While the first episode of Succession was effective in setting the series up for success, this weeks episode felt like the polar opposite.
What was so striking about the newest show to join HBO is how well written it seemed and the chemistry between each cast members appeared to be fantastic. Where did the show go wrong?
Jessie Armstrong (the shows creator) had appeared to be setting up the season for just an onslaught of family bickering, backstabbing, and even a bit of debauchery. It had seemed to me that Succession (which airs Sunday nights at 10 pm) was destined for future success.
Instead, last night’s second episode was the perfect combination of tedium and melodramatics.
Jeremy Strong, photo credit: Peter Kramer/HBO
The narrative behind Succession’s second episode centered around Logan (Brian Cox) and how each child wanted to handle his illness. For those who missed the first episode, Logan fell ill during the chopper ride home and was rushed to a hospital.
As time ticks away, the board members are pestering the children for a plan of succession (in the event of his passing). Without a plan, the value of Wayster Royco would plummet rapidly. Greg (Nicholas Braun) still isn’t sure where his place is in the family. Kendall (Jeremy Strong) is desperately trying to get his siblings to support his plan of being the acting CEO.
Eventually, the family grows tired of his pleas and agrees to their brother’s idea. Just as he is taking a moment to reflect on the events of the day, the general counsel Gerri Kellman (J. Smith-Cameron) gives Kendall some shocking news.
To say the writing in last night’s episode was uninspired would be an understatement. It appeared as if Succession’s second episode had parts of it ripped from a soap opera. Most of the story-line in Sunday night’s episode was extremely predictable and didn’t reflect what Armstrong had crafted last week.
Nothing was going to alter what was going on with Logan so spare me the banter questioning the medical team. The intrigue of Succession comes from each member of Logan’s family being manipulative. Based on last weeks episode, the Roy’s should have been less somber and more cutthroat.
Kieran Culkin and J. Smith Cameron, photo credit: Peter Kramer/HBO
The chemistry in last night’s episode of Succession was non-existent for about 99% of the episode. Most of the time we were subjected to discussions about flowers, doctors, slippers, and smelling a sweater. It appeared as if they were going through the motions. The only notable exception to this would be Kiernan Culkin who is the most charismatic cast member through two episodes.
While Succession was a disappointment last night, folks should sit tight with this show and let’s see how it all plays out. Not every episode is going to be a winner, but let’s hope that this isn’t a sign of things to come.
Geoff Johns will be stepping down as President and Chief Creative Officer of DC Entertainment in order to “focus on creative matters full time,” which includes writing and producing 2020’s Green Lantern Corps film.
According to a DC press release, as part of an exclusive writer/producer deal with Warner Bros, Johns is launching Mad Ghost Productions “to create content across multiple divisions of the Studio, including films, television and comic books, based on current DC properties as well as new and reimagined IP.”
Under this new deal, one of Johns’ first film projects will be Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Green Lantern Corps,” based on his New York Timesbestselling series that saw an impressive nine-year run…
Johns will write and be a producer on the film. Additionally, he co-wrote and executive produced “Aquaman,” which releases worldwide December 21, and is writing and executive producing the second installment of the “Wonder Woman” franchise with director Patty Jenkins, releasing in November 2019.
“I took on a role at DCE because I love the characters and this universe more than anything. But, I want to spend my days writing and on set. I’m thrilled to get back to a more hands-on creative role. It’s a dream job on dream projects, reaching even deeper into DC’s vast pantheon of characters,” said Johns. “I’m also excited to continue to work with the amazing team at DCE and my colleagues at Warner Bros.”
“Geoff is a super talented writer and truly embedded in the DC Universe and its characters,” said Toby Emmerich, Chairman, Warner Bros. Pictures Group. “We’re thrilled that he’s returning to his passion and his roots as a writer and producer. And, it’s even better that he’s staying in our Warner Bros. family. We look forward to working with him on ‘Green Lantern’ and other projects going forward.”
“Geoff is one of DC Comics’ most prolific writers, and we can’t wait to see what he does next now that he will be dedicating 100 percent of his time to telling the best DC stories possible across all media,” said DiDio and Lee. “The new publishing projects we are working on together will be instant fan-favorites.”
Jim Lee will expand his role to include the Chief Creative Officer title and responsibilities, while continuing to act as co-Publisher alongside Dan DiDio.
These announcements were made today by Thomas Gewecke, Chief Digital Officer and Executive Vice President, Strategy and Business Development, who is serving as DC’s interim head.
Sherri Chung is a musician and singer responsible for some of the amazing music heard across many of the shows on the CW including Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, and Riverdale.
If you watch enough TV on the CW, then you’re likely familiar with the name Blake Neely. The composer spearheads A LOT of CW shows (as well as shows on other networks). However, behind every great leader is a right-hand-man or woman or two. Helping to create the soundscapes of the CW-verse is Sherri Chung, a wildly talented musician.
“I was always kind of writing in my head.”
Sherri Chung’s career started in 2009 and is only just getting started as she takes on more and more roles within the CW stable of shows. As a part of Riverdale, Sherri’s role expands even more. Monkeys Fighting Robots spoke to Sherri about her career, how she arrived at Riverdale and where she’s going next.
Classical music was the starting point for young Sherri “Before the age of 12 I was studying classical piano. I was involved in a lot of church groups, musical groups, and music camps where I really studied a lot about music theory and conducting.”
But creative energy existed somewhere, even if she didn’t wholly understand it just yet “I was always kind of writing in my head.”
“That’s what I want to do!”
Like all callings, all Sherri needed was a spark to get things started “I didn’t really know much about movie scoring until about that age of 12. Then I saw this movie with this really amazing score by Michael Kamen, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. I was so moved by the score.”
“That’s what I want to do!” Sherri says with an exuberance only a memory like that can create.
However, there was still a lot of work to do. “But I had no idea how to do that or how it was going to happen.”
The truth about any passionate endeavor is that, to get good at it, you have to do it. A lot. And study. “I did undergrad in composition and theory then moved out to LA, to do the graduate program at USC for film scoring.”
“That’s where I got a taste for the pace of TV; the production schedule and the demands of that.”
With knowledge in hand, now comes application and experience “I worked on FamilyGuy and AmericanDad. I was an assistant to Walter Murphy … it was a really awesome learning experience. While I was doing that I was working on a lot of films, short films, and jingles which I really love to write actually.”
Sherri’s work with Walter Murphy expanded into a more prominent role “I was able to start orchestrating for those shows, for Walter. I worked with him for about seven years and was orchestrating for the majority of that time.”
And there is no greater teacher than experience “That’s where I got a taste for the pace of TV; the production schedule and the demands of that.”
“It’s a big departure from the fictional narrative of the shows.”
Here, Sherri meets Blake and the rest is super-history “I started with Blake when he was doing the Supergirl pilot. Blake gave me a call and said ‘hey I want you to be a part of what I’m doing.’”
From one super-verse to the next “Another superhero show Blake started that year was Legends of Tomorrow, so I worked on that as well.”
Sherri work on the CW is focused on Riverdale now while she also works with Blake on Blindspot for NBC. But with both shows taking a summer break, what’s coming next “I worked on a documentary, a two-parter, that’s coming out this summer. It’s a big departure from the fictional narrative of the shows.”
“There are so many of the iconic names …”
Taking another step away from the TV and film scoring world “I’m actually working on an album this summer.”
As a pianist who sings and scores TV shows, what’s the album going to sound like? “The style that I have is kind of a cabaret-ish jazz …” She laughs. “We’ll see … I’m going on a sort of artist’s retreat, diving deep, and coming up for air with hopefully some good songs.”
Without fail, I ask every composer to share the name of a composer working today that they admire “There are so many of the iconic names like John Williams and James Newton Howard. Dario Marianelli is the one I’ll pick. He does these beautiful piano scores. He did the one for Atonement and the score he did for Pride and Prejudice. His work is so beautiful and moving.”
“Being an artist of any kind means you draw upon life.”
– Sherri Chung
Bloodshot Salvation #10 starts “The Book of Revelations” story arc, and throws Ray two thousand years into the future to 4001.
While Bloodshot navigates the future to pay his debt to Baron Samedi, Magic reunites with their daughter Jesse in the present, now mysteriously older. They don’t have much time to rejoice, however, because Project Rising Spirit isn’t quite dead, and they want their “property” back.
You might think that Jeff Lemire has been writing a badass, violent action comic about an unstoppable killing machine. You’d be wrong. Well, you’d be right, but you’d also be missing the point. He’s writing a comic about parenthood masquerading as a badass, violent action comic, about two people who would do anything to protect their daughter.
Jesse and Magic are Bloodshot’s titular salvation. This whole series has been about him trying to protect them and hold on to what they’ve got. “Book of Revelations” takes that one step further. It’s splitting the story into two timelines, and now both Ray and Magic have to do their part to protect Jesse in different ways. Lemire is actually telling a very sweet story in Bloodshot Salvation, beneath all the blood.
And he’s doing it in a way that’ll make even the toughest comic reader say, “that’s fucking metal.”
Admittedly, not a ton happens in this issue. It’s a lot of setup for what’s to come in this arc. But if what we do get is any indication, “The Book of Revelations” is going to be wild.
Doug Braithwaite on art is a notable departure from Renato Guedes’ work on the previous arc. Whereas Guedes’ art bordered on photorealism, Braithwaite’s is much more traditional comic book. And yet, Braithwaite still draws everything with a tremendous attention to detail, especially the characters. Most of their faces hold a lot of detail, making them look somewhat beaten down and rough. This works very well for a character like Bloodshot in contrast to young Jesse, who Braithwaite draws in a much cleaner, more innocent way.
Jordie Bellaire’s coloring prowess is once again on display here. (When is it not?) Her work sets the tone for not only each scene, but each setting. One look at each page and you know the feeling that the creative team wants to convey, and that’s the mark of good coloring.
Bloodshot Salvation only has two issues left, and that will end Lemire’s seminal run on the character. Issue #10 is not a bad jumping on point if you still want to get on this train before it leaves for good.
The great thing about a medium like webcomics is it can be used for anything, and any story, and that’s precisely what our interviewee of the day has done with Champs. Mharz joins us today from the Philippines to talk about her webcomic, which follows a lesbian boxer as she pursues a fellow ring fighter who’s won her heart.
CHAMPS – Mharz
Dunstan: Let’s start with the obvious – what got you into art in general, and webcomics specifically?
Mharz: I’ve enjoyed drawing ever since I was a kid. My initial dream was to become an animator. I love to create cool characters just like I see in the animes I watch. When I got to work in animation, I realized that creating a full season anime will take forever if you’re just one person and that’s where I found out about webcomics so I gave it a shot and I ended up totally enjoying creating webcomics.
Dunstan: A lot of webcomics are autobiographical, fantasy or slice-of-life. What inspired you to draw a comic about boxing?
Mharz: I am very fascinated with strong women. I really don’t like females being portrayed as weak damsels. Also, most sports/fighting comics have male leads, and even if females get the lead, they are mostly portrayed as a “fanservice” (you know what I mean), so I thought wouldn’t it be cool if females engage in a tough sport like MMA and they have all the spotlight? No fanservice just strong girls proving their skills and also being sweet and fluffy to the person and things they love. So that’s how I ended up thinking of CHAMPS.
Dunstan: What’s your process for CHAMPS like, from idea to posting the final page?
Mharz: I usually write the plots first in the good ‘ol fashioned notebook. Then I make thumbnails/storyboards of the pages. Writing usually takes the longest because I consider myself a more art-oriented creator so writing pretty much consumes way too much brain power for me. Once the thumbnails are finished, I can finally coop myself in and focus on drawing the actual pages. I usually do it per chapter and build an insane amount of buffer so I can post consistently even if I don’t work on it for months.
Dunstan: Has finding an audience been difficult, or have you managed to find your niche?
Mharz: It’s always been a struggle for me. I’ve been working with webcomics for four years now and gaining audience for me is a very slow crawl. I’d be the first one to admit, that my marketing skills is pretty much lackluster. Sadly, there’s only so much I can without getting in a pinch financially and without getting burnt out. I just try my best and keep going and hope that someone with a lot of clout will give me a chance.
Dunstan: Why a webcomic rather than a traditional graphic novel?
Mharz: For someone like me who doesn’t know anyone big in the industry, webcomics gave me the opportunity to be able to share my ideas and stories to people. Especially people across the globe. Also I don’t have the resources and financial support to be able to do it the traditional graphic novel way.
Dunstan: Representation is a hot topic in media right now. What does it mean to you, regarding writing lesbian representation and Filipino characters?
Mharz: I certainly can’t remember the last thing I read with a Filipino woman as a central character. I’m honestly not sure if you’ll stumble upon a work that has a Filipino character unless the writer is Filipino themselves. Locally, there are tons for sure, but internationally, it’s gonna be unlikely. I do want to share our culture to the people outside the country. We have so many cool things here like food and such and hopefully, through Tala I can. Writing lesbian story is something that makes me happy. I am actually more attracted to women than men, and I love reading romance stories about two women.
Dunstan: How can readers and interested folks support you?
Thanks so much to Mharz for her time! This is the second in the series of webcartoonist #PrideMonth interviews – check out the first interview with Melissa Capriglione of Falconhyrste here.
This issue of Green Lanterns lays out a mystery that shows off Jessica’s grown skill.
The last story arc for the Green Lanterns was arguably the series’ best arc. Jessica Cruz was able to face her demons in a nightmare world with Simon. They are trials and tribulations have made both characters stronger, as well as end the threat of the all too dangerous Singularity Jain. This was also the finale to Tim Seeley’s time on the book, which he had been covering since issue 33. Issue 50 will see a new team lead by Dan Jurgens, but we have one more adventure before that. So what story does guest writer Aaron Gillespie want to give our Green Lanterns?
**Some Spoilers Below**
Story:
We find our hero, Jessica Cruz standing amidst a destroyed city block on an alien planet. She has no idea how she got there, but a fellow Green Lantern places her under arrest. She took part in the destruction of the block and has stirred the Corps enough to have them all come after her. Realizing there is more to the story, Jessica manages to escape and begins to investigate what had transpired before her blackout.
This story is a bizarre version of The Fugitive in space. The significant difference, however, is that it’s clear she is guilty, but we don’t know why. We get a few hints throughout, but the thick of it is Jess on the run. Halfway through, she has to leave her ring behind and, surprisingly, she is incredibly resourceful. It is interesting to see her get out of situations without her ring, as we only have seen her with it. It’s fun and almost makes me forget that we get very few answers. We’ll be getting the truth next issue, but after seeing Jessica go through so much, you’d hope to learn something. Sadly we don’t, but thankfully we won’t have to wait long.
Art:
While I might have had a problem with the story, the art was top notch. Ronan Cliquet is the illustrator of the issue, and he did a fantastic job. The designs of the aliens that Jessica encounter are creative and interesting to look at. The constructs are also a highlight thanks to the wonderful detail they are given. This fantastic art from Cliquet is wrapped up neatly with the masterful colors of Ulises Arreola Palomera. This team worked their magic on this story, and it looks great.
Conclusion:
This is one of those stories you need both to truly enjoy. Showing off how much Jessica has grown is fun to see, but it sacrificed learning more of what happened. There could have been an equal balance of the investigation and our rookie being amazing. The art makes it look great, but there’s sense of something missing that will eat at you.
Monkeys Fighting Robots chatted with superstar artist Jock recently at MegaCon Orlando, and got to talk about cover art versus interior art, his and Scott Snyder’s creator-owned comic Wytches, and how he brings out such strong emotion in his artwork.
Watch the full interview here:
You’re known for your covers. Do you prefer doing cover art over interior work?
Jock: No, not really. They’re both very different. I feel different things about both of them. Interior work is very hard work. It’s a grind drawing story pages. But if I had time off from drawing interior pages, then I’d miss telling stories, basically, because covers are just making images. There’s something very unique about telling a story, having sequential images that create an overall effect. That’s a different thing. So no, I don’t really prefer one or the other, they’re just, they just feel different.
How has cover art evolved over the course of your career?
Jock: I think it’s amazing. I started doing covers for DC probably about 13 years ago or something like that and I was more interested in doing design-led covers, hopefully a bit more interesting kind of placement and negative space and things that I was lucky enough to try on The Losers at Vertigo that you maybe couldn’t do on a more mainstream superhero book. But I feel like since then covers have just got better and better and better because people have access to… computers have helped a lot. But also just in general, there seems to be much more creativity in covers I think these days than there was back then. Which I think is brilliant.
Can you give us an update on when fans can expect the next volume of Wytches?
Jock: Yeah, of course. Yeah. I’m sorry for the delay. It was mainly my fault. I got offered to work on Star Wars: The Last Jedi, so I went to work on that for nearly a year, which is what halted us going straight from Wytches [Volume] 1 to Wytches [Volume] 2, but we’re drawing it now. There’s a story called “Bad Egg”, which is appearing in IMAGE+, and we’re collecting that this Halloween. And then I’ve got 10 pages of that left to draw, and then we go straight on to season two of Wytches. So it’s happening. And I’m sorry for the delay.
When do you think season two will be out?
Jock: Uh, I can’t say yet, but I would guess, um, early next year, I would think? But don’t hold me to that. (Laughs.)
Why do you think the horror genre has seen a resurgence in comics recently?
Jock: I’m not sure. When we set out to do [Wytches], I was nervous because it’s hard to do a good horror comic, you know. If you’re in a movie theater, you’re kind of at the mercy of the film playing in front of you. But with a comic, you can put it down, you can skim the pages, you can do all sorts. So one of my main concerns was whether Wytches could be scary.
It is.
Jock: Well thank you, one of the nicest things is when people say it’s genuinely scary. So, uh, yeah, I dunno. I’ve always loved horror. If there’s more good horror now, that’s all good as far as I’m concerned. I don’t know why culturally that’s happening. Maybe the way the political landscape lends itself to more horror? Who knows?
How do you build emotional texture in your artwork?
Jock: I think if you’re honest about it and you approach it in an honest way, you know, then that’s where the emotion comes from. I think it depends what you’re trying to get across. With the Joker image [behind him], I wanted it to be as horrific as I could make it. So I don’t know, it’s hard to say. It’s like a natural sort of instinct, I suppose, is what I go for. I try and do something that I would think could be creepy and then hopefully someone else would feel that creepiness as well. With the Joker, I was definitely going for that something kind of dark and twisted.
Thanks again to Jock for taking the time to talk with us. Wytches volume one is available now, and you can read “Bad Egg” monthly in IMAGE+ magazine.
Tag is a new buddy comedy starring Ed Helms, Jake Johnson, Hannibal Buress, Jon Hamm, and Jeremy Renner hitting theaters June 15.
Warner Bros. held a press day on Monday, and we spoke with Helms, Johnson, and Buress. In the conversation, Johnson had a great story about working with Brian Dennehy, who plays his father in the film. Buress, also chimed in to round the tale.
Watch the complete interview below.
Here is play-by-play of the Dennehy story:
Johnson – Who was the name of the wrapper, again?
Buress – Serengeti!
Johnson – There’s a great Serengeti rap song about Brian Dennehy and it’s all about Chicago and I love the song and I was very excited to play it for, Brian Dennehy.
I said, “Sir, there’s a Chicago rap song and the line is, “favorite actor Dennehy.”
He goes, “Oh yeah?”
I go, “Yeah, can I play it for you?”
He goes, “No!”
(laughter from the group.)
Even though it was a bad moment, that was my favorite of the experience.
Buress – I tried to play him the song too! I was like, there’s this song Dennehy. I actually started playing, it and before it got to the hook, he said, “I got it.” It’s a great song, it’s your name.
Johnson – I tried to do the chorus with the crew a little bit and he was not having the DENNEHY SONG.
Serengeti – Dennehy
About the film:
One month every year, five highly competitive friends hit the ground running in a no-holds-barred game of tag they’ve been playing since the first grade—risking their necks, their jobs, and their relationships to take each other down with the battle cry “You’re It!” This year, the game coincides with the wedding of their only undefeated player, which should finally make him an easy target. But he knows they’re coming… and he’s ready. Based on a true story, “Tag” shows how far some guys will go to be the last man standing.
Tag is directed by Jeff Tomsic, from a screenplay by Rob McKittrick and Mark Steile, and stars Ed Helms, Jake Johnson, Annabelle Wallis, Hannibal Buress, Isla Fisher, Rashida Jones, Leslie Bibb, with Jon Hamm and Jeremy Renner.
Tag hits theaters June 15.
TAG: Jon Hamm Talks About His Love Of Comic Books And Bill Sienkiewicz
James McAvoy, beloved by geek culture for his role as young Professor Xavier in the X-Men film series, is playing Lord Asriel in the BBC’s new adaptation of His Dark Materials. After a failed movie attempt in 2007, fans have been worried that Philip Pullman’s fantasy trilogy would never see the screen again. However, James McAvoy joins a growing and well-established cast in what is shaping up to be an excellent version of Pullman’s work.
The BBC announced their adaptation of His Dark Materials earlier this year, and the project includes former Doctor Who producers Julie Gardner and Jane Tranter. The project also brings Tom Hooper, director of the Les Miserables feature film, on board.
Other casting decisions include Lin-Manuel Miranda as Lee Scoresby (whoa!), Logan star Dafne Keen as the main character Lyra Belacqua and Ruth Wilson from The Affair as the deadly and beautiful Mrs. Coulter. As of yet, no news on who’s playing the bear.
His Dark Materials: Why The First One Flopped
The 2007 adaptation of The Golden Compass, first book in the trilogy, failed tremendously. Mainly, it ignored the core themes of the book. While we won’t spoil the ending of the first book, it’s deeply unsettling and ties into the trilogy as a whole. By changing it, the movie did an incredible injustice to Lyra as a character and to Pullman’s writing.
As a result, while physically beautiful, the movie was soulless. Furthermore, there was nowhere to go with it, since the ending had been so drastically altered.
Ultimately, this adaptation could have the best cast in the world, and the writing may not hold up. However, the increased flexibility offered by long-form storytelling and television will hopefully give them the room that they need.
(And I, personally, can’t wait for the casting of Serafina Pekkala. Bring on the Witch Queen!)
What do you think about the upcoming BBC His Dark Materials?
As newly appointed movie editor of this here site, I knew from the off that I would want to contribute a regular column, a standing destination for any editorial op-ed topic that I felt inspired to respond to. And so Franchise Opportunities was born.
Every cinephile nowadays knows that we’re living in a franchise-driven world. In the past, stars like Tom Cruise, Will Smith and Julia Roberts guaranteed a studio would make bank at the box office, but today’s big money-makers are Star Wars, Marvel Studios and, well, other Disney-owned properties. So keep an eye on this column for my thoughts on what the future may hold for your favorite film franchises. That being said, on to our maiden FO voyage…
The past week has been a treasure trove of new trailers, but while Ralph Breaks the Internet and Halloween no doubt have inspired much excitement from their respective fanbases, the one that really stood out to me — much to my surprise — was the first trailer for Bumblebee, the upcoming prequel/spin-off to Michael Bay’s Transformers franchise.
Growing up in the ’80s and ’90s, I developed a long-standing fandom with many of the pop cultural touchstones of the era. Masters of the Universe, Ghostbusters, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers all ruled my world at various points. Yet, one of the biggest franchises (and, honestly, toy lines) that never captured my attention as a kid was Transformers. So, when Bay’s film adaptation came out in 2007, I was pretty indifferent to the whole thing. Barely able to tell the difference between an Autobot and a Decepticon, I shrugged off all the hype and came at it from the simple hope that the idea of robot aliens who transform into various vehicles could make for a fun time at the movies.
Even with that low bar, I was underwhelmed by the film and absolutely detested its horrid sequel, 2009’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Although the continued financial success mystified me, I assumed nostalgia was simply blinding the core fanbase in the same way I will halfheartedly defend the recent Bay-produced TMNT films. With no connection to the fate of Optimus Prime (and certainly not the series’ awful human characters), I decided to sit out the rest of the films. It was no big loss to me that the Transformers films turned out to be such an incomprehensible mess.
Over the subsequent near-decade, the franchise has devolved into a punchline in the film criticism community, and fans have apparently begun coming around to critics’ side, as the fourth and fifth films in the franchise are the lowest-grossing domestic earners of the bunch. Even as Hasbro and Paramount mount plans for a whole Transformers shared universe, the series has remained firmly entrenched in my Things-that-Are-Clearly-Not-Meant-for-Me list, alongside perceived dreck like the Fifty Shades franchise.
Then something funny happened. News about Bumblebee began to creep out into the world, and I began to think it could actually (maybe) be a decent film. After all, I did consider the character to be a rare bright spot of the first one. But the fact that Bay would not be directing the film is what truly inspired my first ray of hope. Director Travis Knight may be a newcomer to live-action filmmaking, but when your debut feature is the gorgeous and stirring Kubo and the Two Strings, you have earned my full attention.
Couple that with Oscar nominee Hailee Steinfeld — who wowed me in The Edge of Seventeen, one of 2016’s best films — in the lead and the 1980s setting, which itself ties directly into the very roots of the franchise itself. Before long, it became apparent that Transformers was at last going for something very different from Bay’s mind-numbingly dumb and offensive approach to a property that should have always been right up my alley.
With all that in mind, I watched the Bumblebee trailer buzzing (yeah, I did) with cautious optimism, and thankfully, the film does appear — at least thus far — to present an opportunity for a fresh start for the Transformers franchise. The period setting lends itself to a throwback vibe that neatly dovetails into the E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial meets The Iron Giant tale the film looks to be telling. Such a franchise-wide rehabilitation is certainly in order, and Paramount is likely waiting to see if it pays off before deciding where to take the franchise next. According to reports, the studio has removed its seventh Transformers film from its release schedule. So no pressure Bumblebee, but you’d better earn back that audience goodwill in a jiffy.
At least based on this first trailer, the Transformers franchise could be on the mend. Whether Bumblebee is the first in a series of spin-off films or the final entry before a full-on reboot, it has the makings of a film that could successfully bring together a promising filmmaker, a solid cast — John Cena looks to be playing the governmental antagonist opposite Steinfeld and her robotic pal — and significantly improved visual effects to be the first Transformers film to actually win over the series’ harshest critics, like myself. Even though its story may hit some familiar beats, perhaps an Amblin-inspired Transformers film is the first step toward making the franchise, much like its titular heroes, more than it appears to be.
Of course, we’ll find out for certain whether Bumblebee is actually a step up for Transformers or simply another red herring when the film hits theaters on December 21, 2018. For now, consider me legitimately interested in a Transformers film for the first time in over a decade.
Agree or disagree with my thoughts? Comment below to let me know or chat movies with me on Twitter @crookedtable!
