Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge #1 Review!

The opening of Galaxy’s Edge, the Star Wars themed park expansion, at Disneyland begins on May 31st.  The new Marvel Comics series gives a peek into Galaxy’s Edge, some of the characters you might meet there, and more of our favorite characters!  There is a standard cover by Rod Reis which has Han Solo (the Harrison Ford version) and Chewbacca surrounded by aliens.  They include Dok-Ondar, the Ithorian (Hammerhead) trader who is in the Black Spire Outpost, Greedo, and what looks like Bossk and Admiral Ackbar.  The variant covers feature Patrick Zircher’s cover with Han and Chewie facing the gaping mouth of a Sarlaac, the attraction cover which has a bridge, tower, and residents of Batuu, and the concept design of Dok-Ondar by Karl Lindberg and Iain McCaig.  The first issue is entitled “Baiting the Hook” and written by Ethan Sacks with Will Sliney providing the art.  Sacks wrote a story in the Age of Republic Special #1 and Sliney has art for Star Wars: Solo.  

We get that it is Black Spire Outpost on the planet Batuu, but the time is only told is now so it is difficult to place this story in the SW timeline.  Remex, a green-skinned alien bounty hunter, is walking through the market next to an engine cooking food identified as Ronto's Roasters.  He is stopped by droid merchant who offers a ronto wrap.  This looks look like a hot dog with some strange green topping in a pita.  He sees a young boy try to sneak away one of the wraps, but Remex buys it for him.  Everything is disrupted by something passing overhead.  A First Order shuttle, that looks like a TIE fighter turned into a transport, it comes for a landing down on Black Spire Outpost.  There is a familiar single-winged shuttle that is in the park and the streets are filled with people and trees.  An officer, Lieutenant Aegon, is told by a stormtrooper that they want to blast the Resistance on Batuu with the Red Fury, a Star Destroyer?  Two pages kinda gives the opening crawl that is in the left page paragraph with credits on the other page.  We also get bubbles showing our characters; Dok-Ondar, Remex, Kendoh, a blond human, and Wooro, a bald alien with four black eyes and also a spider-like mandible. 

Remex pulls back his hood revealing a human-like appearance, a shape-shifter like the Clawdites?  He is met by Kendoh, the leader, and burly Wooro.  They go to their meeting with Dok-Ondar and head over to his Den of Antiquities, this is a location in the Galaxy's Edge park.  Dok-Ondar is on a circular podium, this is similar to Buzz Lightyear in Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, there is a woman who speaks for him.  She explains that Dok-Ondar is searching for relics.  Wooro goes to check on a tube that is revealed to be a young Sarlaac.  Dok-Ondar explains in Ithorian that he always gets what he wants.  He tells the story set in the I’vorcia Prime Preserve in the Outer Rim.  It is a green planet protected by orbital cannons.  The Millenium Falcon is able to use codes to clear the way to a landing.  Chewbacca is wary, but Han has that they only going to catch a baby one, Sarlaac!, and they have an expert waiting for them.  They land and it is not Dr Gezhor, but his assistant, Ooris with a heavily-armed Duwutin, the big alien with the claw chin in Force Awakens.  Ooris is impressed by the Falcon and leads Han to meet with Dr. Gezhor.  They pass more Duwutin armed with stun sticks.  

Han stares down at several Sarlaac pits, of course we saw only one in Return of the Jedi, but we get a whole life cycle of the beasties here.  Ooris pushes Han down to the Sarlaacs.  Two of the Duwutin strike the back of Chewbacca with stun sticks.  It is actually strange because we saw that the Sarlaac instantly reacts to the presence of potential prey.  They are rather sedate here.  Ooris calls down to Han that he only wants to take the Falcon and he drops a canister to collect Sarlaac spores.  Of course, Han fires at them with his blaster pistol.  This knocks down one Duwutin.  There is a burrowing through the sandy ground.  A young Sarlaac leaps at the Duwutin.  This reminds me of Tremors especially when it has smaller sized Graboids!  Ooris says that it was all explained by Dr. Gezhor before he killed him.  All of this time Chewie is being tortured by the stun sticks.  The young Sarlaac leaps for Han and he goes for the stun stick next to Dr. Gezhor’s skeleton.  He shocks the lil' Sarlaac and tells Chewie to get to work.  Of course, we know even after all of that pain, that the wookie can take it and give a bashing to the Duwutin!  After Han and Chewie’s adventures we get back to Kendoh presenting Dok-Ondar a mysterious object.  He says he can’t pay for it, later saying it is a deadly weapon, that was supposedly lost.  Dok-Ondar is also being recorded by a droid!  Some SW fun in this ongoing tale of different featured characters.  Next issue, Greedo! 

Four Lightsabers out of Five! 

#StarWarsGalaxy, #EthanSacks, #WillSliney, #DokOndar 

Happy Birthday Gal Gadot!

Happy Birthday Gal Gadot!  One of her earlier film roles was as Gisele Yashar in Fast & Furious (2009).  It was fourth movie in the action movie franchise directed by Justin Lin.  Then, she played Naomi in the action comedy Knight and Day (2010).  Gadot continued racing with Fast Five (2011) before her character reached the finish line in Fast & Furious 6 (2013).  She played Natanya in the comedy Date Night (2010).  Gal Gadot’s defining role was as Wonder Woman in Beavis.  Next, Gadot played Jill Pope, the wife of Ryan Reynold’s character in the action film, Criminal (2016).  Gadot returned to comedy as Natalie Jones, as the mysterious neighbor, in Keeping Up with the Jones (2016).  In October 2016, she attended the United Nations Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls inducting briefly Wonder Woman.  She appeared with Lynda Carter and director Patty Jenks.    

 Everything of course changed when she returned as Diana in Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman (2017).  The film brought in $821 million world wide and showed the break out success of a female superhero lead.  Gadot later returned as Wonder Woman, as leader of legendary heroes in Justice League (2017).  In 2018, Gadot voiced Shank, the race car driver in Slaughter Race in the animated sequel Ralph Breaks the Internet.  Gadot sings along with Sarah Silverman in the song, “A Place Called Slaughter Race.”  Next year, she returns to the role of Wonder Woman in the slightly delayed Wonder Woman 1984!  Wonder Woman faces the Cheetah on June 5th!  She is also playing Linnet Ridgeway Doyle in the next film for Kenneth Branagh.  This is Death on the Nile, the sequel to the Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot mysteries.  It has a October 20th release date.  Happy Birthday Gal Gadot!

#GalGadot, #Fast&Furious, #WonderWoman1984, #DeathontheNile 

Heroes In Crisis #8 Review!

This is the controversial issue that is the penultimate part of the limited series.  “Alive” is by Tom King with art by Mitch Gerards and Travis Moore.  We have been exploring the mystery of the killer who took out the recovering heroes at Sanctuary.  If there are readers disturbed by the events in a fictional superhero story, they might need to go to a mental facility like Sanctuary.  There are senstive issues here about mental health.  The construct of the superhero is given a deep dive which is a maturation of comic books as an art form.  Comic books stand as a fictional universe.  You are not forced to accept the events in a comic book.  Universes and characters are rebooted.  It has been stated that the deaths that have occured in Heroes in Crisis are canon in the DC Universe.  You can not collect the series or sell off your issues if you disagree with the story, but I’m here until the end.  The storyline is compelling to me, a mystery, interweaving through the trauma in these super heroes’ lives. A good mystery, again personally, is honest in presenting characters and clues and here fooled me by having the killer there all along.  I picked up the Ryan Sook variant cover for issue #8, it is Harley Quinn’s face emerging from the green chemical tank with just her eyes and top of her head revealed.  

The Sook covers show snap shots of traumatic moments of comic book history. They are kept as Sanctuary files with the date and no year listed.  I also like the regular cover by Trevor Hairsine of The Flash and his family looking at Sanctuary on a hill at sunset.  It starts with the confession of Wally West, The Flash, who emerged in the Rebirth universe from the Speed Force.  This was in DCU: Rebirth #1 (2016).  This is unlike the other Sanctuary confession videos which had a six panel grid instead we get a closeup with three horizontal panels.  The narrative shifts to moments of the Sanctuary residents; the caveman Gnarrk, Red Devil, who first appeared in DC Universe Presents #15 (2013) hugging Blue Devil, and finally Roy Harper, recovering drug addict, eying a needle.  Quiet, powerful moments, strong artwork by Travis Moore.  All the while is the narration of Wally’s confession explaining his three week time at Sanctuary.  Then, we get the action scenes of the hero Gunfire blasting aliens, contrasted with a blast hitting Lagoon Boy, this was in Heroes in Crisis #3, and the tiny Blue Jay, alone at a corner of a massive bed.  Wally is trying to understand his problem and dealing with self-reflection.   

Then, there is Poison Ivy using her powers to pierce a crazed man with thorns, Commander Steel taking on criminals, and Solstice, sitting by herself and watching Indian women on television.  The point is clear here, beyond the superhero action, there are people.  Wally is struggling with the Sanctuary recovery.  Next, is Hot Spot taking on the villain Dr. Light, a closeup of Tatooed Man sweating, and then Wally with his family; his wife Linda, and kids, Jai and Iris, it looks like a family photo.  Wally’s narration is that he was seen the progress of other Sanctuary residents dealing with their traumas.  This shifts to Travis Moore picked up the artwork with The Flash running in the Speed Force, streaks of white against blue and the sparks of lightning, we get Flash appearing, and then following him through his run.  Brilliant work by Travis Moore.  Wally is struggling with his thoughts dealing with this reality without his family.  I think this is an important story because we have had so many superheroes crossing over to other dimensions and realities, but what is the cost?  How do they adjust as people?  I think this part of the point of Tom King’s writing to humanize these fictional super heroes.  It is interesting that there are characters like Hot Spot and Lagoon Boy, who may not have flashy powers or dark, violent back stories, and show that even the most “side” character could be persons.  

We get Wally struggling with Sanctuary’s policy of anonymity with every record of the resident scattered to keep them safe.  It would take a billion years to put together the records, then we get an incredible splash page of The Flash running, and behind him are all of the Sanctuary confession videos!  He of course is the Fastest Man Alive and in the next page, we get the horizontal panels of Wally’s confession and he explains that he assembled the records of every resident so he won’t feel alone.  It broke him.  Wally needs some air and leaves the Sanctuary house in a long shot.  He takes a breather, in a medium shot, and explains that the other heroes are going out to check on him.  Wally explains about the Speed Force, having to control it every second, how it could be dangerous.  The crackle of Speed Force lightning appears around him, we are slowly getting into a closeup as we get the lightning blurring around his head with Wally clutching his head.  We get the shocking two page reveal.  I won’t spoil it and the rest of the comic book.  I will leave it up to you to read it or not, you could read about what happened online, but reading it is different than going through the comic and experiencing it.  Heroes in Crisis may not be for everyone.  For me, I was caught up in the mystery and the storytelling.  This is of course a detailed look at only part of the comic because the story and art are important.  It is an important comic book story.  

Five Pieces of Peach Pie out of Five! 

#HeroesinCrisis, #Alive, #TomKing, #MitchGerards, #TravisMoore 

Game of Thrones, “The Long Night”, Review!

The shaking hands of Samwell, given a Dragonglass weapon, he nervously heads out for the final battle.  In the courtyard, soldiers march, Lyanna Mormont shouts commands to them.  Tyrion walks over to pick up a pack and Bran is wheeled away by the Iron Born.  We are getting good glimpses of where everyone is before the battle.  Ten soldiers?  They are going to need fifty.  Over the walls of Winterfell, we get Davos Seaworth preparing.  Sansa Stark watches from the wall.  She hears the dragons pass overhead.  There is endless solders, siege machines, and riders.  The Battle of the Pelennor Fields from Return of the King?  Ser Brienne waits with Jaime at her side.  Grey Worm is also ready.  I hope Grey Worm doesn’t fall.  Tormund Giantsbane with the Hound making his way to the front. Sam takes his place, the armies are at each corner of Winterfell, and there is Ghost!  Next to Jorah Mormont on horseback.  They look out to the darkness.  

GAME OF THRONES -- “The Long Night” -- EMILIA CLARKE, KIT HARINGTON -- Helen Sloan/HBO. 

Jon Snow is walking up to Daenerys looking from a snowy hilltop with the dragons.  Davos sees a bonfire out in the woods.  Melisandre (Carice van Houten) rides up to Jorah and says that he should tell the army to “lift their swords.”  He tells the Dothraki to take out their weapons.  She holds a blade and chants some spell.  It ignites their weapons in flames.  Wow!  Sansa sees the flaming weapons across the armies.  Jorah takes out his sword.  She rides past Grey Worm.  Davos calls for the gates to open for Melisandre.  He walks down to see her.  She tells him that she will die.  Melisandre looks at Arya at the wall.  Arya is going to kill her?  The army with flaming weapons charges with horses.  A massive arrowhead of flames moves seen by Dany and Jon from their vantage point.  Flames are lit with catapault balls that soar over the army.  Ghost races along with the riders.  Shouldn’t Ghost protect Bran?  The flaming charge is halted.  Sounds of battle as the flames are extinguished.  The other soldiers look out to the darkness and quiet of battle.  A stray horse and other survivors head toward friendly lines.  Jon tells Dany, “The Night King is coming.”  

Dany goes to mount her dragon, Drogon.  Screeches are heard by the Winterfell army.  The armies of the dead flood forward.  Hitting the spears of Dragonglass.  Jaime goes to aid Brienne who screams out.  Then, the flames from Dany’s dragon!  Sam watches as Jon’s dragon, Rhaegal, also lights up the battlefield!  Jon and Rhaegal are struck by icy winds.  The flames are snuffed out by the winds.  Arya tells her sister to go to the Crypts and gives her the dagger.  By the weirwood tree, Theon Greyjoy senses the shift in battle.  Sam is knocked down and has a blade shoved toward his eye until he is saved.  Sam runs.  Sansa sees the refugees in the Crypts.  Tyrion is there, not happy, and Missandei.  I think both will be needed to defend the Crypts.  Jon is trying to ride his dragon through the winds.  They strike ice.  Dany is also struggling.  The war leaders call for a retreat.  Lyanna calls for the gates to open.  The soldiers rush in with wounded.  Where is Ghost?  Grey Worm calls for his men to stand their ground to protect the retreat!  The Unsullied close ranks.  Bran sees the winds.  Jon lands Rhaegal.  The Hound is running for the retreat and he is saved by Arya who shoots a flaming arrow at a White Walker.  

GAME OF THRONES -- “The Long Night” -- CARICE VAN HOUTON MAISIE WILLIAMS, RORY MCCANN --  Helen Sloan/HBO. 

Grey Worm calls for the trench to be lit.   Davos uses torches to give the signal.  He realizes that the soldiers can’t see the signal.  Davos calls for flaming arrows from the wall, but they are blown out by the winds.  Grey Worm sees Melisandre.  The Unsullied form a box defense and Melisandre walks out.  She takes hold of one of the barricades in the trench and chants her spell.  The trench burns around creates a perimeter around Winterfell.  Dany and Drogon adds to the fire.  In the Crypts, reminds me of the Battle of Helms Deep in Two Towers, Gilly is there.  Tyrion thinks he could be there at the battle and see an important turning point.  Varys scoffs at his remark.  Sansa says none of them should be in the battle.  She says their marriage wouldn’t work because of his loyalty to Daenerys.  Theon waits with the Ironborn.  He tries to express regret to Bran, but he is told everything has brought him there.  Bran uses his vision as the Three Eyed Raven and flies over the battle through the windy skies to Viserion, the dragon with the Night King.  Arya and Davos see the White Walkers falling on the trench to make a way through.  Davos calls for manning the walls.  Jon sees the Night King and Viserion.  

Jaime calls for the archers at the highest wall.  The White Walkers are piling up like the Bugs in Starship Troopers.  Gendry uses his axe to slice apart a White Walker.  Brienne saves Jaime from a group of White Walkers and they fight together.  I’m not certain how the White Walkers can fight coordinated, I didn't see leaders.  The Hound is shaken at the siege.  Arya goes into a whirlwind with her Dragonglass spear.  Lyanna is struck down by a rider.  A giant made White Walker swipes through the barricades.  Berric screams for the Hound to join the fight, but he sees it as a loss.  He points out Arya still fighting.  Lyanna rushes towards the giant, but is caught by him.  He lifts her up to eat her and Lyanna strikes it through the eye, dropping it.  We draw back to the skies with the battle of dragons.  The battle is epic in Game of Thrones scale.  It is strange that the Wall had better defenses for opponents trying to scale or breach it and with battle there is standard siege tactics.  I think there was some strange dark scenes which were distorted with patches of pixelation.  There is great losses with the end of the battle, bittersweet, it's a great build up to the battle, but I think it should have been in two parts.  If any part of this army survives taking on an army of the dead, take that Walking Dead you don’t need guns, just flaming swords!, then I think Cersei doesn’t stand a chance. 

Four Shards of Dragonglass out of Five! 

#GameofThrones, #TheLongNight, #CaricevanHouten

Cloak and Dagger, “Alignment Chart”, Review!

Connors is unleashed from Cloak to our world!  Tandy tells a folk story about a farmer who finds a viper.  We see Tyrone’s father, Otis Johnson, looking at the design for the cloak.  O’Reilly is back at the shooting range, she brings in the target, all shots around the target.  Connors walks in a building taking out a gun he finds behind pipes.  Tyrone asks what happened and Tandy explains he slipped out.  Her phone buzzes, it is her mother’s worried messages.  Tyrone has to find Connors.  Tandy’s mother says she likes Tyrone.  She says she drank with another person at her group and met a doctor.  Tandy says her mother should have left her abusive father and walks out of the door.  O’Reilly hears her tea pot scream and then a knocking at the door.  She opens the door to Tyrone who says Connors is back!  O’Reilly doesn’t want to join the search.  Tyrone says she should remember telling him not to go out on his own.  Tyrone texts Tandy, no response, he is on his own.  

CLOAK AND DAGGER -- “Alignment Chart” -- AUBREY JOSEPH, OLIVIA HOLT -- Patti Perret/Freeform. 

Connors goes with a shovel counting paces.  Tyrone empties shells and takes out the gunpowder.  Connors takes some bags to the riverfront.  Tyrone makes a symbol of the gunpowder and appears in front of Connors who points a gun.  He slides his gun over and wants to go to jail!  Did the Cloak dimension purge him of evil?   In the comics, Cloak’s dimension chills criminals with their crimes and Dagger’s Light Daggers purge evil.  Tandy continues the story about the viper, Connors.  He says he has brought the gun that killed Tyrone’s brother and the saw that he used to kill Fuchs.  Connors says, “I’m trying to make good.”  He was trapped in the nightmare of Cloak’s dimension faced with his crimes.  Tyrone has slammed Connors against the cargo container.  Connors handcuffs himself to turn over custody to Tyrone!  Tandy goes to Andre Deschaine’s (Brooklyn McLinn) office who tells her that the rescued girls are recovering.  They have told him a story about “an angel and a shadow.”  They can’t talk and Andre looks over to Lia Dewan (Dilshad Vadsaria).  O’Reilly looks at Misery’s apartment.   Otis gets a knock at the door and gets a knife from his friend.  He hears his son’s voice who brings in Connors.  Otis is about to stab Connors.  

Tandy talks to Lia about her past.  Lia offers to help Tandy.  Connors is taped to a chair and mentions Asa Henderson.  He mentions murdering Billy and his uncle took away the charge.  Connors mentions that there is a file, he calls the Monopoly File, that can put them away.  O’Reilly looks at a police officer’s picture and then goes to take out a rifle.  Is O’Reilly going the route of Tyrone in season one?  Tandy continues her story about the viper.  She  sits alone in a park while watches.   Tyrone meets with her.  He tells her about the plan and needs her to be a thief.  He is suspicious about Lia watching them.  Tyrone leaves to go on his own.  Lia tries to talk to Tandy about Tyrone.  She tells him about her ex-boyfriend, Eric, who wanted her to be part of a big drug deal.  Tyrone talks to his father if he trusts Connors.  Otis says Tyrone has changed.  Lia says she agreed after the abuse from Eric and then Andre helped her.  Tandy and Tyrone both say they are looking for justice.  Eric is at Grill House, a major drug deal site, Lia gives her directions.  Otis says Connors is the way back for his son.  Connors tells Tyrone that his uncle keeps a key and removes it at the steam room.  He dresses up in white and goes to the pool area.  Tyrone turns up the steam and cloaks into the room.  He reaches into a pocket and cloaks out.  Tyrone is at Henderson’s house, Connors mentions a distraction, O’Reilly has joined him dressed for war!  

CLOAK AND DAGGER -- “Alignment Chart” -- DILSHAD VADSARIA, OLIVIA HOLT -- Patti Perret/Freeform. 

Tandy’s story talks about the farmer going out to the storm to find wood to warm the viper.  It bit him.  O’Reilly goes to the house and shows her badge about a bomb threat.  Tandy has her Light Dagger walking through woods.  At the security office, on a monitor, a bomb goes off in the garage!  Evacuation of the house.  A man meets with Tandy with a pick axe.  Tyrone cloaks into the house and meets with O’Reilly.  Tandy slices through his pick axe and kncoks him down.  He sprays Tandy in the eyes.  Connors has directed Tyrone to the wine cellar.  The men surround Tandy she forms a Light Sphere and blinds them.  She fights with them, she socks the pick axe guy and wants to know who is taking the girls.  Tyrone finds the right bottle.  Tandy talks about the moral of the story.  We see Connors, Otis, and a knock at the door, no answer.  She is making a toast to Tyrone.  Cloaks Connor to the church and slams him around.  A number of handcuffs, Connors as an officer, Tyrone sees his dead brother pointing to the statue of Justice.  On her scale is a heart, Connors has a gap in his heart and is trying to cuff himself.  Tyrone lets him go after seeing the guilty vision.  Connors says he wants to die.  O’Reilly is back at the firing range.  Again no hits.  Adelina hears a knock and picks up her gun.  It’s Tyrone and brings in Connors.  She stares at him.  Tandy walks out of the building shaken.  Lia checks on her.  Tandy tells her to fight back.  An ambulance drives up and Lia betrays her!  It makes me think maybe Andre is behind it all.  Tandy has happy memories seeing everyone she knows including Tyrone as a police officer.  An intense episode! 

Four Light Daggers out of Five! 

#CloakandDagger, #AlignmentChart, #JDEvermore, #DilshadVadSaria 

Avengers: Endgame Review!

Avengers: Endgame is the culmination of eleven years of films building the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Phase Three seems to close the cycle that started with Iron Man (2008).  Now that that is out of the way, it is fan service, bringing in characters and moments just for you, but not for the story.  The MCU has set up rules, but then breaks them here.  I have issues of Avengers going back to 1967, but I see that the MCU has to stand apart from the comic books and tell their own story.  Still, the fan service got in the way of the story for me.  The film is directed by the Russo Brothers, Anthony and Joe, who started in the MCU directing the brilliant Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) and then continued through Captain America: Civil War (2016) and Avengers: Infinity War (2018).  

Avengers: Endgame was written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, the duo who wrote the screenplay for Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) and Thor: The Dark World (2013) before working on the Russo Brothers films. The movie opens with the teaser of Clint Barton, Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) showing archery.  Hawkeye gets more of a showcase than other MCU movies and he is a stand out character for me.  It shifts to the world after The Snap, The Snappening?, in Infinity War.  Steve Rogers, Captain America (Chris Evans) runs a support group in New York.  Captain America is again an inspiration for the Avengers.  Natasha Romanoff, Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) is in charge of coordinating the heroes.  Black Widow has a strong part here and also is another stand out character.  

They include James Rhodes, War Machine (Don Cheadle) and Okoye (Danai Guirira).  War Machine provides some light moments.  There is also Rocket Raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper).  It seems like the Marvel characters ended up in the dark DC universe and the DC characters ended up in light hearted Marvel universe with Shazam!  Then, we get Tony Stark, Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) trapped in the spaceship running out of fuel and air.  Downey Jr. also has a signficant part in this film.  He records his message to Pepper Potts.  We later see from the trailer other Avengers like Thor, Chris Hemsworth, who is able to bring more humor to the part, Bruce Banner, Hulk, (Mark Ruffalo), and Scott Lang, Ant Man (Paul Rudd) who is also provides some humor.  

Then, there is Nebula (Karen Gillan), who is also a survivor of the Snap and an interesting character in this movie, and Carol Danvers, Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), fresh from her own film.  They have to find a way to counter Thanos (Josh Brolin).  I kept getting the sense of other movies which I can’t reveal except Justice League (2017).  It felt strange to treading the same ground as that film, but with the Marvel touches.  There was some weeping around me, but it just didn’t earn the emotional impact for me.  The very long run time could have cut most of the beginning and get to the point.  Spinning out of this film, I think the Disney Plus show that interests me is The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.  Note: there is no mid or end credit scenes.  I really liked some moments in this film.  The Marvel fans will love it.  

Two Infinity Stones out of Five!  

#AvengersEndgame, #RussoBrothers, #RobertDowneyJr, #ChrisEvans 

Happy Birthday Gina Torres!

Happy Birthday Gina Torres!  An early genre part for Torres was as Dr. Amy Ellis in the tv superhero movie of M.A.N.T.I.S. (1994).  She played Magdalena on the soap opera, One Life to Live, and then Neill in 1996.  Next, Torres played Cleoptra in “The King of Assassins” (1997) episode of Xena: Warrior Princess.  She also had a longer part as Nebula, princess of Sumeria, in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (1997-1999).  Torres had a lead part as Helen Carter, better known as Hel, in Cleopatra 2525. (2000-2001).  She also sang the opening song, “In the Year 2525.”  Torres played Anna Espinoza, an assassin rival to Sydney Bristow, in 2001 episodes of Alias.  Gina Torres’ iconic part that won the hearts of every Browncoat playing Zoe Washburne in Firefly (2002-2003).  She was then Jasmine, former member of the Powers That Be, in Angel (2003).  

Torres follwed it up by playing Cas, defending the last stronghold of humanity, Zion, as Cas in The Matrix Reloaded (2003) and The Matrix Revolutions (2003).  Then, Julia Miliken, was played by Torres in 24 (2004).  In 2005, she returned as Zoe Washburn in the film, Serenity (2005).  Torres voiced Vixen in Justice League Unlimited (2004-2006).  She also returned for a few episodes of Alias (2005-2006) as Anna Espinoza.    Torres then voiced Airachnid in Transformers Prime (2011-2013).  Her long running role was as Jessica Pearson in Suits (2011-2018).  Bella Crawford, was a patient of Hannibal Lector, in the series Hannibal (2013-2015).  Torres was also in Alan Tudyk’s series Con Man, playing Grace in the episode, “Voiced Over” (2015).  She voiced the bounty hunter, Ketsu Onyo, in Star Wars: Rebels (2015-2018) and also two episodes of Star Wars: Forces of Destiny (2017).  Recently Torres played Lauren in the sci fi series, Westworld (2016-2018).  Gina Torres has upcoming the series Pearson based on her Suits character, Jessica Pearson.  Happy Birthday Gina Torres! 

#GinaTorres, #Cleopatra2525, #Firefly, #Pearson 

Happy Birthday Joe Keery!

Happy Birthday Joe Keery!  He started out with a role, Scott, in The Charnel House (2016) horror film.  Then, Keery got a star making role in Netflix's Stranger Things as Steve Harrington.  He played Trust Fund Cole in Molly's Game (2017).  Keery was in After Everything (2018), the romantic drama, as Chris.  He also starred in Slice (2018), the comedy horror movie playing the photographer for the town’s newspaper that may be haunted.  Now, he returns as Steve Harrington in the third season of Stranger Things which debuts on July 4th!  Also, he's a really cool guy to meet a con.  Happy Birthday Joe Keery!

Joe Keery at the Long Beach Comic Expo, 2018, photo by the author. 

#JoeKeery, #MollysGame, #Slice, #StrangerThings 

Star Wars Adventures #20 Review!

There are two stories in this young readers comic book and the first one is by Cavan Scott who has written The Star Wars: Adventures in Wild Space books.  “Hide and Seek” features art by Derek Charm who has also contributed cartoony adventure with other issues of Star Wars Adventures.  It opens in Wild Space on the planet Retta.  Wild Space the unexplored and dangerous region of space.  The Lasat from Star Wars: Rebels are there.  The name of the planet cracked me up because it instantly made me think of Donna Meagle from Parks and Recreation.  The actress is currently in Good Girls.  Is there a planet Gergich?  Retta the planet is mysterious with tangles of red trees.  Droids are sent by Separatist agent, Flebek, searching for Retta’s secret.   Flebek looks like a skull faced alien, probably a villain that could return.  

They of course are confronted by Anakin Skywalker.  He is joined by Yoda since he had sensed a presence through the Force.  They are startled by a boulder.  Anakin reaches out with the Force and slams the invisible threat.  It is an elderly batlike alien named Kredda.  She is cleverly designed with her robes looking like a shawl or bat wings and what looks like spectacles beneath her eyes.  Anakin thinks she will make a perfect spy for the Republic, but Kreeda slips away.  The Jedi have to face more battle droids.  Yoda goes to find his friend and sees an infant Ishi Tib, the starfish-faced alien from Return of the Jedi, but he disappears.  The secret of Retta has been found by Yoda!  

The back-up, Tales from Wild Space, story is “The Journey” written by George Mann with art by Valentina Pinto.  It continues the stories of young Emil Graf from the Wild Space novels and his droids, BB-00, and CR-8R, Crater.  The art work is in the cartoony style, but I also noticed that Emil looks like an anime character in two panels, nice.  Crater chastizes Boo over working on the hyperdrive.  Emil is surprised and decides to tell another story from Aunt Lina, who was one of the characters in Wild Space.  It concerns the Padawan Barriss Offee.  She is the Jedi Mirialan with yellow skin and facial tatoo.  Offee is of course apprentice to Luminara Unduli and her mission is to enter a jungle temple and find a central chamber.  She finds closing stone door traps, buzzsaws, and collapsing bridges right out of Raiders of the Lost Ark or Dungeons & Dragons.  Offee finds a book at the central chamber, but it collapses into dust.  The mission seems a failure to Barriss Offee, but her master tells her something different that makes an interesting moral which Emil tells his droids. Another issue of Star Wars fun from IDW!  

Four Lightsabers out of Five! 

#StarWarsAdventures, #CavanScott, #DerekCharm, #GeorgeMann

Game of Thrones, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”, Review!

The title of the episode hints at the collection of novellas about Ser Dunk the Tall.  Last episode, we had the arrival of Jaime Lannister back at Winterfell, seen by Bran Stark, who was crippled as a boy by Jaime.  Jaime Lannister, the Kingslayer, faces Daenerys Targaryen speaking to him about her father and his killer.  Cersei Lannister promised to send her army, but there is only Jaime.  He explains that Cersei betrayed him and sent for the fleet from Euron Greyjoy and the Golden Company, mercenaries from Essos.  Jaime wants to keep his promise.  Tyrion tries to vouch for him.  Daenerys' decision to reject Jaime is seconded by Sansa Stark.  Bran repeats his words, “The things we do for love.”  Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie) stands for Jaime and she explains that she was captive, but sacrificed his hand for her.  Sansa takes her word and Jon Snow, Targaryen?, also seconds him for the battle.  Daenerys agrees and Grey Worm returns Jaime’s sword to him.  It seems Jaime has an important and unexpected role to play in the battle.  All stand after Daenerys leaves.  Jaime sees Brienne walk past Bran.  Dany walks with Tyrion angry that he was deceived by his sister.  She threatens to take his position as her Hand if he can’t get the throne from Cersei.  He tells Varys and Ser Jorah Monmount that they may be her Hand. 

GAME OF THRONES -- “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” -- SOPHIE TURNER, EMILIA CLARKE -- Helen Sloan/HBO.  

The forges of Winterfell, Gendry is working, and Arya enters the forge.  She asks about her weapon, but he says he is busy forging the dragonglass weapons.  Gendry says he fought with the dead.  He tells her “they are like death.”  She throws three knives telling Poderick she knows death.  Bran is sitting by the weirwood tree when Jaime walks up to him.  He tries to apologize and says he is a changed man.  Bran may have seen that Jaime is important in the battle.  I like how things have worked out between them, not redemption, but an agreement.   Preparations are going on in the Winterfell courtyard, Tyrion walks it, and sees his brother.  Jaime asks about Daenerys and they speak truths about their sister.  Jaime walks away and watches Brienne out with the soldiers.  She watches Poderick Payne (Daniel Portman) practice, the boy she trained and former squire to Tyrion, and smiles.  Jaime joins her and says she is defending the left flank.  He wants to serve in her command!  I don’t care what happens to the Kingslayer, he is not redeemed, but now is an honorable man.  Jorah meets with Dany, saying he was disappointed that Tyrion was made her Hand, and says Tyrion is an intelligent man.  He has another suggestion.  Sansa is making plans when Dany joins her.  They discuss Tyrion, they sit, and Dany sees the similarities of their rule questioned by men.  Dany says all she wanted was to take the Iron Throne, but changed that when she decided to fight Jon’s war.  Sansa asks about what happens after the war and that she took back the North and will never bend the knee to anyone.  

They are interrupted by the arrival of Theon Greyjoy!  He bends the knee to Daenerys and says that his sister is going to fight for the Iron Islands.  Theon says he wants to fight for Winterfell and Sansa hugs him!  Davos Seaworth is passing out soup says to a man who is not a soldier and tells him that he survived the Battle of the Bastards.  The man goes to get weapons.  A young girl tries to ask for soup from Davos to fight.  Gilly (Hannah Murray) convinces the girl to go to the refuge in the crypts.  The preparations for battle is in many such movies, but the one that comes to mind for me is King Arthur (2004).  A horn is sounded from the walls.  Solders rush out and Jon is there.  Sam hugs the arriving survivors from the Nightwatch.  Jon is happy to see Tormund Giantsbane.  They have escaped the Last Hearth and avoided the Night King’s army.  Tormund says they have until the next day.  Jon explains their preparations and then we see the map and the war room.  He says the army follows the Night King.  Bran says the Night King is looking for him.  He shows them the mark of the Night King.  Bran wants to draw out the Night King and Theon says he will protect Bran with the Ironborn.  Theon admits he took Winterfell and now wants to defend it.  Davos says he will protect the walls with Tyrion who will light the trench.  Daenerys wants Tyrion in the crypts, but he wants to fight.  Arya asks if dragonfire will destroy the Night King, but Bran doesn’t know.  Jon says that they should all rest.  They all leave and Tyrion talks with Bran and wants to hear his story.  

GAME OF THRONES -- “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” -- GWENDOLINE CHRISTIE -- Helen Sloan/HBO.  

Grey Worm checks the weapons.  Missandei tries to talk to two children who walk away.  Grey Worm says there is no place for Missandei and himself.  This flashes to a memory for me of Denzel Washington's character, Trip, talking to Colonel Shaw in Glory (1989).  Missandei says she wants to see the beaches and Grey Worm says he will take her there.  Jon and Sam are on the Winterfell wall and Sam asks if Jon told Dany.  Jon says he can join Gilly in the crypt.  Sam says he killed the first White Walker.  They look out to the darkness of the North.  Tyrion and Jaime are talking in front of a fireplace.  Tyrion thinks back to the good old days.  Jaime stands at the arrival of Brienne.  He gets a seat for her and Tyrion greets Davos and Tormund who says to Brienne it could be their last night, love it!  Tormund says he killed a giant when he was ten and went to bed with his wife.  Davos decides to join them in drink.  Arya sees the Hound on the wall and drinks with him.  She wants to know why he is fighting.  He says he fought for her.  They are joined by Beric Dondarrion and the Hound gives him a drink so Arya leaves them.  She fires arrows and is met by Gendry who gives Arya her weapon.  He explains the Red Woman wanted his blood.  Arya asks him about the women he was with at King’s Landing.  He admits there were three women.  She kisses him and starts to undress him!  Um, Arya grew up.  

Tyrion says it is strange that the group fought the Starks.  He goes over their battles.  Jaime says a knight can dub another as a knight.  He asks to dub Lady Brienne.  All of them turn to see the ceremony.  I love this scene!  Jaime has made her a Knight of the Seven Kingdoms!  They all clap for her knighthood.  Sam walks down steps to see Lyanna Mormont (Bella Ramsey) says that she will fight against the recommendation of Ser Jorah.   Sam has Heartsbane, the sword of his family, he offers it to Ser Jorah since his father trained him.  Tyrion asks the group for a song.  Poderick sings “Jenny of the Oldstones”, it reminds me of Pippin’s song in Return of the King (2003), end credit song by Florence and the Machine, soundtrack please.  Grey Worm kisses Missandei before joining the soldiers.  Dany sees Jon in the crypt and he is front of the statue of Lyanna Stark.  She says her brother Rhaegar abused her.  Jon admits that her brother married Lyanna in secret.  He says his real name is Aegon Targaryen!  Bran said it and Sam confirmed it.  Dany doesn’t believe it at first, but she says he will be the last male heir, and worthy of the Iron Throne!  Horns are sounded, the army of the Night King is here!  Tyrion looks out from the wall, the horsemen of the Night King look at Winterfell!  I think these two episodes are enough for me.  What was left out of the plans is how the dragons figure into the tactics and also how they deal with the Night King controlled dragon.          

Five Shards of Dragonglass out of Five! 

#GameofThrones, #AKnightoftheSevenKingdoms, #GwendolineChristie, #HannahMurray 

The Curse of La Llorona Review!

The Curse of La Llorona sent shivers in me even at the parts where I knew about the terror!  The film is directed by Michael Chaves who also directed the Nickelodeon animated series, Chase Champion (2015), and this is his first film.  He has upcoming The Conjuring III for next year.  It is co-written by Mikki Daughtry, who also co-wrote this year’s romantic movie, Five Feet Apart, and her co-writer on that film, Tobias Iaconis.  Llorona, the supernatural presence that is a driving force in Latin and Mexican folk lore, is tricky.  For one the pronunciation, the best I can make out is “La” and “y-rona”, the two l’s make an “y” sound, and her name is quickly said.  

The movie opens in Mexico in the year 1673.  This is the time of the exploration of Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet, a fur trader who followed the Mississippi River down to the Gulf of Mexico.  We see two boys in white shirts playing and their parents.  They dance in a circle, we see the mother’s necklace, but we don’t see her face.  She is betrayed by her husband and we have one son covering his eyes.  He finds that he is alone in a field and tries to find his family.  He finds his mother in her white dress drowning his brother.  She reaches out for him.  

This shifts to 1973 Los Angeles, three hundred years later, we get kids playing.  There is Chris (Roman Chistou) and Sam (Jaynee-Lynne Kinchen).  The Conjuring (2013) was set in 1971.   It is the first movie for Chistou and Kinchen also starred in the sci fi film Self/less (2015).  The effectiveness of the scares rest on them, there is tension in their scenes, and they seem like normal kids.  They are trying to get ready for school by their mother, Anna Tate-Garcia (Linda Cardellini).  

Previous roles for Cardellini include the wife of Hawkeye, Laura Barton in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) and of course Lindsay Weir in Freaks and Geeks (1999-2000), but I seemed to remember her as Velma taking on the supernatural in the live action Scooby-Doo (2002).  Her character is a social services case worker and takes care of children.  This of course ties into the subject of the movie and also we find out she’s a widower.   Her husband, Officer Gomez, has died.  It seems to be that he died on duty, but the circumstances are unclear.  Her boss, Detective Cooper (Sean Patrick Thomas), assigns her case to Donna (Irene Keng).  Thomas was in Dracula 2000 (2000), Save the Last Dance (2000), and the Reaper (2009) television series.  Keng was in the television lawyer drama Harry’s Law (2011-2012). 

Anna says she has established trust with the Alvarez boys.  Cooper sends her over to the Alvarez house since there is concern over the mother, Patricia, and has an officer go with her.  Anna goes to the house and tells the officer to stand aside.  She is surprised by the haunted look of Patricia Alvarez (Patricia Velasquez), nervous behind her chained door.  Velasquez might be known as Anck-Su-Namun in The Mummy (1999), but she was also in Arrested Development (2003-2004) and The L Word (2008).  Anna notes the key on a chain around Patricia.  Anna makes her way through the house and finds a locked door with strange symbols.  This reminded me of “The Howling Man” (1960) episode of Twilight Zone, but Anna senses that Patricia locked away her kids in an abusive situation.

Patricia sees Anna and knocks her down.  The officer breaks in and pulls Patricia away.  In the struggle, Anna has taken the key and opens the door.  Inside is the two kids, Carlos (Oliver Alexander) and Tomas (Aiden Lewandowski).  This is the first movie for the actors who have worked in television.  Anna notices that they have welts on their arms.  We get the perspective of Anna in trying to protect the kids, but of course we know that this unleashes the horror of La Llorona.  Patricia says that she was protecting them and that they will die.  She returns home, her son Chris is in his father’s office pretending to be like him, upstairs we get Anna helping her daughter Sam rinse her hair in the bathtub.  This scene comes up later so that if kids watch the movie they will never take a bath again!  

It is night at the hospital for foster children.  Carlos sees his brother walking down halls, the lights flicker out, and follows him.  Of course, La Llorona (Marisol Ramirez) has drawn them out!  Ramirez has worked mostly in television including episodes of NCIS: Los Angeles and 9-1-1.  Her make-up reminded me of The Nun, I didn’t realize this was in the Conjuring Universe, but her pale face with yellow eyes has black tears down her face.  The scares of film, after years of horror movies, are in the shivers caliber.  It is in line with The Conjuring setting scenes with normal lighting and holding back the music to bring in the terror.  Kudos to the cinematography by Michael Burgess who worked on The Conjuring 2 (2016) and Michael Bishara who scored Insidious: The Last Key (2018) and Annabelle (2014).  

Anna gets the call to identify the bodies of the Alvarez boys drowned in the L.A. river.  She drives over with her kids in the station wagon and tells them to stay in the car.  Anna is horrified to see the bodies in plastic.  Patricia is brought to the scene by the police and she blames Anna for their deaths since she tried to stop La Llorona.  Curiosity gets the better of Chris and he leaves the car to look at the crime scene.  He hears crying at a fenced area.  La Llorona is known as the Weeping Woman!  She reaches out to Chris and holds his arm, burning him, he runs back to the car with the sleeping Sam.  His desperation at keeping La Llorona out is heart pounding!  

 Chris explains the burns to his mother as a fall.  Keeping such a disturbing encounter a secret is part of the film.  In the morning, Anna goes to the services for the children, attending it is Rafael Olvera (Raymond Cruz) who is blowing smoke, called despojo, to ward away negativity from a woman.  Cruz has starred in an episode of The X-Files, Alien: Ressurrection (1997), and Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money (1999).  We later find out that is a cuandero, a Mexican shaman, who has left the church and may be the only person who can help Anna and the children.  Father Perez (Tony Amendola) offers Anna a cross necklace, but she says that only her husband was religious.  The films that Amendola starred in include The Mask of Zorro (1998), The X-Files, and also a cameo in Annabelle that ties in the Conjuring Universe.  

Sam hears crying and looks over the backyard door to an empty street.  Her umbrella is pulled away by the wind.  She finds La Llorona and her arm is also burned.  Anna interviews Patricia who has sent La Llorona after her children! The perspective of an American family might be for the audience, but the legend is kept intact.  The threat to the children and their vulnerability is what heightens the scares.  I left the theater with my heart thumping and when I opened the door to my home, I fully expected to see a woman in white with a pale, screaming face!  Instead, it was an empty hallway.  I expected this film to be full of genuine scares and I got them.  

Four Necklaces out of Five!   

#TheCurseofLaLlorona, #MichaelChaves, #LindaCardellini, #RaymondCruz