entire film. The humor is well placed and it never gets in the way of telling a story with such a strong message; something I think Disney has struggled with as of late.
I also have to take a moment to praise the wonderful animation. The world of Zootopia was stunning to see unfold! The animals were animated with such detail that one character in this film has more hair on its body than all of the characters in ‘Frozen‘ combined. It’s a massive feat for the animators at Disney that needs to be recognized. The film has many different locations featuring a desert, a rainforest, and an Arctic area; each possessing such vivd detail of their unique landscapes.
All in all, ‘Zootopia‘ will be one of the best films released by Disney…even if the general public doesn’t catch on till later. The movie is important for kids & grown-ups alike; delivering the message that you can never quit & to never let anyone tell you who to be!
The first issue of Boom! Studio’s Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers was simply 
h of them keep their goals kind of vague. We just know something big is coming that will pretty much wipe out anything that’s not from Krypton.
