SUPERGIRL has its first lull in the season with “Ahimsa.” Lull is a relative term, in this case, as the episode isn’t bad. However, it’s the season’s weakest episode as of yet. “Ahimsa” has some good character work, but the standalone story is rather weak. The episode also doesn’t do much to move the season as a whole along either. The good character beats aren’t enough to keep “Ahimsa” as exciting as the other episodes this season.
The primary story isn’t super interesting. The two brainwashed aliens aren’t really that much of a threat. There’s also next to nothing new added with Agent Liberty or the Graves twins. This has been a trend in several SUPERGIRL episodes this season (and THE FLASH, too). There’s clearly a lot of focus on character work, which makes for a stronger season. However, the episode solo stories often feel like afterthoughts, which makes the episode feel like a slog. A few meaningful moments with characters don’t make up for a poor forty minutes.
Photo copyright CW
That said, there are some good character developments in the episode. Alex and Brainy get put under a lot of pressure, bringing more emotion out of both. David Harewood also gets to shine a little more, as J’onn J’onzz goes back into battle. Harewood did a lot of great work last year, as his dying father brought out a lot of emotion. It’s nice that the series clearly isn’t done with exploring the emotions of the newly peace-minded Manhunter. These moments don’t save the episode, but they make it watchable.
Manchester Black may be the strongest element of the episode. He’s an interesting new character that doesn’t distract from the plot. He is perhaps the strongest example of how to balance out character and story. Manchester shows up as a way to help J’onn find Fiona, giving the two an episode arc. However, this arc also provides J’onn the guidance he needs to understand his less violent path. Manchester gives J’onn peace of mind, which SUPERGIRL has built up over the past three episodes. Manchester shows that SUPERGIRL knows how to write a good solo story.
There are cool character moments, but the story-by-story action should be stronger. SUPERGIRL isn’t bad, but it’s disconnected. As illustrated with Manchester, the strong elements only make the weaker elements more confusing. The bond between episode and season arcs needs to be stronger for the season to work. Hopefully, this disconnect is mostly due to Supergirl’s smaller role, due to Kryptonite poisoning. Now that she’s free from her “armor” (c’mon, it’s just a costume with a helmet), SUPERGIRL will return as strong as it should be.
The Happy Prince is the directorial debut of Rupert Everett, known for acting in films such as My Best Friend’s Wedding and Inspector Gadget. In the movie, Everett stars as famous poet and playwright Oscar Wilde after he is cast out of society because of his homosexuality.
This film offers a thoroughly interesting snapshot of the society in which it is set, though it also sadly and eerily rings true in today’s society. Thankfully, the literal exile of people due to their sexual orientation has ended in most parts of the world; however, there is still a large amount of discrimination against these human beings. As such, Wilde’s story is just as important now as it was then.
The story is certainly emotionally affecting, as over the course of the movie, the audience comes to sympathize with Wilde as a person that has been mistreated by society. The film makes the wise decision of not introducing Wilde in his prime, instead throwing the audience straight into his struggle. An early scene in which Wilde asks for a handout from a once adoring fan establishes and cements an emotional connection.
Left to right: Rupert Everett as Oscar Wilde. Photo by Wilhelm Moser, Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
The story also does a good job of creating subplots that effectively mirror elements of the main plot. For example, the plot about the two younger boys on the street does a good job of further developing the storyline about Wilde’s desire to reconcile with his sons. The story with Robbie Ross complements the story with Alfred Douglas well.
That being said, the story does lack clarity at times. The plot is somewhat muddled, jumping between different times in Wilde’s life, often without justification. A few of the supporting characters are also left underdeveloped. The character Reggie jumps out as a character that seemed to be important but had no real impact on the story.
Left to right: Rupert Everett as Oscar Wilde. Photo by Wilhelm Moser, Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
The performances are the absolute highlight of the film, though. Rupert Everett’s performance is phenomenal. His passion for the project shows in his dedication to the role. He truly nails both the positives and negatives of Wilde’s life and personality. Everett captures both the caustic wit for which Wilde was known for much of his life and the bleak cynicism that came with his exile.
The supporting cast is also quite impressive. Colin Morgan, who plays Alfred Douglas, is a clear standout. He has some truly great scenes and excellent chemistry with Everett. Edwin Thomas is also strong in his supporting role. Emily Watson, Colin Firth, and Tom Wilkinson all give solid turns too, but are underused.
Overall, The Happy Prince is a very good movie. Despite some flaws in the script, the story is compelling, and the film is well-made as a whole, driven by great performances.
The Happy Prince is now playing in select theaters nationwide.
Breaking down STAR WARS NEWS from week 1, November 2018. BECAUSE IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR, AWAY — THERE’S NEVER A DULL MOMENT.
Now that Resistance is well underway, Disney has put the brakes on releasing breaking Star Wars news. Saving the opportunity to blow fans away at Celebration in Chicago next year, it’s not a surprising move. However, just because Lucasfilm and Disney are quiet, doesn’t mean there aren’t Star Wars news topics to discuss.
Richard E. Grant Joins Episode IX Cast
Image via 20th Century Fox, Logan
Cast in an unidentifiable role, Richard E. Grant has joined with J.J. Abrams, Lucasfilm, and Disney for Episode IX. Grant is best known for his work in Logan and Game of Thrones, and yet, joining the Star Wars team has him full-on geeking out.
“J.J. was sitting with Daisy Ridley and said, ‘Hey! Great. Come in,” relates Grant while talking about joining Episode IX on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. So, you’re gonna do it?’ and I said, ‘Do what?’ And at this point, the room went upside-down, and I’m sure he was telling me in detail what part I was playing and what the character is called. I have no memory of that whatsoever. I just kept thinking: I might be in Star Wars. I kept waiting for them to say, ‘Well you’re going to come in and stand in for somebody else because we need somebody to test your height or your age or whatever.’ But no, they kept saying ‘So you are going to do this aren’t you?’ and I said, ‘Of course I’m going to do this.”
Reylo Spoiler Episode IX Rumor
Image via Raven-Punch deviantart.com
Love or hate the new saga trilogy, but you can’t deny the entertainment value behind the Reylo ship. J.J. Abrams set up it up in The Force Awakens and it sounds like he plans to resolve it in Episode IX. Special thanks to Raven-Punch for this amazing fan art.
The newest rumor concerning Reylo to hit the interweb involves a final duel between the two, with Rey besting Kylo. Apparently, this battle also leads to a redemption moment from Kylo Ren before passing on into the Force. While this sounds an awful lot like the final scene between Luke and Vader in Return of the Jedi, it has the potential to work. Plus, it’s not exactly a secret that Abrams likes to pull themes from the original trilogy.
A final battle between Rey and Kylo is what most fans want, and it’s sure to pack a visual punch. After all, a Kylo redemption arc seems inevitable. Having him turn back to the light side of the Force in his final moments seems fitting for one who idolized everything about Darth Vader.
Battlefront II Geonosis Leaked Image
Image via EA, Battlefront II, and Reddit user u/Dangercato
Things are heating up in Battlefront II, with the addition of General Grievous and an upcoming DLC Geonosis map. The sound glitch is fixed, and while there are still mechanical issues, the overall gameplay of Battlefront II is considerably better than it was at launch. Starship pilot players, however, are still patiently waiting for updates to Starfighter Assault.
Other noteworthy additions to Battlefront II in November include Obi-Wan Kenobi and 212th Attack Battalion clone soldiers skins. In addition to the Geonosis map are three new vehicles which include the STAP, BARC speeder, and the AT-TE.
Other Star Wars News
Image via Lucasfilm and Disney Studios
Life gets interesting when Star Wars news is quiet. Especially when pieces start popping up about Star Wars: The Clone Wars being canceled back in 2015 because of violent storylines and images. Grant it, this may have played a small role. But it didn’t matter because the real issue was all about a red tape contract dispute between Disney and Cartoon Network. Now that Disney has its streaming service on the way, it makes sense they would allow for it to return, targeting the older and mature fanbase.
In other Star Wars news, J.J. Abrams is fishing for a major blockbuster Hollywood contract. And some fans believe Disney might offer him up one within the Star Wars universe. Abrams, however, seems to already have an idea of what he wants to create. And it’s likely not related to Star Wars.
What’s got you the most excited this week in Star Wars news? Let us know in the comments below and tune in weekly for the Star Wars News Spiel only on Monkeys Fighting Robots. “May the Force be with you, always.”
On Sunday, DOCTOR WHO viewers saw more evidence of the preoccupation this series’ creative team appears to have with classic DOCTOR WHO fare. “Arachnids in the UK” was, more or less, a take on 1973’s “The Green Death” story arc, featuring Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor. Although the mutated animals were different this time — in “The Green Death” a toxic waste dump’s influence on the surrounding environment resulted in the appearance of gigantic maggots — the idea is basically the same. A company’s unsatisfactory environmental policies result in the rapid and extreme growth of the local creepy-crawlies.
DOCTOR WHO: “Arachnids in the UK” – Spiders v. Maggots
I’m not accusing the show’s writers and producers of being derivative. In a franchise that’s been around since the early ’60s, there’s bound to be some overlap. It’s important, though, to exhume an old idea only if there’s room for improvement. And, although “Arachnids in the UK” could be accused of being gimmicky, it did provide a contemporary and interesting stage for the environmental message and condemnation of corporate indifference that “The Green Death” featured back in the rebelliously groovy ’70s, baby! Yeah! Ahem…sorry.
DOCTOR WHO: “Arachnids in the UK” – Spiders v. Other Spiders
In addition to the similarities between “Arachnids in the UK” and “The Green Death,” this episode also bears similarities to 1974’s “Planet of the Spiders,” another Third Doctor classic that similarly features giant spiders.
Although both of the classic episodes I’ve mentioned used artistic and creative methods to represent their giant maggots and spiders, respectively, these two classics suffer from a lack of immediacy. The puppets back then just didn’t seem real, and, although CGI has a long way to go before it seems real, it can at least produce a reasonable facsimile of a monster chasing a victim. Mobile monsters are obviously an important element in a show where the main character tells people to run all the time.
DOCTOR WHO: “Arachnids in the UK” – “Grace, for you, the chase is over.”
“Arachnids in the UK” showed Graham grieving for his dead wife Grace, killed in “The Woman Who Fell to Earth.” But, rather than Graham’s grief being something that stops him from joining the crew of the TARDIS, along with Yaz and Ryan, he describes his grief as informing his decision. We all grieve differently, and I can’t think of a better way to do it than on an adventure through space and time.
DOCTOR WHO: “Arachnids in the UK” – Jacknald Trumpertson
In addition to giant spiders, this episode also featured manic billionaire investment tycoon turned 2020 US presidential candidate Jack Robertson, portrayed by none other than Mr. Big/Detective Logan himself, Chris Noth.
Noth’s character’s overall attitude was one of slimy indifference in this episode, but it was the trademark “You’re fired,” early on that solidified for me who Noth was really portraying by way of Jack Robertson. Donald Trump was even mentioned by name in the episode: Robertson hates Trump and wants him out of office.
This was the gimmick I referred to earlier. But, gimmicky though it might be to have a Trump proxy in an episode, that Robertson was a thoroughly unsympathetic character with all the wrong motivations allowed him to act as a kind of anti-Doctor.
DOCTOR WHO: “Arachnids in the UK” – “How many days of rain will we have now?”
Though Robertson wants to hunt each spider down and shoot it, the Doctor comes up with a more humane response. She herds the less giant spiders into a panic room, allowing the spiders to die naturally rather than being killed.
Still, she probably could’ve transported them to an uninhabited world or created a room for them in the TARDIS rather than euthanizing them. Ah well! There are plenty of giant spiders to go around.
Finally, the group confronts the mother spider. The Doctor determines that the spider’s immense size is making it difficult for the animal to breathe, but while the ragtag team is working out a solution to the problem, Jack Robertson walks in and shoots the mutant arachnid dead faster than you can say…well…“Jack Robertson.”
DOCTOR WHO: “Arachnids in the UK” – Team TARDIS
I’m glad to see that the Doctor has a solid team of companions now rather than just a trio of hangers-on. Ryan has yet to win me over, but I do like the other two. It’s always a treat to see how groups of companions form relationships and influence the plot.
DOCTOR WHO: “Arachnids in the UK” – Final Thoughts
Amazing famous guest actor aside, I thought “Arachnids in the UK” was a bit of a miss. Sure, the effects have improved since the days of “The Green Death,” but Jack Robertson was a weak proxy for President Trump. Noth did an admirable job with what he had — I especially liked his hand-washing. It’s just that Robertson was a bit thin as a character, but the character wasn’t quite thin enough to pass as a caricature either.
I like Jodie Whittaker as the 13th Doctor quite a bit. So far, though, her adventures have all stood on their own, not introducing characters or villains from previous iterations of the Doctor. I look forward to when series 11 gets to a point where the creative team stops being shy about going to the old character well.
Vault of Spiders #1 is a series of vignettes tied loosely into the broader Spider-Geddon event. Herein, we find four very different Spideys each doing their part to make the multiverse a better place.
These spider-stories don’t yet seem to have any direct impact on the broader event so far. It’s early, of course, and given that Spider-Geddon already involves plenty of timey-wimey stuff, we may yet see these figures find their way into the broader narrative. Even if not, they’re still some interesting takes on the standard web-slinging formula.
The Writing
Different authors take up writing duties for each of the four tales here. A brief prologue sees Karn scanning the different worlds in search of more spider-people to recruit, providing a framing device for the book.
Two stories in Vault of Spiders #1 borrow concepts inspired by the Ultimate Spider-Man animated series. First up is The Web-Slinger, a cartoonish spider-cowboy story about a Lone Ranger figure armed with web-blasting six shooters. The fourth tale, Savage Spider-Man, features a young Peter Parker raised by giant spiders in The Savage Land.
An original story, Spider-Byte, offers a world that seems based around a very early-90s impression of the future of the internet. People experience the world wide web (get it?) plugged-in to clunking VR headsets. We also meet a new spider-person, Margo, whom I’m hoping we’ll see later.
All three are engaging, though we don’t get to know our characters all that well. That said, I think the real standout story of Vault of Spiders #1 is Final Galaxy Battle! This one is based on the legendarily-weird, Super Sentai-styled Supaidāman live action series produced in Japan in the late-70s. The settings and dialogue mirror the original show’s off-the-wall vibe. Plus, any Spider-Man story involving the line: “Dictator! You were not democratically elected! You cannot extinguish the burning vigor of a man! I yearn for your destruction!” …is fine in my book.
The writing can feel a bit stilted through these four stories, and most of the plot points are completely absurd. However, that is a large part of the charm.
The Artwork
The visuals throughout Vault of Spiders #1 vary as much as the stories they illustrate. In The Web-Slinger, artist Javier Pulido and colorist Muntsa Vicente go for a very bright, cartoonish look with limited detailing. In contrast, artist Juan Gedeon goes for a more realistic, kinetic feel with Savage Spider-Man.
Spider-Byte is reminiscent of the look of Marvel’s Ultimate universe comics from the early-2000s, providing a nice throwback to match the story.
As with the writing, though, Final Galaxy Battle! stands out most among the tales. The artwork pays homage to classic mecha manga of the ‘80s, with stellar, stylized lettering work to match. It’s fun and flashy, and doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Final Thoughts
It’s unclear as of yet how much the characters introduced in Vault of Spiders #1 will play into the broader Spider-Geddon event. But even if they go unused in the narrative, it’s still a fun little batch of standalone stories. Nonessential, but I’d recommend it.
Spies in Disguise stars the voice of Will Smith as Lance Sterling, the world��s most awesome spy who has to team up with Walter, a gadget nerd voiced by Tom Holland to save the world. The animated Spies in Disguise comes to theaters in 2019.
About Spies in Disguise
Official Description: Lance and Walter. One is a super cool and charming spy, and the other invents the super cool gadgets Lance uses. When an event happens, they must learn to rely on each other like never before in order to save the world.
Spies in Disguise is loosely based on the animated short called Pigeon: Impossible which explains why Smith’s super-cool man-in-black hero turns into a bird halfway through the trailer. Debuting in the director’s chair are Nick Bruno & Troy Quane. Nick and Troy are no strangers to animation having worked on The Peanuts Movie, The Smurfs and much more. The trailer hits all the notes it’s supposed to, presenting an exciting, family-friendly adventure.
Will Smith as Lance Sterling
Tom Holland as Walter Beckett
Rashida Jones as Marcy Kappel
Karen Gillan as Eyes
DJ Khaled as Ears
Ben Mendelsohn
Masi Oka
Slick animation, Will Smith, and Tom Holland; what’s not to like here? Will Smith is doing his best Will Smith impersonation and Tom Holland sounds wholly unrecognizable as Smith’s nerdy tech friend. It’ll no doubt be a fun little action ride. However, the film’s release schedule has shifted three times now and it’s unclear when that fun ride will start. The film was set to release in January, then pushed back to April, and then pushed back again to September. Will it stay there? April would be suicide for this film as it would be going up against Hellboy, Shazaam!, and PetSematary. September seems like a much better time of the year for this film.
Did this trailer get you excited for Spies in Disguise? Leave your comments below!
Dark Horse brings fans of the Alien franchise a unique experience. 20th Century Fox Uncovered presents the unproduced screenplay of Alien 3 in comic book form. William Gibson, Johnnie Christmas and Tamra Bonvillain bring us the Aliens sequel we deserved.
The Aliens 3 film that we got is a well documented mess, but we’re not here to dive into that again. With this series we get to take a look at what could have been with Gibson’s unused 1987 screenplay.
Our story picks up right from Aliens and does so without killing all of the surviving character besides Ripley. We go in a totally different direction, leaving heavily into the “Marxist space empire” politics that exist.
This first issue sets up our new cast and setting, just barely giving us any of Ripley, Hicks, Bishop, or Newt. Right away there’s a familiar tone and atmosphere from Aliens that we didn’t get in 1992’s Alien 3.
Johnnie Christmas and Tamra Bonvillain do a wonderful job thrusting readers into a familiar landscape. William Gibson’s different direction for the sequel mixed with pleasing and nostalgic visuals makes for a satisfying reader experience.
While there isn’t a lot of emotion or acting on display with these characters, one major success the art achieves is in it’s texture. There are so many different surfaces throughout that all come across so real you can easily imagine what they would feel like on your hand. Johnnie Christmas does a stupendous job connecting the reader to how this world feels and looks.
For a screenplay from 1987 being adapted by artists in 2018, this is no disjointed effort. This feels like a comic book adaptation of the Alien 3 movie we never got, which is exactly what readers will be coming here for. This is only the tip of the iceberg, the screenplay itself was always lauded as being action-packed, there’s much more in store for readers the deeper we get into this story.
Whether you’re a fan or not of the final Alien 3 released in 1992, this will be an interesting experience. It’s a unique opportunity for fans of the franchise regardless of how they feel about David Fincher’s directorial debut.
The first issue of Alien 3 is a quiet setup more than anything, but one that perfectly establishes the tone and atmosphere fans want from the follow-up to Aliens. This is a one-of-a-kind experience for anyone with a love for xenomorphs.
The Curse Of Brimstone #8 hits your local comic book store on November 7, but thanks to DC Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive five-page preview for you.
The Curse Of Brimstone #8 is written by Justin Jordan, with art by Eduardo Pansica, Júlio Ferreira inked the book, with colors by Rain Beredo, and letters by Wes Abbott. Philip Tan worked on the cover with Beredo.
The art and panel design in these five-pages is off the charts! Jordan’s writing brings a sense of urgency, Pansica and Ferreira compound the emotion with the detail in the face of each character. When you break down the panels of the first five pages, the book becomes scary powerful.
About the issue: Talk about a horror show—and the demonic lead character ain’t even the half of it! Siblings Joe and Annie find themselves in a town terrorized by the omnipotently evil Bel Dame, who uses an army of the maimed undead to do her bidding—such as torturing Joe (a.k.a. Brimstone). The Bel Dame decides to teach our fiery hero a lesson in sacrifice, and it’s one so horrifying, it may just rip the brother-sister duo apart for good.
Check out the preview:
Do you have The Curse Of Brimstone on your pull list? Comment below with your thoughts.
Iron Sky The Coming Race is the sequel to the cult action-comedy film from 2012 that featured Nazi from the moon, and things here look delightfully crazier than ever.Iron Sky The Coming Race is set for release January 16, 2019.
About Iron Sky The Coming Race
Official Description: A follow-up to the film Iron Sky (2012) in which Nazis plan to take over the world after lying dormant in a secret military base on the moon.
A sequel Iron Sky was promised soon after the original film hit cult hit status but, as you can see, it took a while to get it done. The movie was largely crowdfunded through Indiegogo and required additional funding to finish effects shots, delaying its release. However, Wolfgang is back, and with him come dinosaurs, wild sci-fi action, the introduction of the Hollow Earth, and aliens. It’s a cornucopia of crazy here. Director and producer Timo Vuorensola returns along with actor Udo Kier. In for the fun is also Tom Green who apparently plays the leader of the “Jobsists” a religion centered around Steve Jobs. Gotta love it!
Julia Dietze as Renate Richter
Udo Kier as Wolfgang Kortzfleisch
Lara Rossi as Obi Washington
Tom Green as Donald
Stephanie Paul as the President of the United States
Jukka Hilden as Vril Jesus Christ
Kari Ketonen as Vril Vladimir Putin
Kit Dale as Malcolm
John Flanders as Gary
Ricky Watson as Steve Petersen
What is there to say? If you loved the original Iron Sky, then you’re going to want to see where they go with the next one. Watching a Nazi riding a dinosaur brings me great joy as a big fan of absurdist storytelling. Iron SkyThe Coming Race looks like it’s going to do what it’s supposed to do and just take the crazy of the first movie to new heights.
Did this trailer get you excited for Iron Sky The Coming Race? Leave your comments below!
Not since David Letterman has a late-night talk show host been on the cover of a Marvel comic book, but later in November, another talk show personality will be joining the ranks.
That’s right, the publisher has confirmed that Jimmy Kimmel will make an appearance in the fourth issue of West Coast Avengers, the awesome ongoing series by creators Kelly Thompson and Stefano Caselli, of which you absolutely should be reading.
The series assembles the avengers … on the West Coast! The squad includes both Hawkeye characters, Clint Barton and Kate Bishop, along with a guy named, Fuse, but also Miss America, aka America Chavez, Gwenpool and Kid Omega. The team has to figure out how to save the world because BIG things are heading out West, specifically, a huge giant version of Tigra (and a few of her supersized friends as well).
In West Coast Avengers #4, the ‘Superheroes of the West’ will have a sit with Kimmel on his show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and, judging by the exclusive preview below, it doesn’t look like the visit will go very well for Kate Bishop.
Look for West Coast Avengers #4 to land on shelves on November 21.
What do you think, is this the first of many appearances for the late-night talk show personality? What should his superhero costume look like? What other hosts would you like to see in the pages of Marvel Comics? Let us know in the comments section below.
