Promoting Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge!

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is set to open at Disneyland in Summer 2019 and opening at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on fall 2019.  Construction on both parks started in April 2016 and there is some impressive drone fly overs.  The planet was identified as Batuu by Scott Trowbridge on November 17, 2017.  He also mentioned that the planet would be one of the stops for the Star Tours attraction.  At the Star Wars: Galactic Nights event at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on May 27th, story editor, Margaret Kerrison, identified the village as Black Spire Outpost.  July 24th was the release of the Thrawn: Alliances book by Timothy Zahn which explored at Batuu. A look was shown of the Millennium Falcon attraction with the Target release of Solo: A Star Wars Story on Blu-Ray.  This was on September 25th of this year.  On November 17th, Disney Parks, Experiences and Consumer Products Chairman Bob Chapek, made a presentation at D23’s Destination D.  The official names were revealed of the two attractions; Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.  Videos were shown of the two attractions as well as John Williams’s score for the park expansion. This brings us up to date with the promotion of Galaxy’s Edge.  Now let’s move onto suggestions for the promotion of Galaxy’s Edge. 

Transport for Rise of the Resistance?  D23 Expo, July 2017, photo by the author.  

Interest of course is high for Galaxy’s Edge and  the promotions have a strong internet presence so Star Warriors who are unable to attend events can still take part in announcements.  I think one of the criteria is how Star Warriors can participate with Galaxy’s Edge if they are unable to go to the parks.  The answer of course is Walt Disney.  In order to promote Disneyland, he hosted Walt Disney’s Disneyland which first aired on October 27, 1954.  The park opened on July 17, 1955.  The suggestion is not to have a host preview the park, which is one possibility, but to have story segments. These will be two minute short segments that may run on StarWars.com, disney.com, the Disney Parks You Tube site, and the Disney Parks Blog.  The length of the segments are to make it small stories to be released every week or whatever schedule needed by Disney marketing.  I imagine the title of these segments will be Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge if this conflicts with the theme park, it can be Star Wars: Black Spire Outpost. Star Warriors can follow this story and possibly interact with it in Galaxy’s Edge.  This would enable Star Warriors who can’t physically enter Galaxy’s Edge to be a part of it. The story can be adapted into young reader books and comic books for merchandise locations outside of Galaxy’s Edge. It will be up to marketing if the characters appear in Galaxy’s Edge, but their adventures are intended to be part of quests that take part around Black Spire Outpost.      

Bust of an Ithorian, Oga?, D23 Expo, July 2017, photo by the author. 

The series follows two young characters, Kay, 15 years old and learning to be a pilot, Jai, 11 years old and interested in zoology.  Their ages make for a good range for the possible target audience for Galaxy’s Edge and makes for a good dynamic.  They live on an Outer Rim planet, close by Batuu, and their parents are leaving on an important trip to Batuu at night.  Kay hears this involves the Resistance and they have to keep it secret because of First Order agents.  Their children will safely follow them to Batuu.  The siblings watch as their parents’ shuttle leaves.  They board another shuttle at the landing port.  The pilot, a former miner, has the passengers strap in.  He warms up the engines and warns them that Black Spire Outpost is a rough place.  The shuttle lifts up and then breaks the atmosphere.  The pilot tells them to get ready and then the shuttle enters hyperspace.  This is episode 1.  The second episode has the shuttle landing at Black Spire Outpost.  Jai wants to explore the village, but Kay tells him to stay close, the pilot warned them.  Several mechanics walk past them.  Kay asks where they can find their parents. He tells them that it is a dangerous place to be lost, but try the Oga’s Cantina. Some aliens stumble out of the cantina.  The eyes of Kay and Jai look fearful.  They enter the cantina and see the DJ RX-24.  Jai bumps into a patron who waves him away.  Kay looks at the owner, Oga Garra, and orders some Moogan Tea.  This ends episode 2.  Each segment will lead to their parents, clues, found around Black Spire Outpost.  Guests could help Kay and Jai find the clues, a message board can be created for young guests to contact the characters and leave their findings.  Maybe this is texted on a phone app.  The point is to have interaction with Galaxy’s Edge even if you are not able to go to either park, but it will have more of an impact if you do go and interact with the story.  

#StarWarsGalaxysEdge, #BlackSpireOutpost, #Jai, #Kay 

Happy Birthday Karen Gillan!

Happy Birthday Karen Gillan!  Of course Karen started in British television and really took the notice of everyone with the role of Amy Pond in Doctor Who (2008-2013).  IN 2010, she was in the horror movie Outcast (2010). Then, she played Kaylie Russell in a supernatural mystery Oculus (2013). Karen entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe playing Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). One of my favorite roles where she also showed her comedic skills was as Eliza Dooley in the sitcom Selfie (2014). 

She starred in the biographical drama The Big Short (2015) directed by Adam McKay. Next, she was in the western In a Valley of Violence (2016). Karen returned as Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017). She was caught in the web of a social media life in The Circle (2017) based on the Dave Eggers novel. Karen again showed her talent for comedy and action as Martha in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017).  Karen directed, wrote, and starred in her own comedy, The Party’s Just Beginning, which was released in April. Also this year, she also faced Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War.  Happy Birthday Karen Gillan!     

Star Wars: Resistance, “The Platform Classic”, Review!

Colossus Base, the floating posters for the racers are up, Tam tells the crew that the Platform Classic is the next day.  Kaz is smiling since he knows a secret.  Yeager tells them he is going to meet Captain Doza.  The others join him.  Doza tells Yeager that the prize for the Platform Classic is 100,000 credits.  He mentions that the Aces will be there and wants Yeager to compete.  Then, Marcus Speedstar (Keston John) joins them, after racing against Yeager 10 years ago.  Jarek Yeager then drops a bombshell, Marcus is his brother!  Yeager dismisses his brother and his last name Speedstar.  Kaz has heard the rumor of Marcus as a racer.  He enters the hangar and Kaz meets with an alien named Oplock (Jonathan Lipow), that unfolds his face fins, and his black astromech, R4-D12. 

STAR WARS: RESISTANCE -- “The Platform Classic” -- Disney/Lucasilm. 

Marcus says Yeager is his only family member.  Marcus is relaxing in the tower cantina when the Guavian Death Gang (voiced by Matthew Wood) find him.  They of course are the gang looking for money owed to them by Han Solo in Force Awakens (2015).  He owes 20,000 credits and they take away Oplock.  Yeager lets out that he going to race and Aunt Z takes bets.  Marcus tries to explain to Yeager and he pushes Kaz to volunteer as mechanic.  Kaz admits he is a pilot not a mechanic.  Yeager raced for his family.  In the last race, Marcus used hyper fuel, and struck his brother’s ship.  Tam and Neeku see Yeager’s racing ship.  The morning of the race, Bucket is in Yeager’s ship.  Kaz goes to tell Yeager that his brother really does need the money.  The ships are lowered underneath the Colossus Base.  

STAR WARS: RESISTANCE -- “The Platform Classic” -- Disney/Lucasilm. 

Yeager is ready to win and the race begins!  The ships race through the rings.  Marcus is just ahead of his brother.  A pilot in a black stormtrooper helmet, Griff Halloran (Stephen Stanton) shoots down a racer.  They head into space through rings into a final one with an ion pulse.  The ships plummet back to the planet.  Griff rams into Marcus’ ship, but he is able to slip into the re-ignition ring.  Yeager is ahead of his brother.  Marcus wants to apologize.  They approach the final ring at the base.  The Guavian nudges Oplock.  Marcus pulls back, but Yeager veers off at the last second.  At the cantina, Marcus pays the Guavian Death Gang.  Oplock is returned to him.  At the hangar, Marcus and his brother hug. Marcus takes off in his ship.  It is of course Kaz who has the words of advice to Yeager.  Then, BB-8 dismisses being friends with Kaz.  This is a fair Yeager based episode, but again what happened to the spy story?  If the spy is not important, then that should be a part of the premise.  Instead of a spy, it should be that Poe needs Kaz there to find the loyalty of the people at Colossus Base, a key location in dispute between the Resistance and the First Order.  Maybe this is a part of the show, but it is not evident and set up in the premise.  

Three Lightsabers out of Five! 

#StarWarsResistance, #ThePlatformClassic, #KestonJohn, #JonathanLipow   

Re:tro Re:view - Wreck It Ralph!

Wreck-It Ralph (2012) started to move away from princess films with Tangled (2010). It was directed by Rich Moore who previously worked on The Simpsons and Futurama.  The screenplay is by Phil Johnston, who wrote the comedy Cedar Rapids (2011), and Jennifer Lee who later wrote and co-directed Frozen (2013).  The story is by Rich Moore, Phil Johnston, and Jim Reardon.  After the castle logo, there is a 6-bit rendition of Walt Disney Animation Studios logo with Steamboat Willie, hilarious!  Then, we get the zoom in on the Fix-It Felix arcade game.  

As the game plays we get the narration of John C. Reilly as Wreck-It Ralph.  Reilly has a long career in comedy, but also the musical Chicago (2002) and Guardians of the Galaxy (2014).  His earlier voice work was in the animated film, 9 (2009).   He has a comedic and dramatic role as Oliver Hardy in next year’s Stan & Ollie.  Ralph laments that he is the bad guy, but it is perfect for his job as wrecker.  Ralph is massive with a red T-shirt and half-buttoned, brown overalls. The game is a throw back to the 80’s arcade games with building destruction like Rampage (1986) and movement around a building like Elevator Action (1983) with a touch of Donkey Kong (1981). The best part is when was Felix-It Felix became and actual arcade game.  

Ralph has contempt for his nemesis Fix-It Felix voiced by Jack McBrayer.  He is known for 30 Rock, he previously provided a voice in Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension (2011).  Felix has the perpetual smile that is classic McBrayer.  The downside is that we don’t get what is missing from the character until later.  Ralph says his success is due to Felix’ magic hammer.  The people of the Niceland building, whom look like round pegs similar to the Weebles toy, reward Felix with a medal.  Ralph is thrown off the building and into mud.  Ralph says he has been working for 30 years and we get a pull back to show the arcade and changes of games.  

The closing of the arcade brings out the characters similar to Toy Story (1995).  We go into the Fix-It Felix, Jr. screen, to the video game world.  This made me think of the ground breaking film, Tron (1982).  Ralph is sad about finishing the day going to his home, the dump, a hill made of bricks with a tree stump.  His narration is applauded by the villains of Bad-Anon.  This is a fun line-up of video game characters like Clyde (Kevin Deters), the orange Pac-Man ghost, and Zingief (Rich Moore), the Russian wrestler from Street Fighter, who likes being a bad guy.  Clyde asks Ralph why he finally joined the group. He says it’s his game’s 30th anniversary.  The general from Street Fighter, M. Bison (Gerald C. Rivers), asks him if he is going “Turbo.” A therapy group for villains is a clever idea.  

The meeting ends with the villains leaving Clyde’s Pac-Man game, but Ralph takes along some cherries on the Pac-Man-A-Rail to Game Central Station.  Surge Protector (Phil Johnston), the station’s security guard, checks on Ralph, but he manages to slip the cherries past him. Ralph gives a cherry to Q*Bert who had his game unplugged.  He really shows kindness here since all of the other characters seem to pass by Q*Bert.  Ralph returns to his game and he is not happy being left out.  Ralph appears at the door and Felix is told to send him away by the Nicelanders.  Felix too nice to not ask Ralph in for cake.  He does so wrecking the apartment and killing Felix with debris, but he is back to life which can only be done inside his game.  

Ralph sees the cake and moves the decoration of himself to the top of the building with everyone else.  Gene (Raymond S. Persi) argues with Ralph over the medal and if he gets a medal, Ralph could live in the penthouse. Ralph gets angry and wrecks the cake splattering it everywhere.  Ralph tells his resolution to Tapper (Maurice LaMarche) of the game Root Beer Tapper.  He goes to check Lost and Found and is bumped by a man in armor.  The soldier, Markowski (Joe Lo Truglio) is tired of fighting Cy-Bugs and thinks it’s too much to win the Medal of Heroes.  He sees a cockroach on Ralph’s shoulder and knocks himself out.  Ralph dresses in his armor and heads off to the Hero’s Duty game.  This is a military shooter game like Halo or Mass Effect.  In Game Central Station, Ralph trips over Q*Bert and heads into the game.     

At Litwak’s Arcade, Litwak (Ed O’Neill) opens the door for eager gamers, Hero’s Duty is a full screen with four rifles for gamers.  The soldiers are given a debriefing by Sergeant Calhoun (Jane Lynch).  She has short, blond hair and a tough attitude with some remarks right out of Sue Sylvester in Glee.  A robot with a game screen appears with a rifle identified as a “First Person Shooter.”  The skies fill with the Cy-Bugs, a nightmare out of Robert Heinlein’s Starship Troopers.  Ralph takes cover with the First Person Shooter who gets attacked by a Cy-Bug.  A shaft of light, a beacon, draws away the Cy-Bugs.  The call is made to return to Start Positions, but Sergeant Calhoun gets angry at Ralph for interfering with the First Person Shooter.  

The Moppet Girl (Stefanie Scott) who was playing Hero’s Duty goes to play Sugar Rush, but two bullies knock away her quarter.  She tries to play Fix-It Felix, Jr., but there is no Ralph! Everyone is shocked he is gone. The game goes into chaos so Moppet Girl complains to Mr. Litwak who hangs an Out of Order sign on the screen.  Q*Bert has arrived at the game to tell them that Ralph has gone Turbo!  He is busy climbing the tower of the Cy-Bugs in the rain.  Sergeant Calhoun hears some hopping and fires on Fix-It Felix!  He is scared she is going to shoot him, then is stunned to see her face. Ralph breaks into the tower filled with Cy-Bug eggs, yup, right out of Alien (1979).  General Hologram (Dennis Haysbert) awards Ralph the Medal of Heroes.  

Ralph has visions of his life with the medal, but steps on an egg, which sends out a tiny Cy-Bug onto his face.  Shades of the Face-Hugger!  He falls into an escape pod, flies past Sergeant Calhoun and Fix-It Felix, into Game Central Station.  Then flying into the candy-coated rainbow world of Sugar Rush. The cotton candy clouds fill the engines of the escape pod sending it crashing down. They are jettisoned by the escape pod with the Cy-Bug sinking into a pool of taffy and Ralph up a candy cane tree. There is some introduction to Ralph’s video game world, hints of Sugar Rush, but the actual story of two friends doesn’t start until the second half of the movie. Ralph finds his medal on the candy cane tree at the taffy pool.  

He is questioned by the mocking Vanellope von Schweetz voiced by Sarah Silverman.  Silverman is the host of her Hulu show I Love You, America with Sarah Silverman and provides voices for Bob’s Burgers.  Vanellope bounces her way to the medal, she glitches (this is a part of her character), and Ralph falls into the taffy!  At Game Central Station, Surge Protector leads Fix-It Felix and Sergeant Calhoun to Sugar Rush. Her fellow soldier explains Calhoun’s “tragic backstory” and Fix-It Felix joins her.  The relationship between them is sweet.  At the Sugar Rush race, Sour Bill (Rich Moore doing his best Steven Wright) introduces King Candy, the zany ruler who is voiced by Alan Tudyk.  This is Tudyk in his best Ed Wynn voice as the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland (1951).  It is almost a second movie with Wreck-It Ralph trying to get his medal and Vanellope desperate to enter the race.  Ralph has to uncover the secret of Sugar Rush and the new threat that can destroy all of the games!  Maybe a bad guy can become a hero.    

Three Glitches out of Five! 

#WreckItRalph, #JohnCReilly, #SarahSilverman, #JackMcBrayer, #JaneLynch 

Doctor Who, “The Witchfinders”, Review!

Team Tardis is walking in a village trying to find the coronation of Elizabeth I.  The Doctor goes apple bobbing.  An announcement is made for Mistress Savage.  A masked man watches Team Tardis.  A woman (Tricia Kelly) is in chains.  Graham identifies they are in Lancashire, north west England.  The Doctor realizes it is a witch trial led by Mistress Savage (Siobhan Finneran).  The woman pleads for the young girl Willa (Tilly Steele) not to cry.  The Doctor jumps in to save her.  Yaz find out that Old Mother Twiston has died. The Doctor holds up her psychic paper i.d. which Mistress Savage sees as Witchfinder General.  Willa says she has to bury Old Mother Twiston.  The Doctor wants to stop the trials.  Yaz goes to find the young girl.  The Doctor asks Mistress Becka Savage about the evidence of Satan and she says blighted crops.  The masked man removes his mask, it is King James (Alan Cumming)!  A fun guest role.  He sees the psychic paper as the Doctor as an assistant since a woman couldn’t be a general, right.  He identifies Graham as the general and Ryan as a “Nubian prince.”  King James wants to go after the grand child, Willa.  She is busy giving funeral rites, Yaz sees a tendril made of mud about to attack her, and batters it down.  The Doctor inspects Mother Twiston’s room and Yaz appears.  The Doctor goes with Yaz while Graham and Ryan have to keep King James in check.  Team Tardis is now brave, facing dangers, because they know they have to investigate. 

DOCTOR WHO -- “The Witchfinders” -- Ben Blackall/BBC. 

A misty lake, King James gives Graham the hat of the previous Witchfinder General and a brooch for Ryan.  Graham wants all of the suspects and villages listed, but Mistress Savage says she knows all of them.  King James vows to destroy every witch.  Yaz and the Doctor catch up with Willa who wants to leave the village.  In her house, they find medicine, Willa mentions Mistress Savage is her cousin.  The Doctor scans Willa with her sonic screwdriver.  Yaz says she knows Willa’s sickness, a dread, that she faced.  Ryan asks King James why he can’t trust anyone walking in a forest.  All of his family were killed.  The Doctor looks for signs of the tendril. She has a sample with a piece of mud bouncing around the bottle.  She thinks it’s alien.  A Mud Woman in the form of Old Mother Twiston appears.  It reaches for the bottle.  The Doctor throws the bottle and it is consumed by the Mud Woman.  Others appear.  The Mud Women are spooky, but we know what an alien creature looks like, has nothing to do with their intent.  King James and his group hear the scream.  King James’s group draw swords.  Alfronso (Stavros Demetraki) is about to shoot the Mud Woman who uses her power to knock them down.  They all start to run.  Yaz, Graham, and Ryan race to check on the Mud Women.  The Doctor thinks the witch hunt and the Mud Women are connected and wants to question Becka.  She suspects the Doctor.  King James wants to check the Doctor.  Willa defends her, but King James has the Doctor taken away.  Willa is an interesting character for these times.  

DOCTOR WHO -- “The Witchfinders” -- Ben Blackall/BBC. 

The Doctor is tied to a tree when King James talks with her.  He shows her wand, sonic screwdriver, and she says he is hiding behind his title.  She questions her mother leaving him.  The darkness is inside him.  This is great writing!  She pleads with him to free her.  He calls for the witch trial.  Team Tardis reaches the bedroom of Old Mother Twiston and the Mud Women are there.  The Doctor suspects Mistress Becka, but not why.  She sees the tree reacting to her touch.  The Doctor is chained.   Ryan hears a ringing and he rushes off with Yaz and Graham.  The Doctor is chained to a tree on the river.  Mistress Becka glorifies over the ceremony and King James gives the word.  She falls into the river and Graham, Yaz, and Ryan are desperate for her to be raised.  The tree is raised with just the chains.  The Doctor walks out of the lake and says she learned how to escape from Houdini.  The Mud Women approach them.  Becka tells them to stop and the Mud Women obey.  She admits that she cut down their favorite tree and the mud tendril attacked her.  Becka wanted Old Mother Twiston’s help, but she wouldn’t cut off her leg with an axe.  She admits to King James that she is the witch.  The mud consumes her and she says her name is Morax.  She wants King James since they are trapped in the hill.  Morax says the lock was broken, says she wants to take over the world, and unleashes her power.  Graham is wakened by Yaz.  The Doctor scans the tree to show that it is alien.  They have the tree made into torches to stop the Morax.  Graham gives the Doctor her hat.  Willa leads them up the hill to rescue King James.  The historical episodes with aliens is a Doctor Who trope, but there is a good connection with the terror of the witch trails and this alien threat.  

Five Sonic Screwdrivers out of Five! 

#DoctorWho, #TheWitchfinders, #AlanCumming, #TillySteele

The Titans, “Asylum”, Review!

Dr. Adamson is still handcuffed to the shower.  It has a wallpaper with snowy trees.  Rachel wants to speak to him alone and Dick gives her five minutes.  He seems friendly inviting her in.  Adamson says she thinks she’s evil especially when she looks at a mirror.  We see the wintry background and reflections from the mirror.  He says she was meant to heal.  Adamson breaks a glass thermometer and cuts his throat!  She places her hand to put pressure on the wound, cries out, and the cut seals itself.  Adamson revives, smiles, and says, “You will heal the world.”  Kory and Dick question Dr. Adamson.  Dick presses him against the shower window and asks what is the Organization’s purpose.  Adamson replies to reunite Rachel with her father. Under Dick’s pressure, he admits that Angela can’t keep Rachel away and again admits that Angela is Rachel’s real mother.  Dick and Kory rejoin Garfield and Kory. They explain that her birth mother is Angela Azarath and she is a prisoner at an asylum.  Azarath is the world where Raven was born.  Rachel is ready to get to the asylum, Dick urges caution and makes to recon it, and she finds no other team member seconds her.  She walks off and Garfield tries to talk to her.  He promises to go with her to the asylum.  

THE TITANS -- Asylum -- Brooke Palmer/©2018 Warner Bros Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Dick checks the Wayne Foundation computers to check the asylum which is heavily protected and guarded. He finds tunnels that they can use to get to the asylum.  Dick goes to check on Rachel and finds her missing.  Garfield and Rachel have taken an Uber to go to the asylum.  Night, they have reached the asylum grounds as snow drifts down, Garfield cries out, then Rachel is hit with a stun baton. Kory and Dick reach the asylum in a mini-van and then head to the tunnels. They find Garfield in a wheel chair and a doctor , identified as Asylum Doctor (Rachael Crawford), threatens to kill both captives.  Neither her name or the asylum are identified which is weak story wise.  Dick tells Kory not use her powers with gas lines running in the tunnel.  Dick is restrained in a chair when the doctor questions him.  Two assistants jab a needle into Dick’s neck knocking him out.  Kory is in a windy cell with a dirt floor and unleashes her power.  The heat fades from the walls.  The doctor notes that her power has run out and orders gas to be vented into the cell.  Garfield is naked and shocked in a cage.  Rachel wakes up and finds Dr. Adamson pouring tea.  He threatens the lives of all her team mates.  Adamson explains that her mother is there, but wanted to keep Rachel away from her father.  Kory wakes breathing from a tube and restrained on a table!  A laser cuts across her stomach.  

Dick wakens in his Robin outfit.  The doctor is amazed that Dick is resisting the drugs, maybe she doesn’t understand Batman’s training, the doctor orders the drug to be increased 200%.  Dick twitches and the attendants check on him, he batters them around, and threatens to kill one unless the door is opened.  Then, injects the drug before escaping!  He staggers down the hall as the doctor talks to him via the p.a. Robin tries to open a locked door and then sees a person down the hall.  All part of a drugged dream?  The person is in a red hoodie, turns and it is young Dick Grayson, and he strikes Robin down.  He recovers in a mansion, it is Wayne Manor, and turns to see Dick Grayson. He throws Robin out of a window, into the Batcave, Dick hits him again and again with his staff.  In the hospital cell, Dick closes his eyes.  Dr. Adamson wants Rachel to join them and shows her the live feeds of the Titans tortured.  She closes her eyes and then opens them to the demon eyes.  Then, she re-opens his neck wound.  Back to Rachel, she puts on her raven hood, and slips past guards to cell 732.  The doctor enters to find Dr. Adamson dead.  Rachel opens the cell door to find a patient mumbling to herself.  She shows Angela (Rachel Nichols) her Raven tattoo on her shoulder.  Her mother hugs her and Rachel says she has to rescue her friends.  They find Garfield in his cage and Rachel opens it.  A doctor enters, but is tossed around by a green tiger.  They watch as the doctor is torn apart by the tiger in the cage.  Garfield transforms back, bloody, he has never let the beast out.  

THE TITANS -- Asylum -- Brooke Palmer/©2018 Warner Bros Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Rachel opens the door to Dick’s cell and finds him in the chair.  Dick gazes senseless.  Rachel pleads for Dick to fight and to help her.  Garfield helps carry him out.  The doctors check on how Kory’s wound has healed.  The doctor orders her left finger to be amputated.  The Titans appear and the alarm is sounded.  Dick knocks down the doctors.  They free Kory and Garfield removes the intubated tube from her.  To be honest, the same thing has happened to Kory with her capture by the Citadel.  Angela leads them out.  They are confronted by guards, but Dick takes a pipe and goes brutal on them.  The guards aren’t getting up anytime soon.  The doctor runs down the hall and somehow drops her chart shocked that the guards are on the floor.  Dick runs off and Kory’s eye flare green.  Angela, Garfield, and Rachel are escaping in the night when the asylum building explodes in flames.  Actually, a gas line explosion would tear apart the building.  Dick sees his Robin armor burning.  Kory calls him away.  A brutal episode, but I hope there is something light coming up to balance the darkness.  I understand that the Titans are pursued by a relentless enemy, but if they are in a constant state of tension and brutality, then I will quickly lose interest in this show.  

Four Wing Dings out of Five! 

#TheTitans, #Asylum, #RachaelCrawford, #RachelNichols 

End of the Year Movie Madness!

On August 24th, I wrote “December 21st - The Clash of Movies!” about the scheduling of several movies on the same day at the end of the year.  The edges to that battle were Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Mortal Engines on December 14th and Mary Poppins Returns on December 19th.  The teaser trailer for the Spider-Man animated film was dropped at the 2017 Comic Con Experience at Sao Paulo, then went online.  We got a hint of the energetic, comic book-style of animation and the reveal of Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore).  Then, the trailer for it appeared this June.  It had the training of Miles by Peter Parker (Jake Johnson), his police officer father (Brian Tyree Henry) embarrassing Miles, and then the introduction of Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld)!  The Spider-Verse was unleashed with the second trailer in October with the Looney Tunes-like Spider-Ham (John Mulaney), Peter Parker bringing back the Sam Raimi Spider-Man films, and all of the Spider-Verse heroes together.  Mortal Engines should move, it will be crushed on all sides by the blockbusters.  March of this year was the release of the teaser trailer for Mary Poppins Returns.  In September was the release of the official trailer.  This one featured singing by Emily Blunt, at her appearance at D23 Expo there wasn’t a hint of her singing ability, even though she was the Baker’s Wife in Rob Marshall’s Into the Woods (2014).  Then, there was the animation in the trailer and Dick Van Dyke dancing that made clear that the magic was back!   

The first to fall from the December 21st release date was Alita: Battle Angel which retreated to February 14, 2019.  This film is troubled shifting back and forth with release dates from July 20th of this year to December 21st and then to February.  Controversy seems to follow director Robert Rodriguez with a lawsuit filed in August for $20 million in cost overruns for Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014).  This leads to Aquaman which of course is spinning out of Justice League (2017) which financially was a disappointment. The first trailer finally made its debut at 2018’s Comic Con.  I liked the background of Arthur Curry growing up, the vision of Atlantis is interesting, but not the aquarium scene and the dry for wet shots, hanging actors on wires with wind blowing to pretend to be underwater.  The second trailer released this month was stunning.  The training by Vulko (Willem Dafoe), the quest for the trident to unite the undersea kingdoms and the surface world, Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) firing his beam, the spinning shot of the manta ray-like ship, and of course the reveal of Aquaman (Jason Mamoa) in his classic armor.  Then, there was the announcement that Aquaman would have an early screening on December 15th for Amazon Prime members through Atom Tickets.  The site announced that advance tickets were outselling Avengers: Infinity War, but not any sales figures.  Fandango reports that tickets for opening day for Aquaman outsold Venom and Mission: Impossible - Fallout.  They offer five free digital comic books, I would like actual comic books handed out. Again, this does not indicate a box office success, but does show audience interest in the film.   

Then, there is Bumblebee which is a part of the Transformers franchise, the last film was Transformers: The Last Knight (2017).  It features direction by Travis Knight who previously directed Laika’s Kubo and the Two Strings (2016).  The teaser trailer was released in June with narration about the driver and the car by Bernie Mac’s car dealer character Bobby Bolivia in the first Transformers (2007).  We see Hailee Steinfeld’s Charlie Watson inspect the underside of her new VW Bug that transforms!  Then, there is Charlie loading the Rick Astley song to play to Bumblebee and he fires it off into the garage! There is some action balanced with the bond between Charlie and Bumblebee.  A second trailer dropped in October.  This introduces Charlie Watson getting her first car, her friend Memo (Jorge Lendeborg Jr.), and the triple-changing Decepticons; Shatter (voiced by Angela Bassett), and Dropkick (voiced by Justin Theroux) hunting Bumblebee to stop the war from spreading to Earth.  We have a strong role of John Cena as Burns, dealing with the Transformers for Sector 7, and then the voice of Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen)!  Trailer 3 was also released which has Bumblebee forced by the vicious Blitzwing (David Sobolov) to take the form of the VW bug.  Charlie trying to help Bumblebee, Shatter getting Burns to find Bumblebee, and Optimus Prime calls him B-127.  It was recently announced that Bumblebee will get the jump on the Christmas season with an Early-Access Screening on December 8th.  Movie goers will also get a Transformers: Tiny Turbo Chargers toy.  It will be interesting to see how the sneak previews will impact the opening box office of the holiday films.  We will see how it all sorts out soon! 

#SpiderManIntotheSpiderVerse, #MaryPoppinsReturns, #Aquaman, #BumblebeeMovie 

Happy Birthday Jamie Lee Curtis!

Happy Jamie Lee Curtis Birthday and Happy Thanksgiving!  Jamie made her first film with John Carpenter’s Halloween (1978) playing Laurie Strode taking on Michael Myers.  She next continued with director John Carpenter in his horror film The Fog (1980) playing a hitchhiker who ends up in the haunted town of Antonio Bay.  Jamie returned to play Laurie Strode in Halloween II (1981). She also was in comedies playing Ophelia in Trading Places (1983).  Then, she was Wanda Gershwitz in A Fish Called Wanda (1988).  Jamie starred in the sitcom Anything but Love (1989-1992).  In 1990, she starred in the thriller Blue Steel (1990) directed by Kathryn Bigelow.  Jamie next starred in Forever Young (1992), a time lost romance written by J.J. Abrams.  

She begun writing children books starting with When I Was Little: A Four-Year Old’s Memoir of Her Youth (1993).  Jamie won a Golden Globe and Saturn Award for playing Helen Trasker in True Lies (1994), the spy action film directed by James Cameron.  She reprised her role as Laurie Strode in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998).  Also, in 1998, her book, Today I Feel Silly, and Other Moods That Make My Day made the New York Times best seller list.  Then, she played Laurie Strode again in Halloween: Resurrection (2002).  Jamie was on the comedy horror show, Scream Queens (2015-2016), playing Cathy Munsch.  Recently, Jamie is in the sequel that moved past the endless sequels with Halloween.  Happy Birthday Jamie Lee Curtis!   

#JamieLeeCurtis, #HalloweenMovie, #AFishCalledWanda, #TrueLies  

Ralph Breaks the Internet Review!

At the El Capitan Theatre there was a double feature which has “living internet projections” inside the theatre until November 25th. The opening day also had a “Special Collectible Popcorn Container” in the shape of Vanellope, a “Movie Themed Screen Wipe”, and a red Cinch Backpack which contained the two items. There were Wreck-It Ralph and Vanellope photo ops as well as a Sugar Rush video game that was only for taking pictures not actual game play. 

The first Wreck-It Ralph (review on it’s way!) was screened before the new movie. Rich Moore was the director on that film and continues here with Phil Johnston who were also writers on Zootopia (2016). The screenplay is by Johnston and Pamela Ribon who also wrote Moana (2016). It features as a story by the directors, Ribon, Jim Reardon and Josie Trinidad, both writers on the Zootopia (2016) story team. It seemed like the Wreck-It Ralph 2 sub-title was attempted to be put in the title, until the filmmakers decided they didn’t need it. This is also the return of the original voice cast with new additions.   

Morning at Game Central has Wreck-It Ralph (John C. Reilly) and Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) make jokes. Ralph treasures the candy necklace medal that Vanellope made for him that says “You’e My Hero.” I absolutely loved Ralph and Vanellope playing Tron light cycles! Their days end with sharing root beers with Tapper (Maurice LaMarche) offering advice and a quick root beer thrown down the bar. It is nice to catch up with the two characters and both Reilly and Silverman really have fun and get some dramatic arc that resembles the first film. They are interrupted by something new at the Litwak Arcade, it is not a new game, but WIFI.  This is something missing from Wreck-It Ralph, a strong plot line from the beginning.  

We also get that Vanellope has become bored with the Sugar Rush game and has mastered it.  Ralph is happy with his life in the Fix-It Felix game and the Game Central world.  He goes to build a bonus level track for Vanellope’s race.  She loves the thrill of the new track and the young girl who plays the arcade game finds Vanellope is taking control and fights her over it.  This causes the game’s steering wheel controller to break.  Mr. Litwak (Ed O’Neill) finds that the game’s company is out of business and puts the out of order sign on Sugar Rush, the same thing happened with Fix-It Felix, so now it’s Vanellope’s turn.  

All of the residents of Sugar Rush flood Game Central and Fix-It Felix Jr. (Jack McBrayer) and Calhoun (Jane Lynch) decide to act as parents for the young racers.  They were good characters in the first Wreck-It Ralph, but are cameos here. Ralph is unstoppable in trying to help his friend, they overhear from one of the girl gamers that a replacement steering wheel can be found on ebay, and leads her into the forbidden Wi-Fi. It is empty until Mr. Litwak logs onto his computer. We see his icon entering a neon cab to enter Wi-Fi. Vanellope follows him and Ralph doesn’t quite fit down the Wi-Fi tunnel, it is a cyberpunk world right out of Tron (1982), with company icons like Google and made up sites like BuzzzTube.  

Vanellope and Ralph wonder at this new world and get help from the search engine, KnowsMore, I sense Alan Tudyk doing his best impression of Ed Wynn. They find the steering wheel and decide to wildly bid thousands of dollars for it, but of course don’t have any money.  The duo is reminded of the time they have to pay for the item by eboy (Sean Glambrine), if not already, he should be a mascot for Ebay.  Ralph decides they may get help from JP Spamley, I think it was obvious that Bill Hader voiced him, who has a sign “Wanna Get Rich Playing Video Games?” He tells them that they just have to find game items that people will spend actual money on, the movie is filled with pointed jabs at internet culture, but the duo needs a big ticket item.  

Spamley tells them about Shank’s Car which will get them the money owned to Ebay.  This of course leads to Slaughter Race.There was of course a race, like Sugar Rush in the first movie, but this more intense, action movie level of a race that gives a nod to the Grand Theft Auto games and the Fast and Furious movies.  Shank is of course played by Gal Gadot, Gazelle in the Fast and Furious films, as an expert racer who sees defeating players as a necessary part of the challenge. She has a singing part with Vanellope later. Shank takes the place of Calhoun as an action character, but has more of a connection with the main characters.  Vanellope is impressed by Shank and is a kindred spirit.  

She loves the driving in Slaughter Race, but Shank is able to surround her with her gang.  Still, Shank has her flame throwing member of her crew, Pyro (Hamish Blake) use his equipment as a wind blower on Ralph’s face. Spamley refers Vanellope and Ralph to get the video on social media via BuzzzTube. The head of the site is Yesss voiced by Taraji P. Henson and she loves Ralph’s video that is going viral. Yesss is a great, fun character in the mold of Felix-It Felix as someone who helps the characters.  Her assistant is Maybe voiced by Flula Borg.  They can make money with views and Ralph decides to make videos of everything that is trending. Vanellope wants to help promote the videos and Yesss sends her out.     

Ralph Breaks the Internet, El Capitan stage, photo by the author. 

Ralph doesn’t want her sent to Slaughter Race so he sends her to the “pink castle.” The part where Vanellope goes to the Oh My Disney site is my favorite part of the film, the parodies and cameos are brilliant! The downside is that the audience downed out a few scenes with laughter. There is cameos by Marvel characters and Star Wars so it is a display of the franchises brought under the Disney banner and poking fun at them. Stormtroopers start to search for Vanellope and she glitches into the Princess room. This is fun with the Disney Princess brand with many of the original voice actresses. Jodie Benson as Ariel, Pocahontas (Irene Bedard), and Rapunzel (Mandy Moore) are featured, but there is also Anna (Kristen Bell), Elsa (Idina Menzel), Moana (Auli’i Cravalho), Tiana (Anika Noni Rose), Merida (Kelly Macdonald), Mulan (Ming-Na Wen), and Belle (Paige O’Hara). 

The classic princesses have new voices, but perfect fits with Snow White (Pamela Ribon, who also worked on the story!), Cinderella (Jennifer Hale), and Aurora (Kate Higgins), I hope they are all official voices for the characters.  This is the first time the princesses are together, it was amazing to see them on the D23 Stage.  They question Vanellope and then accept her as a princess when she says has problems with a male figure and they have a pajama party.  Vanellope has to find her place and Wreck-It Ralph has to not only help Vanellope and the Sugar Rush game, but understand her best interests.  Ralph also tries to find help in the Dark Web with Double Dan (Alfred Molina).  The third act also resembles the first movie, but it has one of the best conclusions!  There is also one of the best end credits scenes at the end of the movie.  A superior sequel!     

Four Glitches out of Five!   

#RalphBreakstheInternet, #GalGadot, #TarajiPenson, #SlaughterRace  

Star Trek vs. Transformers #2 Review!

The mash-up of two animated franchises continues with a cover by Philip Murphy with Kirk beamed between a fight between Megatron and Optimus Prime!  The issue was written by John Barber and Mike Johnson with art by Philip Murphy.  It picks up with a splash page of Optimus Prime looming over Spock, Dr. McCoy, and Scotty.  Spock checks out the Autobot symbol on Optimus who is rendered inert.  He attempts a mind meld and he gets scattered images of Cybertron and the war with Megatron that leads to Earth.  Spock screams and is pulled away by Dr. McCoy.  Optimus Prime is wakened and introduces himself.  Spock introduces the Starfleet officers and explains that Optimus shut down during the attack with the Decepticons. This has the red sky and sun behind them.  Then, we get the underground base of the Autobots.  Jazz fires on Kirk, the cat-like M’Ress leaps on Bumblebee, and Sulu dodges the attack of Windblade.  Great action!

Jazz doesn’t trust humans, but Ratchet stops him from blasting underground.  Bumblebee has caught M’Ress and Windblade is holding up Sulu.  The tensions ease and Kirk tries to explain the situation.  I like Bumblebee’s remark, “What’s a “phaser”?”  At the Klingon base, the Decepticons led by Megatron has an easier time talking with Kuri and his Klingons.  He brings up they can cloak the Decepticons, the threat of a cloaked Decepticon is too great!  Bumblebee explains about the history of the Autobots that led them to Earth until the World War.  They left the planet in Fortress Maximus and we see the animated Zefram Cochrane and Lily Sloane from Star Trek: First Contact (1996).  Fortress Maximus was introduced in the finale of season 4 of the animated series.  On the quest for Energon, the Decepticons attack with Trypticon.  Fortress Maximus then lands on Cygnus Seven.  An Andorian and Vulcan miner activate Fortress Maximus’ repair beam which revived the Decepticons. On board the Enterprise orbiting the planet, Lt. Arex is given an update by Spock. He is shocked by a de-cloaked Klingon bird-of-prey that fires on them! Soundwave receives transmissions of the attack.  Optimus Prime in truck mode transforms bringing the Starfleet officers to the mine, it is sealed by an attack led by Starscream!  If you are a fan of either franchise or both, this comic book is too much fun!  

Five Energon Cubes and Dilithium Crystals out of Five!           

#StarTrekvsTransformers, #CaptainKirk, #OptimusPrime, #Spock. 

Star Wars: Resistance, “Synara’s Score”, Review!

Colossus Base, Yeager watches a hologram of Captain Doza speaking about a pirate attack on the base, he wants Yeager’s help to fix turbo lasers since the aces are sent on an escort mission.  Neeku, Tam, and Kaz are working on a base for a turbo laser.  Yeager gives Kaz the assignment of finding a replacement military chip.  He has Neeku stay at the hangar.  Kaz puts in the parts request with Tam to Flix and Orka who laugh off his request. They say they get parts from scavengers.  They see Synara knockout a burly alien.   Kaz flubs the part and Tam knows the part.  Synara comes back with one chip and Tam has it charged to Yeager.  BB-8 mentions that he doesn’t trust her.  Neeku is given a break while Kaz and Tam install the chip. Synara checks out the Sky Tower.  Doza wants the cannons up and running.  Synara contacts the pirate captain, Kragan Gorr, via hologram.  Neeku announces a visitor - Synara. There isn’t too much tension in this episode, pirate attacks are not too much of a threat, if it is the aces that protect the base, then shouldn't there be replacement fighters?  

STAR WARS: RESISTANCE -- “Synara’s Score” -- Disney/Lucasfilm.

Synara has brought extra couplings to them and Kaz tries to send her away.  Kaz tries to join their break and Neeku covers his mouth, kinda funny.  Tam explains that she lost a race and her racer so works as a mechanic.  The Aces fly away and Kaz says that Tam has to start working.  They start working on the turbo lasers when the pirates begin strafing the base.  No alarms, the base doesn’t seem to be able to detect approaching ships.  Pirates land on the base and begin firing their blasters.  Tam fixes the turbo laser as the loading docks burn.  Tam runs off and Kaz has to make the cannons operational so he sends BB-8 with Tam.  She rams a pirate in trooper armor.  Doza calls for the cannons.  Yeager flies a cargo hovercraft to load the cannon.  Tam knocks out some pirates as Synara runs.  They go to load the targeting computer so Kragan Gorr sends his pirates to stop them.  Yeager shoots the blaster out of the captain’s hand.  No new characters, the spy angle is lost again, this seems like a filler episode.  

STAR WARS: RESISTANCE -- “Synara’s Score” -- Disney/Lucasfilm.

Kaz is thrown out of the cargo hovercraft as the Kragan Gorr struggles with Yeager.  BB-8 helps trip up some pirates.  Yeager drops Kaz off to take on a Trandoshan pirate, he uses a shock ax, and needs help.  Synara knocks out a pirate and she’s stunned Tam will risk herself for a friend.  So Yeager is worried about getting the cannons ready more than taking on the pirate captain who leads the pirates?  Kragan was hanging onto his hovercraft so why not flip it to throw him in the sea?  Kaz struggles to use the shock ax to move the part and Yeager slams the hovercraft into it.  Doza activates the cannons that blast the pirate ships.  Kragan Gorr calls for his Warbirds to retreat.  Yeager tells Kaz he did a good job.  Neeku tries to explain he and Bucket hid from a pirate.  Yeager suspects a spy with the timing of the pirate attack.  Synara thanks Tam.  This is a Tam based episode and makes her slightly less annoying.  It looks like Synara might switch sides seeing loyalty with Tam , but we don’t know why she joined the pirates in the first place.  Captain Doza contacts Commander Pyre to help fight the pirate attacks.  It looks like it is the First Order’s plan to take over the station, but it is unclear what is the base's strategic value. This show is losing it's focus more and more, it should be renamed Star Wars: Pirates Attacks.    

Three Lightsabers out of Five! 

#StarWarsResistance, #SynarasScore, #Tam Ryvora, #Synara.