American Born Chinese, “A Monkey on a Quest”, Review!

 Re:cap “What Guy Are You?” - The Bull Demon is threatening the Heavenly Realm and the only thing that can stop him is the Iron Staff wielded by the Monkey King. It is taken by his son who has taken human form as Wei-Chun. He is a new student attending Sierra Mona High School and befriends awkward student, Jin Wang. Jin has fallen for a girl, Amelia, but is just too shy. His father is just as shy at work and his mother wants him to assert himself. Wei-Chun is there searching for the mythical Fourth Scroll that he knows is real. Monkey King arrives at the school for his staff, his battle with his Wei-Chun is interrupted by Guan Yi, the mother of Wei-Chun? We see this in text and also red Chinese maple trees. The Monkey King’s son in black hurtles through the trees to fall. Guan Yi gently floats to him. The scene is just beautiful with the trees. She says he should practice his English and asks him why he was on Earth. Wei-Chun explains that he had a dream about a crane, the school mascot is a crane, and said he would have a guide to help find the Fourth Scroll.

He says his guide is Jin Wang, but he doesn’t realize he is a guide. Guan Yi spreads her arms to show the mountains and vast expanse of clouds. The fate of the world rests with Wei-Chun. He wants to return and Guan Yi waves her hand revealing that they were always in an apartment. She wears a track suit and baseball cap and he is in sweater and slacks. Guan Yi says it is his new home, gives a little cheer, funny! Christine is preparing food, when Jin says it is Pizza Boat Day, his father, Simon, silently reads the paper. She tells Jin to ask the coach again to be on the team. This is also a jab at Simon to speak up at work. Jin meets with Wei-Chun at school, he returns the monkey robot figure, but it is a gift. He eyes fellow student and bully, Travis, and says he has to work on things. Wei-Chun removes the very tiny Iron Staff from his ear and places it in the mecha. There is a gardener with a straw hat sweeping. He is being watched! Jin finds Anuj reading a Swamp Thing comic, DC!, but Anuj is still angry at him. 

They are enough at friend point that they walk the halls and Anuj tries to cheer Jin up about the video making fun of him. The friends see a protest, a small group, led by Suzy Nakamura (Rosalie Chiang). She was the voice of Meilin in Turning Red and plays a character from the graphic novel. Suzy tells Jin that they, the Culture Club(?) are protesting the bullying video. The band from the 80’s with Boy George? Jin tries to stop her, but Suzy is ready to rally the students. It looks like Anuj is interested, a change from Wei-Chun dating her in the graphic novel? At work, Simon’s co-worker, Patrick (Andrew Leeds), tells him the boss is at the break room. He convinces Simon so they drop by the break room and Simon brings up football. The boss, John (Tim Bagley), brings up fantasy football and a swarmy co-worker says he is successful at it. So Simon wanders back to his cubicle. Suzy talks to Jin, she wants a statement from him, but Jin refuses. Wei-Chun introduces himself to her. Amelia catches up with Jin and apologizes for standing him up. Her friend, Ruby, notes the meme which Jin wants the attention to die down, but then Suzy makes an announcement! 

She makes a strong statement about Represent-asian, funny!, and rhymes it! I really like well intentioned people even if they are a bit awkward. Suzy introduces Wei-Chun who joins her standing on a table to defend his friend! He says an attack on Jin is an attack on him, love the loyalty, and starts the chant on justice, “Just us!” Suzy interrupts him and tells everyone that Wei-Chun has found the one who made the video. She holds up a poster and identifies Greg Wallace (Ethan Rich)! An embarrassing video is one thing, but to be revealed as a bully, and facing whatever school consequences for bullying is another!  The boss is walking in the parking lot and hears Jon Bon Jovi’s “Blaze of Glory.” This was featured in Young Guns II (1990), a 20th Century Fox movie. Simon is cranking it up and singing along in his car, possibly to drown out his failed attempt to talk with the boss. John knocks at the window and then shows Simon his cell phone photo of himself dressed up as Bon Jovi! Greg sees Jin at his locker and mentions that he could talk to the coach to reconsider Jin for the team. 

This makes up for embarassing him to the entire school? Greg mentions his bullying would mean he would miss a few games. Weak anti-bullying policy. His parents should be notified, he should be kicked off the team, and Greg should be suspended for at least a week. Greg said he did it for a laugh and the other varsity players are worse. Jin dressed for P.E. meets with Coach Garrett (Larry Bates). He apologizes for tackling Travis at the soccer practice. The coach has seen the protest and wants to know if Jin can be motivated from it. He shows Jin the room with new equipment, but it is unassembled. Coach Garrett wants Jin to assemble it by the afternoon to get the last team spot. Um, unmonitored labor with heavy weights?, not a great coach. Wei-chun finds an empty hall with food tossed around by the gardener at a locker. He wonders if it is Pigsy, Zhu Bajie, in Journey to the West.  At John’s office, Simon is asked about Bon Jovi favorites, as they relax in chairs. Simon admits he never saw them in concert. Cameo. John admits that he is about to retire. 

Jin has almost finished setting up the equipment room. Wei-chun appears and wants Jin to take the Monkey Robot. Jin is upset that he made him the center of attention. Wei-chun helps out easily carrying two dumbbells by their edges! He sets them down setting off a chain reaction that topples all of the equipment!  The coach is not happy, but he is still liable. Jin has a quiet dinner and then falls on his bed. Christine walks in and asks him if he talked to the coach. Jin says he did, but didn’t make the team. His mother is very encouraging even at his failure. The next day, Jin slams down on the table of Suzy and the Culture Club, now that sounds like a band!, he is ready for his statement. Jin stands on the table, says it was a “harmless joke”, and defends Greg. Going public to defend a bully? This was the same problem he had in summer camp with Anuj. Simon returns home, his wife is uninterested, he explains how he connected. Then, that John is retiring, Christine says this is a job opening for him. The second episode of American Born Chinese has some strange logic, but still fun! Jin is still learning, Suzy is great in guiding him to be more than average, and Wei-chun is finding his quest is not so easy! 

Four Monkey Robots out of Five! 

#AmericanBornChinese, #BenWang, #JimmyLiu, #MahiAlam, #YannYannYeo, #ChinHan, #MichelleYeoh, #RosalieChiang, #SydneyTaylor, #BrianLe, #EthanRich, #LarryBates, #TimBagley 

Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, “Never Get Them Wet”, Review!

Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai uncovers the past of our hero Mogwai, Gizmo, and Sam Wing, whom we saw older in the first film! Gremlins (1984) was a charming twist on Americana suburbia with horror dashed in.  It was directed by Joe Dante who previously directed The Howling (1981). It was one of the first films written by Chris Columbus who also wrote The Goonies (1985) before his career as director. Father and failed inventor, Randall Peltzer, is sold something special. It was kept by, Mr. Wing (Keye Luke), the owner of a New York Chinatown antique shop. Randall takes it home to his son, Billy (Zach Galligan) as a birthday present. The Mogwai,translated as “demon”, is a cuddly lil’ guy whom Randall names Gizmo. There are three rules for the Mogwai and it unless the mischevious, reptilian Gremlins! The sequel, Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990), cranked up the Gremlins to absurdity. The animated series is developed by Tze Chun who was writer and producer of the Gotham television show. The series is streaming on Max. We start with snowy, cloud wrapped mountains complete with the Chinese flute playing. 

In a cluster of peaks, we see a paradise of trees and greenery. There is a gaping hole and within it is a circular stone looking out to the moon.  Walking up to it is our loveable Mogwai with puppy-like patches of brown and white fur, big eyes, and big ears. There is a mossy village inside nestled in the cavern kinda like the Smurfs. I like seeing the homeland of the Mogwai. Gizmo (his voice is by A.J. Locascio) begins to sing, the other Mogwai join in, the first time we have seen other Mogwai that are not the spawn of Gizmo.  A bearded vulture, Kaiju-sized like the mythical Roc compared to the Mogwai, lands! It goes to peck at the roofs of the Mogwai huts. The beast is about to attack lil’ Mogwai, but is pelted by pebbles thrown by Gizmo! The vulture claws and pecks at Gizmo who ends up on its back. They fly into the night sky and then the vulture tries to brush off Gizmo soaring through a forest. Gizmo ends up in a river and finds a floating tree branch. The bearded vulture rises up, but is thwacked by Gizmo using a tiny branch! This is the Lost World adventures with Gizmo wandering from his homeland! 

There is a leafy top that hangs over Gizmo on the branch that protects him from sunlight in the morning. It begins to rain and he leaps away from the water droplets! Night again, when the branch drifts to a shoreline. He ends up before the campfire of the Seven Brothers Circus! They wonder about Gizmo and the sinister Circusmaster (SunWon Cho) says, “That is our new star.” It shifts to a dock where we see that it is “Shanghai, 1920.” There are busy streets as we move to Wing Family Medicine. Inside, ten-year old Sam Wing (Isaac Wang) is preparing ingredients for some medicine. Wang played Owen in Clifford the Big Red Dog (2021). This is a much younger Mr. Wing from the antique shop. His father, Hon Wing (B.D. Wong), offers another ingredient a kiss meant for his wife. Henry Wu in Jurassic World: Dominion (2022) was portrayed by Wong. Sam is making scalp cream for Mr. Shao. He reminds his mother, Fong Wing (Ming-Na Wen) that Mr. Shao is allergic to liquorice root. Wen is of course the voice of Mulan in the 1998 animated movie. She gives Sam a bowl of medicine for his grandpa. Sam takes the bowl to the dark back room, he pulls back the cover, and finds a skull! 

His ankles are also grabbed by Grandpa under the bed. He is voiced by legendary James Hong who also voices Mr. Ping in the Kung Fu Panda films. Sam has brought him arthritis tea. Once they return to the medicine store, Fong gives Sam a list for ingredient shopping with his father, Grandpa tells him about his adventures as a treasure hunter. Sam goes a song and dance with Hon about shopping! Grandpa wants to take Sam shopping and shows the Adventures Box. Sam carries it as a backpack and Grandpa wants them to go to the dangerous South Market to save money for adventure! Sam has a twenty-one year plan(!) to be a doctor like his mother. Grandpa says he should “discover the world’s mysteries” which Sam says he is saving for year thirteen! Funny, to see a young boy has his life planned out! Grandpa is amazed that there is a circus, it’s the Seven Brothers Circus. The Circusmaster introduces from the North, the Yeti, kinda unimpressive. Sam says he is just a white monkey. He doesn’t believe in magic. Next, the Circusmaster introduces the Singing, Dancing, Cat Dog. 

The curtains part to show Gizmo with hat and held by a rope. Circusmaster yanks the rope so Gizmo starts singing and dancing. A young boy sees the performance and contacts his network. He runs into a taller girl with a scarf, Elle (Gabrielle Nevaeh) who was going to steal from a wedding.  Nevaeh voices Clawdeen Wolf in the Monster High animated show. He points out Gizmo whom Elle says looks like “the thing the boss was searching for.” Elle takes a place next to Sam. Gizmo’s dance has the circus weapons fall slicing his rope. He is still caught by the Circusmaster. Gizmo looks at Grandpa who recognizes him! Grandpa takes Sam backstage where the Circusmaster has thrown Gizmo into a cage. He knows that he is a Mogwai and tells Sam that they are “mystical creatures” last seen centuries ago when “cities burned”! They have to save Gizmo. Elle faces the Circusmaster and offers a handful of money for him. Grandpa takes out a knife to cut tent ropes, but his back goes out climbing a pole! Instead, he takes out a shiny ball to throw at Circusmaster, it explodes! Elle is about to take Gizmo in his cage, but he bites her finger and then begins to run on the spinning cage! Grandpa sends Sam to save the Mogwai! Sam mispronounces his name and ends up with Gizmo. Grandpa shows a book of Gizmo’s home, the Valley of Jade, where he has to be returned! Elle reports to the boss, Riley Greene (Matthew Rhys), who seems to have mysterious powers! Rhys starred as the title role in Perry Mason. The adventures and the rules of the Mogwai have begun with Sam’s journey in Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai! 

Four Adventures Boxes out of Five! 

#GremlinsSecretsOfTheMogwai, #TzeChun, #AJLocascio, #IsaacWang, #JamesHong, #MingNaWen, #BDWong, #GabrielleNevaen, #MatthewRhys 

The Little Mermaid Review!

The Little Mermaid is a magical film featuring Halle Bailey and entertaining adaptation of the Disney classic! The movie is directed by Rob Marshall and also directed Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) which also featured a mermaid, Syrena. The adaptation was written by David McGee who also worked on Mary Poppins Returns (2018) with Marshall. The live action film is based on the 1989 animated film co-directed and co-written by Ron Clements and John Musker. In turn, the original story was by Hans Christian Anderson’s 1837 story. It begins with a quote from Anderson’s The Little Mermaid (1837) that sets the dramatic tone. 

We see waves thrashing until there is a sailing ship with sailors throwing harpoons to kill what they think is a mermaid! Eric (Jonah Hauer-King) is on the mast helping to secure the sail and sees the sailors. King played Mo in the comedy series, The Flatshare. He swings down and stops them. The sailors warn Eric that King Triton gathers his daughters during the Coral Moon, the night moon looks reddish which would be a lunar eclipse. Eric tells them to wait and it is seen that dolphins are following the ship. The character of the prince is more caring of the rivalry between the kingdom and merpeople. This is the Romeo and Juliet situation that is central to the story. 

Sir Grimsby (Art Malik) joins him to note his birthday. Malik was in the sci fi series, The Man Who Fell to Earth. His part has been expanded from servant to prime minister. Plus, his character goes a step past the dry, worried person to an ally. Eric is checking out his telescope when Grimsby tells him to be careful. A wave almost topples Grimsby overboard, Eric catches him, but this sends the telescope into the ocean. We follow the telescope down past sea life until it falls to the seafloor. We see a hint of a mermaid, but the first one to swim past is Mala (Karolina Conchet) who is joined by her other sisters. 

It is the Gathering of the Coral Moon. Then, we have the impressive appearance of King Triton (Javier Bardem), the dramatic actor also has upcoming Dune: Part Two. His Triton is over protective of his youngest daughter and the reason behind it is explained. All of his seven daughters are there; Perla (Lorena Andrea), Indira (Simone Ashley), Tamika (Sienna King), Karina (Kasja Mohammar), and Caspia (Nathalie Sorrell). I do like the diversity and different looks of the mermaids. 

The only one who is missing is Ariel. Triton sends them to look for her and summons his major domo, the crab Sebastian voiced by Daveed Diggs. The actor created and stars in the comedy show, Blindspotting. Sebastian has many of the funny scenes in the movie. Ariel, played by Halle Bailey, has found the telescope accompanied by her angelfish friend, Flounder (voiced by Jacob Tremblay). Bailey was part of the duo, Chloe x Halle, and she starred as Sky Forster in Grown-ish. Her singing is perfect and also her portrayal of Ariel as headstrong, clever, and leading with her heart. 

Tremblay voiced Elmer Elevator in the animated film, My Father’s Dragon (2022). Ariel spots something in a shipwreck and swims over it. There are some particles in the water which adds to the illusion of underwater photography with the dry for wet filming; using rigs and CGi to replicate the underwater world. She picks up a fork and says it is the “smallest trident” she’s ever seen. A shark bursts into the ship, and even familiar with the cartoon, there is some tension with the shark nearly biting Ariel’s tail fin! She is able to defeat the shark though a very clever ploy. 

Later, Scuttle is startled by the gannet, diving bird, Scuttle (Awkwafina). The diving bird underwater makes more sense than a seagull. Awkwafina voiced Sisu in the animated Raya and the last Dragon (2021). Scuttle explains that Ariel’s new finding is a hair-styling "dinglehopper." Sebastian has found Ariel and reminds her of the Gathering. She swims away, but is seen from a dark cave by the glowing eyes of two eels; Flotsam and Jetsam (no voices). This is shown to the Ursula (Melissa McCarthy) with her large, octopus body, she is sister to Triton. The suckers on her tentacles have a bio-lumiescent glow that gives Ursula a nightclub light. 

She says, “I finally found Triton’s weakness.” Ariel meets with her father and Triton notes she has the same interest in the humans as her mother. He strongly forbids her to return to the Above World which is the rule he put in place after the death of Ariel's mother. She leaves and Triton has Sebastian follow her. Ariel swims to her hidden grotto with Flounder. Then, we have Halle Bailey’s singing of “Part of Your World”, the first song and she brings out all of the hope, longing, and sadness of the Little Mermaid. It is great to hear the classic Howard Ashman lyrics and Alan Menken has not merely added to his score, there is a richness added to the film's tone. 

She sees the bursts of light and swims up to the surface! Eric’s sheepdog, Max, sees Ariel, but Eric takes him away. Fireworks explode as the ship celebrates Eric’s birthday through “Fathoms Below.” Ariel slips into a boat lashed to the side of the ship to watch them. Eric sings along with the sailors about the merpeople. There is a statue of Eric as a gift. Grimsby takes him aside and explains that the king and queen took him in, adopted after a storm! Still, he feels isolated in the castle like Ariel in her world. 

A storm starts to appear, Eric warns the others, he takes hold of the steering wheel to try to avoid a rocky island! Ariel has swum away to a distance and watches Eric. The ship crashes against the rocks, it is set on fire by the cargo, and Eric calls for everyone to abandon ship. The statue falls over the side of the ship. The sailors leap into the sea and climb aboard the boats. Max is trapped on the quarter deck and Eric braves the flames to rescue him. Ariel sees his kindness towards others, not just humans. Grimsby calls Max over to his boat and Ariel gives the dog an assist underwater. Eric is about to leap overboard, but a wave throws him back and into the water! He starts to drop into the dark of the sea, but pulled up to the surface by Ariel!

In the morning, Ariel has taken Eric to the beach, she sings the “Part of Your World” reprise, now a love song. Scuttle joins Sebastian on a rock and they watch. The sunlight falls on Eric’s eyes and he blurrily sees Ariel. Guards rush down from the castle with torches. Ariel has slipped away as they take Eric back to the castle. Sebastian goes to Ariel’s grotto and finds her admiring the statue of Eric missing an arm. Sebastian finds Ariel and consoles her with “Under the Sea.” This starts as a conversation with Sebastian telling her about the wonders. 

Then, Ariel joins the upbeat song along with dolphins, rays, and jellyfish which is spectacular with dance elements provided by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater! Still, Ariel leaves unnoticed by Sebastian. At the castle, Queen Selina (Noma Dumezweni) is talking with Grimsby about the other shipwrecks. Dumezweni was in Mary Poppins Returns as Miss Penny Parthing. She is strict and protective of her son, a parallel to Triton. Eric has sent out search parties to find the mysterious girl. He explains to his mother that he is reaching out to other cultures. Eric leaves, walking along the shoreline, and then sings “Wild Uncharted Waters.” The additional songs feature lyrics by Lin Manuel Miranda, who played Jack in Mary Poppins Returns. 

Ariel is singing while her sisters are working to salvage the shipwreck. It has damaged the coral which will take a thousand years to recover. Triton appears and is again angry at the humans. Ariel leaves and her sisters hint that she is in love. At Triton’s throne, Sebastian is brought by a guard, he tries to reassure himself. Once Triton has him in his palm, Sebastian blurts out that Ariel has fallen in love with a human! At Ariel’s Grotto, she finds her father, who angrily tells her, “They killed your mother!” Ariel says that one human killed her. Triton rages, uses his trident to blast parts of her cave, and finally Eric’s statue! His anger would also be lethal to humans. He leaves and Ariel holds the statue’s hand. 

She sends Sebastian and Flounder away and then is seen by Flotsam and Jetsam who form a circle. Ursula speaks to her and brings up that she will be under Triton’s rules. Ariel swims away with the eels followed by Flounder and Sebastian. They take her down to the abyss with volcanic vents and Ursula’s lair, the entrance is a skeleton of a prehistoric Mosasaurus. It is the same beast that it is in Jurassic World (2015). Ursula makes her bargain, the potion that will transform Ariel into a human with “Poor Unfortunate Souls”, McCarthy’s villainy is mixed with funny moments. Ariel doesn't trust the Sea Witch since she had started the trouble between humans and merpeople. This implies that she started the conflict that ended the life of Ariel's mother. 

Besides her voice, Ariel has to sacrifice one of her scales! This is watched by Sebastian and Flounder. Ariel sings and her voice is trapped in Ursula’s necklace. As she swims to the surface for air, Ursula notes that Ariel will also lose her memory of the kiss needed to keep Ariel from her! In the dawn, Ariel takes her first human breath, a beautiful image. Sebastian and Flounder guide her to shore, but she is captured in the net of a fisherman. The fisherman seems to have been a role that would have been great for the voice of Sebastian, Samuel E. Wright, who unfortunately died in 2021. He later takes her to the castle, on the ride we have the song, “For the First Time”, Ariel’s thoughts about finally being in the Above World. 

The fisherman gives her over to the care of Lashana (Martina Laird) and Rosa (Emily Coates). Laird is in the British comedy series, Dreamland. She is washed up and given a light blue dress. There is a scene in the dark where Ariel sings her expectation, but Eric arrives and thinks she can’t be the same girl without a voice! Sebastian finally crawls up to the balcony and offers to help her knowing she forgets about the kiss! Ariel slips away and finds a library that looks similar to her grotto. Eric finds her there and gives her a jade mermaid, his “little mermaid.” I love the connection between the two visually and character wise. The Little Mermaid is a wondrous live action adaptation featuring Halle Bailey and a strong cast, adding new dimension to the story, and great music! 

Five Jade Mermaids out of Five! 

#TheLittleMermaid, #RobMarshall, #HalleBailey, #JonahHauerKing, #DaveedDiggs, #JacobTremblay, #JavierBardem, #ArtMalik, #NomaDumezweni, #MartinaLaird, #LorenaAndrea, #SimoneAshley, #KarolinaConchet, #SiennaKing, #KasjaMohammar, #NathaliSorrell 

American Born Chinese, “What Guy Are You?”, Review!

American Born Chinese is a new Disney+ series that has an awkward teen lead caught in high school life, a family conflict, and a mythical story! It adapts the graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang, review here: http://geektruth.blogspot.com/2023/05/retro-review-american-born-chinese-gn.html, by show runner and pilot episode writer, Kelvin Yu. Bob’s Burgers was an animated series written and executive produced by Yu in 2020 to today. All of the eight episodes currently stream on Disney+. The episode begins with script (on the side in Chinese which is great) explaining the Jade Emperor has ruled the Heavenly Realm peacefully for thousands of years. We see the ground covered with red hibiscus flowers. The Bull Demon, the villain of Journey to the West, has risen up against him, but stopped by Monkey King, Sun Wukong. His weapon is the Iron Staff, Jingu Bang, and he is Master of 72 Transformations. A moment as the flowers shift, and then “two months before the Autumn Equinox”, the Monkey King’s staff is stolen! 

We see a figure running across the field, the shrieking of an eagle, it pursues a young man in a green robe and a monkeyish face through the forest. He leaps through an opening of two fallen trees, and swings back a branch smacking into the bird. Some special effects and action by director, Destin Daniel Cretton who also directed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021). It falls and then transforms into a tiger! The youth pulls an RRR, leaping backwards as the tiger tries to claw him, and then uses his kung-fu mastery to run on the water! This was similar to Li Mu Bai in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000). He hops across the lake as the tiger has shifted into a fish. Then, it transforms into a wolf, as the young man races along the top of the trees. He reaches the ground and is able to dodge and roll from the wolf’s attacks. The youth continues running, but in mid-transformation pushed by a taller man, the Monkey King (Daniel Wu) in a red robe and black Zhongshan suit. Wu played Jay in the sci fi show, Westworld. He says in Mandarin that his son needs more practice. 

Monkey King asks for it back, which his son takes out of his robe wrapped up. He says his son doesn’t know how to use the Iron Staff, it is transformed and once tapped, sends him hurtling in the sky! The boy falls and the staff changes back to its baton size. He walks out past waterfalls to see the clouds swirling towards, a beautiful image. Monkey King says his son should stop, but defiantly leaps away! He should know that his son wouldn’t follow rules. Then, we shift to a back to school poster, a smiling boy models his blue denim jacket. This is seen by Jin Wang played by Ben Wang. He plays Bo in the Disney+ series, Chang Can Dunk. Jin has all of the awkwardness of the teenage years, but also a bit clever. His mother, Christine (Yeo Yann Yann) tries to show him various shirts. Yann is also in the Chinese comedy, King of Musang King. She wants him to get new clothes for tenth grade. The change in narrative is the structure of the graphic novel, it looks like Jin is aged up. He refuses her picks so she points out the mannequins; “Skateboard guy, camping guy, handsome guy” and then smiles. Very funny! 

Christine asks about “New-jee” and Jin corrects her that his name is Anuuj. Jin says that he was at soccer camp in the summer while Anuuj was cosplaying. The character becomes important later. His mother is confused about cosplay and Jin tries to explain, also funny! She asks Jin who will also read his comic books, I identify with his mention!, but he says he’s on another level. Jin eyes the poster and shows his mother the denim jacket. He tells her the price and Christine laughs. She holds up a white hoodie and says, “Less is more.” I really think the mother is a great part. Jin tries on the white hoodie in the dressing room, he calls for his mom, and turns to see a girl (Sydney Taylor). He is a bit awkward and she leaves saying, “Hot Stuff.” Jin turns to find that it is a design on the back of the hoodie with a hot pepper with sun glasses!, embarrassment! His mother thinks the design is cute. At night, we see Jin’s room is filled with Pokemon and Dragonball figures, also Naruto manga. Along with a Batman figure and poster, this is a Disney show, no Marvel? 

Jin is flipping through social media clips, a man (Ke Huy Quan) is bonked on the head with a ceiling fan and says, “What could go Wong?”, laughter. This is the sitcom bit that was the third narrative in the graphic novel. Quan was of course in Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022). The love built up for Quan from the film should counter the parody of the sitcom. Jin pulls out the denim jacket and tries to pull off the security tag, stolen. Then, he hears his parents have returned. The next day, Catherine is playing some traditional music as she drives Jin to school. He is bored, but looks up at the sky to see a swirling cloud formation! Jin can’t take his mother talk about his underwear so he leaves to Sierra Mona High School.  He tries to wave to Anuuj (Mahi Alam) who walks away. This reminds me a little of Dear Evan Hansen (2021). In the school hallway, he sees Travis (Justin Jarzombek) and others from soccer camp sharing a joke, and joins them. They are joined by Greg (Ethan Rich) who says Coach Garrett wants more tryouts for the JV soccer team even though he is hesitant to say he plays the game, no confidence. Rich was in the horror movie, Last of the Grads (2021), he is the rival of Jin in the graphic novel. 

Greg also asks Jin to come to the tryout. He looks at the flyer as he sees a boy struggle to open his bottom locker. Jin bangs the locker door to open it. Mr. Larkins (Brian Huskey) starts his Biology 2 with the lesson on evolution. He tries to joke about his ex-wife on an evolutionary chart. The teacher is corrected by a student. Mr. Larkins mentions a partner project, Jin looks around, and then the girl from the dressing room turns and introduces herself as Amelia. He notes that they both went to elementary school until she transferred. Jin jokes about the hoodie, this is clever dialogue, much more interesting than the graphic novel’s shyness. Amelia laughs and asks about his lab partner. Principal Finney (Jennifer Irwin) enters, Mr. Larkins is again strange, and she asks about Jim Wang. Jin corrects her. I like the graphic novel similarities. She takes him to the hallway to introduce the boy with locker troubles. He immediately speaks in Mandarin and Jin says he doesn’t speak Chinese well. Principal Finney introduces Wayne Chung. Sun Wei-Chun corrects her. 

The principal says Wei-Chun will be in all of his classes except math because he is more advanced than Jin, funny. Wei-Chun introduces himself to the class and the students are stunned. Jin sees that Amelia has found a lab partner and looks away from him. Painful. Later, Jin is headed to the cafeteria when he sees one of the soccer players who invites him over to their lunch place. Then, Wei-Chun yells, “Jin! I found seats for us!” He has a lunch of luobo gao, raddish cakes, and offers som to Jin who refuses. Jin tells him to stop using his name, then looks over to see Amelia, he notices the Mecha on Wei-Chun’s thermos. Wei-Chun says it is from the manga, Kugo Ren Saga, translations are difficult, but ok, for this story. Jin is familiar with the manga, but says there are three books, Wei-Chun tells him there are seven. Travis stops by and mocks Wei-Chun’s robot shirt. Jin then explains that Travis had did the same with Anuuj in summer camp. Wei-chun is ready to fight him, but Jin calms him down. 

He then shows Jin the new Mecha who has learned the 72 Transformations. Sounds familiar. Wei-chun says he got the robot from his dad who wanted him to stay home. He says Jin should ask out Amelia; “be a confident dude.” One of Amelia’s friends is watching more of the social media video on her phone. Amelia tries to point out that it is inappropriate with Jin at the next locker. Her character has potential standing apart from the crowd. Jin shrugs it off. On the car ride home, Jin asks about water skiing, the trip that was mentioned by Travis. Christine says they aren’t “water ski people.” She tells Jin that his father has worked at the same job for years, but doesn’t speak up. Monkey King gets the report of Bull Demon’s attack and that they need the staff taken by Wei-chun. He says that he will find his son. At dinner, Jin looks at his chicken foot soup, his mother says she can put it in a hot dog bun, too funny. 

Jin's father, Simon (Chin Han) joins them and asks Jin about school. He brings up soccer, but Simon says it’s too many activities which is totally bizarre! It would be considering hard work. Christine brings up that sometimes people treat others like a “little monkey”, ouch! The father's occupation mirrors his son's struggles at school. Later, Jin watches the news about a protest of the 90’s sitcom, Beyond Repair, that is a hit on social media. Jin plays an episode which has a man, Danny, who inherits a building so he needs a repair man, Freddy. He asks if Danny will asks out his neighbor, Lindsay, so parallel stories that just has Jin clicking off the show. There is a cameo with Michelle Yeoh as Guan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy! Yeoh is of course Quan's co-star in Everything Everywhere All At Once. American Born Chinese has the tone and situations of the graphic novel expanding on the narrative. It has a great lead in Ben Wang, family tension, the awkwardness and bullying of school life, and some action thrown in! 

Five Monkey Robots out of Five! 

#AmericanBornChinese, #KelvinYu, #BenWang, #JimmyLiu, #SydneyTaylor, @YannYannYeo, @danielwuyanzu, #MahiAlam, @TheChinHan, #MichelleYeoh 

Re:tro Re:view - American Born Chinese GN!

American Born Chinese is a powerful graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang that is about identity specifically the Asian identity! The graphic novel was published in 2006 by First Second Books. It was a finalist, the first graphic novel to do so, for the National Book Awards for Young People’s Literature. Also the Best Graphic Album 2007 Eisner Award which is the comic book industry award. The awards are well earned by Yang who also wrote the limited series, Superman Smashes the Klan (2019), and the series, Monkey Prince. The graphic novel may get more attention since the Disney Plus series is based on it and is set for release tomorrow, May 24th. It features three parallel storylines that reflect and interweave with each other. The first deals with the Monkey King, Sun Wukong, who was featured in Journey to the West. His journey is to find Buddhist writings from India, the West, with a monk, Tang Sanzang, Zhu Bajie (Pigsy in Monkey Prince), and Sha Wujing sometimes called Sandy. A recent film adaptation featured Donnie Yen in The Monkey King: The Legend Begins (2022).

The story begins with a dinner party in Heaven with “the gods, the goddesses, and the demons.” They include Lao-Tzu, the philospher who had written the Tao Te Ching, and became a god of the celestial bureaucracy. Also, the God of Thunder, Leigong. Yang’s artwork is simple and can easily fit in with manga. The music and food scents descend to Flower-Fruit Mountain. This is where the monkeys gather around the Monkey King. His origin story is told where a magic stone atop the mountain turns into a stone monkey who becomes Monkey King. The character is played by Daniel Wu in the series. He studies Kung-Fu learning the “Four Major Heavenly Disciplines”, Monkey King practicing with effects is great, the “Heavenly Senses”, makes him interested in the dinner party. Then, Monkey King brings the last Discipline, “Cloud-As-Steed.” The Flying Nimbus is familiar to Dragon Ball anime fans. He finds a long line to get into the dinner party, but is patient. The guard points out he doesn’t wear shoes and is a monkey. Monkey King is laughed at and gives a thrashing to a pile of gods using his Disciplines. His anger and embrassment at his own nature is a theme of the graphic novel.   

Next, we get the story of the boy, Jin Wang. He is played by Ben Wang in the Disney+ show. Jin has the bowl cut and sadly plays with a robot in the back seat of his family’s car. His mother, Christine Wang is played by Yeo Yann Yann, tells a story about a mother and son constantly on the move. At the new home, Jin thinks over the story of how his parents met at the San Francisco State University library. There isn’t too much development of his parents from that point, but I think the series will do so. Jin has other Chinese kids around to play with their robots watching cartoons. These kids don’t factor in the rest of the story. Jin goes to herbalist with an older woman who tells him he can be anything if he is willing to forfeit his soul! A minor incident that we find is important for Jin’s story. Later, Jin is introduced to his third grade class by Mrs. Greeder. I think the show will have him older, Mrs. Guardia is played by Gloria Laino. She mispronounces his name, says he came from China, and Jin corrects her that he arrived from San Francisco. One of the stunned classmates is Amelia who is played by Sydney Taylor in the Disney+ series. 

He notes that the other Asian in the class is Suzy Nakamura, but all of the rumors has him avoiding Suzy. She is played by Rosalie Chiang who voiced Meilin in Turning Red (2022)! 

While the other kids are on the playground, Jin eats alone, until bullied by some kids for eating dumplings. This may be unusual back in the 80-90s time period, but there are probably kids joining Jin now. He is almost defended by another boy, Greg, he is played by Ethan Rich in the show. Two months pass and a new kid is introduced to Mayflower Elementary School. Wei-Chun Sun has to also correct the teacher that he came from Taiwan. Jimmy Liu plays the character in the new show. Wei-Chun later introduces himself to Jin while he is eating his lunch. Jin tells him to speak English. Jin is uncomfortable speaking Chinese in public. It is an embarrassment that Jin has to understand. Still, the new kid shows Jin his toy robot that transforms into a monkey, and they become best friends in the “next few months.” A time jump so I think the show can develop the friendship. 

This shifts to the third story, “Everyone Ruvs Chin-Kee”, a absurdity that slaps stereotypes in readers’ faces. There is clapping and laughs like a tv sitcom. The interview in the graphic novel with the series cover has an interview with Gene Luen Yang. He pointed out, “There’s a character in American Born Chinese who is essentially a walking, talking Asian stereotype. He’s satire, but my greatest fear was that clips of this character would show up on social media, completely ripped of their context.” Yang notes that show runner, Kelvin Yu, and the writers “addressed this fear brilliantly.” At night, we have a girl, Melanie, studying with the boy, Danny right out of classic television. He tries to ask out Melanie, but Danny is interrupted by his mother (from the next room) who tells him about his cousin, Chin-Kee. Eyes, teeth, and traditional clothes that are just absurd. All of his exaggerated accented English is accompanied with laughs. He drools over Melanie that creeps her out. Then, Danny’s mother says that he will take his cousin to school the next day. Jin finds himself suddenly interested in Amelia, but is too shy to talk to her. His confidence and Wei-Chun’s part of the story is the heart of the narrative. Yang encapsulates some of the Asian American experience in this graphic novel. American Born Chinese tackles with awkwardness, the struggle of a culture within another one, next to the Monkey King’s discovery, and a stereotypical tv sitcom character!      

Five Monkey Robots out of Five! 

#AmericanBornChinese, #GeneLuenYang, #JinWang, #WeiChunSun, #JimmyLiu, #Amelia, #SydneyTaylor, #SuzyNakamura, #RosalieChiang, #WeiChunSun, #MonkeyKing, #DanielWu 

A Day at Comic Con Revolution - 2023!

Today was the first day of the Comic Con Revolution Ontario. It has become very busy with crowds at the Ontario Convention Center.  The back area had the guests including the Avatar: The Last Airbender voice cast; Greg Baldwin (Uncle Iroh), Dante Basco (Prince Zuko), Jack De Sena (Sokka), Grey Delisle (Princess Azula), Zach Tyler Eisen (Aang), Jessie Flower (Toph), Olivia Hack (Ty Lee), Jennie Kwan (Suki), Cricket Leigh (Mai), and Mae Whitman (Katara). There was also a celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers with Carla Perez (Rita Repulsa) with Walter Jones (Zach Taylor/Black Ranger) and Catherine Sutherland (Kat Hillard/Pink Ranger), and Karan Ashely (Aisha Campbell/Yellow Ranger) who starred in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always. Catherine Sutherland. Other guests include Deborah Ann Woll and Mercedes Varnado. The front of the hall featured Aspen Comics as well as other retailers. It was great to catch up with actress Jackie Dallas at the GeekFest Film Fest table. 

                                                                                  The convention floor of Comic Con Revolution, author’s photo. 

Across the hall was a room for Artists Allley and against the wall was the cosplayers like Raychul Moore, The Girl With A Great Smile, and Angi Viper among others including some cosplay groups like the Los Angeles Ghostbusters. It was great to see cosplays walk the floor like Krampus, Boba Fett, and The Mandalorian. Comics writer, Chris Claremont, had a long line at Artists Alley. Also, next to him was Timothy Zahn who wrote Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil (2021). Comic writer, Eric Palicki, wrote Ninja Kaidan from Blackbox Comics about Yuki Snow who uses new technology in a suit of armor to contact ghosts! He co-wrote the No Angel series with actress Adrianne Palicki, his sister. It follows ex-soldier Hannah Gregory who may be descended from angels! Artist, Cat Staggs, had a table with her work from her variant coer for World of Krypton #6 to original artwork. It was also nice to see Tone Rodriguez, artist of Stray Dogs, who was working on custom Remarque Funko Pops as well as sketches. I brought up again the Hero Initiative books which he worked on and one fan brought the Batman 100 Project. Comic Con Revolution continues tomorrow so there is still a chance to take part in another fun comic convention! 

#ComicConRevolutionOntario, #AvatarTheLastAirbender, #GregBaldwin, #DanteBasco, #JackDeSena, #GreyDelisle, #ZachTylerEisen, #JessieFlower, #OliviaHack, #JennieKwan, #CricketLeigh, #MaeWhitman, #CarlaPerez, #WalterJones, #CatherineSutherland, #KaranAshley, #DeborahAnnWoll, #MercedesVarnado, #AspenComics, #JackieDallas, #GeekFestFilmFest, #RaychulMoore, #TheGirlWithAGreatSmile, #AngiViper, #ArtistsAlley, #ChrisClaremont, #TimothyZahn, #EricPalicki, #CatStaggs, #ToneRodriguez, #StrayDogs, #HeroInititative  

Re:tro Re:view - Fire and Ice!

The animated movie was a fusion of director Ralph Bakshi’s rotoscoping animation and the work of fantasy artist, Frank Frazetta. Rotoscoping is painting over live action frames. Bakshi and Frazetta created the character and also produced the film. Bakshi is also the director of the animated The Lord of the Rings (1978) film. The screenplay was written by comic book writers, Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas, the duo wrote the screenplay for Conan the Destroyer (1984). The film is swords & sorcery in the violent, sexy fashion, but still comes in at rated PG. Fire and Ice is currently streaming on Amazon Prime and available on Blu Ray and DVD. The prequel comic book has just been announced by Dynamite Comics. 

We hear the heroic trumpets of William Kraft’s score, he conducted the drama, Dead Again (1991). A prologue notes that at the end of the last Ice Age, in the North, was Queen Juliana whose ambition was to take over the world. We see the black and white sketches by Frazetta of the queen and her Sub Human hordes. The narrator explains that the queen had a son named Nekron. He became powerful in sorcery and they sent a glacier to the south from their castle, Ice Peak. The villagers headed south to the volcanic region of the good king, Jarol, we see him at his throne with his daughter sitting before him. Nekron (Sean Hannon), whom we now see animated, continues the glacier to clash against the Southern volcanos! 

The actors are credited by their performance models. Stephen Mendel, who was on the show Mad Men, provides Nekron’s voice. Nekron has long, white hair. He struggles on his throne as the jagged ice of the glacier plows up to the wooden fort of barbarian men. Larn (Randy Norton), blond-haired barbarian, joins the warriors at the battlement. William Ostrander is the voice actor and he was also Buddy in the horror movie, Christine (1983). A glacier against a wooden fort? Not strong defenses. He looks up to see a dark rider with an axe. Nekron screams and the ice shatters crushing many of the warriors and breaking the fort walls of North Village! We hear guttural sounds as the Sub Humans run from the mist to the teepee huts. 

The barbarians retreat and one of the fallen is Larn. After the battle, the witness is Dark Wolf (Steve Sandor who also voices the role) almost stepping out of Frazetta’s “Death Dealer” painting, but with a black panther hood. He looks to the Ice Peak castle, it is atop a gaping mouth with icy fangs. Nekron is recovering inside. At the battlefield are the shattered wood and barbarian warriors. Nekron drops his hand and a glacier peak falls on some warriors! The slinky, pale figure of Queen Juliana (Eileen O’Neill) enters and congradulates her son. Susan Tyrell voices the queen and was the narrator in Bakshi’s Wizards (1977). They still have to cross the Great Plain before reaching Fire Keep. 

The queen sends a robed Sub Human as messager with demands and she adds King Jarol’s “lovely daughter.” Sub Humans are scavenging through the barbarians, one is looking at a shield, and this wakens Larn. He reaches for a flail, spiked ball and chain, which he uses to strike down the Sub Human! Another runs at him with a club, but Larn throws a spear! This gets the attention of the others. Larn escapes into a jungle. The animation including the rotoscoping looks great! He fends off the Sub Humans as Larn tries to escape into the jungle. He is cornered at the edge of a branch and then leaps into the mists! Larn falls, vines are snapped by him until he reaches the ground, this is the scene duplicated in Avatar (2009). 

At the mountainous, bearded and bald King Jarol (Leo Gordon) with his fur vest greets his daughter, Princess Teegra (Cynthia Leake). Maggie Roswell, who voices Helen Lovejoy in The Simpsons, provides Teegra’s voice. She is dark haired with an almost see-through purple dress. Teegra sees entering the castle, the three hooded messengers, but her tutor (Tamarah Park) continues her lessons about the four elements. Teegra is bored and falls on her bed, wow. The messengers deliver Nekron’s message of total surrender. This is rejected by King Jarol and his son, Prince Taro (Ostrander, Narn’s voice, is Taro’s live action model and voice). While they speak, three Sub Humans scale the tower to reach Teegra! 

Her black panther, Shaitan, growls at their appearance, but a spike is thrown at him! She screams, a Sub Human knocks out the tutor, and takes away the struggling Teegra! Her screams are heard at the throne room and the messengers are killed by Taro and Jarol. Taro calls for soldiers to ride the dragonhawks. The pteradactyl-like dragonhawks are ridden like Avatar’s ikran. King Jarol says the jungle is too dark for the Sub Humans to be found. The Sub Humans push Teegra along and then drink from a river. One tears off Teegra’s dress and pushes her into the river. She still has her bikini-like clothes. Teegra dips into the water and then swims away! On the other side of the river, she runs and takes cover in a fallen tree trunk. The Sub Humans search for her. 

The closeup of Teegra’s face with the moonlight through the cracks of the tree is a great shot! A Sub Human reaches into a tree trunk and pulls out a large insectoid that bites his arm! Another kills it and they pull back into the jungle. Larn is resting in a giant tree and then takes down a Sub Human and takes its spear. Teegra is on a log floating on a lake and reaches an island. The Sub Human hunters are suddenly attacked by a dinosaur-like beast! A Sub Human survivor uses a log like Teegra and reaches the island. He is wounded, but still swing his axe! Teegra has a knife and kills him. At the Sub Human camp, a blue fire has Queen Juliana demand to see Teegra. A Sub Human reports that she escaped and he is hung by Juliana’s fire! In the morning, Teegra reaches a temple ruins. 

Larn is walking in a graveyard of dinosaur creature bones. He takes cover as some wolf beasts sense him. Larn uses a spear to pole vault over them and run! He is about to reach a jungle when an arrow kills one of the beasts! The arrow was loosed by the mysterious Dark Wolf. Larn continues into the jungle and sees some ruins. At night, he eats from one of his kills, a boar crature. Someone approaches and Larn pretends to sleep. The figure, kinda shapely, approaches him. Larn catches Teegra trying to take part of the boar. She starts to run and of course Larn follows. Teegra reaches a bush of red berries that Larn eats. A few days and nights together (?), Teegra suddenly starts to head home. Caught in the conflict, Larn must save Teegra and ultimately face the sorcery of Necron! There is great adventure that is more action, not bloody swords and sorcery violence, but with a kind tame fantasy story. Fire and Ice is a stunning animated film with heroic characters in a Frank Frazetta fantasy world! 

Five Spears out of Five! 

#FireAndIce, #RalphBakshi, #FrankFrazetta, #RandyNorton, #Cynthialeake, #SteveSandor, #LeoGordon, #WilliamOstrander, #TamarahPark, #SeanHannon, #EileenONeill