Shomin Sample ‘Aika-sama has a lot of friends’ While having their fortunes told by Kimito’s phone, the girls discover that it can also predict their compatibility with members of the opposite sex. After Kimito asks Kujo to stop waking him in her usual manner, she is reluctant.
Luckily this time around actual funny jokes decided to make a reappearance. Characters using fortune telling as a plot device may be nothing new (which is the main complaint that bears repeating with this show is the lack of new material) but seeing the girls overreact to their results is very entertaining. Unfortunately, the Sailor Moon reference may have some audience members wishing they were watching it instead of Shomin Sample.
This episode quickly becomes a Karen episode after she gets the highest scores on the fortune telling game. Unfortunately, she believes this means she needs to use her sword and slice apart the room to get Kimoto’s heart. Damaging his shirt in the process, Karen displays her gentler side by sewing it up for him while wearing the outfit she got in the previous episode. It’s a cute scene but since she’s not the main girl in this show, she won’t be the one Kimito picks in the end. Sorry Karen fans but this show is operating on old school Harem trope rules so that shouldn’t come as a surprise.
Kujo, the maid, is back with her scissors of the death. Despite the fact it has been revealed she wakes Kimito up every morning with a kiss, it appears as if she won’t be showing her softer side anytime in the future. With the anime over half complete, she may never have an opportunity to show how she feels.
In the end, the series remains average. There were more comedic movements than previous episodes which is why the score is higher but still the show is barely above passing. It feels like is doesn’t want to be anything more than average for some reason yet it seems to possess the potential to do more.
With Black Friday looming on the Fall horizon, we here at Monkeys Fighting Robot thought it would be a good idea to make a list of graphic novels that would be perfect for new readers.
The term graphic novel may include story collections as well one-shots. An excellent example is The Walking Dead Vol. 1 from Image Comics. This graphic novel collects the first six issues of the comic written by Robert Kirkman.
(2008) – w. Greg Pak, a. Carlo Pagulayan, a. Aaron Lopresti, a. Juan Santacruz, a. Gary Frank, a. Takeshi Miyazawa, p. Marvel Comics
Savage alien planet! Oppressed barbarian tribes! Corrupt emperor! Deadly woman warrior! Gladiators and slaves! Battle axes and hand blasters! Monsters and heroes… and the Incredible Hulk! Let the smashing commence! This deluxe hardcover collects the entire “Planet Hulk” saga, plus extras! Collects Incredible Hulk #92-105, Giant-Size Hulk #1, “Mastermind Excello” story from Amazing Fantasy #15, maps, character designs.
Why you should read it: This is the greatest Hulk story ever told, in the form of a Greek tragedy. One day Marvel Studios will have the courage to make this a feature film.
(2007) – w. Mark Millar, a. Steve McNiven, p. Marvel Comics
The landscape of the Marvel Universe is changing, and it’s time to choose: Whose side are on? A conflict has been brewing from more than a year, threatening to pit friend against friend, brother against brother – and all it will take is a single misstep to cost thousands their lives and ignite the fuse! As the war claims its first victims, no one is safe as teams, friendships and families begin to fall apart. The crossover that rewrites the rules, Civil War stars Spider-Man, the New Avengers, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men and the entirety of the Marvel pantheon! Collects Civil War #1-7, plus extras.
Why you should read it: Similar to Brad Meltzer’s Identity Crisis, Mark Millar’s Civil War changed what it means to be a Superhero in the Marvel Universe.
(2004) – w. Brad Meltzer, a. Rags Morales, a. Michael Bair, p. DC Comics
When the spouse of a JLA member is brutally murdered, the entire superhero community searches for the killer, fearing their own loved ones may be the next targets. Before the mystery is solved, a number of long-buried secrets will threaten to divide the heroes before they can bring the mysterious killer to justice. IDENTITY CRISIS is an all-too-human look into the lives of superheroes, and the terrible price they pay for doing good.
Why you should read it: This is a defining moment in the DC Comics Universe that ushers in the modern heroes that we have today.
(2009) – w. Robert Kirkman, a. Tony Moore, a. Cliff Rathburn, a. Charlie Adlard, p. Image Comics
Introducing the first eight volumes of the fan-favorite, New York Times Best Seller series collected into one massive paperback collection! Collects The Walking Dead #1-48. This is the perfect collection for any fan of the Emmy Award-winning television series on AMC: over one thousand pages chronicling the beginning of Robert Kirkman’s Eisner Award-winning continuing story of survival horror- from Rick Grimes’ waking up alone in a hospital, to him and his family seeking solace on Hershel’s farm, and the controversial introduction of Woodbury despot: The Governor. In a world ruled by the dead, we are finally forced to finally start living.
Why you should read it: This is the gateway drug into independent comics. Robert Kirkman with each issue raises the bar of graphic storytelling.
(1988) – w. Alan Moore, a. Brian Bolland, p. DC Comics
According to the grinning engine of madness and mayhem known as The Joker, one bad day, that’s all that separates the sane from the psychotic. Freed once again from the confines of Arkham Asylum, he’s out to prove his deranged point. And he’s going to use Gotham City’s top cop, Commissioner Jim Gordon, and his brilliant and beautiful daughter Barbara to do it.
Now Batman must race to stop his archnemesis before his reign of terror claims two of the Dark Knight’s closest friends. Can he finally put an end to the cycle of bloodlust and lunacy that links these two iconic foes before it leads to its fatal conclusion? And as the horrifying origin of the Clown Prince of Crime is finally revealed, will the thin line that separates Batman’s nobility and The Joker’s insanity snap once and for all?
Why you should read it: This book will emotionally scar you, but ground you in the modern mythos of Batman and the Joker.
(2008) – w. Brian K. Vaughan, a. Niko Henrichon, p. Vertigo Comics
In the spring of 2003, a pride of lions escapes from the Baghdad Zoo during an American bombing raid. Lost and confused, hungry but finally free, the four lions roamed the decimated streets of Baghdad in a desperate struggle for their lives. In documenting the plight of the lions, PRIDE OF BAGHDAD raises questions about the true meaning of liberation – can it be given, or is it earned only through self-determination and sacrifice? And in the end, is it truly better to die free than to live in captivity?
Why you should read it: Brian K. Vaughan has the similar skills to Kirkman when it comes to the emotional height they will go in storytelling. This is an example of using the best medium available for the story.
(2014) – w. Jason Aaron, a. Jason LaTour, p. Image Comics
Earl Tubb is an angry old man with a very big stick. Euless Boss is a high school football coach with no more room in his office for trophies and no more room underneath the bleachers for burying bodies. And they’re just two of the folks you’ll meet in Castor County, Alabama, home of Boss BBQ, the state champion Runnin’ Rebs and more bastards than you’ve ever seen! “What does old Earl Tubb do when he returns home to Craw County, Ala., only to find the place a veritable criminal fiefdom run by Euless Boss, the local high school football coach? Why, pick up the stick helpfully cleaved by lightning from a tree growing out of his daddy’s grave and start meting out justice just like his father, the old sheriff, did.
Why you should read it: Jason Aaron is the CCR for the current generation. Aaron’s grit and grime will cover your soul and send you on a quest for his other works.
(2008) – w. Ed Brubaker, w. Matt Fraction, a. David Aja, a. Travel Foreman, a. Howard Chaykin, a. Nick Dragotta, a. Mitch Breitweiser, a. Jelena Kevic-Djurdjevic, a. Tonci Zonjic, a. Kano, p. Marvel Comics
Experience a brand-new kind of Iron Fist story, one steeped in legends and fables stretching back through the centuries! Orphaned as a child and raised in the lost city of K’un-Lun, Danny Rand returned to America as the mystical martial artist Iron Fist – but all his kung-fu skills can’t help him find his place in the modern world. After learning that the legacy of the Iron Fist holds more secrets than he ever dreamed, Danny is invited to fight in a tournament against the Immortal Weapons. At stake is the life of his friend, the legacy of his father and mentor…and the future of K’un-Lun!
Why you should read it: There is a Netflix series coming based on this character, and this book is the source material. Once hooked on Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction’s work, there is an endless supply of books to coming read both superhero and not.
Taking place during Batman’s early days of crime fighting, this new edition of the classic mystery tells the story of a mysterious killer who murders his prey only on holidays. Working with District Attorney Harvey Dent and Lieutenant James Gordon, Batman races against the calendar as he tries to discover who Holiday is before he claims his next victim each month. A mystery that has the reader continually guessing the identity of the killer, this story also ties into the events that transform Harvey Dent into Batman’s deadly enemy, Two-Face.
Why you should read it: This is the Batman detective tale that you will never see on the big screen, but we should. A superb mystery for the world’s greatest detective.
As an act of violence spirals out of control to encompass the entirety of the news media, a cult has emerged from the errors and retractions that have ruined careers, marriages, and even lives. Under direction from his cult master, The Hand leads an army of followers committed to revolution, willing to die for their cause.
Why you should read it: If Jason Aaron is the grit and grime, Jonathan Hickman is scientific and calculated. Nightly News is Hickman’s first work, and the author has been cranking out hits ever since.
Tell us what 10 graphic novels you would recommend in comments below.
In anticipation of the November 25th release of CREED, we’ll be taking a look back at the ROCKY franchise and discussing why these characters and this world are still relevant and necessary forty years later.
Minor spoilers below:
Just like Rocky Balboa, we’ve arrived at our final destination in Creed. Ryan Coogler‘s (Fruitvale Station) continuation of the Rocky universe is grounded very firmly in the series’ lore and is also the origin story of another American hero. Just as Rocky was the story of a good man with lacking circumstance fighting for his shot at greatness, Creed portrays the experience of youth growing up without a steady home life. The movie tackles head-on what it means to be a young, black male making a name for himself when he’s forever under the shadow of a man who was never there for him. Creed is the tale of a man with nothing fighting for something alongside a man who is dealing with life beginning to take everything away.
The biggest shift this movie deals with is that Rocky is no longer our main character. Michael B. Jordan‘s Adonis Johnson, son of Apollo Creed, picks up the gloves and his character is the one the movie hangs all of its trust upon. Above all the bombastic fights and training montages, the Rocky series lives and dies with the character of Rocky Balboa. Rocky is the ultimate cinematic representation of the American experience, so transplanting him with Adonis is a leap that the movie must make in order for the audience to be on board. Thankfully, Adonis is just as likable and, more importantly, has a heart as grounded and pure as our original hero.
Adonis is a troubled man, having always been angry and caught in the juvenile delinquent system as a kid, always fighting the other kids. What allows him to channel this aggression is his open heart when the wife of his father, Mary Anne Creed (Phylicia Rashad), takes him under his wing. She had no reason to seek out and save Adonis as he is the physical embodiment of her husband’s infidelity. Nonetheless, she raised him like her own and Adonis now uses his fighting talent in the ring, underplaying the fact that he’s the father of the former champ. When his father’s own gym refuses to train him, Adonis quits his job and travels to Philly to find the only other living piece of his family, Rocky Balboa.
We are reintroduced to Rocky, still managing Adrian’s restaurant and still visiting the grave of his best friends, Adrian and the now deceased Paulie. This is a man who has accepted his lot in life. Everything is starting to be taken from him and he seems to be just going through the motions, waiting until it’s his turn to join his friends. It’s a dark mental place Rocky is in but the script by Coogler and Aaron Covington knows exactly how to portray Rocky so his inherent positivity still peeks around the corners.
The wisest choice the movie makes is to never make Adonis a villain. There is a world in which his character is angry and selfish, unaccepting of Rocky’s importance to his life. Thankfully, Adonis is immediately welcome to this man who knew his father better than anyone, calling him “Unc” at the outset. The audience is now behind this man because he is good to Rocky. This goodness creeps back into Rocky’s worldview and he agrees to train Adonis, thus lighting a fire under the boxing world to see Rocky back in someone’s corner.
Other characters fill-out this world as Adonis falls for Bianca (Tessa Thompson), a woman just as sweet and lovely as Adrian. The main opponent this time out becomes the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world, “Pretty” Ricky Conlan (Tony Bellew) as he’s forced to fight the media sensation that is Adonis because he’s about to go to prison and likely to never fight again. Rocky trains Adonis to not just fight Conlan, but the man in the mirror as that’s the real opponent standing in front of him.
Creed also goes to the place we’re all scared it will go, hinting at a future where Rocky Balboa eventually loses to the fists of Time. Rocky is diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and is initially resistant to taking chemotherapy. In the most heart-wrenching speech of the film, Rocky tells Adonis that he had to watch Adrian go through hell and fail he can’t imagine doing that again. Adonis, unwilling to give up on the newest member of his family, tells Rocky that he’ll fight if Rocky fights the disease. In probably the most unnerving and interesting montage of the series, we see Adonis preparing for his fight against Conlan just as we witness Rocky at the weakest point of his life, taking chemo treatments, losing his hair, puking out his guts, but remaining in Adonis’ corner.
The crux of this movie lies within the journey of being willing to let others in when you’re at your darkest. We’ve been taught that it isn’t how hard we get hit that matters; it’s how hard we can get hit and keep moving forward. Here, we learn exactly how to move forward. It’s one step at a time, one round at a time.
Creed provides some of the most rousing moments of the entire series, the emotional catharsis being jettisoned in perfect symphonies of physicality. The boxing matches are filmed with such intensity that you forget a camera is there to capture it. Coogler places his lens right in the middle of the fight, rarely cutting away from the action and instead weaving in and out of fighters’ dance. Adonis’ first fight with Rocky in his corner is one of the most technically impressive sequences I’ve seen. The finale mixes this technical precision with the emotional beats playing out perfectly, every punch coming from the souls of the characters.
All that I asked for from this movie was for it to do right by Rocky. We get much more than that as Adonis proves to be the perfect character to take the reins after Rocky Balboa inevitably leaves us behind. Sylvester Stallone’s performance here hits each and every note so perfectly that it’s hard not to well-up with tears each time he opens his slack-jawed mouth. I’m sad that there is a reality in which we’ve seen the last of Rocky. I’m also excited that we now have another character able to step in and show the world what it’s like to fight for what you want and make a name for yourself. Creed is one of the greatest experiences I’m likely to have this year and if it is indeed the last couple of hours I get to spend with Rocky, I’m happy for the time we had and everything that he taught me.
As hyperbolic as this may sound, Brooklyn might just be the most perfect period romance drama to hit theaters in years. Beautifully shot with an impeccable cast and a script that is devoid of a single false note or plot misstep, it’s a deceptively simple story about not only finding love, but also finding one’s self in the most unlikely and unexpected of circumstances, and then holding on to that love and sense of identity in the face of temptation, heartbreak, and personal loss. It may take place in 1950’s Ireland and Brooklyn, New York, but the story here is truly timeless, and one that’s sure to captivate audiences who love great film, given the opportunity.
Saoirse Ronan (The Grand Budapest Hotel, Atonement) plays Eilis (pronounced Ay-lish) Lacey, the youngest of two sisters living with their widowed mother in the small town of Enniscorthy, Ireland. While her older sister, Rose (Fiona Glascott) has a good job in town as a bookkeeper, Eilis is stuck working for “Nettles” Kelly, one of the town’s main grocers, who seems to delight in pointing out what she sees as the obvious and glaring personal failings of everyone in sight, customer and employee alike. Seeing that Eilis has few prospects for a richer life if she stays in Enniscorthy, Rose makes arrangements with a kindly Catholic pastor in Brooklyn, New York, Father Flood (Jim Broadbent), himself an émigré of Ireland, for Eilis to migrate to America with a job and a place to live waiting for her. Though reluctant at first to leave her family and the only place she’s ever lived, the only life she’s ever known, Eilis boards the boat to America buoyed by Rose and their mother Mary’s hopes and best wishes, and tries to look forward to the journey ahead.
Though it proves to be the first serious obstacle to overcome as she sails to her new life, seasickness on the first night of the crossing turns out to be just the beginning of her troubles. For Eilis, the homesickness seems interminable and inescapable, especially with how different life in Brooklyn turns out to be. It’s when she’s at her lowest that she meets Tony (Emory Cohen, The Place Beyond the Pines), a sweet Italian boy who just happens to like Irish girls so much that he hangs out at the Irish Dances where all the unmarried Irish girls find themselves hoping to meet a fella on Friday nights. Smitten immediately by Eilis’ quiet charm and wit, Tony courts her in a way that’s tenacious, but still respectful and sweet. He even manages to avoid mentioning his other great love, baseball, during their initial time together; for that alone, according to the other Brooklyn girls Eilis talks to about Tony, the young man is truly unique among Italian men in New York, as apparently all Italian men love two things above all else: their mothers and baseball.
Tony’s arrival in Eilis’ life marks the true opening up of her world, and for a time, it seems as though she’s finally found her place in her “New World”, a place full of love, happiness, and potential for the future. But tragedy back in Enniscorthy draws her back across the ocean to her old home, and once there, amidst the grief and loss, she also finds new prospects for a wonderful life right there in that little town. To her surprise and confusion, very real possibilities of love, family, and prosperity present themselves in ways Eilis finds difficult to ignore, in spite of her devotion and deep emotional connection to Tony. Which world will she choose? Which place, the old world or the new, each with its potential for love and joy, can she truly call “home” once and for all?
Director John Crowley (2013’s Closed Circuit) seemingly approaches the task of bringing Colm Tóibín’s acclaimed 2009 novel of the same name to visual life by keeping things as authentic and familiar as possible. He and cinematographer Yves Bélanger (Wild) present Brooklyn in a way that audiences should expect a romantic period film to look — with a light sepia filter to everything to make it all look like a treasured old photograph, full of nostalgia and warmth. That familiarity is, after all, very appropriate to the material and themes interwoven here, as they themselves are timeless in Western literature and film: the experience of the immigrant to a new country, the contrasts of old world and new, small town and big city, and the fairy tale of two legitimate loves to choose from, each with its values and genuine virtues. This is all classic cinematic drama, and Crowley thus imbues every frame of Brooklyn, whether that frame includes the quiet and quaint cobblestone streets of Enniscorthy or the brownstone stoops and bustling streets of Brooklyn, with a classic feel to it, and it works very, very well.
What also works well here is the script, which comes from none other than About a Boy and High Fidelity author Nick Hornby. Hornby in recent years has seemingly focused his creative energies into adapting well-received novels into screenplays, and the results — prior to Brooklyn, last year’s Wild and 2009’s An Education — have each been heaped upon with critical acclaim and award nominations, including an Oscar nod for Best Adapted Screenplay for An Education. Brooklyn should fare no differently; once again, Hornby displays his unparalleled talent for dialogue that’s economical yet authentic and impactful. There’s nary a word or phrase wasted in the lines Hornby gives to his characters — what they say and what they don’t say all convey volumes of meaning and emotion, which is critical to bringing to life on screen Tóibín’s novel, a novel characterized by a great deal of internal monologue and thoughts narrated but not expressed openly.
Speaking of characters, audiences will be hard pressed to not fall in love with Eilis as she’s portrayed in Brooklyn by Irish-American actress Saoirse Ronan. The role demands a complex array of emotions which are often in conflict, as well as the ability to convey both vulnerability and quiet strength of will and character, and Ronan proves herself more than up to the task in what could and should be an award-winning effort. She and Emory Cohen as Tony are a delightful couple to watch on screen, in particular because Cohen’s Tony initially comes off as someone who could easily be a player, whose charm and looks could get him any girl, yet he falls hard for Eilis, and finds himself wholly incapable of holding back his emotions once he fully understands them. Jim Broadbent and Julie Walters also both stand out in their supporting turns as guiding figures for Eilis during her most trying times, and watch for Domhnall Gleeson in the latter third of the film delivering solid work in arguably the film’s most challenging role, portraying a character who comes to represent temptation strong enough to make Eilis possibly waver in her commitment to Tony.
Considering all that, it’s tough not to put forth Brooklyn as one of the season’s best thus far, if not one of this year’s best. It’s already won hearts and minds at a number of film festivals around the world, and it’s sure to make a stir in the months to come as award nominations are announced and speculation on winners and losers begins. If you have the opportunity this holiday weekend, take a chance on this film and find out why — you’ll be glad you did.
Brooklyn
Starring Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson, Emory Cohen with Jim Broadbent and Julie Walters. Directed by John Crowley.
Running Time: 111 minutes
Rated PG – 13 for a scene of sexuality and brief strong language.
Whether you call Victor Frankenstein a hybrid, an origin story, a prequel, a spin-off, this loosely stitched together monster mash-up is an epic disaster. With options like The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 , Brooklyn, and The Good Dinosaur, it’s hard to imagine anyone would actively seek out seeing Victor Frankenstein. However, if you’re hard up for a gothic monster movie, let me break down why you would be better off setting your money on fire.
Director Paul McGuigan has managed to bring a rich source material (Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein) and reduced it too choppy action sequences, over the top Gothic Imagery, and jokey one-liners – which is enough to raise a disgusted Mary Shelley from the dead. James McAvoy and Daniel Radcliffe both are gifted actors, but they don’t breathe life into this menagerie of failure. McAvoy’s (Victor Frankenstein) portrayal is all one-note swagger – with a bit of wounded heart). Radcliffe switches from recovering victim to providing commentary about Frankenstein making an “Unholy Creation” (a tepid lean towards Mary Shelley’s original story). Both portrayals lack any creditability that the film desperately needs to flourish, but I’m not sure either actor is to blame. Sometimes, an actor is only as good as the script provides.
One can’t help but wonder what would possess 20th Century Fox to hire Max Landis to write Victor Frankenstein. Landis’ writing style is more helter-skelter than anything consistent with the genre-specific writing needed for any retelling of the Frankenstein fable. In short, it makes no sense to turn Frankenstein into some comedic film. I’m not sure exactly what Landis was even thinking when he wrote this script (just like I was confused about American Ultra). Maybe they were going for something different with this version, but it didn’t work.
McGuigan and Landis jointly felt this version of the Frankenstein story needed to be told from Igor’s perspective. Why? Logic would dictate that, by changing the perspective of the story, it would add something. All that changing perspective does, in this case, is lead us to a circus outside of London, where the audience is supposed to buy that Igor is this medical genius hunchback clown who lives in a cage. Even if the audience can wrap their collective heads around that, we now have to deal with the idea that Victor Frankenstein just happens to be at the circus and rescues Igor while using an array of martial art moves. If you can get past those two huge contrivances, then we just have to accept that Igor is willing to go along Victor’s idea (remember, he doesn’t even know him) to illuminate the dead. If you can handle all these insurmountable stretches in logic, then Victor Frankenstein might actually be perfect for you.
Victor Frankenstein is what we all thought it would be: a one note waste of your time. Nothing about this movie clicks; it’s a collection of different films that have been forced together for the purposes of creating something special, which is oddly similar to the classic Frankenstein story this film is meant to dramatize. Much like the Frankenstein story, however, this movie is an experiment gone awry.
20th Century Fox released the trailer for The Other Side of the Door, directed by Johannes Roberts and starring Sarah Wayne Callies from The Walking Dead.
Grieving over the loss of her son, a mother struggles with her feelings for her daughter and her husband. She seeks out a ritual that allows her to say goodbye to her dead child, opening the veil between the world of the dead and the living. Her daughter becomes the focus of terror. She must now protect against the evil that was once her beloved son.
Roberts worked on the script with Ernest Riera. The Other Side of the Door is scheduled for release on March 11, 2016.
The Captain America: Civil War trailer was released Tuesday night and Mr. Sunday Movies has everything you might have missed while watching the trailer.
Directed by Anthony & Joe Russo from a screenplay by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely, Captain America: Civil War picks up where Avengers: Age of Ultron left off, as Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) leads the new team of Avengers in their continued efforts to safeguard humanity. After another international incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability and a governing body to determine when to enlist the services of the team. The new status quo fractures the Avengers while they try to protect the world from a new and nefarious villain.
Starring Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Chadwick Boseman, Emily VanCamp, Daniel Brühl, Frank Grillo, William Hurt, and Martin Freeman.
Captain America: Civil War is set for release on May 6, 2016.
Late Tuesday night Marvel Studios and Disney released the first trailer for Captain America: Civil War. Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live as well to make the announcement.
Below is a gallery of the ‘Top 10’ images from the trailer, a breakdown of the final fight between Iron Man, Buck, and Captain America, plus a few bonus pictures. The gallery goes in the same order as the trailer.
Directed by Anthony & Joe Russo from a screenplay by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely, Captain America: Civil War picks up where Avengers: Age of Ultron left off, as Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) leads the new team of Avengers in their continued efforts to safeguard humanity. After another international incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability and a governing body to determine when to enlist the services of the team. The new status quo fractures the Avengers while they try to protect the world from a new and nefarious villain.
Starring Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Chadwick Boseman, Emily VanCamp, Daniel Brühl, Frank Grillo, William Hurt, and Martin Freeman.
Captain America: Civil War is set for release on May 6, 2016.
Well, the big moment has finally arrived – the highly publicized final episode of Doctor Who to feature Jenna Coleman – ending her run as Clara Oswald: The Impossible Girl.
Following another exhilarating adventure Clara receives a phone call from Rigsy (Joivan Wade) from the episode “Flatline” asking for The Doctor’s help. Rigsy has awoken with no memory of the night before and has a tattoo on the back of his neck – sounds like a fun night out. But the tattoo is counting down to zero and The Doctor believes it is a countdown to Rigsy’s death. The trio need to figure out where Rigsy has been and figure out a way to stop the timer, going to a secret street in the center of London.
It is the end of an era with Clara leaving the show with Ms. Coleman moving on to lead a show about the early days of the reign of Queen Victoria. Her tenure as The Doctor’s companion has been a mixed affair; Clara had cheek and spunk to her in her first appearances in “Asylum of the Dalek” and “The Snowmen”, but she lacked the chemistry Matt Smith’s Doctor had with Amy Pond. When Clara became a regular character she was a dull presence, but she improved when Peter Capaldi became The Doctor and her presence grew on fans.
When Clara appears in the episode she is filled with the joys of life, happy about her travels with The Doctor and enjoys the thrills like when she is hanging out the TARDIS when it is flying over London. Her recklessness and kindness are her downfall and forces her departure. It is sad when Clara has to face her fate with stoicism. There is a lot of melodrama and cheese as The Doctor tries to find a way to stop her fate and Clara forces The Doctor to keep a promise, but this is what fans want sometimes as it pulls on our heart strings. Clara’s departure felt very similar to Amy’s departure as both companions face the inevitable and The Doctor pleading to stop it as Murray Gold’s music swells behind them. Both departures take The Doctor to a dark and dangerous state of mind.
Maisie Williams returns for a third outing as Ashildr/Me, this time the mayor of the hidden street, or trap street (basically a fake street on maps to protect copyright). Me refers to the street as a refugee camp, a safe haven for all the aliens in London. Williams is decent enough with her role, but her performance in “The Woman Who Lived” was better because of the emotional depth. Ashildr serves as a warning to The Doctor about how he could help and the action he takes. Defying the laws of time and nature often have an adverse effect for the time traveller.
When The Doctor and his companions enter the trap street it was like sci-fi version of Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter series, a tight ancient street, a hidden world just a stone throw away from the normal human world. The street also has some similarities to the comic book series Fables, a series about fairy tale characters who are in exile in New York City, an underground community who have disguised themselves as human. It is an area that the series will visit again and it will be interesting to see the mark-up of the street and what drove these aliens into hiding. Residents include a Cyberman, an Ood and two Judoons, generally races that do not get along.
It was an emotional goodbye for Carla and hopefully Jenna Coleman will continue to find success like Billie Piper and Karen Gillan did. Her departure will take The Doctor to a very dark path for the follow-up “Heaven Sent”.
Directed by Anthony & Joe Russo from a screenplay by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely, Captain America: Civil War picks up where Avengers: Age of Ultron left off, as Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) leads the new team of Avengers in their continued efforts to safeguard humanity. After another international incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability and a governing body to determine when to enlist the services of the team. The new status quo fractures the Avengers while they try to protect the world from a new and nefarious villain.
Starring Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Chadwick Boseman, Emily VanCamp, Daniel Brühl, Frank Grillo, William Hurt, and Martin Freeman.
Captain America: Civil War is set for release on May 6, 2016.
