Re:tro Re:view - The Rocketeer!

The Rocketeer is the best comic book adaptation!  Bringing comic books to the screen is difficult since superheroes are absurd in concept. The Rocketeer is successful IMO since it is based on a pre-World War II setting comic book. The character was in a series of vignettes that ran through the anthology comic Pacific Presents (not as popularly known as Marvel Comics. It featured the good girl artwork of Dave Stevens, co-producer of the film, mixed with the adventures of movie serial heroes. The serials were popular in the 1930’s, black and white, short films that ended in cliffhangers. They inspired films like Raiders of the Lost Ark and in part Star Wars (1977). Stevens as writer and artist took the concept of King of the Rocket Men (1949), but combined him with early aviation, spies, and a dash of pin-up model, Bettie Page. The movie is directed by Joe Johnston who worked for ILM as a designer and directed Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989) for Disney and later Captain America: The First Avenger (2011). I knew he was perfect for that film when announced as director. The screenplay and co-story is by Danny Bilson and Paul DeMeo who created The Flash (1990) series. The story is also by William Dear, director of Harry and the Hendersons (1987).  

  

It opens to the score by James Horner, one of my favorite film scores, it has all of the gentleness of an early morning with the promise of adventure.  The dark hangar doors are opened.  Mechanics roll out the yellow and black Gee Bee (standing for the Granville Brothers) Model R plane, a squat and compact racer.  The color design makes it look like tough bee.  It is rolled out to the airfield which brings me back to the days of watching air shows.  We hear the discussion between genius mechanic, Peevy (Alan Arkin) and pilot, Cliff Secord (Billy Campell).  Arkin brings a charm to every role he plays including Edward Scissorhands (1990) and Argo (2012).  Campbell starred in Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) and later the SyFy series Helix.  Peevy is detail oriented, but Cliff relies on his experience, he puts his gum on the tail for luck.  The hood is locked onto the cockpit and the propeller is spun.  Peevy throws away the gum.  Cliff takes the Gee Bee to the runway and gives a kiss to the photo of his girl, Jenny.  The Gee Bee lifts off and the soundtrack soars.  Cliff does a fly by of Peevy and the boys, not as a show off, but just love of flying.  Then, we get the setting, “Los Angeles, 1938.”

The film jumps to a Tommy gun fired by a gangster in the back of a roadster.  They are being chased by a police car running its siren.  Behind them is federal agents, Fitch (Ed Lauter) and Wooly (James Handy).  Lauter who was in the action movie, Raw Deal (1986) and he plays the square-jawed tough guy here.  Handy plays an F.B.I. agent who smooths things over with Fitch's impulsiveness.  He was previously in the horror movie, Arachnophobia (1990).  The Tommy gun takes out the front tire of the police car and it runs into a ditch.  The two cars race across the field and Cliff’s Gee Bee flies over them.  The gangster fires at the plane and hits the fuel line.  The federal agents’ car gets caught between trees as the gangsters reach the airfield.  The driver, Wilmer (Michael Grodénchik) takes the box and sees the gunman, Lenny, has died.  Grodénchik is known for playing Rom in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.  Peevy sees the Gee Bee come in sputtering smoke.  Wilmer replaces a vacuum cleaner into the box and takes off.  He jumps out of the car as the Gee Bee slices through it, but loses its landing gear.  The gangster car hits a fuel tank which explodes as the Gee Bee comes in burning!  The mechanics help Cliff out and he runs back to get Jenny’s photo.  Peevy and Cliff angrily tell the agents that years of work went into the Gee Bee.  Cliff strikes Fitch and gets a fist in return.  

The agents question Wilmer on a stretcher looking for “The Package”, but he says it was blown up.  Another agent pulls out some burning wreckage.  Fitch tells Wooly to make the call.  At a white-washed Hughes Aircraft hangar, a man in a suit (Terry O’Quinn) gets the call, he is very dapper with a mustache.  Quinn is known for playing John Locke in Lost and also lawyer, Alex McSween in the western Young Guns (1988). The man holds some blueprints and then tosses a folder with jet packs flying over the 1939 Worlds Fair.  He tells the government and military officials what to say to the president (Roosevelt), “Tell him the dream is over.  Tell him Howard Hughes said so.”  Back at the hangar, Peevy and Cliff argue with the owner, Bigelow (Joe Polito), over the three hundred dollars of the fuel costs.  Polito was in Highlander (1986) and later The Crow (1994). Bigelow wants them to revive their old clown act.  Cliff wants to fly the old, dusty Miss Mable plane and finds a large package.  They uncover two rockets in a art deco style pack, Cliff accidentally activates it and the jet pack flies across the room, then he slips it on with stunned looks between them.  Night, they saw off the statue of “Lucky” Lindy, Charles Lindbergh, in front of the flight school.  Cliff and Peevy take it over to the back of the pick-up truck and drive away.    

We have the head of the gangsters, Eddie Valentine (Paul Sorvino) asking about Wilmer, turning around is Neville Sinclair (Timothy Dalton).  Sorvino is a veteran character actor appearing in Goodfellas (1990) and also the Dick Tracy (1990) movie.  Neville has the grace and fencing sword of Errol Flynn.  Dalton of course was James Bond for several films, but I remember him as the dashing Prince Barin in Flash Gordon (1980).  Neville's house has white columns with ancient iconography.  Valentine is about to walk away when Neville reveals that The Package is really a rocket and he adds, “Like in the comic books”, love it!   Valentine says Wilmer knows what happened to it and that he is in the hospital.  Neville frets about Eddie’s men and makes a call to the mysterious Lothar (Tiny Ron Taylor).  Tiny Ron was in the action movie Road House (1989) and later Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.  A stake is hammered into a field with a chain to the statue wearing the jet pack.  Cliff and Peevy take cover and the switch is thrown by the mechanic.  The jet pack ignites and is thrown into a rotation by the chain.  Cliff notices the stake is being pulled up and the statue disappears in the night sky.  Peevy and Cliff search the sky for signs of the rocket pack and then find it is hurtling behind them!  They run and the pack crashes into the field.  Cliff has the idea of “borrowing” it to make some money, and he finds the head of the statue broken, he mentions that Peevy should make a helmet! 

Next, we get the closeup of a shapely leg as Jenny Blake (Jennifer Connelly) pulling up her pantyhouse, the closest thing we will get for Bettie Page.  Connelly played Sarah in Labyrinth (1986) and voiced Karen in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017).  Cliff heads over to take Jenny on their date.  She is excited that she landed a part in a Neville Sinclair movie.  Jenny asks him about his flight in the GeeBee.  Then, they decide on a movie and Jenny mentions the Neville Sinclair movie, Wings of Honor.  The newsreel at the beginning of the film shows the Nazis and the zeppelin on a world tour.  A dark shadow enters the hospital room of Wilmer.  Lothar sets a chair against the door as the nurse and officer listen to a radio show.  He shakes Wilmer, whose shattered body is wrapped up in bandages, awake and startled at Lothar’s Dick Tracy villain-like features.  Lothar asks about the rocket and Wilmer reveals the switch.  The nurse laughs at the radio program’s screams and then realize it is coming from the hospital room.  The officer breaks in and finds that Wilmer was folded in half!  The danger ramps up with aerial action, a nightclub battle, and Cliff Secord finally becomes The Rocketeer, reluctantly, and to save the people close to him.  The Rocketeer is a blend of a clever look at Hollywood of the time, Nazi movie villains, and a perfect cast!  

Five Rocket Packs out of Five! 

#TheRocketeer, #JoeJohnston, #BillCampbell, #JenniferConnelly, #AlanArkin, #TimothyDalton 

Star Wars in 2019!

Let’s run down the year in Star Wars.  First, comic books, the Marvel Comics lines are coming to an end.  It started off promising with Jason Aaron writing Original Trilogy era stories, but they quickly became caught up in continuing stories that were going nowhere.  This was a problem with the original Marvel Comics stories.  The editorial direction is confusing.  Aaron provided some interesting stories, I really like the Obi-Wan flashbacks, and some reflection on the canon.  Kieron Gillen was the writer of the Darth Vader title, switched to the main title, and is now ending his run.  There was an opening of the eras with Age of Republic, Age of Rebellion, and Age of Resistance to denote Prequels, Original Trilogy, and Sequel Trilogy.  I did like Star Wars Adventures from IDW which were not concerned with canon and just told fun stories.  The only problem is that there doesn’t seem to be any place for them in any chronology.  

Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run, hyperspace jump, photo by the author.

The writers might be hedged in by the canon, but ultimately what we found is that the films, animated series, and The Mandalorian (up to now) don’t feature Sana Starros, Dr. Aphra, or Evaan Verlaine.  So if you have any of those comics, then they are irrelevant to the other canon works.  In some cases it is a shame, I thought it was interesting that Evaan Verlaine helps recover the Alderaanian refugees and lead the people in Leia’s absence.  This would have made a great connection to Last Jedi if Laura Dern’s character was Verlaine instead of a tacked on Vice Admiral Holdo, who was “introduced” in Leia, Princess of Alderaan (2017).  Never mind consistency or logic for that matter with Holdo working as a politician suddenly in charge of the Resistance military when we never saw her before.  This is the problem with Star Wars and the canon, an ancient dagger that needs to be decoded, well there is an archeologist with Dr. Aphra, but no we need to bring in Felicity!  Who of course has a past with Poe Dameron, but shows up nowhere in the comic book title Poe Dameron.  So in other words, you wasted your time and money with the comic books.             

Animated series, basically, Star Wars: Resistance.  It began last year, but the twelfth episode of season one began in 2019.  We had the appearances of Poe Dameron, Captain Phasma, and General Organa.  In Episode 17, Poe takes BB-8 since they have a mission on Jakku.  Then, we get the blast from Starkiller Base.  The Colossus Base heads off in a Battlestar Galactica journey chased by the First Order.  So the series can be headed one of two ways, first it could end up joining the ships attacking Exegol, which is weak since we don’t have Poe recognizing Kaz Xiono (Christopher Sean) or Kaz noting BB-8.  The Fireball in the background of ships is not a strong cameo.  Then, we have Kaz as a spy, but he works with Poe who is not a spy and not Vi Moradi who is the trusted spy working for Leia.  So if Kaz and Colossus Base ends up at  Batuu and brings whatever forces that Vi has raised to attack Exegol, that would tie in everything very well.  I would like Star Wars: Resistance forming the fleet which should have been done in Rise of Skywalker.    

Christopher Sean (Kaz Xiono) at EmpireCon.

Novels, Resistance Reborn seems to tie in Aftermath, the Poe Dameron comic book, and Battlefront II, but no characters from it, Ransolm Casterfo (from the novel Bloodline) or Zay Versio (Iden Versio’s daughter revealed in Battlefront II: Resurrection), show up in the movie.  So just like the comic books, there is no direct connection with the other media, again maybe a good read, but as a whole, a waste of time.  Force Collector is a novel about a character named Karr, also not in the film.  Alphabet Squadron is led by Yrica Quell who also doesn’t appear in Rise of Skywalker. So let’s focus on Star Wars: Pirate’s Price which ties into Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run.  Then, Galaxy’s Edge: Black Spire which continues the adventures of Vi Moradi by Delilah S. Dawson from her Phasma (2017) novel.  She lands on Batuu and begins to form the Resistance Base there.  Vi also does not appear in Rise of Skywalker as well as Black Spire Outpost.  

The connections from other media to the films seems to be back ends like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. with the MCU, they connect to the films, but not the other way around.  An incomplete loop results in a closed off universe.  Rey and Kylo Ren appear in Galaxy’s Edge.  This appears to be the time before Rise of Skywalker similar to Disney’s California Adventure with the Infinity War period of the MCU.  Ask the characters about Thanos and the Infinity Stones and they will be confused.  The Avengers Campus should have screens identifying recent events so the time period will be clear.  The same with Galaxy’s Edge.  Of course, you live the adventure with Galaxy’s Edge and have your own stories.  Still, the key to it will be if Kaz and Torra Doza appear in Galaxy’s Edge.  Possibly CB-23 and other characters from Colossus Base.  This will be a strong connection with the Star Wars story.  If there are viewers of the animated series, they may be happy to see familiar faces IRL.  This is the cross promotion loop which may bring viewers to Star Wars: Resistance.  

The Mandalorian showing his Amban sniper rifle at the D23 Expo, photo by the author.

This leads us to the films.  A disappointment.  Again, there was tremendous potential for Star Wars with the backing of a studio and tie-ins.  One of the themes of Star Wars is of the father, Anakin becoming a father in the prequels, and his redemption in the Original Trilogy.  The theme of the Sequel Trilogy?  Um, sometimes you find out you are the descendant of an evil guy who just shows up 31 years later with parents no one has heard about even though an heir to an Empire would be known and protected.  Other times you are a stormtrooper with unknown parents and then go on adventures.  Star Wars was seen in through the eyes of the droids who were witnesses to all of the adventures.  At the end of Rise of Skywalker, do they turn over the witnessing to D-O and BB-8?  None of this connects to other media.  J.J. Abrams was so intent on mirroring the Original Trilogy that he bent and broke it.  There is still hope.  

The hope is The Mandalorian.  Eight excellent episodes.  Similar to Star Trek, if you lost hope in the movies, Star Trek: Nemesis, just turn to the series.  Favreau seems to have the Star Wars spark that was lost in the movies; tell an original story with new characters, don’t be tied down by the canon, tread new ground in the Star War universe and sprinkle in imagery from the rest of Star Wars.  I find the finale and really any hour of The Mandalorian superior to all of the Sequel Trilogy by a factor of ten.  I don’t want to see too many Star Wars characters showing up in The Mandalorian.  We know what happens with Red Leader and Dr. Evazan.  Rey is completely uninteresting, it’s all about Baby Yoda.  So let’s look at some of the inspirations.  The Magnificent Seven (1960), action and the classic story from another film we will cover, A Fistful of Dollars (1964), the Man with No Name is the mold for The Mandalorian, what is called a remake of Yojimbo (1961).  Which brings us to the samurai movies, first is Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance (1972) based on the manga, of course the cub is Baby Yoda!  Then, the original Seven Samurai (1954), Kurosawa-san’s masterwork, the basis of the fourth episode, “Sanctuary.”  You can also check out Yojimbo both films are highly influential to all of cinema.  The Mandalorian keeps the Star Wars hope alive and into a new year!   

#StarWars, #EvaanVerlaine, #ChristopherSean, #TheMandalorian  

Happy Birthday Stan Lee!

Happy Birthday Stan Lee!   Stan the Man is an icon of Marvel Comics.  He started as an assistant in 1939 at Timely Comics which later became Marvel Comics.  Lee’s first comic story was in a back-up feature of Captain America #5 (1941).  The time of Marvel Comics came in the Silver Age with Fantastic Four #1 (1961) with Stan Lee’s frequent co-creator Jack Kirby.  There was a wealth of characters created from that moment.  Lee created a Marvel icon who was closely identified with the company working with Steve Ditko with the first appearance of Spider-Man in Amazing Fantasy #15 (1962).  Jack Kirby’s artwork and Stan Lee’s words resulted in The Incredible Hulk #1 (1962), the first appearance of Thor in Journey into Mystery #83 (1962), Iron Man’s debut with Tales of Suspense #39 (1963), all of whom grouped together in Avengers #1 (1963).  He also teamed with Kirby to create the mutant team with The X-Men #1 (1963).  Then, Lee worked with Steve Ditko to co-create Doctor Strange in Strange Tales #110 (1963).  All of these characters appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  He later teamed with artist Bill Everett to co-create Daredevil with Daredevil #1 (1964).  Stan Lee’s thoughts inspired readers with his feature, “Stan’s Soapbox”, and made Marvel fans with the Merry Marvel Marching Society.  

The Lee and Kirby run on Fantastic Four introduced many memorable characters including Black Panther in Fantastic Four #52 (1966).  Also, the Silver Surfer in the “Galactus Trilogy” which begun with Fantastic Four #48 (1966).  Stan profited narration for Marvel Productions animated series starting with Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends (1981-1983).  He hosted a reality show, Stan Lee’s Superhumans, from 2010 to 2014.  Lee wrote a number of book on comic books including Origins of Marvel Comics (1974), How to Draw Comics The Marvel Way (1984) with John Buscema, and Stan Lee’s How to Draw Comics (2010).  He wrote novels for example Dunn’s Conundrum (1985), an espionage story, Stan Lee’s Riftworld: Odyssey (1996) co-written with Bill McCay and he wrote with Stuart Moore the super hero novel, The Zodiac Legacy: Convergence (2015).  Stan Lee made his first superhero cameo in the television movie The Trial of the Incredible Hulk (1989).  He hosted the show, Stan Lee’s Superhumans, from 2010 to 2014.  Lee wrote and put his own spin on DC Comics characters with Just Imagine… in 2001.  This year we had Stan Lee’s cameos in Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War,  Antman and the Wasp, Venom, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse.  Stan Lee died in November 2018.  Let’s leave with Stan’s lines from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse: “I’m going to miss him”, he of course means Spider-Man, but it also applies to Stan Lee, “We were friends, you know.”  It seems Stan Lee was friends with everyone.  Excelsior!  

#StanLee, #MarvelComics, #FantasticFour, #HowtoDrawComicsTheMarvelWay 

Re:tro Re:view - Return to Oz!

Return to Oz in 1985 had Dorothy returning to a changed Oz and is currently streaming on Disney+. When I saw it, I was heavily into the L. Frank Baum books, and the designs of the film were identical to the W.W. Denslow illustrations. There would be twenty eight years before Disney was back in Oz with Sam Raimi’s Oz the Great and Powerful (2013). The film of course stood in the shadow of the classic 1939 MGM adaptation of Wizard of Oz.  

Return to Oz leans into the source material and adapts Land of Oz (it features a boy named Tip) and Ozma of Oz (Dorothy returns with the hen Billina), the second and third Oz books. The film is directed and co-written by Walter Murch who worked on The Godfather (1972), THX-1138 (1971), and American Graffitti (1973). It is co-written by Gill Dennis who later co-wrote the bio film, Walk the Line (2005). 

So the movie may not be for very young viewers, it begins very dark in the real world, moments of terror in Oz, but there is so much magic and loyal friends in Oz. The film opens to the music of David Shire, who also composed the music to Short Circuit (1986), the music is very dramatic, here urgent and underscores all of the emotion later. Stars twinkle as we get the theme song of the movie, it draws back into a window and then down as we get that this image is in a mirror. The cinematography is by David Watkin who also worked on Out of Africa (1985) that year winning the Academy Award.  

It pans across a bed where we see the dog, Toto, resting and then the sleepless Dorothy Gale (Fairuza Balk). This is the nine year old Dorothy after her adventures. Balk takes on the role of an innocent girl who is overwhelmed by Oz (what would be her imagination) and has to cope with a harsh, real world. Her trip back to Oz finds it has changed in her absence and discovers there are consequences for her actions. A hefty part for a first time movie.  The actress would later be known for The Craft (1996) and other films.  

Checking on her is Aunt Em (Piper Laurie) whom I know from the Twin Peaks series. Uncle Henry (Matt Clark) is listening in and leaves to check a newspaper clipping about “Electric Healing” from Dr. J.B. Worley. In other words, shock treatment, they discuss paying for it as Dorothy listens. Em is worried that Dorothy keeps talking about Oz, they should have warned her, no place like home, but the first rule of Oz is don’t talk about Oz.  It has been six months since the tornado.  Toto barks scattering the chickens.  

Dorothy holds the hen Billina checking the hay to see if she laid an egg. The hen pecks at a metal key, Dorothy takes the dirt from it, and realizes that the top of it spells Oz. Toto races after Dorothy driven by Aunt Em and he is sent back by her.  They pass through the countryside on a wagon, past tents, through the town of Franklin. Finally, they reach the imposing red brick mansion where Dorothy explains about the people of Oz to the bearded, pipe smoking Dr. Worley (Nicol Williamson).  He of course played Merlin in Excalibur (1981).  

Aunt Em frets as Dorothy tells her stories. Dr. Worley shows Dorothy his invention, an electricity machine with circular meters, he points out that it looks like a face. This hints at the later robot-like character. Dorothy drifts off and sees in the reflection of the machine the image of a blond girl (Emma Ridley) as the Oz theme plays. Nurse Wilson (Jean Marsh) in a black dress that swishes holds Dorothy’s hand as Aunt Em gives her a lunch pail of food. It is strange that Marsh later played the witch Queen Bavmorda in Willow (1988). 

Fairuza Balk's Dorothy costume at this year's D23 Expo, Heroes and Villains, photo by the author. 

Dorothy hears the awful squeaking of a gurney pushed by the assistant in white jacket (Pons Maar). He was Saurod in Masters of the Universe (1987). In her room, Dorothy is met by a girl (Ridley) who gives her a palm-sized pumpkin, they hear a moan and the girl leaves. Of course, the characters are reflected in Oz, it seems like a coping mechanism to deal with the real life trauma rather than the fun counterparts of the original.  

Rain starts to fall as Nurse Wilson takes Dorothy in the gurney. Nurse Wilson places the electrode earphones on Dorothy while Dr. Worley preps the machine. The storm blacks out the electricity and the patients scream. Dorothy hears the whirling of the machine’s gears. The girl frees Dorothy from the straps and they escape pursued by Nurse Wilson and the attendents. They race through the storm to the river.  

Dorothy catches hold of a chicken coop and slips inside. In the day, muddy waters splash across the chicken coop. Dorothy wakes to hear Billina (Denise Byer) talking! She has a matter-of-fact, country accent with funny comments. Dorothy sees they are surrounded by sand with green trees in the distance.  She knows that it is the Deadly Desert where it can transform living things to sand.  Strange eyes in the rocks, a Nome rendered by claymation, watch her as she uses to cross over the patch of desert.  

Tik Tok, at 2013 D23 Expo, photo by the author.

Dorothy finds that they are at a Lunch Pail Tree and plucks off two pails which contain ham sandwiches, I love this concept!  he Nome Messenger reports to his king and notes that she has a chicken!  Dorothy walks through the woods with Billina and finds the shattered Yellow Brick Road! Dorothy discovers that the Emerald City is in ruins, abandoned, with its people frozen as statues including the Tin Woodsman and Cowardly Lion. Dorothy then hears the squeaking and a Wheeler slides in, a humanoid with patchwork clothes limbs ending in wheels.  

They seem like a strange, Cirque du Soleil troupe. The Wheelers chase Dorothy into a darkened hall and she is able to use the key to open a door. They theaten Dorothy for breaking the Nome King’s rules. Dorothy finds in the dusty room, a mechanical man with a World War I era helmet, mustache, and copper pot body. He is invincible except this flaw needing to be wound up, but also loyal and an emotional robot. Tim Rose, who puppeted Admiral Ackbar, worked on Tik Tok, the Royal Army of Oz. He is voiced, gruff and lovably, by Seán Barrett who was a few Skeksis in The Dark Crystal (1982).  

Tik Tok defeats hordes of Wheelers with the lunch pail and he captures the Lead Wheeler (Maar) to lead them to the tower of Mombi. They enter the hall of gold and glass, a beautiful palace, where Mombi (Sophie Ward) is playing a mandolin. It sounds eerie and she is dressed in an elaborate dark scarlet dress with metal neckpieces like peacock feathers. She takes Dorothy to her hall of living heads, this is creepy!  I wonder if this is a commentary on beauty since Mombi  wants to keep Dorothy until she can take her head!  

Dorothy is locked away in a dusty room, she sees the mountain of the Nome King across the Deadly Desert. There is a portrait of the Scarecrow, her quest is to restore him back as king, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion. Calling out, is the fallen scarecrow, Jack Pumpkinhead, puppeted and voiced by Brian Henson. Dorothy helps reassemble Jack, he has funny, spindly legs, and he tells her about the Powder of Life which they use to put together The Gump (Lyle Conway), a green moose-like head, that they latch together with a couch and palm fronds to fly! Mombi gets her original head (Marsh) and they have to face the challenge of the Nome King (Williamson) whose power has taken over Oz! Return to Oz is filled with wonder, some scares, laughs, and memorable characters!  

Four Powders of Life out of Five! 

#ReturntoOz, #WalterMurch, #GillDennis, #FairzuaBalk, #DeniseByer, #SeanBarrett, #BrianHenson, #LyleConway, #JeanMarsh, #NicolWilliamson, #PonsMaar, #PiperLaurie, #MattClark, #EmmaRidley, #SophieWard 

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Review!

The question of Rise of Skywalker is it a satisfying as a conclusion to the trilogy and wraps up the nine films?  My answer would be no.  It should be titled Star Wars: The Rise of Fan Service.  There were moments were the audience (except me) laughed, almost forced, and also emotional scenes, but they are not honest or story driven.  It is the opposite of the last film and not seemingly fresh as Force Awakens.  The film felt like a string of fan service characters and bits that are really spoiled by the trailers.  This will not keep fans away and Rise of Skywalker should churn out a massive box office.  The movie marks the return of J.J. Abrams to the director’s chair and co-writing the screenplay with Chris Terrio.  It was four years since Force Awakens directed by Abrams which to me refreshed the Star Wars story while bringing back the familiar story points.  Chris Terrio’s other franchise film was Justice League (2017).  The story is also attributed to Colin Trevorrow and Derek Connolly, the filmmaking team who were removed by Lucasfilm in September 2017.  Trevorrow is known for developing the Jurassic World franchise including the Battle at Big Rock short this year.  Now, I’m wondering what a concluding film would be like with Trevorrow.  

We are told in the roll-up that the voice of Palpatine is heard around the galaxy.  Strangely, we don’t actually hear the recording or see its effect, it is told not seen.  It is noted that this takes place eight months after the last movie.  Then, it picks up with Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) landing on Mustafar and cutting down unknown opponents with his cross-bladed lightsaber.  Mustafar is of course the volcanic planet introduced in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (2005).  Driver is getting more attention with his performance in Marriage Story this year.  Kylo Ren has found a pyramid-like Sith Wayfinder that helps him navigate to the planet Exegol (introduced here) in the Unknown Regions.  This is a world connected with all of the Sith and he finds there Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), he looks zombie-like with pale eyes, and has a mechanical device holding him up like the Borg Queen in Star Trek: First Contact (1996).  McDiarmid played Palpatine in Revenge of the Sith and returned to the character in episodes of Star Wars: Rebels.  He reveals some secrets about Supreme Leader Snoke and that he has a fleet of Star Destroyers to help the First Order take over the galaxy.  He orders Kylo Ren to kill Rey to receive the fleet. The return of Palpatine feels contrived, his presence wasn't mentioned earlier, and seems dropped in to mirror Return of the Jedi.  

We move to the Millennium Falcon, where Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) is playing the hologram chess game of dejarik with Poe (Oscar Isaac) and Finn (John Boyega).  Isaac was in this year’s action film, Triple Frontier, and Boyega starred in Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018).  The costume of Poe is Indiana Jones-style with short sleeve beige shirt, brown pants, with a Han Solo-style holster.  Poe heads to the cockpit passing by an alien, Klaud, that is a blobby column with wizened eyes and six tentacles from his head.  They meet up with a contact, the alien Boolio, and Finn uses a cable attached to R2-D2 to load the data encoder.  TIE fighters head towards the Falcon and they are able to finish loading the data and Boolio tells them to win the war.  Finn mans the Falcon’s cannons and destroys some of their pursuers.  Poe brings the ship into a new maneuver to lose the others which feels like a video game tactic.  This moves to a jungle planet, Ajan Kloss (not identified), where Rey (Daisy Ridley) uses the Force to meditate in the air with rocks floating around her.  She is given Luke’s lightsaber by General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher).  Ridley was in the drama, Ophelia (2018), bringing a new perspective to the Shakespeare play.  It is well known that Fisher’s appearance was from unreleased footage which works well for the movie.  

Rey battles the remote, the flying ball that shots blasts, and gets a vision of Kylo Ren and the Dark Side of herself.  She uses a new lightsaber move, BB-8 is crushed under a tree, and Rey uses her staff to defeat the remote.  Rey returns the lightsaber to Leia.  Then, she is studying Jedi texts when she sees the Falcon on fire returning for a landing.  The Resistance is assembled and Poe reveals that Palpatine has returned and has set into motion the Final Order in which they will destroy worlds.  At the meeting is Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran), really a cameo, and Lt. Connix (Billie Lourd).  Tran is in the drama series Sorry for Your Loss and Lourd stars in American Horror Story.  There is also pilot Wexley (Greg Grunberg) and Resistance trooper, Beaumont Kin (Dominic Monaghan) in what seems like a Lost reunion.  Grunberg was in this year’s thriller, Burning Dog, and Monaghan was stalked by a serial killer in the 2018 Bite Club series.  Maz Kanata (Lupita Nyong’o) is there in what seems like an advisor, another cameo, she of course starred in Us as Adelaide Wilson.  Also debriefed is that Palpatine is on Exegol which C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) says is the Hidden Land of the Sith.  Daniels played Tak in Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) and See-Threepio gets an active role in this film, but it appears to be thrown in with many other fan moments.   

Rey checks on her Jedi texts and believes that they need a Sith Wayfinder to reach the Sith planet.  The Wayfinder is of course the McGuffin of this film, the object of their search.  Leia tells her to the world of Pasaana, Pasadena mixed with Santa Ana? (cities in Southern California), and she gives Rey the lightsaber.  Kylo Ren’s shattered mask is welded together while the Knights of Ren are assembled.  He returns to his Star Destroyer and meets with First Order commanders similar to the meeting of Grand Moff Tarkin at the Death Star.  There is General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson), reduced to a cameo, and General Pryde (Richard E. Grant), a new character to play the military leader and villain.  This year, Gleeson was in the crime film, The Kitchen, and Grant was in the film Palm Beach.  Kylo Ren is looking for the spy that is working within the First Order.  Spoiler, this is very similar to a character in Star Wars: Rebels.  Acting like Darth Vader, Kylo Ren uses the Force on a commander that is testy with the Supreme Leader.  The Falcon lands on Pasaana, a desert planet, and they head over to what looks like Coachella.  Threepio explains it is the Festival of the Ancestors.  It is strange in the galaxy that there is any celebration when the First Order threatens to destroy planets.  

One of the native children, Nambi Ghima (played by Kiran Shah with Debra Wilson’s voice), gives Rey a necklace and asks what is her name.  The question of Rey’s identity is central to her character’s story with a Dark Side destiny.  The identity question we’ve seen with Neo in Matrix (1999).  Kylo Ren uses his Force FaceTime power and rips the necklace from Rey.  They later encounter Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) who tells them that there are two Wayfinders and there are more objects to find, more secrets to discover, and more battles.  Williams returned to the character in 2015 episodes of Star Wars: Rebels.  There are new droids, like the lamp droid, D-O, voiced by J.J. Abrams, and new aliens, the tiny Babu Frik (Shirley Henderson) to work on Threepio’s memory.  Another Abrams’ colleague, Keri Russell, from Felicity, plays helmeted Zorii Bliss who has a connection with Poe.  

Then, they encounter Jannah (Naomi Ackie) who is a warrior and of course a final battle that brings everyone together to take on the Star Destroyers while Rey faces Palpatine.  The introduction of new worlds and characters are slap dashed so it is difficult to find any connection to anything.  Rey has some new Force powers, similar to Neo, and she has to see if she can defeat or ally with Kylo Ren.  The story seems to be cut from Legends material like the comic book series, Star Wars: Dark Empire, and the young readers novel, The Glove of Darth Vader (1992).  What seemed like originality in Force Awakens was taking the concepts and try to make them exciting and fresh.  The scenes where characters finally have their moments are too fan service, just to get a reaction.  Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker attempts to close the Star Wars films into nine stories, but I consider the Skywalker Saga to be six complete movies.

Two Lightsabers out of Five! 

#RiseofSkywalker, #JJAbrams, #DaisyRidley, #AdamDriver, #OscarIsaac, #JohnBoyega

The Flash, “Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Three”, Review!

The red sky is thundering over Earth-203 with the Huntress (Ashley Scott) racing across a rooftop of New Gotham in her black leather uniform.  She attempts to contact Oracle her colleague in Birds of Prey.  The show, Birds of Prey was a brilliant, but short lived show in 2002-2003.  It was based on a comic book team of women who first appeared in Showcase `96 #3 (1996).  She starts to lose communication when the anti-matter wave strikes the Clocktower and then takes Huntress!  A very short cameo to another DC series.  The Waverider orbits Earth-1.  The Monitor explains the search for the Paragons when Team Flash; Flash, Elongated Man (Hartley Sawyer), Cisco Ramon (Carlos Valdez), and Killer Frost (Danielle Panabaker) portals in.  

THE FLASH -- “Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Three” -- JOHN WESLEY SHIPP, CARLOST VALDES, DANIELLE PANABAKER  --  Katie Yu/The CW. 

Elongated Man has stretch powers he was created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino in Flash #112 (1960).  He was introduced in the fourth season episode “Elongated Journey Into Night” (2017) of The Flash.  Barry hugs Iris.  Cisco goes to help Ray with the Paragon Detector.  Martian Manhunter, again in human form, wants to bring survivors across the multiverse to Earth-1.  Earth-96 Superman joins him.  The Paragon Detector identifes Martian Manhunter as the Paragon of Honor, the Paragon of Love is The Flash who is there, and lastly, an unknown man (Osiric Chau) as the Paradon of Humanity.  Cisco says he is Ryan Choi, physic professor in Ivy Town of Earth-1.  Ray is interested in returning to Ivy Town.  The new character actually becomes the new Atom in DCU: Brave New World #1 (2006) created by Gail Simone and John Byrne.  The Paragon Detector doesn’t make sense, what is the basis for its scan?  Does it identify characteristics of human beings and how those match heroes?  It makes more sense if it calculates possible heroes with something from the Book of Destiny.  

The ship’s voice, Leonard, announces the arrival of Diggle.  He is angry with Sara that he was not told about Oliver’s death.  She explains that Oliver’s return needs a trip to Purgatory, Diggle wants in, and then Sara drops another news, that his wife, Lyla is missing!    The Monitor says she can be anywhere in the multiverse and likely with the Anti-Monitor.  He explains to all of the heroes that he has tested them to prepare for his rival.  The Monitor says the Anti-Monitor’s plan is to destroy the multiverse to create his anti-matter universe.  Which would be under his control Supergirl adds.  She walks away and Batwoman follows her before taking out the Kryptonite used by Batman-99.  Sara will watch over Oliver’s body as Diggle goes to find his soul.  Cisco explains to Caitlin that he is tracking the anti-matter to find it’s source.  He has found it in underground of Earth-1.  The Monitor startles Cisco in the corridor.  He restores the powers and costume of Vibe to play his part.  Iris and Barry share a moment as she heads off to find Ryan Choi.  Vibe has brought Killer Frost to the tunnels of the Anti-Monitor.  Killer Frost has found who she thinks is Nash, but he says he is now Pariah.  Nash is one of the many forms of Harrison Wells who appeared in the sixth season of The Flash.  The character of Pariah first appeared in Crisis on Infinite Earths #1 (1985). 

THE FLASH -- “Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Three” -- MELISSA BENOIST, RUBY ROSE -- Dean Buscher/The CW. 

Pariah was trapped by the Anti-Monitor trying to find him, he was used by the Anti-Monitor to appear in that universe, and now shows up in every world destroyed by the Anti-Monitor “to bear witness.”  He has lost his memories as Nash and suggests Cisco Vibe his memory of Nash to enter the door sealed by the Anti-Monitor.  Cisco takes hold of Pariah’s arm and has the memory of Nash using a sequence to open the door.  Does it occur to them that this could be an implanted memory that could be a trap?  Lex Luthor behind his force field laughs at Supergirl’s mission to bring back the Earths using the Book of Destiny.  Batwoman is impatient and takes Luthor out of the force field to force him to explain how to use the book.  He says that it takes will to control the book and that the power to bring back the worlds will drive the user of the book insane.  Batwoman tries to warn Supergirl.  Earth-666, Los Angeles, Constantine is walking in an alley with Diggle and Mia.  He explains that his magic is weak with the collapse of the multiverse and he needs help.  Constantine knocks on the door and walking out with some women is Lucifier (Tom Ellis)!  The character was created by Neil Gaiman with Sandman #4 (1989) as the devil abandoning hell to find refuge on Earth.  He was in his own series on Fox, which was cancelled, and then found new life on Netflix!  

Constantine greets Lucifier who did not expect him on his Earth.  He introduces himself as Lucifier Morningstar and uses his power on Mia!  She says she wants her father back.  Constantine explains that Oliver Queen has died.  Morningstar says that he owes Constantine for helping with Mazikeen, a female demon.  He gives Constantine `The Devil’ Tarot card and warns about how little time they have to find the soul.  Morningstar eyes Mia before leaving.  Constantine holds up the card which ignites and brings them to Purgatory.  Diggle says it looks like the beach of Lian Yu.  Constantine explains that Oliver thought of it as a place to be trapped.  Also, that his memory is gone so they have to jog them awake.  The Flash has searched the perimeter.  Vibe says they can stop the anti-matter wave from what is behind the door.  He activates the sequence and inside the room Pariah says that it is the nexus between the anti-matter universe and their own.  The wave is caused by the Anti-Matter Cannon.  Flash goes into the Speed Force to see the source of the red blur.  He sees the Flash of Earth-90 (John Wesley Shipp) on the Cosmic Treadmill before the force field knocks him back.  Shipp played Barry Allen in The Flash series from 1990 to 1991.  Later, we get a scene from the series and theme music by Shirley Walker!  Barry met Flash-90 in the “Elseworlds: Part 2” (2018) episode of Arrow.  The treadmill is what helps speedsters to travel through time.  The device was introduced in Flash #125 (1961) by John Broome and Carmine Infantino.   

THE FLASH -- “Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Three” -- CRESS WILLIAMS --  Katie Yu/The CW. 

Pariah tells the heroes that the Anti-Monitor found Flash-90 and used the Anti-Matter Cannon to destroy Earth-2!  Killer Frost notes Jesse Quick, a speedster ally who was on that Earth.  Vibe uses his powers to form portals that allow Flash-90 to escape the anti-matter force field and the cosmic treadmill stops with cannon stopping the wave.  Flash-90 thanks them, but says the Anti-Monitor put in a fail safe to destroy all of the remaining Earths!  Pariah is suddenly missing.  The red sky over Ivy Town, Earth-1, Ryan is trying to reassure his wife when he sees Dr. Ray Palmer.  He ends the phone call to shake Ray’s hand while Ralph and Iris look on.  Ryan has used his paper to work on miniaturization, Atom-II!  Ralph shows his stretching power.  They tell him about being the Paragon, but he says he has to leave for his family.  Lois watches as Earth-73 is destroyed by the Anti-Matter Wave.  The Monitor tells him his Earth died and lost his family.  Superman-96 appears from a portal and says he failed to save anyone.  Lois asks him about the black symbol.  He explains that “Hope is the light that lifts us out of darkness.”  Slipping back into the role, Routh is perfect.  At the Anti-Matter Cannon, Black Lightning (Cress Williams) appears, first time in the Arrowverse.  Pariah has brought him from the destroyed Earth-73.  The heroes must find a may to destroy the Anti-Matter Cannon and it will take a sacrifice.  Diggle is the key to saving Oliver’s soul in Purgatory.  They are helped by Jim Corrigan known as The Spectre (Stephen Lobo), the character appeared in the Constantine series.  The Spectre in the comics was responsible for taking on The Anti-Monitor. Iris is needed to talk sense with Ryan.  Harbinger has a secret of her own. Another great episode, but Team Flash seems added in the story.   

Five Quantum Towers out of Five!   

#AshleyScott, #OsiricChau, #CressWilliams, #JohnWesleyShipp, #HartleySawyer, #CarlosValdes, #DaniellePanabaker

Batwoman, “Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Two”, Review!

The episode opens with Sara Lance (White Canary) pouring a drink in honor of Oliver Queen’s death along with Kara Danvers (Supergirl) and Kate Kane (Batwoman). His last battle was enough a delay to evacuate a billion more people from Earth-38, the world of Supergirl. Kate wants to get back to the business of saving the multiverse which is really down to Earth-1. Kara wants to find somehow to reverse everything kinda like Thanos’ snap. A bright light announces the appearance of Harbinger. Monitor walks in Atom and they mention need of the Waverider, the ship of the Legends of Tomorrow. Sara notes that the Legends don’t want to leave their time traveling reality.  Harbinger notes that there are many Waveriders and transports to Earth-74 to find an abandoned version. She finds that the ship’s voice, Leonard, activates. This is of course Leonard Snart, Captain Cold, played by Wentworth Miller. He brings in another Legend, Mick Rory known as Heatwave (Dominic Purcell), who wields flame and frost guns. Harbinger notes that the Legends retired on this Earth. Mick says he took over the ship and Leonard says he is attempting to be a romance writer, funny. She promises him beer and he agrees for use of the Waverider. 

BATWOMAN -- “Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Two” --  RUBY ROSE -- Dean Buscher/The CW. 

The Monitor on the bridge of the Waverider tries to explain about seven heroes, but baby Jonathan is crying. He is passed from Lois to Clark, then Kara, Kate declines to hold the baby, so she passes it to Mick! Purcell really sells these sweet scenes with his toughness. The Monitor continues about the seven heroes called Paragons. He found about it in the Book of Destiny. Barry Allen says that it was destroyed, but The Monitor saved it. He identifies Kara as the Paragon of Hope, she’s not feeling hopeful, and The Paragon of Destiny is Sara Lance. The Monitor knows that another Superman is the Paragon of Truth, Atom asks about the other Paragon, funny, it is the Paragon of Courage. He says it is the Bat of the Future. His power is weakening. The Monitor explains that Felicity Smoak found the Book of the Guardians which identified Supergirl and White Canary. The future Bruce Wayne is in Earth-99. Kate smiles since she already knows Bruce Wayne. Kara looks at a panel showing the path of the Anti-Matter Wave destroying Earth-38. She turns to see Lex Luthor played by Jon Cryer. He started playing Luthor in the Supergirl episode, “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” in March.  

Supergirl is stunned since she saw his sister, Lena Luthor, kill him, but he was saved by The Monitor. Her eyes flare with heat vision, but The Monitor says he has a part to play. In the comics, there was an Alexander Luthor, who as a child was sent away in the first issue, mirroring the escape pod of Jonathan Kent. He becomes pivotal in the Crisis story and the Cryer’s Luthor seems to take that place. Kara walks away from The Monitor. Kate threatens Luthor and then tells Supergirl they should go save the universe! World’s Finest. The New 52 Worlds' Finest featured the duo of Power Girl and Huntress. Harbinger stumbles down the corridor, hearing voices, “Stop him, before he finds the book!” She confronts Luthor who opens the Book of Destiny, he opens a portal, and steps in. Harbinger tells The Monitor that he is going to kill Superman! He says, “As I said everyone has a part to play.” We next get Barry hugging his wife, Iris West-Allen, they married in the Legends of Tomorrow crossover episode, “Crisis on Earth-X, Part 4” (2017). Barry wants to revive Oliver in a Lazarus Pit which were destroyed on Earth-1, but there are other Earths. Iris explains that The Monitor wants her on the mission to find the other Superman.  

BATWOMAN -- “Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Two” --  KEVIN CONROY -- Dean Buscher/The CW. 

Mia says to Sara that she is going to revive her father in a Lazarus Pit. Sara was revived in one and went insane for a time until she was able to recover. We get Earth-99, Gotham City, Wayne Mansion at night that looks like it is fell into a horror movie, the music adds to it. Kate and Kara are there, she knocks on the door, the door is answered by Luke Fox (Camrus Johnson) without glasses.  Very funny, Kate is stunned by his abs, he doesn’t accept that she is Bruce’s cousin and closes the door. Kara kicks it in. Luke has a gun on them and then there is a voice I don’t think I would ever hear in live action, “Don’t be so rude, Luke.” Down the steps is a Bruce Wayne in a suit and mechanical servos. He is played by Kevin Conroy, the voice of Batman: The Animated Series, perfect casting! Bruce is surprised to see Kate and in turn she is in turn can’t believe it’s an older Bruce! As Luke walks with Kara, Bruce explains to Kate that she died five years ago. Earth-75, Metropolis, Lois tells Clark that Iris is calling warning them about Lex’s plan. They look up to see the headline, “Breaking News - Superman Dead!” with Lois over the body of Superman with the red Superman flag. The classic image from the Death of Superman comics storyline. 

John Constantine (Matt Ryan) tells Sara and Mia about the dangers of Lazarus Pits and Barry is impatient. He is the fan favorite sorcerer huckster introduced in Swamp Thing #37 (1985) by Alan Moore and John Totleben. Matt Ryan played him in the Constantine NBC series in 2014-2015 and the character was brought into the Arrowverse with the Arrow epsiode “Haunted” (2015), before joining the Legends of Tomorrow. He uses spells to find an Earth with a working Lazarus Pit. Mia and Barry leave and Sara has Constantine promise that he has to bring back Oliver’s soul. Next, we get the Daily Planet headlines, “Caped Wonder Stuns City”, the Superman film series brought into canon! It is Earth-167 and we get a look at a Smallville farm. Clark Kent (Tom Welling) is cutting wood with an axe. Welling is the Clark Kent from Smallville (2001-2011) with a little gray, but still Superman. This is right out of the Kingdom Come comic series. A flash brings Iris, Clark, and Lois.  The Earth-1 Superman is compared to this Superman by Lois as the “buff guy on the paper towel rolls”, funny, but also Welling looks like he can pull a tractor.

BATWOMAN -- “Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Two” -- BRANDON ROUTH -- Katie Yu/The CW. 

Our heroes are flashed out and Lex Luthor appears with the Book of Destiny. He threatens Clark who disbelieves he’s Luthor. Then, Luthor takes out a Kryptonite crystal, Clark approaches him and tosses it away. He explains that he gave up his powers and hits Luthor. Lois (Erica Durance) walks up, it feels like Smallville again, the show that kept comic books going when there wasn’t any on television. She thinks he is joking and they head back to see their daughters. Conroy’s Bruce Wayne laughs at Kate telling him that he is the Paragon of Courage. He shows her the newspaper that reads “Batman’s Reign of Terror is Over”, this Batman has become a killer, sounds familiar!  Kate offers him a chance to be a hero again. Baby Jonathan cries in Mick’s arms with Ray frustrated since he is working on a Paragon Detector for The Monitor. Mick is reading the baby his novel, Caged Passion, more funny!  

This moves to Earth-96, Metropolis with Clark, Lois, and Iris at the Daily Planet.  Lois bumps into a very familiar Clark Kent (Brandon Routh) in glasses with slight gray. Of course, Routh played Clark in Superman Returns (2006), the best part of that movie. John Williams’ “Can You Read My Mind” plays as Lois talks with Clark.  Iris brings up that he looks like Ray Palmer. This one doesn’t hit as hard.  Kara is taken to a room by Luke and see bloody glasses. Luke tells her that Superman’s death also caused Bruce’s injury. At the Daily Planet, Lois notices a wall of plaques with her name, Perry White, and others.  Clark explains that a “reject from Gotham” caused “Planet Attacked”, I’m stunned since this is from the video game Injustice! Iris explains the multiverse attack and Clark shifts into the Superman suit with the black symbol from Kingdom Come. Earth-1 Clark slips into his Superman suit without the curl, uh, not really Superman.  We get some of John Williams’ Superman theme when Luthor walks in. He uses the open Book of Destiny to get Earth-96 Superman enraged to attack Earth-1 Superman! The battle of Supermen is a dream.  

Superman-96 decides to make him feel like he does and kill his loved ones. Lois takes care of Luthor and tries to use the Book of Destiny with Iris. Doesn’t this make her the Paragon of Destiny?  Then, we get Earth-18 North Dakota, Constantine has taken the group to a mine. Barry and Constantine portal to get Oliver’s body. Mia and Sara are met by Jonah Hex (Johnathon Schaech) without scars. He is the comic book Western hero that appeared in Legends of Tomorrow.  Supergirl faces Bruce Wayne who has the weapon that defeated his Superman. Kate knocks him back with a kick electrocuting his suit. Bruce says to Kate, “There is no hope.” Clark-96 meets with his doppelganger, Ray Palmer, as Luthor taunts from behind a force field. He sees Jonathan Kent who Clark says looks like his son Jason. Kate Kane finds her destiny and Supergirl is convinced she can bring Earth-38 back with the Book of Destiny! Harbinger has an even more difficult revealation!  A very good episode, mostly in regular clothes not uniforms, still with some incredible moments!  

Four Quantum Towers out of Five! 

#Batwoman, #CrisisonInfiniteEarths, #DominicPurcell, #JonCryer, #CamrusJohnson, #KevinConroy, #TomWelling, #EricaDurance