The Godfather, Cyberpunk films, and more at the Academy Museum!

 The Academy Museum is the place for movie lovers exhibiting classic movies like Casablanca (1942), Cyberpunk cinema including Tron (1982), and powerful films like The Godfather (1972)! The second floor had a central room that was not open for Cyberpunk: Envisioning Possible Futures Through Cinema. It did continue on the third floor, but this exhibition runs to April 12, 2026 so there is enough time to return. The promise of the exhibition is exploring the sci fi subgenre of cyberpunk through 25 films. At the far right hall was the Significant Movies and Filmmakers section which began with Casablanca! To the left is Sam’s green piano from La Belle Aurore, the text noted that Dooley Wilson (Sam) was a drummer and he mimed playing the piano! 

Original desk and chair from The Godfather and the recreated set from The Offer, Academy Museum, author’s photo. 

Across the way is Sam’s piano from Cafe Americain and then doors that were the entrance to the cafe. Against a wall was Ingrid Bergman’s diary, My Interest in Theater. Some pages show the translation form Bergman’s Swedish. Next to it is the prop passport of Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid). The Main Title musical score by Max Steiner, who did not like “As Time Goes By”, is shown. This exhibit will close on January 4, 2026. I went a little further to the section on Boyz  N The Hood: Increase the Peace. The 1991 drama, written and directed by John Singleton, was powerful. There were polaroids, I really like the nameplate and stress balls of Furious Styles (Laurence Fishburne), and the hat of Doughboy (Ice Cube). The exhibition will also close on January 4, 2026, you still have time! 

This all leads to Academy Awards History. A sort of reversal from my earlier visit. This has the circular room filled with Academy Awards from many movies. The next room has Academy Award programs and other material from the ceremony. I took note of Naomie Harris’ gown since there was a note about sustainale design, “inspired by volcanic lava flow”, and one of the materials was “recycled candy wrappers”! This leads to the room on Story with a sequence from Rebecca (1940) directed by Alfred Hitchcock. This includes the original novel, outline, and shooting script. The highlight though was walking through The Art of Moviemaking: The Godfather. There was a page from the script and then seven costumes from film plus Fredo’s fedora. 

Costumes from The Godfather movies, photo by the author. 

Some of them were the orange dress of Kay Adams (Diane Keaton), her colors become more subdued during the film, then the tan suit of Michael Corleone (Al Pacino), the suit of Vito Corleone (Robert De Niro) from The Godfather Part II (1974). A section shows the Corleone office with the original desk and chair with the recreated set from The Offer (2022). It really feels like walking into the office of Don Corleone. On the other side is Hair and Makeup showing the work of Dick Smith. This shows two casts of Marlon Brando’s head and the teeth appliance. There was a display of director, Francis Ford Coppola, I was also stunned by the cast list which shows Peter Falk as Moe Green! In a case was the horse’s head! Against the far wall was the neon sign of Louis Italian-American Restaurant. 

Next was a section on music with pages by Nino Rota and the mandolin used to play music for the film. There is editing equipment and a camera. Publicity posters including one exclusive to the Academy Museum store. It is one of the most comprehensive exhibits on a movie. The Godfather exhibit closes soon on January 5, 2025. A must for anyone who like The Godfather. The following section has film costumes. Some of the standouts was the suit of Prince Akeem (Eddie Murphy) from Coming to America (1988), the pink suit from Elvis (2023) worn by Austin Butler, and the costumes from Titanic (1997) of Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose (Kate Winslet). On the third floor, the room at the end had Hollywoodland: Jewish Founders and the Making of a Movie Capital. This had a map that pointed out Hollywood through the years and panels that focused on studios like RKO, Universal, and Warner Bros. 

The Tron costume of Ram (Dan Shor), the former actuarial program, author’s photo. 

The middle room continued with the Cyberpunk exhibit. Around the corner was the full costume of Ram (Dan Shor) fron Tron (1982). Also, two pieces of artwork from the movie. On display from Strange Days (1995) was the headset,, Super-conducting Quantum Interference Device (S.Q.U.I.D.), face and props from Ex Machina (2015), and a matte painting of Los Angeles from The Running Man (1987). These are all interesting, but I keep wondering about the second floor displays with the rest of the films. On the far left is the door to Inventing Worlds and Characters: Animation. This had the Trash Tower maquette in a display case, maquette of Eve and Wall-E 3D model from the Pixar film, Wall-E (2008). On the opposte wall was drawings of the setting and characters. Along the left wall is the large set of Geppetto’s workshop from Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022).  

#AcademyMuseum, #Cyberpunk, #Casablanca, #DooleyWilson, #IngridBergman, #PaulHenreid, #MaxSteiner, #BoyzNTheHood, #JohnSingleton, #AcademyAwards, #NaomieHarris, #Rebecca, #AlfredHitchcock, #TheGodfather, #FrancisFordCoppola, #DianeKeaton, #AlPacino, #RobertDeNiro, #MarlonBrando, #GodfatherPartII, #TheOffer

#DickSmith, #NinoRota, #ComingToAmerica, #EddieMurphy, #Elvis, #AustinButler, #Titanic, #LeonardoDiCaprio, #KateWinslet, #Hollywoodland, #Tron, #DanShor, #StrangeDays, #ExMachina, #TheRunningMan, #WallE, #GuillermodelTorosPinocchio 

Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim Review!

A Lord of the Rings prequel told in anime form that introduces Héra, the daughter of Rohan ruler, Helm Hammerhand! The Two Towers (2002) focused on Rohan, the land of the horse lords, and Eowyn, daughter of Theoden. This film mines the appendix of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Return of the King (1955), specifically Appendix A, Part II, The House of Eorl. “To one of these councils Freca rode witrh many men, and he asked the hand of Helm’s daughter for his son Wulf.” This is similar to the approach of the Amazon Prime show, Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, taking material from the appendixes, in their case, from the Second Age. It is Helm’s daughter, but she is not given a name. 

Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim is directed by Kenji Kamiyama who directed and wrote the short, “The Ninth Jedi” (2021) for Star Wars: Visions. It has a story by Phillipa Boyens who also co-wrote the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films. The other story writers are Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews who created and wrote for the show, The Dark Crystal Age of Resistance (2019). Matthews and Addis co-wrote the screenplay that also includes Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou, who co-directed and co-wrote The Sorrows (2013).  The animation is by Sola Entertainment which also worked on the Blade Runner: Black Lotus series, directed by Kamiyama, that spun out of Blade Runner 2049 (2017). 

The movie is 2 hours, 14 minutes long! The last anime released was The Colors Within with a run time of 1 hr, 40 min. so 34 minutes. shorter! It really feels like a six episode OVA and should have been released with three episodes and the rest put on streaming. The film opens with the LoTR theme by Howard Shore who also provided the theme for Rings of Power. The music is by Stephen Gallagher who composed the music for The Sorrows. We see a Middle-Earth map meld into the animation of Rohan, interesting. Two of the Great Eagles flying over the White Mountains. One has brown feathers and the other is white, I assume the female of the pair. There is narration that is by Eowyn (Miranda Otto) who tells of Rohan 200 before the War of the Ring. Two other voices from LoTR are Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan! Eowyn adds that there are other tales that were forgotten. 

This moves to Héra (Gaia Wise) riding her horse. Wise starred in the bio pic, A Walk in the Woods (2015). Héra has red hair and rides in like Merida in Brave (2012). The character is interesting since there are few women protagonists in LoTR, but her character is wildly inconsistent. Warrior princess hacking down warriors left and right and then helpless at other times. She reaches the top of a cliff and the animation is strange the horse’s hooves look seperate from the rocks, no shadows, it looks odd. Héra takes out a large drumstick and then swings it in a throw that is caught by the white Great Eagle. The drumstick makes me think of the giant chicken, a prehistoric Phorusrhacos, from Mysterious Island (1961). She glides before Héra who reaches out to touch her beak, then flies away. Héra has an unusual way of riding with her hands at the side, not before the saddle, and she says she is the fastest rider. 

There is “The King of the Golden Hall” theme as Héra reaches Edoras, capital of Rohan, and rides to the stable. At the stable is her young brother, Hama (Yazdan Qafouri), playing a harp and singing “Hama’s Song.” Qafouri was in the thriller, I Came By (2022). At the other side are black horses with marks on their foreheads. These are the horses of the Dunlendings, this is the tribes that had later allied with Saraman to raid the villages of the Westmark. They are met by Olwyn (Lorraine Ashbourne), Héra’s guardian. Ashbourne had a cameo as a theatre actor in King Kong (2005). We find out later that Olwyn was a former shield maiden and it would have been interesting to see her train Héra. Instead, she has her charge dress for the meeting of the lords. Héra appears in a green dress with gold embroidery. 

At the Golden Hall, she also sees her older brother, Haleth (Benjamin Wainwright). Frederick Trenchard was played by Wainwright in the Victorian era drama, Belgravia: The Next Chapter. Héra also meets with her cousin, Fréaláf (Laurence Ubong Williams), who discusses with her about the shield maidens with their banner that still hangs in the hall. Williams starred in the horror film, Gateway (2021). He is the voice of reason who should be on Helm’s council. Lord Thorne (Jude Akuwudike) is also attending the meeting. Akuwudike was in The Little Mermaid (2023). Nervous about announcing the lords is the herald, Lief (Bilal Hasna), he takes part of the adventures, but doesn’t prove himself. Hasna was in the sci fi show, 3 Body Problem. 

King Helm (Brian Cox) enters the hall and takes his throne joined by Haleth, Hama, and Héra at this side. Cox is of course known for playing Logan Roy in Succession, but I think he was also memorable for his Agamemnon in Troy (2004). Perfectly cast, Helm, is a powerful, veteran warrior who becomes superhuman in strength. The hall’s doors open and the Dunlending Lord Freca (Shaun Dooley) enters with his son, Wulf (Luke Pasqualino). Dooley starred in the British sitcom, Changing Ends. Freca’s size is mocked by Helm something that was in the Return of the King appendix. Pasqualino starred as D’Artagnan in the British series, The Musketeers. Wulf is a dark prince with a scar on his left eye. Also with them is General Targg (Michael Wildman). The actor made a cameo as a centaur in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007). Targg is more of an advisor than a ruthless military leader. 

Freca mentions the rumor of a Gondorian princeling looking to marry Héra. Wulf kneels to propose to Héra, his childhood friend. Helm sees this as a ploy for Freca to take the throne and refuses the proposal. Freca is insulted, but Helm says that they cannot fight within the hall. Then, he mentions that they can take it outside. Fréaláf asks, “Is this wise uncle?”, but his caution is ignored. Everyone heads out to watch the fight while Wulf is left alone with Héra. Like Merida, she is not interested in marriage. In the courtyard, everyone has gathered around the two lords, and Freca taunts Helm saying, “Your daughter is no lady.” He starts to pummel Helm who ends up with a bloody lip. Helm then gives a roundhouse punch that gives him his nickname, One-Punch Man!, no, it’s Hammerhand. Wulf checks on his father. Helm tells Freca to get up and fight, but he has died! Wulf draws his sword and vows revenge. Helm takes him by the throat and Héra wants him spared. Instead, Helm banishes Wulf! 

It is seasons later, Héra walks to the outside of Edoras and thinks back to her childhood. In their youth, Héra (Bea Dooley) is dueling with Wulf (Elijah Tamati). They are using swords and Héra accidentally slices Wulf’s eye! Fréaláf, Olwyn, and Lief for some reason, are with Héra when they discover the corpse of a Haradrim, the people seen in Two Towers. A wounded and berserk Mumakil, the giant elephants ridden by the Haradrim, crashes through a forest. Fréaláf trying to attack it and Héra sounds her horn to get its attention. The out of the control beast is like the Boar God in Princess Mononoke (1997). Héra manages to escape it, but General Targg captures her by putting a bag on her head. She is suddenly helpless, doesn’t struggle with the soldiers holding her, this made me think of a blanket put over a bird to calm it. Later, there is a battle with Helm, a siege of Edoras, Héra orders a retreat to the Hornburg, later called Helm’s Deep. This is enough for one movie. Then, the Long Winter, which has some fantastic effects, and another long siege, Orcs, and surprises at the end. War of the Rohirrim is a lengthy anime with some impressive scenes and Héra struggling to save her people! 

Four Horns of Helm Hammerhand out of Five! 

#LordOfTheRings, #WarOfTheRohirrim, #TwoTowers, #ReturnOfTheKing, #JRRTolkien, #KenjiKamiyama, #PhillipaBoyens, #JeffreyAddiss, #WillMatthews, #PhoebeGittins, #ArtyPapageorgiou, #GaiaWise, #BrianCox, #LorraineAshbourne, #BilalHasna, #LucaPasqualino, #BenjaminWainwright, #YazdanQafouri, #LaurenceUbongWilliams, #MichaelWildman, #ShaunDooley, #JudeAkuwudike, #BeaDooley, #ElijahTamati, #MirandaOtto  

Overture and Curtains: Wicked (the Musical) Review!

Now is the time to be Wicked with the movie and especially the musical now playing at the Pantages Theatre! The movie starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande was reviewed here: http://geektruth.blogspot.com/2024/11/wicked-part-i-review.html. In comparison, the musical has a lively pace, stunning scenes, and of course it always great to catch live performances. It is based on Gregory Maguire’s novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (1995). Interestingly, adaptation rights went first for a movie, but the musical by Stephen Schwartz arrived twenty-one years before the film. His latest musical is The Queen of Versailles, starring Kristin Chenoweth, which is planned to open on Broadway nex year. 

The stage has a curtain with a large map of Oz, the settings were by Eugene Lee, this is a part of the show that should have been in the movie to establish setting. Above the stage is a large clockwork dragon. The Flying Monkeys clamber onto the stage, they have hair that are strands with glowing lights. One turns a wheel to open the curtain. Then, there is a celebration of the Munchkins. Glinda (Austen Danielle Bohmer) descends in a metal hoop like a Vegas stage piece. Bohmer was part of the Diana (2021) Broadway musical. She has a blue dress that reminds me of the live action Cinderella (2015). The costumes are by Susan HIlferty. Glinda here is charming, her goofiness brings audience laughs, and there is just a turning point to her search for being noticed. 

Glinda tells the story of the Wicked Witch to the Munchkins. This takes place center stage where baby Elphaba is seen with green skin and rejected by the Witch’s Father (David Kaverman), Governor Thropp. This gets to the song, “No One Mourns the Wicked.” A Munchkin asks, “Glinda, is it true you were her friend?” Glinda is not only the storyteller setting up this tale, but acts almost as a political spin doctor. Elphaba (Carly Augenstein) runs out to center stage with her suitcase. Augenstein is the standby actor, very talented, her work includes Off Broadway with Fancy Nancy the Musical (2012). There is an closeness of stage that can really be seen in Elphaba with her practical, but guarded personality. 

She wears a black suit and skirt, blue knit cap, and glasses, not a showy person. Also, it is great to see closeup Elphaba’s green make-up. A portrait of Dr. Dillamond moves on stage to show Shiz University. It was also noticeable when the students were repulsed by Elphaba. Galinda is on a staircase and then is startled by Elphaba. Her sister, Nessarose (Erica Ito) comes on stage in her wheelchair. Ito is the host of the Seaweed Brain podcast. Nessa is more supportive of her sister than in the film. The Witch’s Father notes that she was sent to the school to watch over her sister. Next Madame Morrible (Kelley Dorney) appears. Dorney was in the production of Annie at the Hollywood Bowl. The headmistress of Shiz University, the focus is more on Doctor Dillamond, until her role becomes very important later. She has a red dress with gold embroidery, white make-up and two tufts of hair like the Red Queen in Alice in Wonderland (2010). 

Galinda's fellow students, Pfanne, Shenshen, and Milla, fawn over her. They more part of the ensemble than in the film. Madame Morrible asks for volunteers to share a room, hands go up, with Elphaba, then hands go down. The only one with hand up, not noticing what is going on, is Galinda. Morrible begins to take away Nessa when Elphaba uses her power! This rolls her wheelchair across the stage to Elphaba, kinda neat effect. Morrible is impressed and offers to privately tutor Elphaba. She tells Elphaba that the Wizard may take interest in her. I think thiswould interest the students. Elphaba, alone, wonders at meeting the Wizard and sings, “The Wizard and I.” Still, she finds herself at odds with Galinda who wanted her own suite with “What is this Feeling?” They find themselves at opposite ends of the stage when we get the classroom with blackboard and the entrance of Doctor Dillamund (David Kaverman), the goat professor of history. 

Kaverman was on the national tour of Motown: The Musical. He has a tan coat, two, long horns and goat face that makes me think of the Faun in Pan's Labyrinth (2006). Of course, he is an actual goat, seen in CGI form in the movie. Dillamund says he is “the sole  animal on the faculty.” He says that talking animals were everywhere on campus. I like this look at Oz's past which seems to be like Narnia's talking animals. Elphaba answers the question that the change had happened with the Great Drought. Galinda is annoyed that the professor cannot pronounce the “a” in her name. Dillamond flips over the blackboard with the shocking red chalk message, “Animals should be seen and not heard.” The class is dismissed and Elphaba stays since she doesn’t have any friends. She shares some crackers with Doctor Dillamond. Then, Morrible arrives and Elphaba leaves. 

Five Green Elixirs out of Five! 

#Wicked, #PantagesTheatre, #StephenSchwartz, #EugeneLee, #CarlyAugenstein, #AustenDanielleBohmer, #XavierMcKinnon, #EricaIto, #KelleyDorney, #DavidKaverman 

X-Mas Shopping at Downtown Disney!

Christmas has come to Downtown Disney! It had snowmen and tinsel around the shopping area. Two new stores opened. First, there was a side trip to Pixar Place Hotel. I had forgotten my phone in the Uber. So I went to registration and called my phone. Emergency situation, but it is always nice that there are friendly people to help you through it. When I checked on the driver, I always went to the bell desk, kudos to all of the cast members at the hotel! The first time at the hotel, I took a stroll around, there is the nice Pixar lamp sculpture that greets you. This is Luxo, Jr. on top of the Pixar ball. Maquettes of Pixar characters, The Incredibles, Monsters Inc., and Finding Nemo, are around the lobby.    

    Rocket Raccoon chatting with Groot, I think he is discussing holiday shopping, at the Avengers Reserve store, author’s photo. 

Elevators led to the rooms on the upper levels. There is a performances by carolers and a nice meeting place for Santa, but this was for later in the day. Then, Bing Bong showed up for pics! I highly recommend a visit! There is a pathway at the back of the hotel that leads to Downtown Disney. The entrance is next to the Downtown Disney LIVE! Stage, a relaxing area with chairs to sit by a faux lawn. This is next to Din Tai Fung and across from Star Wars Trading Post. Immediately to the right is the new shops. First is the DLander Shop. A very nice shopping place for ladies. There is a Pandora Jewelry at the back. Next to it is Avengers Reserve. 

It has the Hulk breaking out of a wall and Spider-Man hanging from the store logo. Captain Marvel floats above you, Rocket Racoon chats with lil’ Groot on an overhang, as well as Spider-Gwen. This is more impressive than the Avengers Campus store at Disney’s California Adventure. There were t-shirts and posters, but I didn’t see any comic books. Next, I went to Pin Traders to check out Lorcana. They did have the Azurite Sea Illumineer’s Trove, $49.99, two starters, $16.99, and Stitch’s Collector’s Gift Set, $49.99. No boosters. The game just keeps getting better with Disney characters turned pirates, a Moana theme (apropos with the new movie), Chip and Dale: Rescue Rangers!, and Big Hero 6! I went to Star Wars Trading Post just to see what was new and didn’t realize it would be the only store that I would buy something! 

    The Must Buy of the Season! Teek stuffie, Star Wars Trading Post, photo by the author. 

This had the RX-24 Power Force limited edition figure with “real character phrases”!, $34.99, a Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge poster set, $99.00,  a line of female Star Wars character dolls like Ahsoka Tano, $49.99, that reminds me of the Forces of Destiny line. I was about to leave when I saw him, right by the register at a Christmas display, Teek! He was a stuffie, but the only other Teek fgure was in the Star Tours Boarding Party set from 2010. The cast member went through the store to find him on display, but this was the only one! Teek, limited edition of 1989, is $24.99. Now, I’m going to doubt your ability to be a fan of Star Wars until you go right out and get a Teek! Just kidding, but he seems rare and very valuable. I did get a BB-8 and D-O rolling toy for Toys for Tots because it is nice to think of others this holiday season. An incredible day of shopping at Downtown Disney plus I picked up my Holiday Turkey sandwich at Earl of Sandwich which I was told will have a brick and mortar location if what I was told is true! 

#DowntownDisney, #PixarPlaceHotel,#LuxoJr, #BingBong,#DLanderShop, #PandoraJewelry, #AvengersReserve, #PinTraders, #Lorcana, #AzuriteSea, #IllumineersTrove, #StarWarsTradingPost, #RX24, #StarWarsGalaxysEdge, #ToysForTots, #Teek, #EarlOfSandwich 

Absolute Wonder Woman #2 Review!

Diana’s defense of Gateway City continues Absolute Wonder Woman #2 with a new ally, Steve Trevor! The cover by interior artist, Hayden Sherman, has the swarms of demonic Harbiners fly into the chaos of the Gateway City, but Wonder Woman is ready to face them with her mega-cleaver, the Athena Blade! I’m All In! Last issue, we find that Circe, who was Wonder Woman’s enemy, now cares for the infant who is the last of the Amazons in hell. Now Diana has emerged to fight the kaiju-sized demon, Harbinger Prime. Part 2 of The Last Amazon is by Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman. 

Diana faces on the Gateway City beach as there is narration by reporter, Alan Fox, for The Gate news station, love the news name! She lashes it, slicing the side of its beak with her lasso, then closeups of the battle, a harbinger tries to breathe fire on her, and the Harbinger Prime tries to blast her with its eyes! Wonder Woman’s lasso again cuts into the beak with a sizzle! Diana threatens Harbinger-Prime to retreat. Instead, it commands the harbingers to attack. Wonder Woman crosses her arms chanting a spell that forms a blazing star shield that stops the shrieking demons! Harbinger Prime says it cannot retreat at Wonder Womnan’s final warning as she whirls the blazing lasso. 

Large panel as Wonder Woman ties her weapon, Nemesis, around the demon. She says it was made by her mother from the last basilisk, filled with the blood of Prometheus, and blessed by Demeter. A mythological hell weapon! Diana tells it that Nemesis will burn it with its own sins! Nemesis burns Harbinger Prime and it pleads with Wonder Woman to free it! Diana tells Harbinger Prime that it should accept the pain it has given others. A judgment weapon more powerful than Ghost Riders’ Hellfire Chain and almost in line with Dagger’s Lightforce daggers that purge victims, both from Marvel Comics. Wonder Woman says she will spare Harbinger Prime if it will never return and tell its master that the world is protected by Diana of the Wild Isle!

The demon agrees and Diana allows the lumbering Harbinger Prime and the swarms of harbingers to return to the pyramid structure. Alan Fox babbles about the end of the battle until reminded that his on the air by his camera man, funny! Closeup of Diana’s face with demon eyes when out of the smoke, there is the military uniform of Steve Trevor who calls Diana’s name. We see her eye back to blue in surprise as she turns to see him on the beach, interesting long panels of the battle’s aftermath. For some reason, the artwork reminds me of Trina Robbins. Also interesting is the jumble of struts of the ferris wheel in the background like a geodesic dome. 

This goes into the two page title page, very cinematic. We flash back to the hellish skies of the Wild Isle. Sequences of panels as Diana walks up the beach to the fallen Steve Trevor. Then a closeup of Diana’s face. Steve manages to say he wants to apologize to “them.” She heals him with a spell igniting her with green fire, no purple ray. She tries to talk to him again, but a red tentacle snaking in the water takes hold of Steve’s hand and pulls him in. It drags him to the black sea water. Diana flies into the sea, a few bubbles seen from the surface, and then she flies Steve from it! Fascinating panel design circular shape with a pyramid shape showing the bubbles. A nice twist to original encounter with Steve Trevor. 

Diana bursts into her home and wants her mother to bring the Cerberus fur! The guardian dog of the underworld. She sets Steve onto a bed and tells Circe that she saved him from the hydra. Diana tells her mother that she is responsible to him. Later, Diana talks with the now recovered Steve as he holds a drink. He says he thought she spoke Greek and then Diana tells him that they are there with Circe in hell. Steve shouts out realizing he’s dead! Mother and daughter both say he is not exactly dead, funny. Exiled. Steve is by himself while Circe and Diana talk at the dinner table. Diana wonders if he is there as a gift. Steve apologizes to Circe and thanks her for the hospitality. Circe says it is the “safest place” in hell. Then, he asks Diana if she can show him to the area where he was found.  

Steve skips a stone across the black waters and Diana warns him about the hydra. He says he can’t see it, Diana says she has advanced eye sight, Steve notes that he has good eyes as a pilot. He brings up her eyes and we see them stare at each other, nice! Steve notes that Diana is tall and they are about the same height. Then, he thinks he wouldn’t end up in hell. Diana tells him that not everyone in hell belongs there, they just ended up there. Interesting. Steve thanks her for saving him for the second time. I think of the depiction of Dante’s Inferno in What Dreams May Come (1998), hell is a place for people who cannot forgive themselves. At Gateway City, Diana and Steve hug, she tells him that she is there to save the day. Pegasus trots up behind them. 

He says he was asked to bring her to Commander Cole. Closeups of Cole’s screaming face to Wonder Woman’s impassive look. In the next panel we see the other soldiers trying to mind their own business, Steve stands straight and looks down, Diana towering above the petty man, calmly says she understands his position, but she is more concerned with the monsters. I don’t think I ever seen Wonder Woman use such diplomacy in such a situation, brilliant writing Kelly Thompson! She also adds that she will not be part of the military! Wonder Woman turns away for him concerned about the evacuation. The more competant aide, Jacoby, realizes that the demon harbingers are messengers. She suspects another attack in an hour. Cole rants, “The hour?!” She continues coordinating the operation and says that evacuation has only forty minutes.  

Cole rants to Steve threatening to court martial him and then Wonder Woman explain in a panel design in a “W”, the artwork layout is fantastic! She tells him that Cole needs her to stop the attack, but she doesn’t need him and tells him to calm down. Diana says she will go to feed her horse(!) and a soldier asks what a dead horse eats, and Wonder Woman replies magic. She has a conversation with Pegasus that stopping Harbinger Prime has not ended the upcoming threat. Steve can’t believe she is talking with him and Diana tells him that she can converse with all animals. He asks to pet Pegasus! She tells him that his name is Pegasus and he is literal Pegasus that was killed by Zeus! He pets the skeletal horse and in two similar panels, Diana explains that she saved Pegasus with magic. She also tells Steve that there will be other heroes! Pegasus suddenly rears and then Diana covers her ears in pain. She tells Steve to do the same. Then, a closeup of her stunned face. A two page spread reveals the Cthulu-like horror that Diana calls the Tetracide! Four deaths? 

Absolute Wonder Woman #2 continues to weave the original comic mythos, Greek mythology, and shambling horror out of H.P. Lovecraft! 

Five Athena Blades out of Five! 

#AbsoluteWonderWoman, #TheLastAmazon, #KellyThompson, #HaydenSherman, #Diana, #SteveTrevor, #Circe, #CommanderCole, #HarbingerPrime  

Superman and Lois, “It Went By So Fast”, Review!

The conclusion to Superman and Lois has the final battle of Superman and Doomsday, Luthor, and an emotial ending to the series! The finale to Superman and Lois is directed by Gregory Smith who had directed the premiere episode of season four. “It Went By So Fast” is written by Brent Fletch and Todd Helbing, the team that also wrote the premiere. Luthor has taken his revenge on Superman and the town of Smallville with Doomsday. It was defeated by Superman who had also fallen. 

Sarah is now planning to study abroad. Luthor has his warsuit. He is ready to bring back Doomsday. It crashes into Smallville ripping away Superman! John Henry (Wole Parks) is playing pool with Lana Lang (Emmanuelle Chriqui). She shoots the black ball and wins. Lana brings up their rare dates and then they hear cxrashing. John Henry rushes out, but an explosion knocks him bakc. Heartbeats. Sarah is in the smoky chaos of the battle. 

Doomsday’s roars are heard. It stamps into the pool hall! Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch) sees it rip past Amanda McCoy (Yvonne Chapman). She grabs Amanda and tells her that it happened. Her plan to “fix Lex Luthor” has failed. Doomsday smashes into the fallen Superman (Tyler Hoechlin). It is knocked back by his sons! He tells them that it is not their fight. Lana checks on John Henry smashed into the bar, he is wounded on his side, she wants to help as mayor. 

Jordan (Alex Gardin) and Jonathan Kent (Michael Bishop) land to tell their mother about the fight. Jon's powers activated after the death of his father to Doomsday in "Always My Hero." A helicopter falls and the super sons fly away. It crashes and the battle continues! Clark’s face is bloody, Lois’s voice is distored, until he revives. She tells him that his sons are ready. Lana and John Henry are there to help. Through a forest, the Superman sons fly in pursuit of Doomsday. 

SUPERMAN AND LOIS -- “It Went By So Fast” -- TYLER HOECHLIN, ELIZABETH TULLOCH -- Photo Credit: Colin Bentley/The CW -- © 2024 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Superman transmits to them to meet at Main Street. He waits with the wreckage of the helicopter burning. Slow motion of Doomsday’s fist, it swings past him and then runs into the kinetic hammer of John Henry. Superman sees in x-ray vision the bloody face of it. Jon and Jordan land. Lois, John Henry, and Lana join them. Clark tells his sons that he is taking Doomsday to the sun. Lois mouths, “I love you.” 

Superman flies Doomsday up into the sky. Waves of heat and radiation as Doomsday’s body is flown by Superman towards the sun. The circle of three family members and two friends discuss plans. Amanda gets a call from Luthor and says that she is resigning from LuthorCorp . He is in his warsuit like Iron Man’s HUD. Luthor sends a missile at Amanda's car. Two forms streak away from the explosion. Luthor is infomed by the warsuit that she is taken is taken away to Smallville. 

At the Smallville Gazette, Amanda talks with Lois about Luthor. Amanda mentions that Milton Fine is Lex’s tech expert. He debuted in the eighth episode, “Sharp Dressed Man.” Fine is the original villain who was known as Brainiac introduced in Action Comics #242 (1958). John Henry says that Fine is hte person who stole his suit. Doomsday revives and Superman balls his fist. He ses the blue eyes of Bizarro Superman. He sees the Lana Lang of the Bizarro world. 

Superman pushes Doomsday almost gently back and it disnientegrates in the sun which sends out a solar flare. Lois Lane broadcasts the news of the attack. Lana is the camerawoman. Amanda says, “Lex is coming.” Jonathan and Jordan are on the street and see Lex approaching. Jon is blasted into a building and Jordan is choked by Luthor who retracts his helmet! Superman is almost mediating with his eyes closed and his hands out, his wounds healed by the sun. 

SUPERMAN AND LOIS -- “It Went By So Fast” -- ALEXANDER GARFIN MICHAEL BISHOP -- Photo Credit: Colin Bentley/The CW -- © 2024 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Luthor threatens Jonathan. Lois faces Luthor. She tells him that he is a coward fighting her son in a war suit. Lois slams the device on Luthor’s war suit chest. It throws Luthor back. Luthor says, “you can’t stop me.” Lois smiles and says, “No, but he can.” Superman sweeps away Luthor and the fight contineus in the sky. Luthor fires Kryptoniute projectiles at Superman and one enters his chest insignia. Superman uses X-ray vision to see the projectile bored into his chest. 

Jordan sees Jonathan unconscious. He screams for his brother to wake up. He gives compressions to his chest and then unleashes solar energy to revive him. Superman tries to rip out the projectile. Milton (Nikolai Witschl) watches the battle then solders enter. John Henry says he stole his suit and slams Milton down. The fight cotniues and Luthor grabs Superman, but heat vision blasts him away. Superman screams ripping out the projectile! A storm as the war suit flies toward Superman.

Clark says he will never hurt anyone again. He says, “it ends right now.” Superman flies in supersonic distortion. His punch flies towards the warsuit and shatters it. Luthor falls and Superman flies to pick him up. Clark goes to hug his family. Lana watches on the rubble of Smallville’s Main Street. We get “One Year Later”, a wedding, Chrissy has her pregnant belly with Kyle along with cast and guest stars of the show.  Clark walks with Lana. He sees John Henry. Lois presides over the ceremony. She says she had true friendship with Lana. 

Lois says Lana was there for her with her fight with cancer and loss of Clark. She says John Henry has sacrificed, “you’re truly a Man of Steel.” She makes the vows for the wedding coupel and then we see the wedding ceremony afterwards. Lois says by the power of KansasMarriageIndustries.com, funny!, they are married. Lana sees the x-ray photos and thinks it is a boy. Kyle says Lois was right when she said Lana was the “best of Smallville.” Lana asks him for “one more dance.” 

SUPERMAN AND LOIS -- “It Went By So Fast” -- TYLER HOECHLIN, ELIZABETH TULLOCH -- Photo Credit: Bettina Strauss/The CW -- © 2024 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

The sunset skies of Smallville.  Sarah is outside of the house and is met by Jordan. She says studying overseas that she doesn’t want to stay in Smallville. Sarah says Jordan is “being a hero.” Natalie is with John Henry and that the world is . Clark stares at a sewn plaque which reads, “It All Went By So Fast.” Lois joins him and says he wonders about their next chapter. Lois gets a text from Janet  Olsen, her friend at the Daily Planet, that Luthor lost his appeal. 

Stryker’s Prison, Luthor is walked to his cell. He says it is not his “old cell.” The warden says things have changed. Bruno Mannheim (Chad L. Coleman) cell is opened and warns Luthor. Bruno was the leader of Intergang and appeared in season 3’s “Closer” (2023). The character’s first appearance was in Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #139 (1971). Clark says the first time that he died he only saw darkness. We see General Sam Lane (Dylan Walsh) whose heart allowed Clark to live for 32 more years. He says the world felt broken. Clark says he thinks about his legacy and says he can’t do it alone.

Then, he sees his two super sons, flying with himself, Steel (John Henry) and Starlight (Natalie) in their super suits. Clark also mentions working with his former enemies. Lois and Clark look at Bruno and they shake hands. He says Lois and Clark are setting up a foundation. We see headlines of Samuel Lane Medical Center. Sam Lane was wounded by Doomsday and sacrificed his heart to save Superman in "Always My Hero." There are pictures of the family on the mantle. Lois and Clark, are older with glasses, Jon and Jordan enter much older, having growing up, Clark says, "becoming men." Jon and Jordan got married and we see their kids!  Love this since the only vision we have of Superman's descendants is the far future seen in Future State: House of El #1 (2021). 

He says, “It was such joy to be around.” He says, “Lois was always there.” Now elderly they are on the porch and kiss. He says, “that was a magical time.” Then, he says Lois’ cancer came back and we fade into darkness. Lois is in bed with Clark at her side and their sons are there. She says, “I love you Clark.” She starts to die and Clark says, "In that moment something happened that I will never forget.” Lois turns and says, “Dad" before she dies. Jordan and Jon cry and Lois buries his head into Lois’ neck. 

He sees an apple pie with the note, “Your favorite, Love Lana.” He says Jordan came by everyday and Jon. Clark feels the loss and then he says he got a dog. A longtime beloved favorite, Krypto debuted in Adventure Comics #210 (1955). Though not Kryptonian, it is great to see Krypto in any form. He takes Krypto out for a walk and says they watched a lot of sunsets.” Clark walks on Main Street with Kyle. Clark collapses with a heart attack. Kyle gives cpr. Jon and Jordan are there for Clark’s second time dying. He opens his eyes turns and sees his mortal body. He says, “It was amazing.” Clark walks and hugs his young sons. Then, Clark sees a room full of his grandchildren.

At the kitchen table is Luthor and he says there was forgiveness. He hugs Krypto. Clark smiles and then sees Kyle and hugs Crissy. Clark touches his heart and sees Lana and John Henry. Jordan opens a door and he sees Lois in a stunning red dress. Drums pound and he walks up to Lois in a glow of light. “You do everything to find love.” They kiss. Clark says “And life it goes by so fast.” A great moment to complete the show something that any movie or series will have to match. Superman and Lois really embodies the characters so kudos to Greg Berlanti, Todd Helbing, Elizabeth Tulloch, Tyler Hoechlin, Alex Garfin, Michael Bishop, and all of the cast and crew! 

Five+ Kryptonite Crystals out of Five! 

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