Jungle Cruise Review!

Jungle Cruise is a movie that resembles other adventures, but has fun with its two leads and some twists to the story!  The director of the film is Jaume Collet-Serra who also directed the Liam Neeson thriller, The Commuter (2018) and has upcoming the Dwayne Johnson superhero film, Black Adam.  There are some extensive writing credits; story by John Norville and Josh Goldstein along with Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, co-screenwriters with Michael Green.  The latter of whom co-wrote Blade Runner 2049 (2017) and has next year, Death on the Nile.  We dive under the Disney logo river and to see the Tears of the Moon, a tree with pinkish petals under water, the narrator, Jack Whitehall) says that one petal can cure any sickness.  This has led many expeditions to find it, one of which is the conquistador, Don Aguirre (Edgar Ramirez), but the jungle defends the tree with snakes lashing out and other dangers.  The guardians of the tree are local tribesmen who capture Aguirre, he strikes out and tries to escape, but is captured forever by the jungle.  The curse of the Tears of the Moon is very Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006).  

The speaker is making a presentation and in the balcony is a lady (Emily Blunt) mouthing his words, it’s of course her speech.  It is London, 1916, two years into the Great War, and speaker notes that the petals would be needed for medicine and healing of the wounded and sick.  He requests access to the archives of the organization and an arrowhead recovered by Dr. Albert Falls, a former explorer, and a reference to the Disney attraction.  He reads from the note cards, “Pause for dramatic effect”, funny.  The group, The Royal Anthropological and Diverse Adventures Society, refuses his request.  The lady has left her seat at the upper balcony at the failure of the speaker’s proposal and walks down guided by the map drawn on her arm.  She encounters a German aristocrat examining a spear (Jesse Plemons) who sends her to the upper floor with the secretaries.  The lady lockpicks a room and then is caught by an assistant, but she manages to chloroform him!  She moves to a room next to the hall where the society members are speaking to the speech maker.  He says they granted him, MacGregor, access because of his late father and gave a similar paper presented by Dr. Lily Houghton, his sister who wrote the speech!  

Lily sneaks around an archelogist, snatches up his map, and while he is chipping away at a rock, pries open a case from the A. Falls expedition.  Very like Dr. Jones hitting the library floor in time to the librarian stamping books.  She opens the crate and finds a box that contains the arrowhead.  Then, Lily hears that Sir James Hobbs-Coddington (Andy Nyman) is escorting the German aristocrat into the archives because of his generous donations.  Hobbs as in the character that Johnson plays in Hobbs & Shaw?  He sees Lily who has the supposed Zulu spear and wields it as pole vault to reach the rolling ladder while knocking down society men.  Her antics is similar to Evelyn Carnahan in The Mummy (1999) whom also had a hapless brother.  The aristocrat knocks a box to have her holding to the ladder outside a window.  This happens at the same time her brother is escorting out of the building.  The music has a simliar cadence to Raiders of the Lost Ark.  The aristocrat asks Lily to give him the box and he will help her.  MacGregor goes out to the street to stop a double decker bus.  Lily throws the man the box.  The bus stops right under Lily and she drops to find soldiers heading to the war.  MacGregor is clever saving Lily.  The action, though slightly familiar, has a fun energy and it is really livened by Blunt’s performance.  

The aristocrat opens the box only to find a tiny toucan carving that was also in the crate. The society official apologizes to Prince Joachim Wilheim.  He does not like that his identity is revealed and kills several society personnel.  Prince Joachim confronts Sir James to ask him if he knows who is the woman.  This shifts to the hotel room where Lily is packing up as MacGregor goes over her crimes.  He is actually not just a complainer, his story is actually interesting when it is later revealed setting him above comic relief.  She is packing for steamer trip to Brazil for them.  Lily drops a pamphlet for steamer boats saying they need a skipper.  We of course get the steamer, La Quila, and her captain played by Dwayne Johnson.  His last film was Jumanji: The Next Level (2019).  The boat looks similar in design to the attraction, but more run down and larger.  The tour group worry as the skipper works on the steamer’s engine.  He swings to the cabin and steers the steamer away just in time to avoid a spiky tree.  Then, the skipper makes a dad joke about two toucans on a branch, but the tour group is just stunned and then groan at his jokes.  He takes out a machete to activate his props around the river.  He cons tourist groups when he can show them the real Amazon.  The skipper warns them about the dangers out the river.  

Some “natives” use blowguns on the boat. A tourist offers him money to go faster.  The steamer chugs along to Porto Velho, Brazil.  A small town and dock similar to Port Royal in the first Pirates movie.  Arriving by train to the port is Lily and MacGregor.  A businessman in white suit, Nilo Nemolato (Paul Giamatti), is walking down to the dock to collect money from the skipper he calls Frankie.  Giamatti, who was also in San Andreas (2015) with Dwayne Johnson, plays up the silliness of the character.  His men take away the steamer’s engine and lock up the boat giving the key to their boss.  Lily goes to a bar to check on Mr. Nilo and is pointed out his office.  Frank sees Nilo look away the key to the boat and sneaks into his office. Lily knocks on the door and of course mistakes Frank for Nilo.  She wants to hire him to take the cruise and he opens the door when she says she has money.  Lily is headed upriver to Lagrimas De Cristal.  She mentions the Tears of the Moon.  Frank thinks it is all stories.  He points out the cabinet that has the key to his steamer.  Lily opens it using a map reading caliper and opens the cabinet.  They start negotiating a price joined by MacGregor with Nilo.  Frank sees Lily’s arrowhead necklace and wants to join the expedition.  

Everyone is startled by the appearance of a jaguar.  The CG animals and some of the scenery is convincing enough.  Frank wrassles with it and then throws the dropped steak from his meal out the window.  The jaguar jumps for it and everyone cheers for Frank.  The price is agreed and Frank checks the engine.  He doesn’t want to play ball with his jaguar Proxima, another scam.  At the dock, Lily is upset at caged birds, she is thrown into the cage and lifted away.  Frank begins tossing away MacGregor’s luggage.  Lily manages to grab a woman’s hatpin and frees herself.  Frank has left the dock with the steamer and then puts the wheel in MacGregor’s hands.  Lily fights off the men and runs into Frank.  He defeats the bullies the same way as Bravestone in Jumanji.  Frank leaps in the water to reach his boat.  Lily tries to make a daring(?) escape on a rope to get to the boat, she can’t swim!  Prince Joachim as a submarine and hires its machine gun at the steamer.  His German commander is like all of the Nazi villains in the Indy movies, but a little over-the-top.  Somehow they have to escape Joachim and make their way to the forbidden location of the mystical Tears of the Moon.  They also encounter Trader Sam from the ride and some surprises.  I can imagine more cruises to India and ultimately Africa like many of the memorable scenes of the attraction following the journeys of Lily and MacGregor’s father.  Jungle Cruise may have familiar scenes and characters, but there is still crowd pleasing fun and adventure with Blunt and Johnson and some twists at the end!  

Four Arrowheads out of Five!

#JungleCruise, #JaumeColletSerra, #EmilyBlunt, #DwayneJohnson, #JackWhitehall,   #JessePlemons, #EdgarRamirez

Happy Birthday Michael Biehn!

Happy Birthday Michael Biehn!  He begun his genre career playing a Sandman in an episode of Logan’s Run.  Next, Biehn played Tom Reardon in the tv movie, A Fire in the Sky (1978).  One of his finest roles was as Sgt. Kyle Reese, time traveling to 1984 to save the future from The Terminator (1984).  He returned to collaborate with director James Cameron playing Corporal Dwayne Hicks in Aliens (1986).  One of my favorite roles was in the horror film, The Seventh Sign (1988) where Biehn played Russell Quinn, a lawyer who is witness to the Biblical apocalypse.  He returned to work with Cameron on his sci fi film, The Abyss (1989), as Lt. Coffey.  Another brilliant film was Tombstone (1993) which had Biehn playing Johnny Ringo, the drunk gunslinger taking on Doc Holliday in the one fo the best westerns. 

                                                                    Michael Biehn at the Hollywood Collectors Show, 2010, photo by the author. 

He played Commander Charles Anderson in the action movie, The Rock (1996).  Biehn starred in the western tv series The Magnificent Seven (1998-2000) playing Chris Larabee.  In 2002, Biehn starred in the sci fi film, Clockstoppers, directed by Jonathan Frakes.  He played Sheriff Hague in the Planet Terror segment directed by Robert Rodriguez in the Grindhouse (2007) film.  Michael Biehn co-wrote and directed the thriller The Victim (2011) playing Kyle Limato.  Biehn was Buzz in the 2014 24 Hour Rental tv series.  In 2014, Biehn played the brutal father of two women in the thriller, Hidden in the Woods, a remake of a Chilean movie.  Next, Biehn was King Yannick in The Scorpion King 4: Quest for Power (2015) released on Netflix.  He starred in The Shadow Effect in 2017.  Biehn stars as Roadkill Jim in a 2019 episode of the action show Curfew.  He played the gunfighter, Lang, facing The Mandalorian in the episode, “The Jedi” (2020).  Happy Birthday Michael Biehn!   

#MichaelBiehn, #Terminator, #Aliens, #TheSeventhSign, #Tombstone, #TheVictim, #TheMandalorian

Bad Batch, “War-Mantle”, Review!

The story begins at night on a planet with outcroppings of rock and forests, a helmet-less clone trooper is on the run.  There are glowrods cutting through the forest, the scene reminds me of E.T.’s chase.  The trooper runs chased by reptiles, massifs, they have long snouts and spines along their backs, first seen in Attack of the Clones (2002) in the arena.  He reaches a cliff edge, it is a trooper with the Jango Fett features, and then hears the massifs.  They are set free from their leashes held by troopers to lope after the hunted clone.  He sets a device, a transmitter, against a rock and is surrounded by the beasts.  The hunted trooper starts to run, a stun blast strikes his legs, still he struggles on!  Another blasts knocks him down next to the creatures.  He is dragged away by clone troopers. 

In transit through hyperspace, the Havoc Marauder is traveling, and inside, Hunter flips his vibro knife.  Omega with her tool working on Gonky tries to spin it like Hunter.  Echo gets a transmission from Captain Rex.  His hologram appears with Rex in a hooded cloak. This seems to be an old recording, Rex says he recieved a distress call from a clone trooper, an “old friend.”  He needs their help to rescue the trooper.   Tech notes the signal came from Daro, a new planet for Star Wars, in the Outer Rim.  He reminds everyone that they are in the middle of a job for Cid.  Wrecker agrees with him when he says they won’t eat without being paid.  Echo has loyalty to Rex.  Omega wants to help Rex’s friend.  Wrecker agrees with her, funny.  Kamino, a Venator-class Star Destroyer hovers next to the city, Admiral Rampart is watching the clone troopers prepare for an operation. Crosshair says they are ahead of schedule.  Rampart wants Crosshair to watch over the Kaminoans.  

Young clones are being escorted by Nala Se.  She sends them ahead to talk to Prime Minister Lama Su.  He tells her that the contracts were cancelled by the Empire. She says there be other clients, but Lama Su says the Empire will eliminate them so they should evacuate.  The Marauder heads to Daro, the landing of the shuttle into the forest has some impressive visuals.  Tech tracks the signal, Omega finds the transmitter, with the trooper missing, Hunter goes into tracking mode.  He knows that he was hunted.  Hunter suspects that there is something in the mountain.  He sends Wrecker and Omega back to the ship.  This breaks their agreement, but it must be something serious.  Hunter sees signs of a shuttle that landed.  They run up the base of the mountain.  The Bad Batch sees a base, boring into the mountain, they duck as a shuttle descends into the base.  Echo checks out the hangar with macrobinoculars and reports that he sees a squad of troopers with upgraded armor.  Tech and Hunter want to leave, but Echo doesn’t want to give up on the trooper, CC-5576, like they had done for him.  

Hunter reports about the base to Omega.  They jump onto a turbolift, Echo plugs in his scomp link, Hunter sees the squad of troopers, their armor look like the early Ralph McQuarrie stormtrooper designs!  Hunter watches them and Echo notes that there are a thousand TK troopers.  He finds the prisoner at Cell Block 25.  Very reminiscent of Princess Leia’s Death Star escape.  In his cell, the captive trooper wants food from a TK trooper who calls him a traitor.  Hunter checks on the prisoner who introduces himself as Gregor.  He is the trooper we later see in “The Lost Commanders” (2015) episode of Star Wars Rebels.  They make their way through the corridors, but find their way blocked by the TK troopers. Gregor asks if they are CCs and Hunter replies that they are CTs.  His voice sounds broken, he was a bit crazy in Rebels.  He says that the TKs are defective and that he was an instructor.  Does this explain the random accuracy of stormtroopers?  

Tech tries to divert the TKs, but an alert has sounded, Gregor points out that clone codes don’t work there.  They run into TKs and hit them with stun blasts and choking them out.  A helmet is removed and they are surprised that these are not clones, Gregor says they are replacements for the clone troopers.  It is the old veteran soldiers versus the new recruits!  It is a mystery why they keep using stun blasts when the troopers are not clones, are they pacifist soldiers?   Hunter remarks about Gregor’s training, but Gregor says their training is incomplete.  I wonder why the clone trooper training was not recorded on Kamino by the Empire and replicated by droids or others.  There are too many TK troopers so they will need help which is of course Wrecker and Omega.  Gregor is wounded and notes that he survived an explosion, this refers to the Clone Wars episode where he was thought to be dead, “Missing in Action” (2013).  Gonky saves the day, but we have some incredibly dark moments at the end of the episode!  We see the Empire’s plan with the troopers in this Bad Batch episode, it’s great to see Gregor was part of it and how he got free of the control chip, with great nods to Star Wars and Clone Wars! 

Five Vibro Knives out of Five! 

#StarWarsBadBatch, #WarMantle, #CaptainRex, #Gregor, #TKTroopers 

The Outpost, “The Gods Thank You”, Review!

Falista has become queen, Wren reveals her secret to Janzo!, Tobin stabs Three and takes his Zinj.  Two wants him to become part of the Three.  Falista wants Tobin to learn how to use his Zinj to protect her.  He tries to use it, but the Zinj fades in his brow, Munt interrupts him.  Giving up, Tobin finds his Zinj activating and he teleports behind Munt, then he sees Vorta!  In a bath of roses, Falista relaxes with Warlita attends to her, she is startled by Warlita dropping fruit from a plate.  Falista is still worried about the assassin.  Tobin has a bath with Munt attending to him.  He has made Munt his valet.  Tobin wants a drink.  Then, Munt massages his back and mentions he could get help from Garret.  He later stands before the queen and king.  Falista wants Garret to be gate marshall and find her assassin.  He says again that he doesn’t want to work with the Three.  Two has him taken away.  Tobin shows Garret that he has Three’s Zinj.  Garrett says he will swear allegiance only to Tobin.  In turn, he is freed from his chains. 

Warlita pours tea for Talon, Wren, and Zed.  Queen Falista wants their help to work with the Blackbloods.  Wren looks at Zed.  Falista offers them land.  Zed notes that Wren is High Priestess.  She mentions that they intend to bring the Blackbloods from the Plane of Ashes.  Falista makes a deal with Wren.  Talon seems to think she has authority, she does have the Zinj, but she can’t control the fate of her people without Wren and Zed’s consultation.  Later, Talon is upset at the deal.  At her lab, Janzo is worried about Wren’s decision, he doesn’t want her to find the ancient texts in the Plane of Ashes.  They hear a thumping noise above them.  Munt is trying to smash open the drink cabinet that is locked away.  Janzo realizes that they can sell the drink as bootleggers!  Garret tries to talk with Talon, he is bound by Luna’s legs, and throws her off.  Her arm wound bleeds.  Still, she runs until stunned at the deaths of the soldiers sacrificed by Two.  Garret takes her away.  

THE OUTPOST - - “The Gods Thank You” - - AARON FONTAINE - - Photo: Aleksandar Letic/NBCU International -- 2020 Outpost TV LLC. Courtesy of Electric Entertainment.

Luna is in shock after seeing the deaths.  Talon argues with Garret who explains that he is working with Tobin who has the Zinj.  He notes that Talon sees herself in Luna.  She has him promise to look after Luna.  Janzo is preparing his distillery at his lab.  Munt compares Janzo to their mother, the Mistress.  Talon worries about the Blackfists, but Wren wants the important texts, and she has them leave in the morning.  Queen Falista gives a scarf to a young girl and gives a bag of coins to her mother.  A man is upset at her and she uses her zinj on him.  He spits at her and Falista unleashes the full power of her zinj.  Falista almost seems like a just ruler, but the zinj has corrupted her.  Vorta contacts Falista, maybe speaking to the zinj directly, and wants to reunite all of them.  Talon activates the portal with her zinj, Wren kisses Janzo, and goes into the portal.  Janzo has Talon promise to protect Wren.  Garret confronts Tobin that the sacrifice is not a single soldier, but twenty.  Tobin takes a few drinks from his flask.  He threatens Garret with finding the assassin.  

Two reassures Falista that she did the right thing.  The queen is convinced to take out dissidents.  She has guards find disloyal people.  At the Plane of Ashes, wrapped in smoke, they find the Lu-Qiri are dead.  Zed checks out the cave.  Wren says that there was a Blackblood guard at the entrance.  They find their people dead in the cave.  Issa (Jovana Miletic) and the Blackfists have killed the people.  She points out with her sword all of them are still a problem.  They start fighting the Blackfists, Talon dueling with Issa.  Wren stabs Issa pressing Talon against a rock.  She has found a children’s toy that she shows Zed.  Um, these events all happened while Talon had the Blackbloods locked away, she is in part responsible for their deaths.  Wren sends Zed to find Corbin.  Talon goes with Wren to find the texts.  Janzo stitches up Luna.  Garret says he is going to assassinate Falista and needs soldiers.  He realizes that Janzo is selling alcohol Prohibition-style.  

THE OUTPOST - - “The Gods Thank You” - - REECE RITCHIE  - - Photo: Aleksandar Letic/NBCU International -- 2020 Outpost TV LLC. Courtesy of Electric Entertainment.

Talon realizes that Wren is with child.  Tobin is drunk in bed.  He finds a number of bottles on the table.  He uses his zinj to teleport over to them, but finds himself on steps with the coffin of Vorta!  She is confined in it.  Her eyes suddenly open and this startles Tobin.  She teleports before Vorta reaches out to him.  Night at the Outpost, Tobin goes to talk to Falista and talks about seeing Vorta in the tomb.  Falista thinks it is the gods.  Tobin seems like he realizes the threat of Vorta and maybe can ally with Talon and the others.  Zed calls out for his brother, Corven (Ross Ritchie).  He says that the Blackbloods have all been eliminated.  He tells Corven that Wren is now the High Priestess.  Corven has the texts!  Zed is confronted by an archer, Idra, who takes down the Blackfist archers.  She whistles for the children hidden in the cave.  Everyone is assembled and Tobin opens the portal.  It is nice that the refugee children are saved, but they should have crossed over to Gallwood Outpost earlier.  There ares till, of course some surprises and the balance of power has shifted.  Two is still a threat and may be getting power for the "gods", but has not encountered Vorta in person so far.  The tension of this episode of The Outpost is ramped up with "The Three" a factor with the "gods" represented by Vorta!     

Four Zinjes out of Five!  

#TheOutpost, #TheGodsThankYou, #JovanaMiletic, #RossRitchie 

Space Jam: A New Legacy Review!

 Space Jam: A New Legacy The film opened on July 16th at theaters and HBO Max.  It is directed by Malcolm D. Lee who also directed the comedy, Girls Trip (2017).  There is extensive writing credits; the story is by Juel Taylor, Tony Rettenmaier, Keenan Coogler, and Terence Nance, all of whom co-wrote the screenplay.  The screenplay is also credited to Jesse Gordon and Celeste Ballard.  The film begins with a nice family moment, mother is leaving her young son, LeBron(Stephen Kankole) to play basketball, and she has to leave.  We get Akron, Ohio, 1998.  He is at the stands, his Looney Tunes backpack is next to him, when he is met by his friend Malik (Jalyn Hall).  He gives LeBron his Nintendo GameBoy since he just got the latest version.  LeBron plays a Looney Tunes game and doesn’t hear his coach (Wood Harris) call for him until he shakes him out his game play!  He is subbed in and the crowd is excited as the clock runs down.  LeBron has the ball and shoots, the ball bounces off the rim!  

After the game, coach says LeBron was not focused, which he should do before even getting to the court.  He throws his Game Boy into the trash.  We get photos of LeBron as we see him up to his selection to the Cleveland Cavaliers.  His game play is given some cartoon flashes.  Then his move to the Miami Heat and finally to the L.A. Lakers.   We get to his stylish basketball court at his house in L.A., his young son, Dom (Cedric Joe), is playing a basketball handheld game while is older brother, Darius (Ceyair J. Wright), is on the court. Dom has made his own video game!  He takes the basketball, gets to the hoop, but throws a weak shot.  LeBron doesn’t accept that they were just playing, not serious, and he shows his son the video game.  He tries to talk with Dom while Darius gestures in imitation of his father next to him.  LeBron calls for the ball which a machine sends him and gives it to Dom to practice a move.  The basketball bounces off his foot.  Darius shows him how it’s done calling for the ball.  He says he practices all day and gets the machine to send a ball that hits his head!  

LeBron says Dom has basketball camp and his son leaves, just disappointed, not great parenting.  His wife, Kamiyah (Sonequea Martin-Green) with her daughter calls them in for dinner.  Later, we see family photos, it is night when Kamiyah wants LeBron not to push basketball on Dom.  She wants him to say something about making his own video game.  We move to the morning, the Warner Bros. Studio water tower, and then into the digital world of the Warner Bros. Serververse.  AI G. Rhythm (Don Cheadle) is cycling through LeBron’s game play and has found the person for his launch.  His digital sidekick, Pete, murmurs.  AI wants to break out of the Serververse.  He wants to combine his Warner 3000 with LeBron James, AI sends the globe up a tube, it becomes an e-mail on the computer of a Warner Bros. Executive (Sarah Silverman). At the James house, Dom is working on scanning a tarantula into his game.  He gets an e-mail for an invitation to the E3 game design camp.  LeBron joins him and Dom shows him the game.  He starts playing his move, starting with the step back, but then his game icon freezes!  

Dom checks his computer, but the system crashes!  Back-ups.  He has lost his character and needs to rebuild him. LeBron tries to cheer up his son and wants him to come to Warner Bros.  At the Warner Bros. lot, everywhere watches the algorthrim, AI G. Rhythm introduced the Warner 3000.  He is cartoony and upbeat.  Al G says that LeBron can be scanned and put into any game.  The Game LeBron faces Batman as Mr. Freeze.  Then, AI puts him in Game of Thrones and Harry Potter.  Dom likes it as does the Warner Bros. Executive and her fellow executive (Steven Yuen).  LeBron is uncertain and the executives suddenly agree with him.  Dom is still excited about the algorthrim and also mentions the game design camp.  LeBron wants him to go to basketball camp.  Dom walks out and LeBron catches up to him, they go into an elevator that takes them to the Warner 3000. Al G opens the door for Dom.  LeBron calls out for Dom and then sees him walk up some steps and disappear in a flash. LeBron is taken into the Serververse Tron-style and finally catches up to Dom who is impressed at being digitized.  The Wizard of Oz-face of Al G which turns into a more human-like Don Cheadle in a silver jacket.  

He introduces himself as King Al G Rhythm and suddenly Dom is missing.  Al G wants LeBron to play some basketball. If he wins, LeBron can walk out with Dom and will stay in the Serververse forever.  He has Pete send LeBron to the rejects in the Tune World.  LeBron falls past worlds of Westeros, Casablanca, Harry Potter, and Wizard of Oz. He drops through a Looney Tunes tunnel and smacks down into a desert, Wiley E. Coyote-style.  Lebron makes a crater in the shape of the Nike logo, funny.  He finds that he has turned into a cartoon and that Looney Tunes World is empty.  LeBron is surprised at the appearance of Bugs Bunny (Jeff Bergman).  He takes LeBron on a mad cap trip through Tune World and at a saloon tells him Al G took away all of his friends.  At the Serververse, Al G knows all about Dom.  Back at the saucer, LeBron puts together his team, Bugs takes him to DC World where in the BunnyMobile, LeBron finds out that he is Robin.  A runaway train is going to be rescued by…Super Duck (Eric Bauza).  Actually, it is Superman and the rest of the Justice League, they see the destruction caused by the train and don’t join LeBron’s team.  It is fun to see the Looney Tunes character in various movies.  We of course get Porky Pig, Speedy Gonzales (Gabriel Iglesias), and in Themyiscara, Wonder Woman (Rosario Dawson) tests Lola Bunny (Zendaya).  They have to go against Al G's team the Goon Squad given some basketball players skills who were scanned by Dom for his game.  Some fun moments, LeBron plays along with the Looney Tunes antics, some references to the first film, and the film has good heart.  

Four Basketballs out of Five! 

#SpaceJamANewLegacy, #MalcolmDLee, #LeBronJames, #CedricJoe, #DonCheadler, #Zendaya, #EricBaurza, #JeffBergman 

The Global Guardians, DC’s Missing Super Team!

DC is trying to diversify its heroes, to me, re-inventing the wheel. This was already accomplished 44 years ago with the Global Guardians! One of my absolute favorite super teams never had a title.  Super Friends #7 (1977) not only introduced the Wonder Twins, Zan and Jayna, but also these international heroes. The storyline went to issue #9 with art by Ramona Fradon. There were diverse heroes introduced in the animated series, The All-New Super Friends Hour (1977-1978); Apache Chief, Black Vulcan, replacing Black Lightning?, El Dorado, and Samurai. 

The character of Samurai appeared in comics form with Super Powers #2 (1986). Kirkman introduced his version, Guardians of the Globe, in Invincible #7 (2003). This team had two six issue series, Guarding the Globe, in 2010 and 2012. The Global Guardians also appeared in Super Friends #45-46 (1981).  Their features and origins were sprinkled throughout the series. The issue where they became a team was DC Comics Presents #46 (1982). It featured art by Alex Saviuk. 

They were the brainchild of E. Nelson Bridwell, if you have read any comic book written by him, they were informative as well as action packed. He was well known at DC as a “continuity cop”, DC needs another Bridwell, and he invented the Kryptonian language. Bridwell co-created the goofy superhero team, the Inferior Five, in Showcase #62 (1966).   

Also, there was the mysterious group of heroes in their title, Secret Six #1 (1968). The founding members include Seraph, Chaim Lavon, a school teacher and the guardian of Israel given biblical super powers.  He was featured in Super Friends #38 (1980). Bushmaster, Bernal Rojas, was the hero of Venezuela, he had a Cyber-Suit that had the powers of reptiles. Olympian, Aristides Demetrios, a hero who had super powers from the Golden Fleece. There was another Olympian, Achilles Warkiller, who was in Wonder Woman.  

Daniel Cormac is the Irish hero, Jack O’Lantern, who carries a magic lantern gifted by a fairy giving him a number of powers. He had a back up story in Super Friends #44 (1981). The Zulu warrior, M’Bulaze from South Africa, becomes the hero Impala who had super speed and leaping. Izumi Yasunari is a solar physicist who has energy powers as Rising Sun. From Denmark, is Ulla Paske, known as The Little Mermaid. I wonder if there is a name change if she returns to comics.  

She can transform her legs into a fish tail. There is also Godiva, Dorcas Leigh, who protects England. She can use her hair for a number of powers beyond Medusa of the Inhumans. They are an international group of different ethnicities and genders so DC doesn’t need to replace heroes or bring in new versions. These are just some of the members of the Global Guardians, more were added in other comics, but they were led by Doctor Mist, Nommo Balewa is an immortal wizard.  He appeared in the Constantine episode, “A Feast of Friends” (2014).  

The team was an organization that were approved by the UN and headquartered in The Dome in Paris.  They didn’t need to sign the Sokovia Accords.  The only two break out stars were Brazil’s Green Fury, Beatriz da Costa, and from Norway, Sigrid Nansen, known as Icemaiden.  They took the names Fire and Ice and joined the team in Justice League International #12 (1988).  The Global Guardians was corrupted by a super villain called Queen Bee to fight against the Justice League.  Slowly, the team members were all killed or lost powers in Justice League Quarterly #17 (1994).  

I think there just wasn’t a direction for the Global Guardians.  The DC Multiverse is just in flux, dead characters are alive, so it is time to bring back the Global Guardians and give them their own series.  Since there is so much magic going on with Doctor Mist and his enemies, the past team could have been duplicated or kept in some kind of magical stasis.  Doctor Mist could transport the members from their deaths and put in duplicates.  To distinguish themselves from the Justice League, the Global Guardians could be a mysterious organization to handle unusual threats.  Group members can show up in individual titles or team books like what was intended with their first appearance.  I would like one-shots featuring each hero with their origin, let's re-activate the Global Guardians DC Comics!  

#GlobalGuardians, #ENelsonBridwell, #RamonaFradon, #AlexSaviuk, #SuperFriends, #Seraph, #Olympian, #JackOLantern, #Impala, #RisingSun, #TheLittleMermaid, #Godiva, #DoctorMist, #TheDome 

Happy Birthday Kate Beckinsale!

Happy Birthday Kate Beckinsale!  One of Kate’s early film roles was as Hero, one of the romantic figures in Kenneth Branaugh’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s comedy, Much Ado About Nothing (1994).  She starred in the horror film Haunted (1995). Beckinsale had the lead role in the tv movie of Jane Austen’s novel Emma (1996).  She was Lt. Evelyn Johnson in Pearl Harbor (2001).  Next, Beckinsale was in the romance Serendipity (2001).  She began the role of Selene, the vampire Death Dealer caught up in the war between Lycans and vampires in Underworld (2003).  The next year, she starred as Anna Valerious, taking on Dracula and the other Universal Monsters in Van Helsing (2004).  Beckinsale then played actress Ava Gardner in Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator (2004).  She returned as Selene in the sequel, Underworld: Evolution (2006).  

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009) was another horror action film for Becksinsale returning as Selene.  Beckinsale played Carrie Stetko investigating a murder in Antarctica, in Whiteout (2009) based on the comic book by Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber.  She returned as Selene in Underworld: Awakening picking up after humans captured her and has to save her daughter.  In 2012, she was in the remake of the sci fi action film Total Recall as Lori Quaid. Beckinsale starred in the sci fi comedy Absolutely Anything (2015) written and directed by Terry Jones.  She played Lady Susan Vernon in another adaptation of a Jane Austen novel in Love & Friendship (2016).  Beckinsale played Selene again in Underworld: Blood Wars (2016).  She was in Marc Webb’s drama, The Only Living Boy in New York (2017).  Beckinsale was in the drama, The Widow for Amazon Prime.  She plays the vengeful Lindy in the Amazon movie, Jolt.  Happy Birthday Kate Beckinsale!  

#KateBeckinsale, #UnderworldAwakening, #LoveAndFriendship, #Jolt 

Action Comics 2021 Annual #1 Review!

 Action Comics 2021 Annual #1 continues the House of El solidifying the legacy of Superman into legend!  The House of El was introduced in Future State: Superman: House of El #1.  It took place in the 30th century, which was the beginning of the Legion of Super-Heroes, the Legion future seemed to cap the future of the DC universe. Phillip Kennedy Johnson has crafted a future world that is not the dystopian darkness of Dark Knight, but the utopian hope of Superman.  

Still, the House is challenged by threats of this very different future and it is not all different varieties of Superman.  They were settled on the moon with the Fortress of Sanctuary.  The House of El is allied to the Warzoons, this reminds me of the Tharks of John Carter of Mars, who swore loyalty to the House after Superman freed them from Warworld.  The world of Mongul was introduced in DC Comics Presents #27 (1980).  Future State: Superman: Worlds at War #1-2 had Superman fighting as a gladiator, again like Barsoom!    

Interior co-artist, Scott Godlewski, provides cover art of the Merlin-like figure, bearded with a hood, and five members of the House of El ready for action!  Godlewski is the artist of Superman: House of El. “Tales of the House of El” is by Johnson with art by Godlewski and Siya Oum, the writer and artist of her own sci fi series, Lola Xoxo for Aspen Comics. In a village on Warworld, a young girl is playing with her toy statue, she manages to give an old man some iron and rushes off.  I like the red skies giving the Barsoomian sheen with colors by Hi-Fi.  

The girl, Thao-La, has goggles, ragged, red cape, and blue tunic with brown pants. Oum has some great work on character faces and storytelling. An older Thao-La was introduced in Johnson's Action Comics #1030, she is part of the Phaelosians, a lost colony of Kryptonians!  Thao-La is meeting with the other kids listening to the storyteller.  Byla is told Thao-La wants a story about Superman, she carries a metal lump in a Superman shape, and the others are worried that the bloodpriests will hear her.  He decides to tell them a story about the future.  

This shifts to a splash page with the darkness of the beginning to a bright citadel of Sanctuary.  Superwoman is floating above the House of El and the other assembled people. The young Thean’dr complains about weddings. She first appeared in Future State: Immortal Wonder Woman #2. This had the last stand of Earth’s heroes at the end of the world. Her father, Brandon Kent, tells her not to worry about the wedding or her armor.  

Kennedy mentioned there is a Camelot connection so I think Brandon would be Lancelot and Thean’dr may be Galahad who found the Grail.  Brandon is the Superman of New Metropolis. He stands next to Ronan Kent. Ronan is an African-American man so we don’t have to wait for some alternate version of Superman, he is a Kent and of the House of El, a true Superman! If they are looking for a movie version, this is the Superman, not Calvin Ellis. It is unknown who are his parents.  Superman’s uniform has a red upper body shoulder armor to the S symbol. He speaks to his twin sister, Rowan, who is the Blue Lantern, the Blue Lantern Corps represent the emotion of hope.  

They discuss the wedding, Ronan doubts Alura Van-El would get married, and she is standing next to him!  She was the leader of the Warworld’s Valkyries.  The equivalent to Tristan?  Next to her Brainiac4, Bry Dox, ally to the House of El.  He looks similar to Querl Dox, Brainiac 5, of the Legion of Super-Heroes.  As an advisor, Brainiac is the Merlin of the group. Alura is going to marry Khan, the warmaster of Warworld Prime. 

He has a crop of dark hair on his bald scalp with a short beard, and Conan like armor with cape, golden tasset plates, and sword. Superwoman presides over the ceremony, Alura introduces Khan, and he gives his sword forged in Thanagar as a gift. He offers to Alura his blood which he will use to defend her. A true member of the House of El! Superwoman says the tradition of Warworld is the Test of Strength is to fight one of the House. Brandon Kent agrees to test Khan, but the ceremony is shattered by Pyrrhos. He bursts in a lock of white in his dark hair and red armor. He has killed Darkseid(!) and is now Highfather of Apokolips. Pyrrhos is similar to Mordred who betrayed Camelot.  

He challenges Khan who flies goward him with his sword. Pyrrhos has brought a device that crackles with energy. He sends away the House of El. Brandon realizes what Pyrrhos has discovered, it is an apocalyptic world of floating islands with a river of lava below them, the Phantom Zone!  Superwoman flies towards Pyrrhos who summons snakes to bind her, he is also the son of Circe, the witch foe of Wonder Woman. The House of El finds the hellscape also inhabited by blue, demonic creatures. There are dark secrets to be revealed later!  Alura asks Brainiac 4 if there is a way to escape and he says the only way out is Phantom Zone projectors which were all destroyed.  

Khan is on guard with his sword as the hordes of creatures head towads them, one has the tentacled mouth and wings like Cthulhu, Brandon has Thean’dr ready for battle. Rowan leads the battle with two Lantern-made spears. They battle with the creatures, but of course without the yellow sun, their strength is fading. Godlewski brings action to the artwork and has fantastic character designs! Khan is saved by the gauntlet blast of Hank Henshaw! He is the hooded figure with cybernetics, Cyborg Superman, Henshaw was introduced as Cyborg Superman in Adventures of Superman #500 (1993) which started the storyline, “Reign of the Supermen!” The House of El may find an ally in Henshaw to help them escape the Phantom Zone, but he may betray them, and they also have to deal with Pyrrhos when they return!  Which makes for a story for Thao-La to learn.  

Five Iron Statues out of Five! 

#ActionComics2021Annual, #TalesOfTheHouseOfEl, #PhillipKennedyJohnson, #SiyaOum, #ScottGodlewski