Review: JUNGLE CRUISE Delivers Adventurous Amazon Journey

By

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August 2, 2021

Disney’s Jungle Cruise is a summer adventure for the entire family to enjoy. Packed with enough well-placed humor, heart, and action to leave audiences on the edge of their seats. The chemistry between its two leading stars keeps the film engaging from start to finish, but it does suffer from poor CGI in more than one instance. Jungle Cruise may not develop a lasting legacy like an Indiana Jones adventure, but this Disney feature is a serviceable summer treat.

Based on the theme park ride, Jungle Cruise can appear to be trying too hard to be the next Pirates of the Caribbean, which weakens the experience a bit. The narrative borrowing from the Pirates series is evident, and it might make eyes roll at the screen. However, with Dwayne Johnson leading the film, it was impossible to be a complete misfire. Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, Jungle Cruise stars Emily Blunt, Dwayne Johnson, Jack Whitehall, Jesse Plemons, Edgar Ramirez, and Paul Giamatti. In the film, steamboat captain Frank Wolff (Johnson) agrees to take Dr. Lily Houghton (Blunt) and her brother MacGregor Houghton (Whitehall) on an expedition through the jungle. The pair are in search of the tree of life, but other forces await them.

Veronica Falcón as Trader Sam and Emily Blunt as Lily in Disney’s live-action JUNGLE CRUISE. Photo by Frank Masi. © 2021 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Jungle Cruise was written by Michael Green, Glenn Ficarra, John Requa, and the script could have been better. The chemistry between Johnson and Blunt is undeniable, but the love interest angle plays out more like a sibling rivalry. Ironically, the pairing of Lily and Frank seems more fitting to be the sibling storyline over Lily and MacGregor. There is great characterization established and enough small bits of dialogue to help understand the behaviors of certain characters. However, exposition dumping to explain one of Jungle Cruise’s more crucial story elements could be perceived as unnecessary. A particular scene, which involves diving into Frank’s backstory, goes on for far too long and feels like the writers know the film isn’t making sense at times. Lily is confident, brave, adventurous, and hopes to cure diseases after finding the tree of life. Her brother exists to simply boost his sister’s spotlight, so MacGregor feels like an afterthought by the end.

Frank is resourceful, determined, and a solid captain, but also a liar. Lily’s intelligence is insulted by his lies several times throughout their journey, yet their unannounced attraction towards each other seems to be furthered by his deception and how much he frustrates her. Johnson and Blunt’s performances are part of what enhances the characters being likable, Lily more so than Frank. The childish arguments between the pair can become irritating, so it’s saved by two established talents doing what they do best. Blunt shines as the confident Dr. who gets on Frank’s nerves throughout the film because she marches to the beat of her drum and won’t be dismissed because she’s a woman.

Dwayne Johnson is Frank Wolff in Disney’s JUNGLE CRUISE. Photo by Frank Masi. © 2021 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

As far as cruises go, Jungle Cruise struggles to maintain the magic it wants to capture, mostly due to the less than adequate CGI. For instance, Frank owns a jaguar that he uses to enhance his image if necessary, and every time the jaguar is on screen it can take audiences out of the experience. It’s a distraction that derails the magical journey that’s trying to be captured. Serra’s direction is fine overall, and while the pacing in the middle can ruin Jungle Cruise’s momentum, the action-packed moments are well shot and there is a tense moment involving water at one point that will have viewers on the edge for these characters survival. Jungle Cruise wants to be heartfelt in its finale, but events before one specific moment make it difficult to find this finale convincing.

(L-R): Jack Whitehall as Macgregor, Emily Blunt as Lily and Dwayne Johnson as Frank IN Disney’s JUNGLE CRUISE. Photo by Frank Masi. © 2021 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Jungle Cruise isn’t without its flaws, specifically found in its narrative and visual effects. Johnson and Blunt keep the film afloat with their performances, but the progression of their characters feels unnatural despite how romantic it may be for some viewers. Fans of the ride might be correct when arguing that the ride offers a better experience. Jungle Cruise gets enough right for all ages to enjoy despite the problems that hold it back.

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Advance Review: History and Fiction Collide in PRIMORDIAL #1

By

Zac Owens

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In 1959, two monkeys by the names of Able and Baker left our little blue and green orb to see the wonders of space. They never made it back. Actually, they did make it back, and their successful mission to the stars paved the way for man to walk on the moon a short ten years later. But in Image Comics’ Primordial #1, that’s not how things happened. Writer Jeff Lemire, artist Andrea Sorrentino, colorist Dave Stewart, and letterer Steve Wands show us an alternate look at history. And this new take underlines some of humanity’s greatest fears.

Writing

Lemire rewrites history in this issue… literally! And he wastes no time catching us up to speed. Either you remember this footnote in the history of the space program or you don’t. (If you’re like me, you do a quick Google search and find yourself still reading up on the US and Russian space programs an hour later.) But Lemire goes beyond just changing the facts. Laika the space dog, from one of Russia’s launches, and Able and Baker don’t just disappear. They change the course of history. With three animals mysteriously blinking out of existence, Lemire shows how humanity quickly becomes too scared to see what’s up there. Lemire’s use of historical details, his extrapolation on how it would effect things years down the line, and his “sink or swim” treatment of the reader makes this issue a ballsy, enthralling, and exciting read.

Art

Sorrentino is doing some of his best work in this issue. With things like Gideon Falls, Green Arrow, and Old Man Logan under his belt, that’s really saying something. But this issue sets the stage perfectly for Sorrentino to have a blast. Every page is a tug of war between order and chaos. We open on a 15 panel grid, three rows of five. We see space, then zoom out to see one of our space monkeys. But then, as the monkey sees something, everything changes. Sorrentino turns the last four panels on the page into many tiny panels, all over the place, depicting confusing details.

Throughout the issue, Sorrentino really highlights dead space. Some pages have a beautiful backdrop for the panels, but then a large margin of white sits at the bottom of the page, interrupting the image. Other pages have large, uneven spaces between each panel, emphasizing the white between them. Even the actual words “dead space” tell us a little about what Sorrentino is doing here. He’s highlighting our fears: our fears that we will lose control of our world, that chaos can come in at any moment, or even our fear of the vast, expansive canopy of “dead space” itself.

Coloring

There’s a gentle, soft coloring to much of this issue. Stewart uses pinks, purples, blues, and browns for most scenes. It feels like the whole issue is happening with the lights turned down. It’s relaxing and beautiful. There’s even a moment in the issue that specifically calls for a rainbow. But Stewart colors the rainbow in soft purples, pinks and oranges. It looks like the colors of a popsicle, or something off of a 70’s movie poster. On one page, however, Stewart snaps us out of our gentle dream. He uses neon yellow, bright green, dark reds and vibrant purple. The whole page begs us to ask ourselves what’s really going on. It makes us look past the lens of this being a historical moment. Instead, we’re asked to look at the cruelty and panic beneath this page that’s out of a history book.

Lettering

Wands makes a point of giving an orderly and scientific feel to much of the lettering. Time stamps appear on several pages, and they often show up as white lettering on a small black text box. It has the look of something churned out of a label maker, like something used in an official dossier. But things change up when the issue gets a little supernatural. On the left hand page, the caption boxes are flat and simple. But on the right hand page, they pop out, like the words are written on the side of a cube. With this slight difference, Wands hints at a new reality that can bend and warp everything, even the way this story is being communicated.

Image Comics’ Primordial #1 is a ballsy work of historical fiction. It not only puts a twist on history and science, but it asks us to reexamine things that have come to feel more like a footnote in a textbook than anything else. Pick up Primordial #1, out from Image Comics on September 15th, at a comic shop near you!

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Review: THE SUICIDE SQUAD Brought Us Chaotic Fun

By

Kieran Freemantle

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August 2, 2021

The Suicide Squad is back with fresh blood in front of and behind the camera. The sequel is a massive improvement over the 2016 original.

There is a coup on the island nation of Corto Maltese, leading to an anti-American government taking control. On the island is a secret facility called Jotunheim. Because of this threat, Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) sends an expendable team of imprisoned supervillains to destroy Jotunheim.

2016’s Suicide Squad was a hyped-up film with the marketing in overdrive. Warner Brothers wanted Suicide Squad to be their Guardians of the Galaxy because both properties focused on lesser-known characters. Both focused on a ragtag team of misfits who ended up becoming surprising heroes. But Suicide Squad was seen as a poor copy of the Marvel film. It was trying too hard to be cool with its over stylish direction and having a soundtrack of popular songs. For the follow-up Warner Brothers just hired James Gunn, director of the Guardians of the Galaxy movies.

The basic story of The Suicide Squad isn’t much different from the original Suicide Squad. Both films focus on supervillains having to go on a mission with the offer of getting a reduced sentence but with low chances of survival. Both films show how important writing and presentation are. Suicide Squad had some awful character introductions (i.e. Katana and Slipknot), the unnecessary subplot with the Joker, and a gloomy look.

Warner Brothers learned from their mistakes. Gunn was a better fit for this material than David Ayer. Gunn was known for making pulpy genre flicks whilst Ayer mostly made gritty crime films. Gunn didn’t have to worry about connecting his film to the wider DCEU. Suicide Squad had an infamous post-production period with Ayer not getting final cut. Because of Gunn’s success with the MCU he was properly able to ensure a lot of creative control from Warner Brothers.

Unlike its predecessor, The Suicide Squad focused on its mission. There were no distractions with subplots or flashbacks. Most of the film takes place on Corto Maltese. The Suicide Squad focused on a core group of characters. They were Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Peacemaker (John Cena), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman), King Shark (Sylvester Stallone), Ratcatcher II (Daniela Melchior), and Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian). Due to the film focusing on seven characters the audience got to know them well.

Bloodsport and Rick Flag were the straight men who had to work with these wacky characters. Peacemaker had similar skills to Bloodsport and they formed a rivalry: an example of this was during the mission to save Flag they were trying to one-up each other when killing the soldiers. Polka-Dot was a morbidly depressed man who had superpowers, and Ratcatcher II was a seemingly lazy millennial with the power to control rats. Yet many of these characters have had some sort of tragedy in their lives and had issues with their parents. If circumstances had been slightly different many of these characters could have been good guys.

They were all fun characters in some way. Peacemaker was wonderful with his arrogant alpha male attitude. John Cena had a great one-two punch with this film and F9. King Shark, or Nanaue as he was called in the film was the Groot of the team, super strong but simple-minded. He could only say simple words and a big action star to voice him.

The most surprising character was Ratcatcher II. She committed crime out of circumstances and acted as the team’s conscience. She saw the goodness in some of her teammates. Ratcatcher II was Melchior’s first English language role and hopefully, we’ll get to see more of her.

Gunn made a wonderfully gory and darkly funny film. This was shown with the opening sequence where a mission by Task Force X launched an assault on a beach. There were tons of banter and violent deaths as the assault goes wrong. The film continues from there. Some of the action highlights were the attempt to rescue Rick, Harley’s escape from the Corto Maltesian army, and a big bonkers finale. It was a film where death was treated with casual disregard. The Suicide Squad can be compared to the Deadpool films because there they were all superhero-based action-comedies that reveled in the violence and carnage.

Whilst the film did have a light touch, there was still an underlying darkness. As stated, many of the members of Task Force X had a tragic backstory. Gunn came from a horror background, and it was traumatic when the film revealed what really happened in Jotunheim.

The filmmakers brought back some of the popular characters from the first film: i.e. Harley Quinn, Rick Flag, Amanda Waller, and Captain Boomerang. The casting was excellent for those characters so there was no point wasting them. The return of these characters did give The Suicide Squad some semblance of continuity. The Suicide Squad establishes that Harley, Rick, and Boomerang had a friendship with each other.

The Suicide Squad was a delight of a superhero film due to its action, humor, and energy. It’s already one of the best films in the DCEU.

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BOOM! Studios Exclusive First Look: DARK BLOOD #2

By

Anthony Composto - EIC

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August 2, 2021

dark blood boom! studios exclusive preview

DARK BLOOD #2 hits your local comic book store August 25th, but thanks to BOOM! Studios, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive five-page preview for you.

About the issue:
Does even the kindness of strangers come with a cost? Avery has adjusted to his post-
WWII life in Alabama, but when an altercation with some local boys leaves him hurt, an
unlikely bystander steps in. And while Carlisle, a white university doctor, not only offers
Avery immediate first aid but free ongoing medical care… nothing is truly free, not even
a stranger’s generosity.

DARK BLOOD #2 is by writer LaToya Morgan and artists Walt Barna & Moisés Hidalgo, with colors by A.H.G., and letters by AndWorld Design. The main cover is by Valentine De Landro, with variant covers by Juni Ba and Taurin Clarke.

“A young man forges a brave new future for himself
and his family while dealing with his past.”

Check out the DARK BLOOD #2 preview below:

What’s your favorite current BOOM! Studios title? Sound off in the comments!

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Review: Detectives by Walter Gibson

By

Don Draper

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July 31, 2021

The Shadow, Doc Savage, and The Spider have never been the kind of comic book characters you can cheer for. They are heroes, but they’re also detectives who work outside the law and don’t mind if it’s necessary to knock a few heads together or even kill a crook or two occasionally to carry out their investigations. Now before you start accusing me of ruthlessly slaughtering sacred cows, I’m not defending the comic book detectives. (Netent casinos reviewed by casinokix), far from it! If you’ll give me a minute to explain myself, though.

Neither [Dashiell Hammett nor Marlowe] were “hard-boiled” in any straightforward sense. They merely inaugurated a new school of detective fiction, the effect of which was not softened by Hammett’s subsequent departure from it. In his last two books – The Dain Curse and The Glass Key – he turned his back on what had made his name, using the same old characters in a different approach. In The Dain Curse, he showed that the simple detective story really could be carried on without violence, blackmail, or sex.

And so, the hard-boiled detective was born. In all fairness, the Shadow was never a hard-boiled detective, at least not in the strictest sense. Created by Walter B. Gibson and released by Street & Smith in 1930, The Shadow is not without flaws, and many of what are essential qualities for a comic book character are lacking. Consider that his real name, his face, or even the fact that he is never revealed. He has no tangible personality, feels very little, and has no emotions other than being occasionally annoyed if events don’t play out the way he wants them to.

Despite all of this, the Shadow was extremely popular during the 1930s and still is today. The Shadow appears to be around forty, but it’s impossible to say for sure. He always wears a black cloak with a wide-brimmed hat that conceals his features from shadowing. As one character put it in “The Shadow Unmasks,” Gibson’s first pulp novel:

I’m about to describe a man as I’ve seen him. There’s no use saying that the details of his appearance are vague, for they’re not. They’re indescribable. He has no face. His eyes are greyish-green and meaningless, like the markings on an egg. It is that which gives The Shadow his most peculiar power. The Shadow knows that no one can ever see his face – not even in the glare of a flashlight; men are superstitious. He has a terrible advantage over us, for we know he is there but has never caught the merest glimpse of him.

But in reading and re-reading the old pulp stories, I think there’s more to it than that. The Shadow is a perfect character for the many sub-genres within the mystery genre. It would be a stretch, but I like to think of him as a mix of Sherlock Holmes and Dracula. He uses modern technology (even if it’s out of date), has good deduction skills, can travel to strange places without breaking a sweat, and above all, he is mysterious. I like to think of him as the ultimate detective, the kind of character that anyone would be fascinated by but no one could ever honestly know.

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BOOM! Studios Exclusive New Look: A.C. Esguerra’s EIGHTY DAYS

By

Anthony Composto - EIC

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July 30, 2021

eighty days A.C. Esguerra boom! studios exclusive preview

EIGHTY DAYS hits your local comic book store September 1st, but thanks to BOOM! Studios, Monkeys Fighting Robots has a new, exclusive nine-page preview for you.

About the issue:
Jay wants nothing more than to fly. Or so he thinks, until he crosses paths with a
mysterious thief named Fix whose tricks and charms draw him into the struggle against
the looming aviation guild to which Jay owes his very being. As Jay becomes further
entangled in the turbulence of Fix’s cause, each man must learn to navigate shifting
allegiances, the fight for freedom, and the greatest adventure of all — love.

EIGHTY DAYS is the debut graphic novel from acclaimed independent
cartoonist — and winner of the 2016 PRISM Comics Queer Press Grant — A.C.
Esguerra.

“[A story] about fighting the impossible odds to find love under the shadow of war“

Check out the EIGHTY DAYS preview below:

Are you excited for EIGHTY DAYS? Sound off in the comments!

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Review: Nightmares and Dreamscapes in PARASOMNIA #2

By

Justin Munday

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From writer Cullen Bunn (Harrow County, Bone Parish) and artist Andrea Mutti comes the second engaging issue of Parasomnia. This horror comic’s unique plot and intriguing character writing is unfortunately bogged down by mystery-killing exposition. Held aloft by phenomenal art however, this is still absolutely a comic worth checking out.

“In a twisted dream world, a nameless stranger battles nightmares in his hunt for his missing son–while in the waking world, the boy’s parents find their lives falling apart under the onslaught of hopelessness and insidious cultists.”

Writing & Plot

Cullen Bunn sets out to expand on the lore he set up in the prior issue with Parasomnia #2. This chapter lifts the curtain with the aid of great pacing and smart parallels between this comic’s two realities. There is never a moment where it becomes confusing as to what is going on or what world we’re in. Bunn does a stellar job of differing stylistically when he writes each reality. The character focuses and speech range drastically as we swap from one world to another. This seals the concept of us jumping through time and hopping between the real and the dream world. Bunn’s characters are all compelling and make the reader desperately want to know more about what has happened and why they are all searching for the same missing boy.

Unfortunately, Bunn uncovers much of this story’s mystery in this issue through gobs of textbook exposition. We are introduced to a character in the “past” that essentially functions as a guide for this timeline’s protagonist. He isn’t a bad character by any stretch. It is just disappointing to see this story take the easy way out in discovering this universe’s rules. Hopefully this issue is ironed out in later chapters, and our new character is given more purpose.

Art Direction

Andrea Mutti’s artwork in Parasomnia #2 is nothing short of astounding. His pencils and inks bring characters to life with detailed expression and animation. We can read the expressions of fear, desperation, and determination easily in these characters. The attention he pays to elements in the world, such as setting and clothing, is top notch. Mutti successfully crafts these two timelines with fantastic attention to detail and pulls readers into the story with ease. His colors are perfect for the reality-bending comic story we get here. Every page feels like Mutti somehow turned fog into an ink and spread it over every panel. This murky aesthetic nails the wandering dreamtime setting this story lives in.

Mutti also tends to bathe his pages in a single hue, often based on its setting. There’s a present day scene in a therapist’s office that’s bathed in green sunlight. When we switch to the past era however, the pages are all colored in a sort of burnt parchment hue. I found this to be a great touch, as it sells the 18th century setting this dream is supposedly set. The lettering from Simon Bowland is solid and simple. He uses a contemporary font that disappears into the reading experience. This is a fantastic looking comic, with visuals that perfectly create the dream-state atmosphere.

Verdict

Parasomnia #2 is a mostly engaging read with great pacing and phenomenal art. Bunn’s script is unique and mysterious, but gets bogs itself down with exposition that cheapens the story’s delivery. Andrea Mutti’s art is rife with detail and crafts a perfect atmosphere for this eerie comic. Be sure to grab this issue, on shelves today!

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Heavy Metal Exclusive Preview: BLACK BEACON #1

By

Anthony Composto - EIC

-

July 29, 2021

heavy metal comics black beacon exclusive preview

BLACK BEACON #1 is available at your local comic shop right now, but thanks to Heavy Metal, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive six-page preview for you!

About the issue:
There’s an intergalactic space station out there bigger than our solar system where everyone wants to meet up. The beacon made it sound like a utopia, but what Niko finds upon her arrival is a lawless expanse where everyone is out for themselves and she’s so late she doesn’t even have a seat at the table. A story of survival, truth, and experience lies in front of Niko if she can figure out who to trust and what to do before the secret of her journey catches up with her.

BLACK BEACON #1 is by writer Ryan K Lindsay and artist Sebastian Piriz, with letters by JAME.

“Black Beacon is our love letter to gigantic sci fi, and to get to do it with friend, co-creator, and certified genius Sebastian Piriz is a dream collaboration of invention and storytelling. This story starts with one human landing in a lonely place across the universe, and before it’s over we’ll have explored the depths of humanity, and what surrounds us way out there in the darkness.” — Ryan K Lindsay

Check out the BLACK BEACON #1 preview below:

Are you excited to read BLACK BEACON? Sound off in the comments!

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Exclusive Preview: AVENGERS #47 — WORLD WAR SHE-HULK RAGES ON!

By

Anthony Composto - EIC

-

July 29, 2021

avengers 47 marvel comics exclusive preview world war she-hulk

AVENGERS #47 hits your local comic book store August 4th, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive 3-page preview for you.

About the issue:
“WORLD WAR SHE-HULK” Rages On! The Red Room is the secret furnace where some of the world’s greatest assassins and super-killers have been forged. And now She-Hulk is its newest recruit. As the Avengers race to rescue Jen Walters from the Russian Winter Guard, is it too late to save She-Hulk…from going red?

The issue is by writer Jason Aaron and artist Javier Garrón, with colors by David Curiel, and letters by Cory Petit. It is Part Two of the “World War She-Hulk” storyline.

Check out the AVENGERS #47 preview below:

Are you excited about WORLD WAR SHE-HULK? Sound off in the comments!

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AfterShock Comics Exclusive Preview: GOD OF TREMORS #1

By

Anthony Composto - EIC

-

July 29, 2021

god tremors aftershock comics exclusive preview

GOD OF TREMORS hits your local comic book store August 18th, but thanks to AfterShock Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive four-page preview for you.

About the issue:
A 19th Century gothic horror of exorcism, demonic worship and epilepsy.

When Aubrey has his first seizure, he’s pulled out of school and hidden away in the family’s remote country estate. His father — a high-ranking English priest — tries to chase the “devil” out of Aubrey — but maybe the devil lurks in the grotesque pagan effigy that dwells on the grounds. And maybe the devil will turn out to be Aubrey’s only ally…

GOD OF TREMORS is a one-shot by writer Peter Milligan and artist Piotr Kowalski, with colors by Brad Simpson, and letters by Simon Bowland. The cover is by Kowalski and Simpson, with the incentive variant by Michael Gaydos.

AfterShock calls GOD OF TREMORS “a singular tale of nightmarish terror and creeping enlightenment told against a backdrop of ignorance and brutality”