Superman and Lois, “Worlds War Bizarre”, Review!

"Worlds War Bizarre" has a powerless Superman, a town held together with Mayor Lana, and threatened by her doppelgänger, Superwoman!  Last episode re:run - Lucy brings in Ally who starts to drain her father, Sam Lane, Superman arrives, and then he is struck down by Ally’s powers!  Natalie is able to use her suit to keep Superman stable.  Flashback, Ally reassures Lucy that they only need to find a doorway.  Lucy finds that she has disappointed her sister and thinks she is lying.  Lucy sees her father waken in his hospital bed.  Superman has electrodes placed on his body, John Henry watches, and then updates Lois on his condition.  The medical staff can perform tests since Superman is now vulerable.  The Cushing/Cortez family is enjoying a dinner while they find a place for Sarah to perform.  Lois and John Henry return to the house, she tells her sons that his cells are normal, not Kryptonian!  At the Bizarro world, Ally tells Superwoman to destroy Superman! 

SUPERMAN AND LOIS - - “Worlds War Bizarre” - - TAYLER BUCK, WOLE PARKS, TYLER HOECHLIN - - Photo: Shane Harvy/The CW -- © 2022 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Sunrise at the Kent Farm, the Department of Defense: Threat Reduction Agentcy is empty in the early morning, Clark is unconscious in the hospital bed.  Lois is asleep in the chair next to him until he calls out her name.  The blue veins in his face are gone and Lois touches his face telling him, “You’re back.”  Dramatic start, one scene, Bitsie Tulloch shines again.  The farmhouse, Jonathan and Jordan are checking their phones listessly.  Jordan hears the warning.  They both walk out to their father slowly walking from the car and hug him.  He needs to sit down, but stumbles.  Lois says Ally drained him of all solar energy(!), but Clark says he isn’t able to recharge.  He needs to go to the Fortress and ask his mother.  Jordan worries about flying them.  Lois says they can ask John Henry.  

At the warehouse, John Henry wonders about Ally as an “energy parasite.”  Parasite is an early Superman villain, usually Rudy Jones, introduced in Action Comics #40 (1966) as Raymond Jensen with purple skin.  He has drained Superman of his powers. Natalie wonders how Ally’s powers work.  They hear a knock at the door, it’s Clark, he thanks John Henry and especially Natalie for saving his life.  He wants them to take him to the Fortress.  At the Cortez kitchen, Sarah says she is tired and Lana point to herself as tired, then she hears Sophie cry out.  On television, is Ally who says she is going to merge Earths.  At the Smallville Gazette, Chrissie sees her computer distorted like Ally’s image, she asks Lois about Superman’s condition.  She wants to write about what Ally did to Superman. Lois shows Chrissie that the distortion comes from Bizarro World  !

SUPERMAN AND LOIS - - “Worlds War Bizarre” - - JORDAN ELSASS, ALEX GARFIN - - Photo: Shane Harvy/The CW -- © 2022 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

At the Fortress, the Lara hologram analyzes her son, she says her cells were altered.  He needs to heal and then his cells will adjust.  Clark says he started having powers when he was 4.  Her hologram starts to fluctuate, the Bizarro influence!  John Henry gets his attention, the outside has turned red, this also seen at the Smallville Gazette and around Smallville. Lana’s kids show her the sky, Jonathan and Jordan sees it outside of the house, as does Kyle on Smallville streets.  We hear the phone message of Clark Kent.  There were red skies before the Crisis on Infinite Earths comic storyline. John Henry and Clark see the cubed sun of Bizarro World.  He will not be able to recharge with a red sun.  

Sam Lane drives up to the farmhouse, Lois asks about Lucy, and knows that Superman’s energy is helping her to merge worlds.  John Henry and Clark land and they update everyone on the situation.  Lois gets a text that Chrissie is going public with the Ally story.  Sam Lane says the DoD will put a cover story.  Lois reassures Clark that there will be “another way.”  Kyle watches the news update along with other Smallville residents.  They are worried and unsure with the square Bizarro sun.  Lana takes her daughters to stay with Kyle.  The citizens ask Mayor Lane about what is happening and she says she will make calls.  She gets a call from Chrissie.  John Henry and Natalie fly towards the new sun, he reports that it is giving 3% of solar radiation from the usual sun.  

SUPERMAN AND LOIS - - “Worlds War Bizarre” - - EMMANUELLE CHRIQUI, ALEX GARFIN - - Photo: Shane Harvy/The CW -- © 2022 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Sam Lane is confused by this data.  Natalie says it is growing stronger.  The Bizarro sun is getting more powerful with the merging as it enters this universe.  Clark is about to walk out, but she drained his power because Sam says he saved him.  Mayor Lane wonders about the truth told by Chrissie, Lois confirms it, about the loss of Superman’s powers.  Lois wants to present the truth to Lana so she can tell what is best for Smallville.  At the farmhouse, Clark is alone on a haybail, his sons watch him.  Then, Jordan hears the warning, and superspeeds away his father, as Superwoman crashes down!  Clark and Jordan are stunned to see her likeness to their Lana!  Jordan warns her, but Superwoman bashes him against a truck choking him!  Clark offers himself, then the arrival of John Henry and Natalie in their suits drives her off!

John Henry explains that they have less than 12 hours before the complete mergining.  Natalie adds that sub-atomic merging of people will kill them.  John Henry says the energy is coming from the Shuster Mines.  Why do they keep it open?  Clark says that Ally is in the other world.  John Henry volunteers to stop her and Natalie joins him.  Lana is worried and Kyle is there for a talk.  She wants advice about the situation.  Kyle asks her who it is she protecting by holding back the truth.  Lana goes back about Tonya and he agrees and also says he was ashamed.  Kyle says he didn’t say the truth of the affair when it mattered.  Lana wants to see the girls first.  Lois goes in worried about Jordan and what to do if Superwoman returns.  She talks to Clark and how he inspires people even if he is not Superman.  I really like Lois being the support system and booster for Superman when he is down!  “Worlds War Bizarre” has a difficult choice for Mayor Lana, the escalating threat for the Steel duo, and the Kent family struggling over what to with a powerless Superman!  

Four Crystals out of Five!            

#SupermanAndLois, #WorldsWarBizarre, #TylerHoechlin, #BitsieTulloch, #AlexGarfin, #JordanElsass, #DylanWalsh, #JennaDewan, #WoleParks, #TaylerBuck, #IndeNavarette, #EmmanuelleChriqui, #ErikValdez

Elvis Review!

Elvis fashions a deep dive into his story, shorn of legend, and showing the struggle to become famous while dealing with Colonel Tom Parker!  There here has been a number of Elvis appearances on film and television from the tv bio film, Elvis (1979) by John Carpenter with Kurt Russell and even as a cameo with Peter Dobson playing a young Elvis learning dance moves from lil’ Forrest with the older Forrest played by Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump (1994).  Baz Luhrmann is the director of this film  who brought so much energy and visuals to his Red Curtain Trilogy; Strictly Ballroom (1992) telling the story through dance, then words with Romeo + Juliet (1996), and finally storytelling through song in Moulin Rouge! (2001).  Luhrmann also co-wrote and the movie is a return to the style of his early films.  The story and screenplay co-writer is Jeremy Doner who wrote and produced The Killing drama series.  The screenplay is also by Sam Bromwell, who worked on The Get Down, a musical series co-created by Luhrmann, and wrote The Great Gatsby (2013) directed by Luhrmann and the Red Curtain Trilogy. 

We get a closeup of a clown figure and then one of a snowman.  This is the collection of Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks) whom we have as an unreliable narrator.  We see the poster Snowman League of America.  Hanks has upcoming the live action Pinocchio movie and was also in Paul Greengrass film, News of the World (2020).  An overview of the later Vegas, 1997, the International became the Las Vegas Hilton and we see under it, Star Trek: The Experience.  We see the collapse of Colonel Parker.  He is taken to a hospital that looks across to the hotel.  There is a tell all book, The Colonel and the King, that blames him for Elvis’ problems.  He says this is untrue. There is a closeup of the Welcome to Vegas sign.  The International Hotel billboard of Elvis’ performance.  Elvis falls in a hallway and we see the Colonel walk up and say, “The only thing that matters is that man gets on that stage tonight.”  

We see Elvis dunked in ice cold water and then given morphine.  Elvis on stage.  Split screens show the concert crowds and then the spinning roulette wheel.  We see the elderly colonel walking through an empty casino floor.  He is in his hospital gown and holding his IV bag and pole.  These are all smash cuts of images and sounds that peeks at the end before we get the beginning.  This moves to Texarkana, 1955, the many settings are seen in postcards and signs.  The colonel says he ran away to the carnival.  There he works to promote country music act, Hank Snow (David Wenham) who is looking for a “novelty act for young people.”  We see the colonel’s cane topped by a clown.  This has the arrival of Jimmie Rodgers (Kodi-Smit McPhee) who carries a Sun record that he plays “That’s All Right.”  The colonel and Hank dislike the music which they think sounds is too African American, the film has more course terms.  Jimmie is excited and says that the singer is white.  The colonel is now fascinated.  

This shifts to the Louisana Hayride, the colonel tries to find Elvis backstage and then sees his girlfriend, Dixie (Natasha Bassett), bring him a Pepsi to settle his stomach.  He is outside with his band members, Scotty Moore (Xavier Samuel), lead guitar, and Bill Black (Adam Dunn), his bassist, and drummer DJ Fontana (Terepai Richmond). His mother, Gladys (Helen Thomson) has them pray to Jesse. The colonel watching from a stairway sees their attention directed to the moon. At Tupelo, Mississippi, Elvis’ twin brother, Jesse, was still born. Elvis is born with what his mother calls “the strength of two men.”  She is overly protective of him and Elvis is a momma’s boy. The colonel narrates that Vernon (Richard Roxburgh) was jailed for months writing a bad check. Elvis imagines in comic book panels that he is Captain Marvel, Jr., Freddy Freeman in Shazam! (2019), freeing his father and going to the Rock of Eternity. The younger Elvis (Chaydon Jay) is running with black kids from his neighborhood to sneak a look into a wooden shack. 

A woman in a red dress walked into the shack and starts a sensual dance while Big Boy Crudup (Gary Clark Jr.) sings  “Black Snake Moan.” The other boys want to watch and Elvis’ attention is distracted to a Revival tent. At first he watches the gospel music with the other kids, but then slips into the crowd. He is found by the reverend who sees that the boy is inspired and brings him to join in. At the performance, we see Elvis (Austin Butler) clearly for the first time. Austin Butler appeared in Jim Jarmusch horror/comedy, The Dead Don’t Die (2019) and I recognize him in the fantasy series, The Shannara Chronicles. He is nervous and then takes the stage. He starts off repeating, “Baby” when the microphone gets feedback. The crowd watches with a heckle, the colonel notes Elvis’ pink suit and makeup, and then he breaks into “Blue Suede Shoes.”  We see young Elvis raise his hands to the sky at the revival. A girl sighs, becomes excited, and then bursts out in a scream. Other girls start to scream.  

Elvis is wondering about the reaction and the band members tell him it’s his wiggle.  We can see Butler embody the charisma and some of Elvis’ style.  Girls drawn to the stage.  An older wife screams.  The colonel watches a girl have the same reaction.  Gladys wonders if they are going to hurt him.  Vernon thinks it will be something else.  Elvis starts pulling his jacket off.  The colonel remarks that Elvis is “The greatest carnival attraction I’ve ever seen.” 

Elvis joins Hank Snow’s tour and while added to his show’s poster, slowly gets more popular.  The colonel says Elvis wants to record all of Hank’s tracks, but Hank wants him to tone down the wiggle.  Later, he sees a girl’s panties on stage and is just horrified.  The colonel sees Elvis alone by a carnival’s merry-go-round.  He is about to get his attention with his cane, but Elvis is called over by band members to a hall of mirrors.  The colonel makes a comment in Dutch and the operator shifts a gear. Elvis is trapped and the colonel offers to help him find his way out.  

He takes him to a ferris wheel and it is stopped at the top.  The colonel tells Elvis that he was sent by Hank to fire him, but instead sees Elvis singing for a national label, RCA.   Elvis wants a pink Cadillac for his parents, then adds a hundred until the colonel adds a fleet and then a jet.  Elvis imagines a rocket to fly to the Rock of Eternity which represents to him being remembered forever.  1958, the colonel brings up to his family, Elvis Presley Enterprises, which he says is a family business.  Elvis mentions wants to be James Dean in the movies.  She is still convinced by everyone and agrees to have the colonel from the business.  Elvis works as a truck driver and drives up to Beale Street, at Club Handy, he hears Big Mama Thorton (Shonka Dukureh) sing “Hound Dog” from a window.  Elvis also sees at a dress shop BB King (Kelvin Harris) and the pink suit.  Sun Records owner, Sam Phillips (Josh McConville) agrees that Elvis’ music should be heard by the world.  

The family moves into the Graceland mansion.  The colonel brings up merchandising including the Elvis Presley Game.  He wants to make Vernon his business manager.  Gladys notes in the merchandising, an “I Hate Elvis” button, which she dislikes, but the colonel says the counter promotion is free.  We see Elvis performing on television and this gets the anger of Senator Eastland (Nicholas Bell).  The senator brings the colonel into a hearing and they have discovered that they don’t have any trace of Colonel Tom Parker.  Elvis sees the nickname, “Elvis the Pelvis” which he thinks is childish.  The colonel says his performance on the Steve Allen Show is cancelled, unless he wears a suit like a butler.  On the show, a hound dog is brought out and Elvis has to sing “Hound Dog” to it which embarrasses him. Later, he drives to Graceland and sees fans holding up “We Want Old Elvis” signs.  Elvis gets into an argument with his mother and says, “The colonel gave us all this!”  She shouts back that she doesn’t want any of it.  Dixie tells him that his mother is upset.  He goes to talk to her and Gladys says, “The way you sing is God givenso there can’t be no wrong with it.”  Still, she turns to drink. 

Elvis takes off driving, followed by a government car, to Beale Street.  He draws a crowd and is very polite to his fans signing autographs, but BB King finds him and takes him inside.  They watch Little Richard (Alton Mason) perform “Tutti Frutti.”  Elvis says to BB King that he would like to record the song.  He is told, “You’ll make more than that kid.”  Outside a balcony, Elvis confides with BB King that he will be jailed for moving.  He is told that he won’t be jailed because he’s “a famous white boy” that makes money for many interests.  BB King wants him to perform as wants. He goes to a concert at Russwood Park in Memphis.  There is a racist speech given by Senator Eastland nearby.  Elvis is told not to “wiggle a finger.”  He goes on stage and says that he is told to be the New Elvis, but won’t change.  He wiggles his pinkie for the cameras and goes into “Trouble.”  The crowd cheers and goes wild as Elvis sings on the stage floor and crawls over to the girls.  The colonel is disappointed that Elvis defied him watching him from the stage curtain.  This is Elvis, under the sway of the colonel, but breaking free until we find him performing in Las Vegas.  He is drafted into the Army and in Germany finds love, that the colonel couldn’t expect, with Priscilla (Olivia De Jonge).  Still, his one love is for the performance and crowds searching to be remembered.  Elvis is a fantastic vision that tells his dramatic story and musical artistry matched against the influence of the colonel and his own weaknesses.    

Five Blue Suede Shoes out of Five! 
          

#Elvis, #BazLuhrmann, #AustinButler, #TomHanks, #OliviaDeJonge, #HelenThompson, #RichardRoxburgh, #XavierSamuel, #Yola, #KelvinHarrisonJr, #AltonMason, #KodiSmitMcPhee

Obi-Wan Kenobi, “Part VI”, Review!

The finale of Obi-Wan Kenobi wraps up the series with two confrontations with great resolutions!   Spoilers ahead as we conclude season one!  Re:wind to the end of “Part V”, Obi-Wan is going to surrender at the Attack on Jabiim, giving his equipment to Haja.  I get turning over his weapons, which should be to Roken, but equipment?  Obi-Wan says to Reva, “I’m bringing him to you.”  Obi-Wan whispers that Vader’s focus will be on him so she can strike!  Reva nods that Stormtroopers should take him back to the base.  Flashback: the last part of the duel, Anakin bats away Obi-Wan’s lightsaber, and he smiles.  Obi-Wan tells him that he is overconfident. Darth Vader walks up to Reva and then heads to the base.  Leia is attacked by Lola, she is able to take out its control chip, and the evil, red light is turned blue.  

Vader sees the fallen Stormtroopers.  Leia opens the access door.  Sully gets everyone on the ship, Leia hugs Ob-Wan, and Haja scrambling to get on the ship drops the imagecaster!  Darth Vader enters as the cargo ship lifts off, but he drags it down using the Force, and rips away its hull.  Then, he finds the actual ship takes off, the old Rope-a-dope!  Back to the duel, Obi-Wan spins away as Anakin tries to strike him, he elbows Anakin and then uses the Force to pull away his lightsaber!  Obi-Wan says he is a “great warrior”, but unless he develops from his need to prove himself, he will always be a Padawan!  This absolutely explains the scene in Star Wars where Vader says, “When I left you, I was but the learner.  Now I am the master.”  My favorite scene with Anakin Skywalker and Hayden Christensen!  Vader contemplates as he sees his failure.  

Reva brings her lightsaber down on Vader, but it is held back with the Force.  He turns saying Obi-Wan used her, she screams, powerful acting by Moses Ingram!  She uses her lightsaber, but it is dodged and held back with the Force.  A very martial arts scene. Reva activates her double blades and then the spins the blades.  It is slowed by Vader and he pulls it with the Force!  He breaks the lightsaber and tosses her one part.  In a way, Sith vs. Sith (in a way) like Maul vs. Dooku in the comic book, Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir (2014).  Reva takes up the lightsaber, she is quick, dodging around Vader, and he throws his lightsaber!  She bats it away and moves in, Vader strikes her and now has two lightsabers!  The same move as when he faced Count Dooku in RoTS!  He walks towards her and she sees Anakin killing at the Jedi Temple.  Vader skewers her and Reva falls.  Darth Vader says he remembers her as a youngling!  Then, the Grand Inquisitor enters.        

He says revenge had kept him alive.  It is never explained how he survived, a cyborg patch like Fennec, or a portable bacta treatment?  A lightsaber destroys the organs and tissue it pierces so they would need to be replaced.  The same with Reva.  GI takes her badge and says they will leave her in the gutter.  On the transport, Roken tells Obi-Wan that the hyperdrive failed.  Reva strains to reach her lightsaber.  Then, she sees the imagecaster!  Obi-Wan senses the disturbance in the Force.  Reva sees the distorted message from Bail about the children, going to Tatooine, and the boy!  Obi-Wan looks at Leia.  Then, we move to the sunset moisture farm of Owen Lars and then a closeup of a sleeping Luke Skywalker!  It should be noted that one of the co-writers of Episode V and VI is Andrew Stanton!  He is of course the writer and director of John Carter (2012).  I hope that he directs an episode of two for a season two!  I also need to point out that the last episodes had tension and drama from the score by Natalie Holt, it puts the show on my soundtrack list.  The finale begins with a pan up to Mos Eisley.   

The bully foreman, Groff (Heath McGough), cuts into a queue to take some water from the vendor, Dardin (Hossein Mardani).  We saw both characters in Episode 1.  He is interrupted by Reva in a hooded cloak!  She says she is looking for Owen!  Then, we see the freighter flying before the Devastator, almost a parallel to Star Wars (1977).  Vader walks to the bridge and orders heavy fire. How strong are tractor beams?  All you have to do is keep ahead of a Star Destroyer?  The Millennium Falcon could do so only for a short time.  Inside the freighter’s hull, we have the refugees, this is Leia with Haja and Obi-Wan.  Corran and his mother are also there.  Roken tries to reassure them and also tells Sully that they are headed to Tessen, an unknown planet.  Obi-Wan asks about the real situation with Roken.  They won’t last long.  Leia shows Lola to young Corran and he says he might need Lola too.  Owen Lars and Luke enter a parts shop and the owner, a new alien, asks what they need.  Luke says a new speeder belt.  Dardin enters to warn Owen.  Leia is angry that Ben is leaving.  

Obi-Wan tells them that he needs to help the Path for all of the work they did for the Jedi.  Roken and Sully disagree. Also, Leia runs off and Haja says she needs some alone time.  Obi-Wan has him promise to take Leia home and he gives his word.  Beru is working on some equipment when Owen and Luke arrive at the farm.  He tells her inside that Reva is coming, Ben is gone, and she comes back with asking who is at fault there.  He wants to run and hide in the desert.  Beru doesn’t want to leave her home and pulls out some blaster rifles, she’s a Whitesun, tough as they come.  Also, this is the most we have seen of Bonnie Piesse play the character.  She expects Reva by sundown.  Haja tried to talk to Leia and then Ben gives it a try.  She brings up his promise.  Ben gives her Tala’s holster found by Roken. She hugs Ben and him promise to return.  Alone, Obi-Wan contemplates his lightsaber, and tells Qui-Gon that he must face the former Anakin for the last time.  Roken tells Obi-Wan that the dropship is ready, dropship?, I was expecting an escape pod.

Roken realizes that Obi-Wan wants to confront Vader.  Obi-Wan tells him to continue to be a leader.  Roken replies, “I’m just getting started.”  The freighter drops a ramp and the dropship pulls away from it.  The Grand Inquisitor wants to hunt the “insurgents.”  Darth Vader orders the pursuit of Obi-Wan.  We see the purplish sunset of the moisture farm.  Owen tells Luke to stay in a room and run if asked.  Beru hugs and reassures young Luke.  The dropship veers away from the Star Destroyer and heads for an unknown planet.  Vader orders his ship to be ready so he can pursue him alone.  Obi-Wan lands the dropship on the world of rocky spires and green skies.  The Devastator heads towards the planet and Vader takes a Lambda-class shuttle down.  Maybe he didn’t have his TIE Advanced X1, but I think Vader would at least fly a TIE fighter.  Obi-Wan gets ready and then sees Lola, Leia thought he needed some comfort.  

 It is dark when Reva, still wounded, staggers to the moisture farm.  All of the farm lights are red, Owen and Beru get the intruder alarm, Reva takes out her lightsaber.  The Imperial shuttle lands at the planet.  Vader descends the ramp to face Obi-Wan.  He walks toward his rival, it feels like a Western gunfight, rocky spires on Obi-Wan’s side and a half moon above Vader.  Obi-Wan goes into the same lightsaber stance facing Grievous in RoTS!  I love their back to back dueling!  Plus, the "Duel of the Fates"-like music.  Reva walks into the homestead and then is fired upon by Owen and Beru!  We know Reva is a threat even when wounded, but we also know that Beru and Owen survive.  The duel has moved towards the spires with lightsabers shattering rock in the close quarters.  Obi-Wan strikes Vader’s hand and then tries to bring down a spire using the Force.  He is impressed with Obi-Wan at full strength.  I love Obi-Wan’s behind the back block!  Vader hits the ground with his lightsaber and then causes a crack to envelop his opponent and drop him down!

Vader drops down more heavy rocks down with the Force, Obi-Wan doesn’t use the Force jump?  He says his master has failed and leaves the rubble.  Reva has Owen cornered on a rampart, she tosses a container that strikes away his rifle, she is impressed that Owen loves Luke.  He hits her with a pole like the one from the Death Star trash compactor and injures Reva’s side!  Owen strikes her side, more pain, and she severs his pole before knocking him to the floor.  He has injured his leg and screams a warning to Beru.  She enters a room and just gets a smack from Beru!  Again, an action scene for Piesse!  Luke climbs out on a ladder and then runs.  Reva chases after him screaming in rage and pain!  Within the landslide, Obi-Wan is trying to hold it back with the Force, and he hears the voices of Anakin and Darth Vader from the past.  Then, he has vision of Luke and Leia that gives him the strength to break free! 

Vader drops down more heavy rocks down with the Force, Obi-Wan doesn’t use the Force jump?  He says his master has failed and leaves the rubble.  Reva has Owen cornered on a rampart, she tosses a container that strikes away his rifle, she is impressed that Owen loves Luke.  He hits her with a pole like the one from the Death Star trash compactor and injures Reva’s side!  Owen strikes her side, more pain, and she severs his pole before knocking him to the floor.  He has injured his leg and screams a warning to Beru.  She enters a room and just gets a smack from Beru!  Again, an action scene for Piesse!  Luke climbs out on a ladder and then runs.  Reva chases after him screaming in rage and pain!  Within the landslide, Obi-Wan is trying to hold it back with the Force, and he hears the voices of Anakin and Darth Vader from the past.  Then, he has vision of Leia that gives him the strength to break free!  

Obi-Wan, tearful, admits to failing Anakin.  The Dark Lord of the Sith replies in a voice wavering between Anakin and Darth Vader that he killed Anakin Skywalker.  He leaves saying his friend has died and says goodbye to Darth.  Obi-Wan couldn’t turn Anakin to the light side, only a Skywalker could do so.  He has left his rival behind because he is defeated.  Darth Vader screams his name.  Luke tries to run quietly on the ledge, Reva uses the Force to pull Luke down, and Obi-Wan senses his danger.  He takes the ship to lightspeed, a dropship with lightspeed capabilities?, this is like the Defiant in DS9.  Reva moves towards the unconscious Luke and activates her lightsaber!  She sees herself as a youngling in Luke’s place, flashes back to her traumatic experience at the Jedi Temple, and raises her lightsaber!  The dropship heads to Tatooine.  It lands next to the moisture farm as Owen and Beru call out his name.  Then, Beru gets Ben’s attention, a figure is carrying Luke.  This is Reva who has made the choice to not inflict the same pain as Anakin to his son.  It doesn’t redeem her, but she doesn’t follow the path of Darth Vader.  

Reva is exhausted and lays down Luke. The young Skywalker sighs, Beru and Owen take him away, Reva tearfully says she couldn’t do it, take her revenge for her fellow younglings.   She is distraught since she failed them, but Obi-Wan says her mercy gave them peace.  A powerful, emotional moment.  She drops her lightsaber and Obi-Wan says she is free.  Reva is not on the path of redemption, she was part of the Jedi killing at the beginning, inflicted pain and injury to countless people.  Her path is like Asaaj Ventress, see Dark Disciple (2015).  Fortress Vader on Mustafar, in his throne room, Darth Vader (with new helmet) speaks to the hologram of the Emperor (Ian McDiarmid)!  It is great to see again McDiarmid as the Emperor.  He reports that every probe is scanning the last location of Obi-Wan.  The Emperor says his apprentice’s thoughts of Obi-Wan has made him weak.  Vader says, “Kenobi means nothing.”  His revenge is over, we get the Imperial March, and of course the Lords of the Sith novel is not canon now.  

We have the forests panning up to the city of Aldera and the snowy mountains.  Closeups of Leia getting ready with her new holster.  Her mother, Breha, sees her and loves the holster, Leia smiles.  We don’t see the reunion when Leia returns, but we don’t need it.  A transport lands as Leia’s family is there.  Leia tells her father, Bail, that she will need to change things, and he says they will change things together.  Family moment.   Leia expects more cousins, but of course it is Obi-Wan Kenobi and Lola.  Bail worries about her future and Obi-Wan says he will return when needed.  He sees Leia who tells him he should sleep, a hearty laugh, he tells Princess Leia Organa about her parents.  Her wisdom and kind like her mother.  She has the passion and fearless qualities of her father.  Leia looks to her parents and says she doesn’t need to know more.  Ben says he will be there for her, but it must be kept a secret.   We hear the Force theme as he leaves.  Obi-Wan packs up, he has to leave his cave, and go out into the world.  He sees a bag with the T-16 toy.  Owen sees Obi-Wan ride up on Akkani, ha!, now I know its name!  

His tunic is not tan, but white, the cloak is not heavy, but light at his sides, plus goggles, this is the look of Obi-Wan in Star Wars #15 (2015).  Obi-Wan says to Owen he now agrees with him that Luke needs to be a boy.  As he is about to return to his eopie, Owen asks if he wants to meet Luke, this might be a break with canon.  I hoped he would have his cloak on so he could be remembered as “Old Ben who lives beyond the Dune Sea.”  He already met Luke as an infant.  He rides on Akkani to a canyon, waiting there is a Force ghost.  Qui-Gon Jinn turns and says, “Well, it took you long enough.”  Liam Neeson makes his return after The Phantom Menace (1999), 23 years ago, he voiced the character in special episodes of Clone Wars.  He says he was always there, but Obi-Wan was not ready.  He says “We have a ways to go.”  Obi-Wan smiles.  There are unanswered questions: What happened to the Path?  Where is Quinlan Vos?  What happens to Reva?  I will wait patiently for season two. Great work by Deborah Chow who directed all of the episodes, plus Ewan McGregor, Vivien Lyra Blair, Moses Ingram, the cast and crew!  Obi-Wan Kenobi’s finale, “Part VI”, fulfills the Jedi’s journey concluding a defining duel with Darth Vader, and gives hope that not everyone falls to the Dark Side.  

Five Lightsabers out of Five!  

#ObiWanKenobi, #DeborahChow, #EwanMcgregor, #VivienLyraBlair, #OSheaJackson, #JoelEdgerton, #BonniePiesse, #KumailNanjiani, #JimmySmits, #SimoneKessell, #GrantFeeley, #MosesIngram, #HaydenChristensen, #JamesEarlJones, #RupertFriend, #IanMcDiarmid 

 

 

Captain Carter #3 Review!

Captain Carter #3 catches our hero in a dark conspiracy with Hydra behind it all? and the betrayal of the group, S.T.R.I.K.E.!  Captain Peggy Carter has revived from her icy slumber and returns to London to take on HYDRA as a member of S.T.R.I.K.E.  Her ally, Agent Braddock, enters her apartment in a cliffhanger ending, which is picked up by Jamie McKelvie and Marika Cresta in this thriling installment!  The cover by McKelvie has Captain Carter banking her motorcycle with a bearded man riding behind firing a blast from his hand, Klaw-style!  We return to Lizzie Braddock’s darkened flat in South Kensington, London. One man in a black shirt and night vision goggles holds out a gun with a silencer to Lizzie’s head!  She gives the command to turn the lights on.  A moment, close-up, her eyes widen.  

Lizzie sees the shadow of the gunman. She ducks as he fires. The timing should be the gunman raising up the pistol.  Lizzie gets in a scuffle, knocked down, she is restrained by one mercenary.  He tells the other to shoot her.  Then, Lizzie’s eyes glow and she has the pink butterfly aura of Psylocke!  They are battered by kitchen appliances and then see Lizzie Braddock with purple-glowing knives, pots, and plates, it’s Carrie-time!  The objects slam against a wall with the mercenaries running to jump out of the window.  They reach tehir car and escape.  Lizzie picks up one the mercenaries’ guns and sees the lion-symbol of S.T.R.I.K.E.!  Peggy Carter’s flat, her cell phone buzzes until she flicks the nightsand light.  She has slipped up her nightmask and gets the call from Lizzie.

Peggy is told about the S.T.R.I.K.E. gun.  She finds that Lizzie is stand outside.  If there is someone in the organization that betrayed them, there is no place to run, but Peggy has an idea. It is the flat of Harley Davis, Peggy’s former neighbor, in Brixton.  Clever posters on Harley’s wall, “Motormouth” and “Killpower”, these were the titles from the British Marvel titles in the 90’s. Peggy’s plan is to have Lizzie call in sick while she investigates at the headquarters.  Lizzie suggests the weapons list can be found on the computer of the S.T.R.I.K.E. director, Lance Hunter, but they need his password.  Harley suggests that the account can be hacked without a password with just a zip drive.  Peggy, of course, from the 40’s doesn’t understand what she is saying!  Harley clarifies, but warns that it is illegal.  I like that Harley is a hacker since she was just briefly introduced in the first issue.  Lizzie notes that she can cover for her if they find the gunmen.  

At S.T.R.I.K.E. headquarters, the other agents are going to lunch, so Captain Carter says that she has to study some files.  Once they leave, she enter’s Hunter’s office and throws away the files.  She uses the zip drive when Peggy hears her name!  It is her boss, Hunter, and he says that she has a meeting.  Then, there is an announcement for “Margaret Carter to Briefing Room C.”  Very formal.  She distracts Hunter while the data is being transfered from his laptop.  Captain Carter enters the room, a briefing with seated agents and a screen.  She notices in a series of panels, a mysterious, blonde-haired woman in black and a gun on another’s lap underneath a desk.  Captain Carter goes into action with a right hook, her shield, and fighting skills including a kick where her boot flies over her head, contortionist?, a little extreme.  

Harley tells Lizzie that her private metadata can be found.  She has discovered that the gun belongs to Agent Collins!  Lizzie is shocked since he has been on her team for years.  Harley has also found a voice mail.  Captain Carter pursues the unknown woman down stairs.  She suspects that this woman could be a leader of high rank.  Captain Carter reaches the lobby, but the woman is gone.  She asks two security guards if they saw the woman, but the duo says they only saw Captain Carter.  Some sort of power?  She might be Madame Hydra, also known as Viper, who has a teleporting ring.  Captain Carter is interrupted by a bearded, well-dressed man who was trying to meet her.  He introduces himself as Howard Stark’s grandson, Tony Stark!  Captain Carter sees a car with darkened windows and leaps after it.  On a motorcycle, Carter chases after the car while Lizzie tells her about a voicemail in an unusual language, but she recognized it was Prime Minister Harry!  There is a conspiracy, a new villain, plus more in Captain Carter #3!            

Four Shields out of Five!  

#CaptainCarter, #JamieMcKelvie, #MarikaCresta, #LizzieBraddock, #HarleyDavis.  

Ms. Marvel, “Crushed”, Review!

Ms. Marvel, "Crushed" brings in a new threat from a government agency, Kamala is love struck, and a hint of the historical Partition!  The title is from a storyline in the Ms. Marvel comics, volume 3, which collects Ms. Marvel #12-15 (2015).  The second part of “Generation Why” ending Re:run - For the Avengerscon, Kamala Khan in her Captain Marvel cosplay costume, snaps on her bracelet.  Bruno, her friend, gives Kamala her helmet, he hasn’t seen what happened!  Her rival, Zoe, is also there with the other cosplayers. The lights and camera flashes cause Kamala to send a burst of almost crystalline energy.  Kamala sends out more blasts. One strikes the head of the Giant Man statue to audience cheers. Then, the head topples into the crowd!  Zoe is impressed and wants to book her for a party.  The chain reaction has caused a giant Mjolnir hammer to fly into Zoe and she goes swinging on it.  Zoe is knocked into a wall and starts to fall.  Kamala moves and her arm extends out Mr. Fantastic-style.  Zoe is brought down to the stage.  Bruno takes Kamala away.  

He has biked over to her house and lifts her up to the roof.  Kamala struggles and an energy disc gives her boost up. Bruno promises to keep her secret and rides away.  We see on the house graphics that Kamala is very late for her 9:44 p.m. return time, it is now 11:11 p.m.  She enters her room and then turns to see her mother!  Muneeba says she has seen people who were obsessed with fantasies, a little like Uncle Owen, and leaves.  Kamala falls on her bed and then sees the power with her fingers!  Mid-credit scene: we get a cellphone that has video of Kamala using her powers.  This is Agent Deever (Alysia Reiner) who notes that it is from Avengercon.  Agent Cleary (Arian Moayed) sees the power and says to bring her in. This is at the headquarters of Damage Control, the organization that was last seen in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).  

The next day, Kamala enters her school with a flip of her hair, now she is too cool for school.  She runs into a boy (Rish Shah) and takes a shine to him.  Bruno wants to see a more clear video of Kamala at Avengerscon, she says she had shrunk and talked to ants.  The talk of the school is not the super powered girl, but Zoe.  Their occasional friend, Nakia, joins them.  Kamala watches as Zoe tells a group at the cafeteria her story and dubs the hero, Night Light.  Zoe says she is having a party Friday night, the trio agrees to not show up, and then the boy passes by Zoe who calls him Kamran.  She invites the new kid to her party and of course Kamala says they should go to the party, Nakia smiles.  Later, at the back stage of the school theater, Kamala activates her power as Bruno watches.  Her hand starts to grow and falls to the floor, Kamala can’t lift her hand, she says she could have done better at gym, very funny!  

Her fist goes out of control and smashes equipment.  Kamala pulls Bruno out of the way and admits that she has work on her powers.  She tries to run and do push ups at a court, but says she doesn’t have super strength.  She sees the crystal disc she projects and thinks to a video game with jump pads.  She can’t form the jump pads though.  Bruno has analyzed that her bangle doesn’t have the power, it uses her power inside.  Funny scene, with Kamala accidentally bashing Bruno.  At the Gyro King food truck, they try to read the writing on the bangle.  Bruno goes over her powers which Kamala dubs “hard light.”  On the roof, Kamala forms a hard light disc, but it fades and she has to cling to the roof.  She masters her powers enough to form discs and slides.  Then, Kamala and Nakia rush into temple, they store their shoes and wash for prayer.  Nakia whispers that their section of the temple is falling apart, but the men’s section is clean.  

Sheikh Abdullah (Laith Nakli) points out their talking even though before two girls were snapchatting. Kamala wants Nakia to run for the Mosque Board.  Later, Nakia finds that her shoes are again stolen.  Changes could be made with the Mosque Board, but Nakia says that Uncle Rasheed is running for the board.  Nakia says she will run for the board and makes Kamala her campaign manager.  I really like this part, very everyday after the super powers, maybe a different culture, and a change for a supporting character.  I don’t know why this wasn’t added in “Generation Why.”  At home, Kamala apologizes to her mother for sneaking out, and then asks her to go to Zoe’s party since she is going with Bruno and Nakia.  Muneeba agrees so Bruno rides with Kamala to the party.  Nakia is there with her friend Miguel.  Kamala smiles in her goofy lumberjack hat.  

A boy is at a rooftop with chants for him to jump.  He flips into the pool and comes out, it is Kamran, who has Kamala and Nakia stunned. Kamala slips off her hat and can only see flame symbols around Kamran.  He walks towards them in slo motion.  Kamala is standing on his shirt and he dresses.  They make introductions and then the police sirens are heard.  Kamran brings the group including Asian guy, Paul?, along for a ride in his uncle’s Porsche.  He offers Kamala a drive, but Bruno notes she failed her driver’s test.  She brings up if he likes Bollywood movies as Bruno eyes them both.  Two person conversation Bruno.  Kamran drives up to the Circle Q.  Everyone gets out and Kamran asks for Kamala’s phone to give her his number for a driving lesson?  He says goodbyes to everyone and finishes with Bruno whom he calls Brian.  Kamala is love struck and returns home to dance to the Ronette’s “Be My Baby.”  

It is a bit surreal with different lights like a music video, but perfect.  Kamran texts her about their first lesson on Monday and she dreams of them in lights.  She is still in a daze at World History when the bell takes her out of the dream.  Then, she sees her nose is glowing with the cosmic lights!  Nakia is frustrated that their class has spent weeks on ancient Egypt, but little time on Persia.  Kamala leaves, heading to a bathroom stall, this absolutely feels like the embarrassment of a pimple.  Nakia checks on her and Kamala’s hand starts to glow. Kamala walks out with her hands in her jacket pockets and admits that lately things have been wild lately.  Nakia says that with her hijab it is like walking between two worlds.  She says putting on her hajib makes her feel comfortable.  Nakia gives Kamala earrings.  This is the friendship and changes that is needed for the show. I hope it gets award attention.  Bruno meets with the strange guidance counselor, Mr. Wilson.  

He tells Bruno about his acceptance to the Early Immersion program at CalTech next semester.  Bruno is not as excited and wants time to think about it.  Very strange, since he seems to be an orphan and independent, but doesn’t want to leave for California?  Kamala walks out of school and then sees Kamran in front of his Porsche.  Bruno walks up to Kamala to continue training and has to tell her something.  Kamala notes her driving lesson, but her mother has invited Bruno to Eid, the fasting for Ramadan. Kamala awkwardsly drives his Porsche.  At a restaurant, they talk about if Shah Rukh Khan made a bad movie, answer: no.  He is a Bollywood legend.  Kamala notices her brother and his fiancee and holds up a menu to hide from them.  Kamran holds Kamala’s hand and then Aamir shows up with Tyesha Hillman (Travina Springer).  The first time we’ve seen her, but she isn’t introduced and just says hi.                 

Kamala says Kamran is a cousin, he says he is the son of Uncle Choudry, and Aamir wonders about his British accent when Choudry is from Pakistan.  Kamran shifting into a Pakistani accent says he is caught up with The Great British Bake Off!  At family dinner, father, Yusuf brings up when Aamir worked at Hot Topic.  He says they moved to America so their children could be anything. Muneeba adds, “Almost anything.”  Tyesha asks if their family lived in Karachi and the parents bring up the Partition which occured in 1947 when the British separated the Islamic Pakistan and Bangladesh.  Muneeba wants to change the subject and takes a bowl to the kitchen.  Yusuf whispers to Tyesha that Muneeba’s family was on the last train to leave the city.  Her mother, Sana, was just a child and lost in the confusion from her family, but got on the train by herself.  Using a bangle?  This is a familar story for the family.  Kamala smiles.  Sana had said she “followed a trail of stars” to her father.  Underneath the table, Kamala’s bangle starts to glow!  Her eyes glow purple, the table starts to shake, and she sees a woman in a bright light reach for her!  Ms. Marvel, "Crushed", is a perfect blend of the beginning of a superhero, teen drama, and family/cultural history!  

Five Bangles out of Five!       

          

#MsMarvel, #Crushed, #ImanVellani, #MattLintz, #ZenobiaShroff, #RishShah, #TravinaSpringer, #LaurelMarsden, #JordanFirstman, #AlysiaReiner, #ArianMoayed, #LaithNakli