Willow, “The Whispers of Nockmaar”, Review!

This ep. of Willow, “The Whispers of Nockmaar”, has taken a dark tone for the series. The title gives echoes of the H.P. Lovecraft novella, The Whisperer in Darkness (1931). Last ep. we had Boorman travel with Kit to the former site of the Slaughtered Lamb, now ruins, and finds down in a well, the Lux Arcana. It is the key to activating the Kymerian Cuirass. Kit has to fight off the were-rats. Willow, Silas, Jade, Elora, and Graydon arrive, but also joining them is Ballantine and his knights. We found out previously that Ballantine can’t be killed, the evil sorcery is sustaining him, but he is fought by Jade. Silas leaps onto a knight attacking Graydon, but is thrown against the rocky wall! Willow slams his staff down casting a powerful spell that tears apart the corrupted knights! He makes his way to Silas, his best friend is mortally wounded, and doesn’t want him to use his magic to heal him. Best friend?, I wonder what happened to Meegosh?

I sense there is a great loss of Nelwyn; Kiaya, Ranon, Meegosh, the High Aldwyn Junn, and Vohnkar in a battle. Ballantine survives, now restored, and wants Jade to protect Elora Danan. Also to kill him, and says raising her was the best thing he did, but he wants to be released. Jade tearfully strikes him down. Boorman has finished placing rocks for the graves of the two lost men. He says the horses ran off, but Elora points out steps, Boorman walks up them followed by the others. Graydon falls and they see he was wounded like Ballantine. They have reached the outlook of Nockmaar Castle! We see the opening, but there is a new book, made of skin like the Necronomicon from H.P. Lovecraft introduced in “The Call of Cthulhu” (1928) and popularly in the Evil Dead movies and series. The book opens and we see bloody streams like rain around the illustration of the group headed towards the castle. 

Kit sees Nockmaar Castle and hears the words of her mother, Queen Sorsha. Inside the castle, Graydon is bound in chains, Boorman seals them with a fireplace poker. Elora tells him that he looks like a “vermithrax in a vestal faire.” A nod of the dragon of Dragonslayer (1981), Vermithrax Pejorative. Willow mentions the ritual Bavmorda was performing, Graydon knows of it, the Ritual of the Thirteenth Night, to banish Elora Danan! He also brings up the “Fibonacci Hex” to stop the ritual. This is named after the famous mathmatician who came up with the Fibonacci sequence, a number is the sum of two others; 1, 1, and then 2, 3, and 5. Kit blames Boorman, but Graydon is getting weaker. She says Graydon must be killed. Elora pleads for Willow to save him. Willow tells them that the young Bavmorda was promising, but taken by the Order of the Wyrm. The Crone gave her powers. 

Elora asks what she did with her powers and Willow mentions the transformation of the Galladorans into pigs. Boorman asks if all of the pigs were transformed back, Willow says he thinks so, and Boorman lets the food fall out of his mouth! He says they might find an answer, Willow sets down the book we saw at the beginning, he calls The Malatrium. Willow describes it as made from “the skin of a satyr” and finds in the book, The Purgation of Namshub. He needs Elora to cast the spell and then begins gathering alchemy ingredients for a salve. Willow tells Boorman to get a dagger with “an ivory handle and selenium blade.” Elora grounds the mixture in a bowl as Graydon is fading. Willow says the Crone will send The Gales and needs to set a watch. He warns about Graydon’s infection spreading through others by a goo. Willow also tells them not too go to the High Tower so you know what will happen! 

Kit catches up to Jade and tells her she did what she had to killing Ballantine. Jade brings up Boorman’s advice that Kit should never have to kill in that way. She wants to be alone on the battlements watching for The Gales. Boorman comes across a round portal, a door etched in a gold symbol, behind it he hears a party. He takes out his lockpicks and hears women call for him. Kit has not found “essence of nightshade”, Elora brings up that Red-throated possums eat nightshade, and they can be boiled down to the ingredient. Willow cuts open Graydon’s shirt and reveals strange scars on his chest. Elora warns him of the pain. Willow throws a bucket of scalding water on Graydon’s chest! Kit is searching through alchemy ingredients when Boorman appears. Since, Kit doesn’t react, not really a jump scare. He is looking for eel jelly to help open the vault. She suddenly appears with it, again no reaction, and Kit says the purgation will fail and she will have to kill Graydon. 

Side profile of the costume of Willow, D23 Expo, author’s photo. 

Boorman leaves saying Bavmorda would be proud. Kit finds the jug of brined possum and seems to think of Elora as a “spoiled princess” when it is really the pot not the kettle. Willow starts saying the words, Elora joins him, and Graydon corrects her pronunciation. Graydon, in a delusional state?, then sees King Hastur calling him a failure. His father wanted him to be heir to Tir Asleen and replace his brother, whose death, Hastur blames on his son. Then, he sees his brother, Dermot (Mario Revolori, Tony's real life brother). Graydon screams as Willow wonders about Kit. The princess is walking the halls and sees a tapestry where she hears The Crone and her grandmother, Bavmorda! She is asked to swear herself to the Eternal One and The Crone says she has the Blood of the Six. The tapestry sets on fire and Kit drops the jug with the essence as The Crone makes her Queen Bavmorda! Kit picks up the possum by the tail and walks down the corridor that was covered by the tapestry. Jade is standing watch, Boorman passes by still trying to work out how to open the door, he gives words of advice to her. 

He says Ballantine would have said that to her and Jade hugs him in tears. Boorman says that everyone “deserves one good cry per quest”, very funny! Elora cuts into the possum, Kit is sickened, and then fries it. Willow applies the salve to his wound and then Graydon gets up and repeats Madmartigan’s words about wanting water! Elora gets him some water and then they hear Airk’s voice! Graydon as “Airk” says he is in a cell, but Willow says it is The Lich. Kit runs away. The magic words are strange like the Lovecraft entity, “Yog-Sothoth.” Then, Graydon speaks as Mims, Willow gags Graydon. Elora wonders about Willow’s village and Willow sends her away. He takes out a wicked polearm and then Boorman is working on opening the door. A woman’s voice tells him that the Lux Arcana was taken. A diversion for Boorman, but he is upbeat enough for the others. It is a horror movie trope to have individuals face past fears to separate and break them in a house of horror! This time it is evil visions from the first movie! Kit needs to finally have faith in Elora Danan to save Graydon. Still, The Gales are close! “The Whispers of Nockmaar” is a Willow ep filled horror, revealing some of the past mysteries, and Elora’s destiny!       

Four Bracelets out of Five! 

#Willow, #TheWhispersOfNockmaar, #WarwickDavis, #EllieBamber, #TonyRevolori, #ErinKellyman, #RubyCruz, #AmarChadhaPatel, #DerekHorsham, #MarioRevolori, #TheMalatrium, #ClaudiaHughes, #JoonasSuotamo 

Avatar: The Way of Water Review!

 James Cameron returns back to the camera with this film, he last wrote and directed Avatar (2009), so the 13 years before the sequel picks up. He was on the story group for Terminator: Dark Fate (2019). There is a writer’s room for the story including James Cameron, screenwriters Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, who last worked on, um, Mulan (2020), ack!, and are known for Jurassic World (2015). Also, on the story team is Josh Friedman who was also on the story group for Terminator: Dark Fate, and created the series of Snowpiercer. Plus, Shane Salerno who also  wrote Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)?  We get a watery vision and then see mountains.  Then, a pan through the forests of Pandora. The narration is by Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) to bring us up to date. He was also in the tv mini-series, Under the Banner of Heaven (2022). Worthington fits right back into his character, soldier turned to revolutionary, and now father. It is set about 14 years after the events of the first film. 

We see his love interest, Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), very pregnant, draw her bow. Saldana also stars in Amsterdam and also The Adam Project this year. She is of course a Na’vi, 9’ blue humanoids, with prehensile tails that end in feathery tendrils that connect with others and riding animals, and four fingers. He tells of his family; his oldest son, Neteyam, and his other son, Lo’ak, Tuk, his daughter, and Kiri who was “born of Grace’s avatar”, and lastly his human adopted son, called Spider. What doesn’t make sense to me is that Jake has two sons, but none of them are named after his identical twin brother, Tom, which is how he got to Pandora. Spider escapes from the remaining human lab and ends up with Jake’s family. We have to stop here with the avatar. There is too much to explain, the Avatar process and adjustment to new body, supporting characters, and situations for new viewers so they will be lost, Avatar is required viewing, not ideal for a sequel. Neteyam is held up, Lion King-style, by the Na’vi, by the Tsahìk, spiritual leader of the Omatikaya clan, Mo’at (CCH Pounder). Jake and Neytiri see above them “a new star in the night”, the Sky People, from Earth are landing their ships. 

The ships have a fiery exhaust that sets fire to the jungles, a massive forest fire that covers the land. The operation is led by RDA from the first movie and we see a landing with the AMP suits which are military versions of the power loader in Aliens (1986). This is the last we see of them. There is a utility suit that is in the theme park expansion, Pandora - The World of Avatar. It is “One Year Later”, we see Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) waken as a Na’vi avatar. He is strikes at the team reviving him and sees a screen with his original form debriefing before the Assault on the Tree of Souls.  He says if he was killed it was by Jake Sully. They are known as recombinants, back-ups to their human forms made in Earth labs, with memories from before the battle. Also, there is Lyle Wainfleet (Matt Gerald), reprising his role, and female Recom Zdinarsik (Alicia Vela-Bailey). Then, we have a raid on a Mag-Lev train bringing supplies by Jake, Na’vi warriors, and his sons. Lo’ak (Britain Dalton) is flying ikran, pteradactyl-like with dragon heads, with Neteyam (Jamie Flatters). Dalton had a cameo in Ready Player One (2018). Flatters was Tedros in this year’s The School for Good and Evil. 

Lo’ak is too interested in the ground action and lands with his brother. They are surprised by a Scorpion gunship which has dropped off Quaritch’s team. Jake leads the retreat to the Na’vi Insurgency High Camp. Jake is angry at Lo’ak for abandoning his recon duty. At a lab in the Omatikaya Stronghold, we see the two human allies for Jake, scientists; Norm (Joel David Moore) and Max Patel (Dileep Rao). Lo’ak thanks his older brother. Kiri climbs on top of the tank of Dr. Grace Augustine’s avatar body. Grace was injured in the escape from the Hell’s Gate base and the Na’vi tried to transfer Grace to her avatar body. I suspect that Eywa, the living consciousness of Pandora, formed Kiri instead of reviving Grace. Spider (Jack Champion) in the discussion on Jake by his family notes his father! He looks with dreadlocks and loincloth like Disney's Tarzan (1999). Spider wears a exopack to breathe in the toxic atmosphere of Pandora. Quaritch returns to the human base, Bridgehead City, where he sees training General Ardmore (Edie Falco) in a Skel Suit, the new robot suit with thin, robotic arms and legs. Falco starred in 2021 episodes of American Crime Story. 

She says that the Earth is dying and their mission is to take care of the indigenous people. No negotiators? I think the Earth would have the technology at this point to terraform planets.  A better option than try to occupy a hostile planet. Quaritch’s Blue Team heads to the jungles to find Jake. The jungle is also the play area of Jake’s kids in the middle of a hostile takeover? Kiri falls asleep and the woodsprites, the floating Tree of Souls seeds like dandelion puffs, gather around her.  Quaritch approaches the abandoned link unit. Lo’ak has the family observe Quaritch’s team and reports the situation to Jake. He and Neytiri head over to rescue their kids. Quaritch holds up the skull of his original human form in an AMP suit like the Hamlet pose before crushing it. The Na’vi kids are discovered and Quaritch’s team has guns held to them! General Ardmore is called in on a Dragon Assault Ship. Neytiri and Jake manage to free their kids, but Spider whom Quaritch realizes was his former son is taken! Spider is tortured by General Ardmore about the location of Jake. A machine takes images from a scan of Spider’s brain. 

Quaritch takes him aside and then has Spider along on his missions. This is a situation like Hook (1991) where Captain Hook tries to convince Peter’s son to join his side. Later, Jake argues that Spider has sensitive information and they have to leave. They head to the Hometree where Jake turns over leadership to a Na’vi warrior, Tarsem (Keston John). The Sully family head off on Ikran across to the sea clans who live on “thousands of islands.” They reach the village of Awa’atlu.  There is a glimpse of this world in the Flight of Passage attraction that opened in 2017. Jake asks for sanctuary with the Metkayina Clan, greenish skin color, with webbed forearms and faces like Maori tatoos. Some of the young Metayina members ride in on tsuraks, large aquatic creatures with wings like flying fish and toothed, barracuda-like snouts. They are Tsireya (Bailey Bass), the girl eyes Lo’ak, and also her brother who is suspicious of the hybrid Na’vi, Aonung (Filip Geljo). Bass plays Claudia in the horror series, Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire. Geljo starred in the PBS Kids action show, Odd Squad: The Movie (2016). It looks like the romance is shifted to the young couple. Then, their parents appear, Ronal (Kate Winslet) who is also pregnant. Winslet was in Mare of Easttown and returns to work with Cameron after Titanic (1997).  They are accepted into the tribe by Tonowari (Cliff Curtis) who respects Jake as Toruk Makto that gathered all of the Na’vi. The actor starred in the real life drama, Muru (2022). The Metayina respect the Tulkun, whale-like animals with six fins and a gaping mouth. The Save the Whales theme was also in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986). There are a few plot gaps considering the story tream and scenes like Cameron’s The Abyss (1989) and a little bit of Titanic. Avatar: The Way of Water is entertaining, continues Jake Sully and Neytiri’s story with their family, and explores Pandora’s fantastic underwater world!   

Four Skel Suits out of Five! 

#AvatarTheWayOfWater, #JamesCameron, #SamWorthington, #BritainDalton, #BaileyBass, #SigourneyWeaver,#JamieFlatters, #TrinityJoLiBliss, #FilipGeljo, #JackChampion, #ZoeSaldana, #CliffCurtis, #KateWinslet, #CCHPounder, #JoelDavidMoore, #DileepRao, #JermaineClement, #GiovanniRibisi, #StephenLang, #EdieFalco

Gargoyles #1 Review!

Gargoyles wakens with Dynamite Entertainment’s Gargoyles #1 by producer, Greg Weisman, and George Kambadais! The popular animated series ran from 1994 to 1997 from Walt Disney Television Animation. There was a Marvel Comics series that was initially written by animation and comics writer, Martin Pasko, with art by Amanda Conner. There was a second comic book series by Greg Weisman and David Hedgecock by Amaze Ink starting in 2006.

David Nakayam provides the artwork for the regular cover with Goliath and the other Gargoyles leaping into battle to a foe to the right with a reddish background. There are about 76 variant covers including one by Amanda Conner! The first issue with the `Here in Manhattan' storyline with “Chapter One: A Little Crazy.” Artist, Kambadais, was the artist for John Carter of Mars for Dynamite Comics. The setting is Manhattan, there is the Statue of Liberty, and orangish buildings that are not particular NY structures. 

The narrator is Detective Elisa Maza (who was voiced by Salli Richardson), she is in a car chase with her partner, Matt Bluestone (Tom Wilson). The duo works at the 23rd Precinct, East Harlem. They are chasing after ATM bandits. We see the chase with a cheering member of the thieves, the tail lights of their car flaring, and a closeup of Elisa in the side mirror; brilliant artwork! She tells Matt that she has already called for her back-up an we see a two page of the Gargoyles with their wings spread above the two cars! 

The bandits are all snatched up by the Gargoyles and one mistakedly calls Demona (Marina Sirtis) a man! She was the former mate of the leader, Goliath. The show featured an impressive voice cast of Star Trek vets, genre actors, and voice talents. The lil’ green Gargoyle, Lexington (Thom Adcox-Hernandez), takes over control of the thieves’ car and brings it to a screeching stop. Matt covers for them when an officer later asks about the situation. This leads to the Eyrie Building that has a castle on top. 

Elisa notes that in the Dark Ages, the Gargoyles were trapped in stone by a spell, and we see Goliath (Keith David) covered in his wings like a cloak. He was leader of the Wyvern Clan which became the Manhattan Clan. Goliath sees his girlfriend, Elisa, appear and they kiss. Then, we have a splash page of the other Gargoyles descending towards them. The reddish, beaked Gargoyle with an eye patch is Brooklyn (Jeff Bennett), second-in-command of the Manhattan Clan. He became older through the Phoenix Gate. His mate is Katana whom he met in feudal Japan when he traveled there in Gargoyles #12 (2009). 

We also discover in that issue that their son, Nashville, he calls himself Gnash, appears as the youngest member of the Gargoyles. We Goliath’s mentor with a beard and scarred eye, Hudson (Ed Asner), The other member is Broadway (Bill Fagerbakke), who is a grey Gargoyle, who is dating Angela (Brigitte Bako), the daughter of Goliath. The comic book is a brief overview of many events and characters in the series and comics while also showing the imbalance of the gang war of Tony Dracon and Tomas Brod who were imprisoned together. Then, there is a mysterious villain who threatens all of them! Gargoyles #1 is a return to the animated series with a massive cast bringing in a new threat!  

Four Wyvern Clan Eggs out of Five! 

#Gargoyles, #GregWeisman, #GeorgeKambadais, #ElisaMaza, #Goliath, #Brooklyn, #Katana,  #Lexington, #Hudson, #Demona, #Broadway, #Angela  

Willow, “Battle of the Slaughtered Lamb“, Review!

Last episode, Wicket has begun teaching Elora Danan magic words for a Seed Charm, very quickly which may be because he may think she will be a natural at magic. Graydon writes down the words at the campfire. This could be his interest in recording the journey, then again, The Lich said he had a disciple and we saw Commander Ballantine, but it could be Graydon. Boorman remarks to Graydon that Elora is getting the words more complicated. Willow wants her to repeat the words in sets of three until a sprout of an Eckleberry bush grows. Kit is cynical about the training and Willow says Elora needs to master sorcery’s four pillars; charms, potions, concentration, and divination. This will start her on battle magic. I’m not certain why Willow doesn’t train her away from the others. The others sleep and Willow lying down thinks back to talking to Elora (Alayna Jacobs) when she was a little girl. 

He says he remembers her when her hair was red, but Elora says she dyed her hair blonde with lemon juice and beetle blood by the head servant, Prunella. This is at a well where Willow talks about the Nelwyns. He brings up his children and Elora runs to Prunella. Sorsha is surprised that Willow expected to take Elora for training. Willow escorted from Tir Asleen by guards, her husband became king, made an oath to Willow, I guess she broke it. Willow leaves and says he will only protect the Nelwyns. Commander Ballantine, corrupted by The Lich’s staff, reaches the village outskirts. Armed Nelwyns wait, and Mims says they were headed to Tir Asleen. Merrick picks up their trail. Elora says her name is Brünhilde. Brunhilda was a valkyrie, like in the MCU, connected to the Norse hero Siegfried. Graydon finds Elora alone practicing the charm. He says Kit is jealous of her and the others see her as extraordinary everyone except herself. 

Willow’s traveling costume with staff, book, and wand, D23 Expo, author’s photo. 

Night falls, no one checks on Elora at that point, and Willow tells Silas about his vision. A white-beareded Willow wakes up in the aftermath of a battlefield. He manages to walk to Elora who has fallen and tells Silas for the world to survive, Elora Danan has to die. Kit goes to Boorman to ask about her father and the Kymerian Cuirass. Elora wakes up to find nothing there and shouts the words. Then, she is knocked out and taken by Commander Ballantine! The ground they leave is suddenly broken by a sprout of berries! “Battle of the Slaughtered Lamb” continues with a look into the Kymerian Empire. A great city like Rome, but reminds me of House of the Dragon’s Valyria. Boorman narrates the setting, ten thousand years ago. The heir, Thuul, was sickly, and with the death of the father, Tiberius, the younger brother attemped a coup. He besieged the capitol for forty days which led their mother, Annabel, forged the armor made of Khromium. Boorman adds that she is a Fey of the Grove, like Cherlindrea? No credited actors for these roles. 

She wears a welder’s helmet, this was invented in the 1930s, look at the blacksmith in Dragonslayer (1981) with an apron on. Then, she attaches the Lux Arcana, this is like the codex in Aquaman (2018), a magical tube object to her son’s cuirass. Only he can control it with the key. Kit is not interested and Boorman says her generation has no patience. Jade interrupts them because after all this time, they find Elora missing. Search parties are sent out, Kit sees the bent branch of Eckleberries, beautiful. Ballantine ties Kit to his horse and then encounters Jade. He says he has orders from the queen, but his throat becomes distorted, Jade senses his corruption. They draw swords, but Willow tells them to stop. He says the decision whether she goes is up to her. Kit walks up, she can command him, Silas with knives, and then Boorman with his cleaver. Grayson is also there. They suddenly find themselves dueling Ballantine and his knights. Kit falls and Jade blocks the knight’s sword. Willow tells Grayson to untie Elora and prepares a spell. 

Elora wakes up surprised to see Grayson try to rescue her. Willow throws an acorn that creates mist and Ballantine escapes with Elora. They load up the wagon and Willow sends Jade with Boorman to track the knights. Willow explains that they were infected, Graydon says they are possessed, and that they will slowly lose themselves to the evil. He seems to know much about evil spells. Silas urges on the black horse, Bessie, and then finds everyone stopped. In a group shot on a hill, we see the warriors stare out to a sky with an unnatural storm. The three knights ride and Elora uses Ballantine’s dagger to cut her bonds free. She rolls from the horse and runs to the forest. The others look on as Boorman holds the broken wagon wheel. Kit heads over to a stream to refill a flask and Jade joins her. Jade is worried about Kit who eventually realizes that Jade let her win all of their duels. Elora walks through the mist and suddenly finds herself at a sunlit cabin and she sees two women in cowboy denim. 

                                                                                The costume worn by Jade with sword, D23 Expo, author’s photo. 

 

The one with the axe is Hubert (Hannah Waddingham) with cowboy hat and the other is her sister, Anne (Caoimhe Farren) with an Aussie Slouch Hat. The anachronisms keep building. Waddingham is Rebecca Welton in the comedy Ted Lasso. Farren is known for playing Janet Taylor in the comedy, Derry Girls. Their cameos are thrown in, not funny, so I guess it is just a reason to put the actresses in the show. So Elora tells them her story while the others are on the desperate search for her. Boorman wants them to take the Pitiless Pass that will reach the inn, The Slaughtered Lamb. The name of the inn, The Slaughtered Lamb, is a nod to the pub in An American Werewolf in London (1981). Silas says they should head to the Volptuous Vale. Willow explains that a portal between dimensions, how The Gales entered Tir Asleen?, is forming to take away Elora. He suddenly feels pain and sees Elora possessed. Boorman separates from them with Kit which he was hinting to her. They ride towards the storm. Elora has told her story, Hubert and Anne see the mark, and they are about to leave the forest.  The two women join Elora’s cause, but are then Commander Ballantine is there. He now has a grey, decaying face. Hubert batters aside his sword and then cuts into Ballantine’s back with her great axe.

He fatally stabs her with his sword, she should have taken his head, like Thor and Thanos. Elora takes away Anne and we focus on Hubert’s body, somehow alive?, a forest creature? If not this is just filling up screen time. Merrick and Ballantine face them and Anne runs, cut down by another knight. Boorman and Kit walk their horses and she only wants to her about Madmartigan.He says cryptically that he returned without her father because he was lucky. The wagon is trapped in mud, Graydon suggests to Jade that Willow moved the Nelwyn to the caves because he no long has magic. Jade asks if a sorcerer can lose his mojo, another anachronism (I keep thinking Austin Powers would show up and say, “Groovy baby!”), is this show a fantasy comedy like Your Highness (2011)? They reach the ruins of The Slaughtered Lamb and Boorman heads down a well to find the Cuirass while Kit faces were-rats. These creatires named for Dungeons & Dragons creatures (that transform from people, not here) are like diseased versions of the R.O.U.S. in Princess Bride. Then, there is the fateful battle with the knights. Willow changed its tone with this ep, leaning too far into comedy, it does have some drama with the end which then lapses into a rock song, Metallica's "Enter Sandman", groovy, baby.  

Three Bracelets out of Five! 

#Willow, #BattleOfTheSlaughteredLamb, #WarwickDavis, #EllieBamber, #GrahamHughes,  #AmarChadhaPatel, #ErinKellyman, #TonyRevolori, #RubyCruz, #HannahWaddingham, #CaoimheFarren, #RalphIneson, #SifisoMazibuko   

Re:tro Re:view - Mythica: A Quest For Heroes!

The Kickstarter campaign for the latest Mythica film has concluded on December 9th so it is time to go back to the beginning with Mythica: A Quest For Heroes (2014)! This is a fine fantasy movie series that will continue with Mythica: Stormbound. It is directed by Anne K. Black who also directed the Arrowstorm film, Dawn of the Dragonslayer (2011). Black is also the co-writer along with Jason Faller and Kynan Griffin, the duo went on to create The Outpost show. The movie is currently streaming on Amazon Prime through FreeVee with ads. We immediately pan into a cave with sunlight streaming on one spot, the bearded priest (Jay Beacham) finds a stone that he gives to Caeryn (Natalie Devine Riskas). Outside is chaos, a raid. He tells her to run and she tries to find her sister Teela (Nicola Posener) who runs along with her. Posener currently stars in the Amazon Prime horror series, Age of the Living Dead. 

The priest is met by the raiders dressed in black. Their leader with yellow eyes, Kishkumen (Ryan Palmer) draws out the Temple Elder’s memories and kills him. The sisters run out of the burning cave to find raiders and giant troll so they return to the cave! The troll strikes down Teela and Caeryn wants her to get help. We see at an apothecary, the clubfoot of a woman who shuffles as she collects ingredients to grind and mash in a bowl. This is Marek played by Melanie Stone who previously was in fantasy film, The Christmas Dragon (2014) with co-stars Jake Stormoen and Adam Johnson. Marek is dedicated and innocent in this the story. Entering the room is a young man, Egan (Sebastian Michael Barr), and she hands him a bowl. He nervously makes the potion and it sends out a smoke like a snake at Marek before exploding! This angers their master, Vagamal (Michael Flynn). The actor played General Calkussar in The Outpost. Egan tries to clear the table as Marek blocks the doorway with a basket of clothes. 

The angry Vagamal lashes at Marek and throws a package to Egan to get money from the wizard. Marek takes the package even though Egan is worried that she won’t be able to get back before the guards mark her as a runaway. She hobbles into the snow with her crutch leaving the village for crowded city streets. The wizard in question, Gojun Pye (Kevin Sorbo) is at work at his table. Sorbo, controversial now, is known for Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. Marek enters and says she used his Vision spell. She wants to learn more spells and he gives a parchment page for a Displacement spell. The magic feels very like the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game (RPG). He says he has to leave since he may have raised suspicions about himself. Marek wants to go with him and Gojun Pye mentions an inn and to ask for Hammerhead. He gives her coins for the Hog’s Root and says it is getting late. 

There is a cheering crowd and Marek finds from a passing child that it is because of dragon eggs brought by adventurers! The sun is setting and Marek scrambles with her crutch running into three men, one man with a fur coat paws her, and she hits him. A large, drunken man (Johnson) in armor and shield stops the bully. He later introduces himself as Thane. Johnson starred in The Outpost as Munt. He throws his sword killing one soldier. Thane duels with a soldier while Marek is able to slip away from the leader. Marek sees more soldiers and slips into a wagon of hay. She finds there a half-elf man (Stormoen) next to her. The Outpost’s Captain Garret Spears was played by Stormoen. Here, he plays Dagen. A guard checks the wagon and Dagen covers Marek’s mouth while dodging sword strikes. The guard allows the wagon to pass. The clever man leaves, Marek finds her coins missing, and the guards chase after Dagen. 

Then, she is grabbed by a soldier! Night, the guard rides into the village with Marek tossed across his horse like a blanket. He calls out Vagamal who throws a pouch to the guard. Marek is dropped in the snow. She confesses that she was robbed and Vagamal starts to thrash her with a belt. Egan hears the punishment inside the apothecary. Suddenly, Marek’s face magically turns blue and she takes hold of the belt. Her hand draws out Vagamal’s life force like the priest. Then, the cruel man is sent hurtling back! Egan tells her that her magic didn’t use powders or words. The angry townspeople are gathering. Marek tells him that she has to leave and he takes out a makeshift leg brace for her. She leaves before the mob can find her. Marek attaches Egan’s brace on her leg. Her handicap is unique for a fantasy character, a physical flaw that she more than makes up with her resolve. Later, she finds Thane in a cage, it is the drunken man who helped her. Then, Marek finds her way to Hammerhead’s inn. 

A fight is ended by a thrown blade of the Dwarf owner, Hammerhead (Christopher Robin Miller). An interesting veteran Dwarf, still deadly, but more interested in organizing adventurers. She makes her way to the bar to Hammerhead. Marek asks for a bounty and says she knows magic. He takes Marek to be thrown out. Teela enters the inn in the name of her goddess, Ana-Sett, and wants to see Oren Tuck. Hammerhead says that was his old name. She says her temple was raided and the people were taken away. Marek hears this underneath a table. Hammerhead announces to the room about her quest, but they all laugh. Teela leaves and Marek says to Hammerhead she will take the bounty. She is thrown out of the inn again! Marek catches up with Teela and says she has a team. Teela touches her brow and sees visions of Marek. She returns to the cage and says she will free Thane if he helps with the bounty. 

He recognizes her from the alley and says he has worked for the Vitalion Empire. There is hints of world building here that is expanded on with later films. She starts to say magic words that draw the attention of two guards. Suddenly, the cage’s lock ignites, and Thane takes care of his former guards. Afterwards, Marek says they need a thief and Thane knows one busy with a commander’s wife. They reach the home and find Dagen, of course, throwing down his clothes and leaping down. I sense a little Madmartigan in him. Thane punches Dagen and steps on his neck while Marek has her foot on his hand. Dagen kicks both of them and they run off before the guards arrive. In the morning, the trio meet with Teela on a hill. She explains that they have to travel 10 leagues to find her sister, a prisoner at an Orc camp. The group, not entirely working together yet, is formed and the adventure begins! Mythica: A Quest for Heroes has fun characters, RPG adventure, all within a budget, but just a fun, fantasy adventure driven by the conviction of the filmmakers! 

Four out of Five! 

#MythicaThe QuestForHeroes, #AnneKBlack, #MelanieStone, #JakeStormoen, #AdamJohnson, #NicolaPosener, #KevinSorbo, #NatalieDevineRiskas, #ChristopherRobinMiller  

Willow, “The High Aldwyn”, Review!

The Willow series continues with a look into the past and the future and either of them are hopeful! Last episode, we found that the supernatural Gales have stolen Prince Airk.  The group led by Kit Tanthalos has reached Willow Ufgood and he reveals the girl called Dove is really Elora Danan! “The High Aldwyn” features a screenplay by Bob Dolman who wrote the screenplay of the original 1988 movie. We return to the book of Willow on the title page is a faint illustration of a tree. We see the gate towers of Tir Asleen appear and walking in is a young Willow, bearded with a cap, and bag strapped to his shoulder. I imagine they used CGi to de-age him. Queen Sorsha, also de-aged, hugs him. At a dinner table before the throne, Willow says that he returned to train Elora. She is the only one who is stop their “true enemy.” He worries that if he doesn’t train her, the magic will go away, but Sorsha doesn’t want to trouble her. 

Willow tells her the Barrier cannot protect Eloa. Sorsha tells him she discovered with “ancient scrolls” about the Kymerian Cuirass. It is explained later, but a cuirass is the breastplate and backplate of armor. Sorsha confides with Willow that Madmartigan was sent to find it nine months ago. It is unclear what is this particular time. She fears that he is dead, but Willow says that Mads can’t be stopped by death, it would only delay him from returning to Sorsha, a line similar to Princess Bride (1987) about true love. He says that only Elora can defeat the Crone. Sorsha admits that Raziel and Cherlindrea are “gone”, dead? Willow wants to train Elora since he is now High Aldwyn. Sorsha says Willow has the “truest heart”, but says he is not a “great sorcerer.” This is unusual since when Willow was about to leave Tir Asleen with Sorsha also present, Raziel gave him a book of magic and says he would be a great sorcerer.  Willow takes his pack and walks away. 

Cherlindrea’s Wand, prop at the Lucasfilm pavilion, D23 Expo, author’s photo. 

In the present, Elora is listening to discussions about her, Graydon asks her if she is Elora Danan. Kit doesn’t believe it. Willow and the guard, Silas, lead them to their home in the caves. He is met by his daughter, Mims (Annabelle Davis), Dawn Downing played the character in the movie, but Davis’ real life daughter plays her in this episode! Mims is stunned to see Elora Danan and says she found Elora as a “beautiful, giant baby.” Elora says Mims is beautiful, favorite part of this episode the reunion of these two characters. Jade checks on Kit who wants to leave to find Airk. They were defeated by The Gales and taken to a place no one has ever traveled, yet she is desperate to go? Foolish. Nelwyns give Elora a floral crown. Silas gets everyone ready for The High Aldwyn’s speech. Willow is brought in on a litter with a chair by four porters, two of them complain about carrying him. He tries to warm up the audience with a joke, funny to me, and then announces the return of Elora Danan.  

He has Elora scouch her chair over and consults the bones similar to High Aldwyn Junn (Billy Barty) in the movie. They have a moment looking at each other which is nice. Willow tells about the balance including sweet and spicy, funny! Soon, the crowd starts to ask for the Finger Test. Willow tries to whisper, “Yours”, but Elora picks Willow’s finger disappointing the crowd. Past misty trees, we find The Lich in a cave contacting his Teacher about the child, Elora. Queen Sorsha is told that Elora has left the castle by the servant Prunella (Eileen Davies) who was a confidant of Dove in the castle. Sorsha sees Commander Ballantine off to find Elora. He was wounded by The Lich’s staff.  Ballantine says it is just a scratch, another Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) nod. Sorsha explains that she is fond of the kitchen maid. Prunella wonders if he knows Elora’s true identity. We see red veins on Ballantine’s exposed hand. The Crone doesn’t want Elora Danan to reach the Immemorial City and The Lich says he has sent his disciple!  

In the Nelwyn caves, there is a celebration, and Boorman, named after director John Boorman?, brings up the route. Silas says they should avoid the Nockmaar Badlands and his wife, Libby (Sarah Bennett) agrees. Kit and Elora are ready to leave, but Willow wants her to stay to learn the Art. He says she’s the “Last Blood of Kymeria”, is this like Valyria in House of the Dragon? Elora is set on leaving to save Airk. In his workshop, Willow is seen by Mims and he thought she was aware of everything, but Mims says she fell in love. Willow sees flashes of his dream about waking in a night battlefield with a grey beard. Mims says he has to go with the group to protect Elora. Willow tries to use being High Aldwyn as an excuse to stay with his people. Mims takes out the chest that holds the Wand of Cherlindrea. They are told that Elora is missing. Kit heads for her horse impatient about Elora’s training, but Jade is respectful of Elora Danan. Kit is acting like a spoiled princess charging into a dangerous situation. 

The costume of Dove, Elora Danan, at the D23 Expo, photo by the author. 

Graydon says to Boorman, Kit, and Jade that the girl is Elora. Willow yells at them that Elora is missing. Jade says Kit should do whatever she wants as the others head out in search parties. Willow thinks back to remembering finding Elora Danan with his family. Elora is looking at a river and drops her crown to drift in it. She is not confident and wants Willow who joins her to help rescue Airk.  In exchange, she has to promise to train with him, as teacher and student. Later, the Nelwyns see the heroes off, Willow has his armor and Mims fusses over him. Unspoken is her missing mother, Kiaya, and brother, Ranon, but it could be assumed that the Crone destroyed them and the village. Willow leaves on a wagon with Silas and Elora as the others ride ahead. Ballantine finds their two day old campfire and Merrick (Sifiso Maziuko) says they should rest themselves and horses. The commander has transformed with red-veined eyes and deathly pallor.  He is swiftly runs and kills Merrick! 

Boorman catches up with Kit walking her horse. He says he is not a thief, but “an obtainer of rare artifacts”, a variation of the description given to Indy in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). He brings up the legend of the Kymerian Cuirass he had heard when he was Kit’s age. Kit doesn’t belive in it. Boorman tells her that Madmartigan had looked five years for the armor and he was his squire. He walks ahead of Kit saying that her father found the armor. In the wagon, Willow is about to start the lesson, but Elora says the wagon is making her queasy. He brings up the High Aldwyn’s saying, “Forget all you know or think you know.” A great line. Willow says he wanted to train her as a child and that there is something special inside of her. Then, Elora spews on Willow’s shoulder, which is a usual occurance for the series. We see the setting sun with the two moons of the Mother World. At the campfire, Willow explains magic and this is listened to by Jade, written down by Graydon, and Boorman. He gives Elora a handful of Eckleberry seed to magically grow and gives her the magic words. Elora is no natural at repeating the words, but will learn to trust herself. “The High Aldwyn” ep of Willow fills in important back stories including the last time Willow saw young Elora (Alayna Jacobs) and puts her on a dangerous path!    

Five Bracelets out of Five!

#Willow, #WarwickDavis, #EllieBamber, #JoanneWhalley, #GrahamHughes, #AnnabelleDavis, #TonyRevolori, #AmarChadhaPatel, #RubyCruz, #ErinKellyman, #AlaynaJacobs, #RalphIneson, #SifisoMazibuko

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio Review!

 Carlo Collodi’s wooden puppet is given new life in Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio which is one of del Toro’s finest and most beautiful films! There has been countless versions of the story of Adventures of Pinocchio (1883) from the 1940 Disney animated movie to the 2019 movie starring Roberto Benighi. The challenge of adaptations is what the storyteller brings to the tale.  In this case, del Toro is familiar with previous versions, but has brought themes and his own sensibilities to Pinocchio. Mark Gustafson, the animation director of Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009), shares directing credit with del Toro. Pinocchio’s screen story is by del Toro and Matthew Robbins who also wrote Crimson Peak (2015). The screenplay of the film is by del Toro and Patrick McHale known for writing Adventure Time. Pinocchio had a limited release on November 9th and streams on Netflix on December 9th. Del Toro has said that Netflix enabled the movie to get made. 

The stop motion animation by ShadowMachine that works on Robot Chicken. A perfect art form that captured some fairy tales on film and has a herky-jerky motion that is perfect for the puppets. There is a lone pinecone hanging from a tree as we are told by the narrator, Ewan McGregor, that the story begins in Italy during 1916. McGregor’s last fairy tale movie was Beauty and the Beast (2017). We are formerly introduced to the narrator’s character later, but he says the story he tells you don’t know. This sets expectations and he notes that the woodcarver has lost one son. A somber beginning with the melancholy music turns lively courtesy of Alexandre Desplat’s score, he  worked with del Toro on The Shape of Water (2017). Then, we see the toymaker, Geppetto (David Bradley), he is not named, just identified as Papa. Bradley voiced Merlin in the animated series created by del Toro, Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia (2017-2018). Geppetto here is a well defined having only his son as family, so this brings up the theme of grief and how to overcome it.

He reads his son, Carlo (Gregory Mann) a book, Libro di Storia, about fairy tales. A nice nod to the book’s author. This is the first leading part for Mann who played William Monmouth in the historical mini-series, Victoria (2019). The point of the story is of course not to lie or your nose will grow. Carlo has his papa sing momma’s song while playing an accordion. We get moments of their lives together, Carlo finds a pine cone (which are female), but Geppetto tells him it is not perfect with a missing scale. We pick with a day where Carlo shows his papa a perfect pine cone. Geppetto is working at the town’s church on a statue of Jesus. The religious element is a touch that is missing from del Toro’s film and I see this as a maturation of del Toro’s storytelling. He carves wooden shoes for Carlo. While Geppetto is painting the statue, Carlo shows him the perfect pine cone, then they leave the church. The night is stormy and Geppetto sees the bombers in the sky. 

The night is stormy and Geppetto sees the bombers in the sky. Carlo runs back to the church for his pine cone and the bombs fall. The narrator explains that it could have been that the bombers dropped their payload to keep the ballast light for their return flight. Geppetto plants the pine cone behind Carlo’s grave. It has  an angelic, wooden memorial that contains his photo placed on a hill. The statue is unfinished with a missing left arm, but Geppetto just stays by the grave marker and drinks. A pine tree grows to tower over the grave. Now we have the narrator introduce himself, Sebastian J. Cricket, as a writer who has traveled the world. The character is just called Talking Cricket so a formal name with the “J” middle name(!) is fun. The writer part (also the songs) makes me think of MacGregor’s character in Moulin Rouge! (2001). Sebastian’s design is blue, with mandibles like the bushy mustache of a British officer, similar to Tik Tok in Return to Oz (1985), and long, curly antennae. He is a gentleman (gentle cricket?), but gets into hapless accidents!  

He brings the tree to his home to make it into a puppet and above his work table is a photo of Carlo. Geppetto is drunk, but great woodcarving skill. Within the tree is Sebastian who is able to get free. Geppetto works feverishly, driven like Victor Frankenstein (another del Toro inspiration) on his creation! The design of the puppet from the pine tree has short, wild “hair”, spindly limbs, and a crack on his body. The crack ends with the hollow in his chest, his “heart”, where Sebastian has made his home.  He falls asleep and Sebastian sees in the forest, the wandering spirits, glowing eye balls covered in ghostly flames. The spirits enter Geppetto’s house and Sebastian tries to chase them away. They form into a blue, sphinx-like creature, unidentified in the movie, but known as the Wood Sprite (Tilda Swinton). She also voices her sister counterpart, Death. A strange, beautiful del Toro creation, with four wings that are spotted with eye-like shapes. Swinton voiced Oracle in the stop motion movie, Isle of Dogs (2018). She sees Geppetto’s loss of his son and grants Pinocchio life because it contains Carlo’s soul. Then, the Wood Sprite appoints Sebastian to watch over him since he lives in the puppet’s “heart.” This is a clever way to make Sebastian his “conscious” and instead a guide. 

Geppetto wakes up and finds Pinocchio (also voiced by Mann) is gone, he hears a giggle, and picks up an axe. In the darkness, Pinocchio appears with limbs splayed out like a spider, and Geppetto is about to use the axe, but Sebastian defends Pinocchio. To this newly born innocent, he doesn’t know things, but loves them. This is the focus of Pinocchio’s character, captured by Gregory Mann, who says, “Everything is new to me.” He insists he is Geppetto’s son, but the woodcarver rejects him and sends him into a closet. Geppetto heads to the church and the church goers are shocked at Pinocchio’s appearance.  The Priest voiced by Burn Gorman asks him, “Who controls you?” Gorman starred in Pacific Rim (2013) as the scientist Gottlieb. Pinocchio says he is a real boy and his nose grows like a branch. Later, Geppetto trims Pinocchio’s nose, his workshop is a resource to help Pinocchio.The Priest is visited by the fascist officer, Podesta (Ron Perlman). The fascism seems to represent the harshness and conformity of the real world for del Toro. It is part of his personal works like the Spain of Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) and Devil’s Backbone (2001). Perlman has been in most of del Toro’s movies including Hellboy (2004).  

They visit Geppetto along with Podesta’s son, Candlewick (Finn Wolfhard). The actor is of course known for the Netflix horror series, Stranger Things. Candlewick is very much a bully at the beginning. He convinces Pinocchio to warm his feet close to the fireplace and this causes his wooden feet to burn. Still, Pinocchio is cheerful, but his weakness is his love of hot chocolate. Still, Podesta becomes interested in Pinocchio as the perfect soldier. The next day, Pinocchio is testing his new legs and they see posters placed by a white monkey, Spazzatura (Cate Blanchett). The actress starred in del Toro’s Nightmare Alley (2021). Spazzatura reports about the living puppet to the owner of the run-down carnival, Count Volpe (Christoph Waltz). The actor appeared as Blofeld in No Time to Die (2021). He wants Pinocchio as his showpiece representing the corruption of entertainment. Podesta and Count Volpe are the two forces trying to corrupt Pinocchio, trying to control him. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio has some important themes of fatherhood, growing up, grief, a misunderstood outcast, child-like wonder, religion, and fascism that still maintains the fun of the tale, very charming songs like “Ciao Papa” sung by Mann, and beautiful character designs and environments. A stand out in Guillermo del Toro’s filmography!  

Five+ Pine Cones out of Five! 

#GuillermoDelTorosPinocchio, #GuillermoDelToro, #MarkGustafson, #GregoryMann, #EwanMcGregor, #DavidBradley, #TildaSwinton, #FinnWolfhard, #CateBlanchett, #ChrstophWaltz, #RonPerlman, #BurnGorman