Since the horror master Junji Ito first picked up his pen to draw manga that would send shivers down readers’ spines, it has appeared impossible to adapt the mangaka’s works. Thanks to the level of detail and skin-crawling imagery that Ito has employed throughout the decades, anime adaptations have tried, but for the most part failed, to bring the artist’s works to life in relation to fan expectations. All that has changed with Toonami, Studio Drive, and Production I.G.’s Uzumaki, as the limited series has done what many believed was impossible, capturing the essence of Junji Ito’s art and created the perfect anime for the Halloween season.

Uzumaki follows the two high-school teenagers Kirie and Shuichi. The pair live in a mountain town where things are beginning to go awry in some unexpected ways. In the first episode of the anime adaptation, viewers are given glimpses into how an obsession with spirals can become horrifying abominations that twist and distort the villagers unfortunate enough to fall under their sway. As things continue to get worse, Shuichi and Kirie need to survive and see if it is even possible to dodge a curse that has unexpected ramifications for the town and its residents.

Uzumaki’s plot is a strong one, in terms of Junji Ito’s overall horror library. Often, the series is considered one of the horror artist’s greatest works, and for good reason. While it does have its two main characters in Shuichi and Kirie, it will often branch out from them and tell the stories of handfuls of characters unfortunate enough to be cursed in rather unique ways. This works in a way to create an anthology-style tale that is also cohesive in its overall plot. Shuichi, for example, is dragged into a specific curse thanks to his father’s obsession with spirals, as the young boy even explains to his girlfriend how ridiculous it sounds on the surface, while documenting how terrifying it is to see it with his own eyes. That’s Ito’s work in a nutshell; concepts that, on paper, sound hilarious but put into practice, make for the stuff of nightmares.   

What works so well about the horror aspect here is how unsettling so many of the moments are in relation to the “spiral curse.” For example, Shuichi’s mother, in an effort to “escape” her husband’s obsession post-mortem, begins cutting off her own fingertips to eliminate spirals from her body. A young boy is transforming into a slug in an embarrassing yet skin-crawling way that hits close to home for those who might have been bullied. Perhaps the creepiest of all in the first episode is a young girl who has a mark on her forehead that has long since benefited her romantic life but begins to grow and distort in such a way that it has become one of Ito’s most recognizable images to this day. 

Of course, we would be remiss to not touch upon the animation style used here to perfectly capture Junji Ito’s art style. Studio Drive incorporates both 2-D and CG animation to bring the story to life and, obviously, it’s no easy feat to recreate the work of the horror master, yet the production house does so. The characters themselves appear to have something of a “marionette” style that adds to the creepiness factor of the series, while the animation perfectly captures the uneasiness of the curse lying in wait. The world itself feels like it’s “breathing,” ready to pounce and to heighten the horror to levels that will drag viewers in. Past attempts at fulfilling the promise of adapting Ito’s works have fallen flat in countless respects but that assuredly is not the case here.  

Musical artist Colin Stetson was an inspired choice to create the soundtrack for Uzumaki, as the saxophonist’s tracks work well in once again lending to a feeling of uneasiness in the portrayal of the cursed town. Stetson’s work helps to set the mood and exquisitely accompanies the madness that is a part of the series. On top of the soundtrack, both the Japanese and English Dub work is stellar here, so its up to anime fans which method they’ll want to experience Uzumaki in when it begins on Adult Swim on September 28th. 

Horror anime is something that viewers don’t nearly get enough of and so it is beyond satisfying to finally see what might be the perfect example of the genre arrive right in time for the spooky season. Adult Swim’s Uzumaki might have taken years to finally arrive but it was beyond worth the wait. Junji Ito’s latest anime endeavor is sure to be one that anime fans will revisit on an annual basis when Halloween rolls around and we can’t wait to dig our teeth into the rest of the four-episode miniseries following its premiere. 

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Uzumaki premieres on Adult Swim on August 28th.

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The French word “dépaysant” means “a nice change of scenery,” the Parisian nun Isabelle (Clémence Poésy) tells the American Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) on The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon — The Book of Carol. “It makes you look at things a different way.” Daryl and Carol (Melissa McBride) were the last two remaining characters from the first season still with The Walking Dead by the end of its 11-season run on AMC, and now the fan favorites are the last to get their own Walking Dead spinoff in a new setting following Maggie and Negan (in The Walking Dead: Dead City) and Rick and Michonne (in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live).

When the Walking Dead Daryl and Carol series returns with its sophomore season premiere (September 29th on AMC and AMC+), two weeks have passed since Daryl delivered Laurent (Louis Puech Scigliuzzi) to the Union de l’Espoir at the Nest: the Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey in Normandy, France. “I don’t know if this is the place I’m supposed to be,” Daryl tells Isabelle, but he’s stranded there until Union leader Losang (Joel de la Fuente) can arrange another boat ride back home to the Commonwealth in Ohio. 

As Daryl questions whether the people he left behind are still thinking about him, Isabelle begins to question Losang’s motives and his religious dogma that Laurent — who was born to a zombie-bitten mother at the onset of the zombie apocalypse 13 years earlier — is immune to bites as the religious movement’s prophesiedmessiah. This “false hope” makes the Union a target for Madame Genet (Anne Charrier) and her Pouvoir Du Vivant, an autocratic movement that aims to create a new France by unleashing an army of Ampers: a stronger and faster breed of amped-up Les affamés (walkers) engineered in a lab.

Meanwhile, halfway around the world, Carol has tracked down her missingfriend to Freeport, Maine, where she meets a kind stranger: a pilot named Ash (The Resident‘s Manish Dayal). Carol convinces him to fly her to France under false pretenses, and by the end of the Greg Nicotero-directed first episode, Daryl and Carol are set on separate paths that will inevitably intersect as they are connecté et dépaysé (both connected and disoriented) in foreign surroundings. It’s a spoiler to reveal when Daryl and Carol reunite over the course of the six-episode season, but rest assured that fans will be satisfied (and teary-eyed) when the long-awaited Caryl reunion finally happens in the most emotional scene of the season. (All six episodes were made available to critics.)

Showrunner David Zabel (who co-wrote a 2006 episode of ER that earned him a Humanitas Prize, awarded to writers “whose work explores the human condition in a nuanced, meaningful way”) and the Daryl Dixon writers’ room have a natural ability to tap into the intrinsic humanity at the core of the zombie drama, which was always about the living and not the living dead. If Daryl and Carol are the beating heart of The Walking Dead, Reedus and McBride are the soul. 

While the two characters go all the way back to the first season in 2010, the “Caryl” relationship as we know it didn’t start to form until Season 2. Daryl Dixon — The Book of Carol includes some well-placed flashbacks to the Season 2 episodes “Cherokee Rose” and “Pretty Much Dead Already,” two essential episodes that forged the unbreakable bond between Daryl and Carol — both survivors of abuse — after the disappearance and death of Carol’s young daughter, Sophia (Madison Lintz). It’s a loss that has haunted Carol ever since, and as she grapples with these ghosts from the past, Carol’s emotional turmoil proves to be a riveting showcase for the incomparable McBride. And Reedus — who has always brought sensitivity and vulnerability to a character who was conceived as “a mini-Merle,” fleshing out his layers over 11 seasons — delivers another understated and compelling performance that makes Reedus and McBride the perfect pairing.

In an interview with ComicBook, TWD Universe chief content officer Scott M. Gimple likened the new season to “an indie French horror movie.” It’s an apt comparison, because The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon is like nothing else on television. A Walking Dead show with French-language subtitled dialogue? Beautifully shot cinematic landscapes, natural lighting, and on-location shoots across the French countryside? And between amped-up walker kills and a one-shot action sequence in Episode 3 — a knife-hurling, neck-snapping, guts-stabbing, bone-breaking, breathless melee that is more like a fight scene out of 2003’s Oldboy than any fight scene ever staged on The Walking Dead — the season is as action-packed as it is artsy. Mon Dieu!

This is an adrenalized, action-heavy season that foregoes much of the religious undercurrent of the more measured and faith-based first season, but its balanced mix of heartfelt drama and heart-pounding zombie action means Daryl Dixon is more epic than ever. Even if the season is a layover on the way to the upcoming Spain-set and shot Season 3, the new chapter in the book of Daryl and Carol is dépaysant.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon — The Book of Carol premieres Sunday, September 29th on AMC and AMC+.

The post The Walking Dead Review: Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride Reunite in Amped-up Daryl Dixon Season 2 appeared first on ComicBook.com.

For generations, the word “verisimilitude” has hung over the world of comic book adaptations. Richard Donner famously used the concept as a guiding principle for 1978’s Superman movie, arguing that the high-flying and brightly colored protagonist needed to be rooted in a version of reality to effectively translate onscreen. It’s hard to deny that Donner succeeded in that venture, as his film essentially defined the genre, but the concept has become a sort of buzzword in the decades since. Verisimilitude is thrown around in countless arguments about superhero projects that are too dark and gritty, not dark and gritty enough, or stuck in a limbo between the two. This debate crossed my mind frequently while watching HBO’s The Penguin, the newest television extension of the DC mythos. Across its eight-episode season, The Penguin reframes that age-old argument in a beautiful new evolution, delivering one of the most unflinchingly human and entertaining interpolations of a comic in recent memory.

Set shortly after the events of the 2022 film The Batman, The Penguin follows the continued adventures of Oz Cobb (Colin Farrell) as he scrambles for power amid the criminal underworld of the now-shattered Gotham City. As Oz navigates his new reputation, his new criminal schemes, and his home life, he also begins to form an unlikely bond with teenager Victor Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz). Intersecting with Oz’s quest is Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti), a notorious serial killer who grew up as the once-pampered daughter of Oz’s former boss, and who is trying to forge her own path forward after being released from a mental institution. 

That description not only scratches the surface of what The Penguin has to offer, but it doesn’t even dwell on the DC lore that surrounds the series. Yes, there are countless comic stories delving into the Falcone family’s chokehold over Gotham City, as well as Oz’s own rise to power within that structure. Yes, Sofia’s institutionalization occurred in the infamous Arkham Asylum. Yes, Oz’s romantic partner, sex worker Eve Karlo (Carmen Ejogo), shares a surname with the Batman villain Clayface. But those comic connections are far from the most compelling or surprising things that The Penguin has to offer, even as fans sniff around for clues about The Batman‘s cinematic sequel, 2026’s The Batman Part II. Any reference to DC canon, from the inclusion of a comic character to a random offhanded reference, flavors the experience of The Penguin instead of being a whole meal. Even the specific flavors that fans have already turned their noses at — namely, shortening Oz’s name from his comic-accurate moniker of Oswald Cobblepot — prove to be inconsequential in context. 

That shouldn’t necessarily be a miracle when we’re decades into the world of modern comic book television shows, but it feels like one, especially as The Penguin offers a fundamentally entertaining experience at every single turn. The show subscribes to virtually every single trope fans could expect from a crime drama, delivering brutal violence, countless backroom deals, and a larger sense of grounded stakes. But under the guidance of showrunner Lauren LeFranc, it never gives itself an opportunity to be defined by those tropes, allowing space for a true sense of sincerity. This is abundantly apparent with Oz, whose unique earnestness is on display in his closest relationship, and whose dark aspirations are juxtaposed with awkward quirks and legitimately funny one-liners. It is also astronomically clear with Sofia, whose biting wit and impossibly tragic backstory create a perfect foil to Oz. (Without getting into spoilers, the chapter of The Penguin that dives into that backstory might just be one of the best television episodes of the year, if not in recent memory.) The heartfelt nature of The Penguin not only keeps the series’ story moving, but it proves to be a perfect complement to the larger-than-life vigilantism viewers saw in The Batman. Granted, some fans might grow disappointed by how scattered the moments of high-octane action are, but The Penguin‘s weekly release model should allow space for countless sequences (both big and small) to get the weight that they deserve.

Farrell’s unrecognizable performance as Oz remains as transformative and quirky as it was in The Batman, while evolving into so much more than the countless internet memes and confused social media posts might have suggested the first time around. The series is a character study for Oz in every single sense of the word, building him into a multifaceted, sympathetic protagonist that audiences want to root for, even at his absolute worst. On its own, Farrell’s performance would be enough to singlehandedly carry a show of this venture, which makes it all the more outstanding that The Penguin boasts an equally revelatory performance from Milioti. The actress steals every single scene she is in, as we watch Sofia fall in and out of Oz’s circle and spiral towards her own path of being a criminal mastermind. It’s not only a portrayal fully worthy of Sofia’s bizarre and dark DC history, but easily a career-defining performance from Milioti, whose decades of work on the screen and the stage has been criminally overlooked. Outside of the two leads, The Penguin is still filled with compelling performances, with Feliz’s sweet and overwhelmed take on Victor and Clancy Brown’s excellent take on mob boss Salvatore Maroni being definite highlights.

On an aesthetic level, The Penguin carries the torch of The Batman without ever overdoing certain elements. The team behind Farrell’s prosthetic makeup deserves every award imaginable, delivering a practical alchemy that helps cement Oz as his own unique, scarred entity. The series’ New York sets seamlessly emulate the franchise’s Gotham amalgam of London and Chicago, with subtle expansions in new neighborhoods and set pieces. Cinematographer Darran Tiernan also carries over the gritty dimension of The Batman, while weaving in the occasional vibrant colors that would have seemed out of place in the series’ predecessor. Composer Mick Giacchino, the son of The Batman composer Michael Giacchino, creates a sonic identity that stands on its own without ever feeling too out of place, when juxtaposed with the previous score or with the series’ slew of needle drops (including the best use of Dolly Parton in recent pop culture memory).

Across its eight episodes, The Penguin redefines what verisimilitude can mean in the world of comic book adaptations. The grittiness, violence, and double-crossing that fans would expect from the title are abundantly present, but balanced with a truly heartfelt take on loss, rebirth, and personal agency. The series is not only one of the better crime dramas in recent memory, it is one of the best examples of how to branch out decades of beloved lore.The Penguin is simply a show about people trying to thrive in a world much bigger and weirder than they can even comprehend — a subject that would be universal nonetheless, but transforms into something special with its engrossing performances. 

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

The Penguin will premiere on Max on Thursday, September 19th, followed by an HBO premiere on Sunday, September 22nd, with new episodes debuting on both HBO and Max beginning on September 29th.

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Futurama made its grand return from its originally intended series finale for a third time last summer with new episodes on Hulu, and Season 12 continues that hot streak, as everyone behind it all seems to finally be comfortable again and running along smoothly. Futurama is a notable animated series in that it originally ran with Fox for four seasons before being cancelled, only to then return with a slate of direct-to-video feature films years later, and then returning with a few new seasons with Comedy Central before being cancelled again. Last summer, Futurama was then revived yet another time and got back into the swing of things. 

Futurama Season 11 felt like a season of getting the band back together on Hulu, so to speak. While there were a few standout episodes, much of the season felt like both new and returning members of the cast and staff were trying to “find” what Futurama‘s voice was going to be for this new era. It was a season of both revival and experimentation, but now Season 12 is finally making use of all of that effort as Futurama is now firing on all cylinders again. 

The first six episodes of Futurama Season 12 run the gamut of both wacky one-off adventures as seen with the previous Hulu season, and a few big looks expanding the overall lore of the series itself. Many animated shows these days have been a big hit with fans the more they explore the characters’ histories or personalities to shake up the overall status quo, but Futurama‘s been doing that for a long time. In fact, some of the biggest episodes in the series’ history have done just that, as seen in “The Luck of the Fryrish,” “The Day the Earth Stood Stood Stupid,” and more. Thankfully, that’s the case here, too. 

Futurama Season 12 has a much better blend of its modern-day technology parody with furthering a character’s story. For example, one of the episodes sees Bender starring in an NFT collection. While one of the side plots sees the Professor and the Planet Express crew misunderstanding how NFTs work (and thus much humor is mined from the idea of that technology in the first place), the real core of the episode instead shifts more of its focus to Bender as he learns more about his Mexican heritage; it’s not an episode focused on a single idea. 

You’ll see this demonstrated throughout the season overall. Rather than spending the majority of an episode aping a technology or idea that would have outdated humor by the time Futurama‘s talking about it (as seen with some of the older seasons’ weaker episodes), it’s instead used as a springboard to find a new way to highlight one of the main characters. For another example, there’s one episode that seems like it’s just going to be a parody of Netflix’s Squid Game, but turns into one of the best looks into Fry’s past yet. 

While there aren’t as many huge shifts in the status quo in the first six episodes of Futurama Season 12 as seen with Futurama Season 11 (nothing on the level as Amy having kids and adding more regular characters to the rotation), instead we get some new looks at the classic characters and some shake-ups to their dynamics. There are episodes featuring different mix-ups (like Leela finding a new group of friends or the Professor seeking out a surprising new career) that instead keep it feeling fresh even after all these years. Rather than going for these big swings, the series instead finds more to mine from what’s still on the table.

Futurama Season 12 feels like the revival series finding its groove. There are some major laughs to be found with each episode, and it’s clear that everyone behind the scenes has gotten back into the rhythm of things and found the right way to navigate Futurama in this current era of streaming animation. It’s the kind of revival fans have been hoping for when the series first made its comeback last summer, and is a great sign of what is come with the series’ future with Hulu. 

Rating: 4 out of 5

Futurama Season 12 premieres with Hulu on July 29th.

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In a world where franchises are spread increasingly thin, filling in arbitrary gaps of canon to the point of no return, your favorite television show earning a sequel can be an interesting conundrum. When an Orphan Black spinoff was first announced to be in the works in 2019, less than two years after the Emmy-winning cult classic had reached its poignant conclusion, there was absolutely no telling what shape it would take. The original series, and its passionate “Clone Club” fandom, have remained a cornerstone of my life and of my media tastes, one that could be perfectly preserved in my mind while the larger media landscape changed dramatically. Five years later, the ten-episode first season of Orphan Black: Echoes has not only calmed my worries, but it has helped justify the existence of a sequel series of its nature. While not without its flaws, Orphan Black: Echoes is a welcomed return to one of the best feminist fables of the 21st century, with plenty of meaningful surprises.

Set in the near future of 2052, Orphan Black: Echoes opens on the journey of Lucy (Krysten Ritter), a seemingly ordinary woman who has rebuilt a quiet life after a bizarre amnesiac episode. When that life gets threatened by her past, and the very nature of her existence, Lucy is sent on a drastic journey of self-discovery. This throws her into the orbit of teenage girl, Jules (Amanda Fix), and a mysterious doctor (Keeley Hawes), both of whom might hold the answers — if those answers aren’t exploited by world-altering forces.

That description doesn’t even begin to encapsulate the mystery at the center of Orphan Black: Echoes — in part because that mystery takes a good chunk of the season to properly reveal itself. Any heart-stopping twist on par with Orphan Black‘s inciting moments, in which Sarah Manning (Tatiana Maslany) watches an exact doppelganger of herself commit suicide by jumping in front of a train, does not occur in earnest until the season’s midpoint. There is an admirable quality to this slow burn, as it does allow the viewer to acclimate themselves to the show’s far-flung future before throwing it into disarray, but it might create a frustrating experience for new and old fans alike. Luckily, Echoes does bide its time in those early episodes by folding in Easter eggs and connections to its predecessor, but none are outright alienating for those jumping into the franchise first with this series. If you do count yourself to be a member of Clone Club, these ties create space to (thematically and occasionally literally) check in on an old friend, while also posing thorny questions about the series’ central mystery.

Once the puzzle pieces of Echoes do begin to fall into place, the bigger picture is effective and genuinely surprising. The overarching plot of Season 1 carries over the franchise’s approach to feminism and body autonomy in a way that never feels like an unused storyline from the original series (or its subsequent comic and audio drama adaptations). This is, in part, because some of its inspiration feels extremely prescient, as the fight for personal agency and the rise of misguided technocrats have unfortunately become more common in our real world than in our science fiction. There is a lot of cathartic fun in watching Echoes recontextualize those themes, all while remaining grounded in its various protagonists. Again, it is exasperating that Echoes takes half of its season to fully entrench itself in that conflict, but the end result is still entertaining and meaningful, in ways that creep up on you long after watching the episodes.

In a way, it’s impossible to exactly recapture the dramaturgical and technical wizardry of Maslany’s performances on the original Orphan Black — something that Echoes, for the most part, seems to recognize as well. Instead, especially in the latter half of Echoes‘ first season, the series crafts a different kind of magic between its ensemble cast of characters. Compared to many of Orphan Black‘s Leda clones, or even Ritter’s most well-known roles of Marvel’s Jessica Jones and Breaking Bad‘s Jane Margolis, it isn’t as easy to assign Lucy a specific archetype. Performance-wise, Ritter utilizes that fact to find a lot of quiet empathy and mystery, turning her into a relatable everywoman even in the most impossible of circumstances. Without getting into spoilers, the scenes between Lucy and Fix’s Jules quickly and consistently become one of the hearts of the series, and are downright exhilarating in the second half of the season. This will, hopefully, become the breakout role of Fix’s career, because she delivers a liveliness and gravitas that is lacking in many actors twice her age.

The other heart of Echoes proves to be Hawes’ key role, which I will not spoil here, even though it has already been heavily hinted at in some of the show’s marketing. From the very first frame, her performance provides a unique two-way street between Echoes and the original text of Orphan Black — her triumphs and traumas are boosted by all that preceded her, while her mere existence as a fascinating and flawed woman strengthens an overlooked part of the original series. Hawes shoulders the weight of those connections with a captivating sense of grace, all while keeping her character incredibly accessible to newer audiences.

Another gimmick from the original series that Echoes chooses not to employ is setting up several wildly different social circles and mundane predicaments for its characters, and as a result, some of the larger ensemble cast feel a bit undercooked. But there are some standouts, particularly in the form of Lucy’s endearing ally Craig (Jonathan Whittaker), and in the beauty and tragedy of the spoiler-heavy characters played by Rya Kihlstedt and Vinson Tran.

One of the biggest surprises of Echoes — which, at times, contributes to the dissonance of its initial viewing experience — is the series’ aesthetics. While there are occasional moments of brilliance, Echoes does not consistently match a lot of the moody color grading and inventive cinematography of its predecessor. The distinctly sci-fi elements vary in execution as well, with some (unique city skylines and tubs of mysterious pink ooze) provoking a sense of fear and wonder, and others (inconsistently CGIed machines and boringly casual “futuristic” costuming) feeling like an afterthought. This doesn’t prove to be a make-or-break element for Echoes, especially once the story kicks into high gear, but it does leave something to be desired when on the heels of the tactile techno-futuristic weirdness of the original show’s Neolution movement. In other ways, the technical aspects of Echoes do provide a worthy follow-up to their predecessor, from returning composer Trevor Yule’s mesmerizing work on the series’ score to the melancholic and catchy theme song sung by Grammy-winning boygenius member Julian Baker.

Orphan Black: Echoes is, in a roundabout way, the perfect sequel series for its eponymous franchise. It is, often, a wholly unique individual, crafting a modern tale of personhood and science in a world that needs those stories more than ever. It is also, in necessary ways, aware of the sisterhood it is a part of, utilizing its decades-long jump into the future to dramatize how much growth and change we, as viewers, have endured in the six long years since the original Orphan Black wrapped. Bolstered by the great performances of its leading ladies and the heart of its core story, Orphan Black: Echoes is rewarding, even if it might take you a few episodes to fall down the rabbit hole.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Orphan Black: Echoes will premiere on Sunday, June 23rd on AMC, AMC+, and BBC America.

The post Orphan Black: Echoes Review: A Scrappy, Surprising Addition to the Sestrahood appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Everything is awful and the world is falling apart, both in the real world and in the world of The Boys. The breakout Prime Video hit has never been one to shy away from tackling real-world issues, a notion that combusts beyond belief throughout the eight episodes of The Boys Season 4. Though the show has been a bit on the nose with its previous jabs at the political landscape, Season 4 is hardly satire; instead, it simply replicates the rhetoric seen on social media and fringe outlets consumed by the far right.

The show picks up just a few months after the ending of The Boys Season 3, with the titular group now led by MM (Laz Alonso) as Butcher (Karl Urban) lives out his remaining days due to his brain cancer destroying his body. By this point in time, Homelander (Antony Starr) finds himself on trial for murdering the “Starlighter” at the end of Season 3, causing tensions to be at an all-time high between the Hometeamers and Starlighters.

From the leap, the eponymous group of vigilantes faces an uphill battle, and it’s one isn’t easily resolved by the time the season airs its final episode. The show is, after all, already renewed for a fifth season as Prime Video turns it into a bonafide franchise. It’s here that this season falls into its biggest faults of the year: the show’s characters, from Butcher to Homelander (Antony Starr) and anyone in between, takes one step forward only to get blasted five steps back. It’s been a recurring theme throughout the previous three seasons and it’s one that’s found ad nauseam through this summer’s eight episodes.

Luckily, that’s the biggest mark against Season 4. In showrunner Eric Kripke’s typical fashion, The Boys refuses to pull any punches and the end result is something that punches you in the gut repeatedly. Though it will leave you battered, beaten, and broken, it will make you feel terror. It will make experience furor, and if you scour the utter darkness of the show, you may even fight a little corner of light that will inject you with just the tiniest sliver of hope. No matter what the case, The Boys Season 4 makes you feel intense emotions within most of its scenes, a true testament to the storytelling strength of this cast and crew.

While he’s made his presence felt plenty of times before, Alonso is Season 4’s breakout star, with his MM taking over the reins of The Boys because of Butcher’s ailing health. Alonso excels as a leader, and the development seen on screen will have fans arguing the case he’s the most important character of the season. On the opposite side, Starr’s Homelander is a double-edged sword — as has been the case for the better part of 30 episodes now. The show finally dives deeper into the character’s backstory, taking fans on a dangerously sympathetic journey into why he is doing what he does. It’s a difficult story only Starr could handle, and the actor’s performance cements Homelander’s rightful place in the Pantheon of Film Villains.

Also taking center stage is Susan Heyward’s Sister Sage, a character that might be the most dangerous of them all, even though she has a vastly different skillset than what we’ve already seen on the show. Sage goes to great lengths to provide an interesting dynamic between the others in The Seven, and it goes a long way to keep the villains fresh and three-dimensional.

The Boys Season 4 is nothing short of frustrating, but not because of the writers or actors associated with the show; it’s frustrating because the show does an impeccable job of examining the world we live in, putting a light on just how dangerous and alarming the rhetoric used by some of those in positions of power really is. It’s far from a feel-good television show, but that’s the point of it all: if it leaves you fuming, maybe you’ll be inspired to do something about it.

Rating: 4 out of 5

The first three episodes of The Boys Season 4 start streaming on Prime Video Thursday, June 13th while the remaining five episodes of the season will be released weekly through July 18th.

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Star Wars: The Acolyte, the latest entry into the Star Wars canon by way of Disney+, brings viewers back to that familiar galaxy far, far away, but a bit longer of a time ago than they’re used to. The Acolyte, created by Leslye Headland, occurs during the waning days of the High Republic era, about 100 years before Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, when both the Jedi Order and the Galactic Republic were at the height of their power and influence. It also may reveal the first cracks in these institutions’ foundations that would leave them vulnerable to exploitation and lead to their eventual falls. With this coming darkness looming, The Acolyte offers a different set of genre influences than Star Wars has typically hewn to, though perhaps not blended to maximum potency.

WARNING: This review discusses plot points from the first four episodes of The Acolyte that could be considered mild spoilers

Star Amandla Stenberg centers the series in the dual roles of Osha and Mae, twin sisters separated after a traumatic event that left their family dead. Osha went on to become a Jedi Padawan but left the Jedi Order when she proved unable to let go of her feelings about what happened that day.

Mae is presumed dead until she emerges in The Acolyte‘s opening scene, striding into a cantina to goad Jedi Master Indara (Carrie-Anne Most) into a fight. It’s a stunning scene, with ambiance set nicely by the streams of light coming into the saloon from the setting sun outside, and combat that blends beautiful moves inspired by martial arts cinema with Indira’s Force abilities to offer something fresh in a Star Wars fight sequence. It ends with a standoff befitting the clear Western influences and is a stellar opening salvo for the new show.

Mae’s reemergence triggers an investigation that reunites Osha with Jedi from her past, including her old friend Yord Fandar (Charlie Barnett) and her former master, Sol (Lee Jung-jae). Since Mae was believed dead, Osha is at first a suspect, but it doesn’t take long for them to figure out the truth and begin investigating what appears to be a revenge-fueled killing spree.

But revenge for what? The Acolyte is less adept at building tension around its central mysteries than it is at framing exciting action scenes, less keeping its secrets tightly under wraps and more keeping them behind a thin strip of sheer fabric, obscured enough to be frustrating. Mae is seemingly motivated by vengeance for something that happened during or around the event that separated her from her sister. Sol was there when it happened, as was Osha, and several of the supporting characters seem to have some idea of what transpired, leaving only the audience out of the loop. Eventually, the show does offer a first-hand account of what happened, but while it leaves crucial moments unseen, it isn’t hard for anyone paying attention to figure out what they’re not being told. (Presumably. I don’t want to spoil too much by spelling out my theory, but if it turns out to be anything other than, broadly, “The Jedi did something bad,” I will stand corrected.)

Despite its prestige thriller ambitions, The Acolyte leans into several tropes and some of Star Wars’ most melodramatic impulses. Characters are transfixed by flames that remind them of their traumatic pasts. There are mistaken identities, evil twins, and mysterious masterminds. These devices can be fun in the right context, but the storytelling isn’t leaning into it. For the cinematic splendor of that opening scene, the spaceship-bound scenes that follow are uninspired, oddly quiet, and awkwardly staged, feeling somehow like they’re being shot at an immersive Star Wars theme park.

The plot suffocates the characters, who are often left with little to do but deliver whatever bit of dialogue is needed to push the plot to the next scene, leaving their characterizations one-note. Yord is a young, by-the-book goofball. Jecki Lon (Dafne Keen), Sol’s current padawan, is smugly brilliant, Vernestra Rwoh (Rebecca Henderson) is a severe Jedi elder turned jaded by Coruscant politics. They’re fine starting points, but the series seems uninterested in giving any character an arc outside of the twins and maybe Sol, leaving the rest of the ensemble feeling more like plot devices than people.

Despite its flaws, The Acolyte offers some memorable moments. Anytime the series focuses on the unique practices of the Jedi of the High Republic era, it shines. The time spent with Mother Aniseya (Jodie Turner-Smith) and her coven of Force witches is fascinating and has some mesmerizing visual moments. While the series plays with certain familiar Star Wars themes (duality, chiefly), it also surprisingly elevates the type of Star Wars story previously confined to tie-in novels to live-action. As someone who has read a few Star Wars novels, I say that with affection, though it’ll be interesting to see if it will lose more casual fans.

Star Wars: The Acolyte stands apart from other Star Wars projects for its unique setting and for bringing new influences into the universe. It isn’t executed to perfection, and there are moments when it can feel lifeless. However, there are others when it succeeds at showing that there are still unexplored corners of this Star Wars universe worth investigating. As a series built on mysteries – likely another polarizing point – much of its value will come from whether it has satisfying answers. We won’t know that until the final episode. For now, it’s an uneven experience likely to appeal most to those already swimming in the deep end of the Star Wars pool.

Rating: 3 out of 5

The first two episodes of Star Wars: The Acolyte premiere on Disney+ on June 4th.

The post Star Wars: The Acolyte Review: Unraveling a High Republic Mystery appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The new era of Doctor Who continues its strong start, with Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson bringing a sense of joy and whimsy to the long-running sci-fi series. On Christmas Day, BBC and Disney+ kicked off the new era of Doctor Who, the seminal TV series starring the last of the Time Lords, with the Doctor picking up a new companion and a new mystery to unravel. Doctor Who returns with new episodes this week and while not as strong as the season premiere, the new episodes are a joy to watch, largely due to the unbridled joy and unmatched emotion of its two leads.

The previous run of Doctor Who, led by showrunner Chris Chibnall, was largely seen as a low point for the 50-year old franchise despite a strong performance by Jodie Whittaker as the 13th Doctor. BBC brought in Russell T. Davies to revitalize the series similar to how he brought back the series in 2010 after a lengthy hiatus. Davies closed out the previous “era” by bringing back fan-favorites David Tennant and Catherine Tate as the 14th Doctor and Donna Noble respectively and using the duo to establish a new status quo over the course of three specials that both respected the past storylines but also drew a soft line to separate the old from the new. Gatwa was brought in at the tail end of the third special as the 15th Doctor unencumbered by the immense trauma that previous Doctors’ have been burdened with. 

The next two episodes of Doctor Who that were made available for review build on the chemistry of Gatwa and Millie Gibson’s Ruby Sunday, a well-adjusted teen with a mysterious past. The Doctor and Sunday have an instant connection, not built upon a hinted romance but rather the shared joy of enjoying the wonder of the universe. While the pair are faced with some weighty threats during the two episodes, Gatwa and Gibson spend most of their shared screentime smiling or smirking as if the pair are in on a secret joke. The two bring an infectious energy to the screen and it’s hard not to smile when they do. 

Gatwa’s Doctor is a bit more reactive and cool than most of his predecessors, oozing with a sort of charm that can only come from someone who has traveled to the beginning and end of time. It’s amazing how effortlessly he’s slotted into the role of the Doctor and made it into his own, and he’ll likely be on the top of many fans’ list of favorite Doctors before his time on the show ends. What I enjoyed most about Gatwa is how he acknowledges all of the pain, hurt, and trauma that comes with being the Doctor without letting it define the character. Honestly, he reminds a lot of David Tennant’s 10th Doctor, but without the brooding that version of the Doctor was burdened with.

Besides the new cast, this new era of Doctor Who also seems to have shifted a bit away from science fiction and more towards the realm of fantasy. After years of facing Daleks and Cybermen and various other alien species, the first few episodes of Doctor Who instead explore more nebulous theories and ideas such as the power of coincidence or the effect of music on history. It’s not that Doctor Who hasn’t played around with these kinds of “big ideas” in the past, but they’ve rarely been the focus of the series like before. And by focusing more on the existential, Doctor Who is also given some more freedom to be a little goofier and whimsical than it was in the past. Some of this whimsy is a bit over-the-top at times, but most fans will find it to be a breath of fresh air after the slog of the previous series. 

Another interesting note from the first new episodes is how Davies pays homage to his last stint while teasing what could be coming in the future. Ruby Sunday shares a few similarities with Rose Tyler (played by Billie Piper during Davies’ first run on Doctor Who) and there are a couple of story beats, especially in the second episode, that seem like homages to early moments from Rose’s introduction in the series. There are also a couple of tantalizing Easter eggs and references in the episode, especially regarding the Doctor’s past incarnations and the Time Lords, that feel a bit too on the nose to not play a factor in the rest of the season. The new era seems to be a conscious separation from what came before, but Davies is still a big Doctor Who fan and the show doesn’t abandon its storied history even though it is clearly aiming for a new audience. 

If you enjoyed the Doctor Who Christmas special that introduced Gatwa and Gibson, you’ll be pleased to know the new series of Doctor Who continues to shine with the same charm and energy. Even if you didn’t enjoy the more whimsical take on the Doctor, there are still plenty of mysteries hinted at in just the first few episodes that could set up storylines for years to come, some of which seem to touch upon neglected parts of Doctor Who lore not really visited since the show came back almost 15 years ago. This is a new era of Doctor Who and the show looks to be must-watch television once again. 

Review Score: 4.5 out of 5

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The first season of AMC’s Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire achieved what many fans of the late author’s most iconic work thought impossible; the series brought to life something that was simultaneously faithful to the characters and themes that generations of readers have come to love while also carving out something entirely new, taking viewers into unexpected corners of the lush and mysterious world of Lestat de Lioncourt and Louis du Pointe du Lac. But it wasn’t just a visual and narrative feast that Season 1 delivered, as it also left fans with the greatest of mysteries as it concluded with a “and then what?” when Louis and Claudia fled New Orleans in search of others like themselves after having killed their maker Lestat —with the viewer aware that it wouldn’t be quite that simple. With the stakes (and the drama) so high and so much of the story to unfold, Season 2 had a lot to live up to as the vampires headed into the European night — and it’s done exactly that. Season 2 of Interview with the Vampire pulls off a bit of theatrical magic, managing to be an even more authentic adaptation of an iconic story while still offering a fresh reinvention of Rice’s work and delivering even further on the heartbreak and humanity that is the drama of the undead.

Season 2 of Interview With the Vampire picks up where one would expect it to, with Louis (Jacob Anderson) and Claudia (Delainey Hayles) in Europe on an existential quest: where did we come from? As series creators have said from the outset, the season follows roughly the second half of Rice’s novel and for the six of eight episodes that were provided to critics for review, this remains true, albeit with some tweaks and changes that enhance and clarify the voyage. Viewers follow Claudia and Louis as they seek their own kind and simultaneously try to deal with (or not deal with) their own fractured relationship in the wake of their lives in New Orleans before, eventually, making their way to Paris where they encounter the Theatre de Vampires, the first true coven of vampires like them they have ever encountered. It is the arrival in Paris and the incorporation with the Theatre that begin to pull both Claudia and Louis on their own journeys of self, ones that pull them further from one another but also that create new dangers as new clashes with old.

The season also maintains its dual timeline storytelling established in Season 1, moving between Louis’ memories as recounted to Daniel and the actual contemporary interview in which he is doing the recounting. This time around, however, the contemporary interview takes a bit more center stage. The end of Season 1 revealed that “Rashid” was actually the vampire Armand, and that memory — specifically what Daniel remembers from the original interview in 1973 — may not be what it seems. Season 2 leans into that a good bit more, creating a more pronounced secondary storyline that, in turn, drives how the recollection of Louis’ past is itself brought to life. Between the two timelines and the two stories, a richer, albeit darker tale begins to emerge, one that gives the season a feel not unlike that of a thriller that holds the viewer on the edge of their seat wondering when the facade of civility holding everything together – in both timelines – is going to crack. To put it more simply, this season feels more directly like intellectual horror than last season and it’s an excellent development.

In fact, there is a lot about Season 2 that simply works on a more elevated level than Season 1. The shifts to the canonical story are ambitious, but they are well-considered and well-crafted, particularly in the approach to Claudia and her time in Paris as well as Armand’s incorporation into the mystery of 1973. There are also plenty of Easter eggs for fans of the overall The Vampire Chronicles and they are done in ways that feel organic and like genuine narrative layering and not like Easter eggs at all.  

The biggest strength the season has going for it, however, is casting. Sam Reid and Jacob Anderson are again brilliant as Lestat and Louis, respectively, and Eric Bogosian’s Daniel continues to in equal turns bring humor and a bit of a “bullsh-t check” to the often very purple prose-y vampires. But the real standouts are the newcomers. Delainey Hayles picks up the role of Claudia from Bailey Bass seamlessly and then carries the role even higher, delivering a performance that perfectly conveys the horror of being imprisoned in a forever childlike body as well as the devastation of all the cruelty and wrongs done to her. There is a humanity to her monstrousness that burns through the screen every time she is on it. In the books, Santiago is one of the characters readers absolutely love to hate but in the brilliant hands of Ben Daniels, you not only love to hate him but you come right back around to loving him and perhaps even agreeing with him. There’s something malicious and charming about him that almost rivals Reid’s Lestat. Additionally, Roxane Duran’s Madeleine is possibly the best casting yet for a character that is relatively minor, but also very significant, and when paired in scenes with Hayles’ Claudia, there is a heartbreak that defies the medium and cuts through to the very soul.

Even with strong storytelling that both relies on and respectfully reinvents canon and bolsters it with top-tier performances, there are a few small flaws in the overall season. As fans know, AMC is looking to build out an Immortal Universe based on Rice’s works — Mayfair Witches already exists, and more are in development — and there are some moments in the season that, at least through Episode 6, that feel a bit forced, especially when one considers the power of the vampires involved. There is one particular character reveal that is, while very interesting and has potential, does feel slightly out of place, at least in the episodes we’ve seen thus far. There is also a hard shift as certain buried truths come to light that feels very abrupt and almost out of character — and, again, a little forced and jagged considering the power and nature of the vampires involved. Either of those aspects almost feel as though they’d be better suited to being their own, unconnected story.

Even for those little falters, Season 2 of Interview With the Vampire, to borrow from theater in a sense, brings down the house. With top-notch performances, careful pacing, and just the right amount of narrative shifts and tweaks, the series manages to take a story that so many think they know and not only leans into the familiar but make it even more thrilling, more fascinating, and invites the viewer to question their own memory – while compelling you to ask for more.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Interview with the Vampire Season 2 premieres on AMC on May 12th.

The post Interview With The Vampire Season 2 Review: Sexier, Darker, and More Enthralling Than Ever appeared first on ComicBook.com.

At the end of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Knuckles the Echidna (Idris Elba) found himself a new home on Earth. That’s where things pick up for the character in Knuckles, a new series coming to Paramount+ on April 26th. As the series begins, Knuckles is struggling to get acclimated to his new surroundings. Enter the spirit of his ancestor Chief Pachacamac (Christopher Lloyd), who tells Knuckles that he will find his purpose by training a new warrior: Green Hills deputy Wade Whipple (Adam Pally). Wade’s bumbling nature makes him seem like a bizarre candidate, but their quest starts to take shape over the six-episode series. 

On the surface, the plot for Knuckles seems very similar to the first Sonic the Hedgehog movie: a police officer and his anthropomorphic animal friend work together while being pursued by a mad scientist (Rory McCann). However, those similarities are only surface level, because Knuckles is a very low stakes series. Wade’s great quest doesn’t revolve around the Chaos Emeralds, or protecting the planet. Instead, he’s trying to win a bowling tournament in Reno, Nevada where his estranged father (Cary Elwes) happens to be the reigning champion. On their way to the tournament, Knuckles and Wade come into conflict with a pair of agents (Scott Mescudi and Ellie Taylor) hired by a scientist that once worked with Doctor Robotnik. Trailers for Knuckles positioned that conflict as a big part of the show, but the mad scientist storyline is little more than an excuse to imbue some action into what’s otherwise a traditional road trip comedy. 

Wade the Unlikely Warrior

When Knuckles starts out, the show eases viewers in, reintroducing the established characters and their world. Wisely, the show does that via Sonic (Ben Schwartz), Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey), and Maddie Wachowski (Tika Sumpter). Seeing these characters again was a nice reminder to how well director Jeff Fowler has built-up this Sega universe in just two movies. However, the show uses its format to add a lot of depth that we haven’t gotten for both Knuckles and Wade. The two series leads end up having a unique dynamic, and it’s very different from the one between Sonic and Tom in the movies. This propels the show in a direction that’s way more offbeat and bizarre than most audiences might be expecting. 

While Sonic was always cheerful and ready to embrace Earth’s culture, Knuckles is a lot more distrusting and judgmental. Meanwhile, Wade’s pretty much a police officer in name only, and fits none of the cop cliches. He’s nothing resembling a warrior, and he’s underestimated by every single person in his life, from his bowling partner (Julian Barratt) to his FBI agent sister, Wanda (Edi Patterson). Knuckles and Wade are both aloof in their own different ways, and that’s the key to the series. I’ve been a fan of Adam Pally since The Mindy Project, and while I enjoyed seeing him in both Sonic movies, he was mostly used as comic relief. Those comic chops are on full display in Knuckles, but we also get a greater sense of who Wade is as a person. As a result, Pally ends up stealing the show. The series is arguably more about Wade than it is about Knuckles, but Idris Elba does get some moments to shine. 

The humor in Knuckles is similar to the first two Sonic movies, but it leans much more into the absurd. The show’s fourth episode in particular dials things up in a very big way; while I found myself enjoying the first three episodes, it’s here that the show really finds itself, ironically just as Wade also starts to uncover his own inner strength. The episode might be my favorite thing that’s been done with the Sonic Cinematic Universe so far, and it’s destined to spawn a plethora of gifs and memes.

A Cinematic Universe Expands

Knuckles does have a few missteps, and while they aren’t major ones, they do stick out in an otherwise strong series. Throughout the six-episode run, I found myself frequently wondering about the current status of Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. The show doesn’t do the greatest job establishing the general public’s knowledge about these aliens; the people of Green Hills might be used to seeing Sonic at this point, but no one in Reno seems to be fazed by a giant red echidna walking around, either. However, Wade’s mother Wendy (Stockard Channing) faints at the sight of him. It’s one of those things I had to “turn off my brain” about after a few episodes, and I just wish things were a little bit clearer. The final episode of the series also ends a little too abruptly, leaving a couple plot points from the first episode dangling. 

Despite some small issues I had with the show, I found Knuckles to be a delightful new chapter in the ongoing Sonic the Hedgehog Cinematic Universe. What could have been a drawn out movie with a lower budget is instead an absurdly hilarious adventure that adds more depth to a pair of established characters. The music’s great, and Adam Pally and Idris Elba might have better chemistry than we even saw between Ben Schwartz and James Marsden. There are bound to be some Sega fans disappointed that the show doesn’t feature a bigger threat, or more of a presence from Sonic and friends. We should get both of those things in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 though, and I’m happy that we got something weird and unique to flesh out this universe. Knuckles is not going to be the Sega adaptation anyone is expecting, but it’s a wild ride worth taking, especially for fans of the Sonic films. 

Rating: 4 out of 5

Knuckles is set to premiere on Paramount+ on April 26th. All six episodes of the first season were provided by Paramount for this review.

The post Knuckles Review: Adam Pally Steals the Show in Paramount’s Sonic Spin-Off appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Fallout TV show from Prime Video tells a wholly original story, but you’ll often forget that while watching if you’re a fan of the games. That’s not because its story lacks impact or creativity but is instead because the show’s creators have done such an impeccable job fleshing out the world of Fallout that it feels like the characters are treading stories and quests you’ve experienced yourself in one way or another. By staying faithful enough to the source material to earn any liberties it takes with the world of Fallout, the show has once again raised the bar for what a video game adaptation can look like.

Fallout‘s creators had the unenviable task of adapting a series that’s far from straightforward. It’s very much a choose-your-own-adventure RPG where one player’s character is far different from another’s. The solution then was to have three main characters: Lucy MacLean, a Vault Dweller from Vault 33; The Ghoul, an irradiated bounty hunter who predates The Great War; and Maximus, a member of the Brotherhood of Steel. Across eight episodes, these Fallout characters fulfill different sorts of character archetypes with intertwining stories that end up largely being successful in the pursuit of an RPG adaptation.

Other supporting characters like Thaddeus, Norm, Chet, and several more bolster the show’s cast as well and do wonders to again make it seem like the show’s creators truly understood the ins and outs of a Fallout world worth visiting. From the very start of the show when we see life in a Vault, telltale Fallout references like the S.P.E.C.I.A.L traits and the iconic Vault Boy mascot for Vault-Tec are just as common as talks of tempered linings in Power Armor suits and Sugar Bombs. Never do these references feel cheap either with each one as organic as the next, and try as you might to poke holes in explanations or justifications for why thing are the way that they are, the Fallout show remains as accurate as it can given that it’s in uncharted franchise territory.

Across all three main characters, the very general theme of their individual stories is “family” which, again, should not be something Fallout fans are unfamiliar with. Vault 33 inhabitant Lucy is the catalyst for the story, a Vault Dweller searching for her father while also eager to see the surface for the first time. Through Lucy’s eyes, viewers are able to experience the thrill of stepping out into the Wasteland. Flinching at anything that moves and approaching everything with caution, while largely being ignorant to how things work up there outside of the Vault, Lucy more than the other characters is a reflection of the newcomer experience Fallout players have when embarking on their first adventure.

Perhaps I’m biased towards Walton Goggins’ performance as The Ghoul and would welcome a spin-off encompassing his 200 years spent in the Wasteland after the bombs dropped, but it does seem at times like screentime distribution between our protagonists feels a bit uneven. Some pre-war flashbacks technically show more of The Ghoul back when he was a human movie star named Cooper Howard, but when you factor in how many other side characters there are at times and their branching “quests” they’re all invested in, the absence of whoever your favorite of the big three might be doesn’t go unnoticed since time is needed elsewhere so often. Part of that can be attributed to natural character pairings, though there’s also a very awkward romance which was insisted on for some reason.

Humor is another strong point of the Fallout show, though not in a conventional way. I can’t recall ever laughing much during Fallout, but the same can be said for the games, too, where humor is a coping tool, a way of rationalizing the harshness of the post-war Wasteland. The Fallout show very much understands that with incredulous and borderline ridiculous moments as if you’ve taken on the Wild Wasteland trait from Fallout: New Vegas, but never does it go too far. The closest we come to true laugh-out-loud moments, ironically, is when the stoic Brotherhood of Steel is featured, particularly when Thaddeus is on-screen.

In fact, Fallout takes measures not only to capture humorous moments where possible but also to emphasize the harshness of everyday occurrences in the Wasteland. Take the Stimpak, for example. In the games, a Stimpak is a nearly infinite resource, a quick fix for any wound that’s so second nature that you’ve got it hotkeyed to a button to press without another thought. In the Fallout show, a Stimpak is something someone begs for, a last hope when you’re attacked by raiders or creatures or whatever else wants what you’ve got. The thing itself is a horror too – it’s a giant needle you have to stab yourself with time and time again to remedy whatever pain you’re feeling. Like the smallest of threats such as the Radroaches, a Stimpack is nothing to be taken lightly, and that emphasis is something only possible through this live-action adaptation.

Those Radroaches and other wild Fallout threats look quite authentic in terms of special effects and CGI, and the same goes for the Power Armor. These T-60 Power Armor suits look as weighty and destructive as Fallout fans would hope, though they can look at bit funky when helmets and faceplates are removed. Other inconsistencies in the world’s less human characters are seen through things like the ghouls which look fantastic throughout compared to the Yao Guai encounter which looked quite animatronic by comparison.

But even where the Fallout show slips on occasion with an unneeded kiss or a questionable encounter, time and time again, I kept marveling at how authentic the world felt. The original story told in Fallout is paramount to this trait since it lets us focus on the characters, world, and narrative rather than getting hung up on shot-for-shot remakes of key moments. Fallout is technically canon, according to Bethesda’s Todd Howard, so it’ll be under the microscope for nitpicking and “well actually” moments, but even when the show takes leaps to expand on the world, it always feels deserved.

Rating: 4.5/5

Fallout streams on Amazon’s Prime Video starting on April 10th at 6 p.m. PST.

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X-Men: The Animated Series came to an end in 1997 when Professor Charles Xavier was left dying and in a coma. Nothing on Earth could save him, so the X-Men contacted Lilandra, and their beloved leader was sent to Shi’ar Throneworld where he would have to remain to survive. Back in 2021, it was announced that Marvel Animation would be creating a follow-up series that would see the return of much of the original voice cast. After a long wait, X-Men ’97 is here, and it picks up right where the original series left off. In an age of television reboots that rely too much on nostalgia, X-Men ’97 is a breath of fresh air. While the nods to the original show and the X-Men comics are incredibly strong, the show stands on its own thanks to beautiful animation, gripping storytelling, and that glorious drama that makes the X-Men the X-Men. 

When X-Men ’97 was announced, it was hard not to be a little excited considering how X-Men: The Animated Series has stood the test of time. However, there’s also a sense of worry that comes with a long-dormant show’s return. As a fan, you can’t help but fear that the thing you love could be butchered, and no one wants their childhood favorites to be tainted. There have been many TV reboots in recent years, and despite a few exceptions, they tend to be nothing more than a mere glimmer of what came before. These revivals have a habit of retreading the same waters, recycling the same jokes, and relying on sentimentality. In the case of cartoons, animation has changed drastically over the years, so there is also the added concern of a show’s updated look. However, X-Men ’97 manages to squash all of those worries almost immediately. 

As the X-Men learn to continue their lives without Xavier, the team’s status quo begins to change. Scott Summers and Jean Grey are expecting their first child together while newcomer Robert Da Costa reluctantly seeks help from the team. Meanwhile, old enemies like Trask and the Sentinels remain a threat to Mutantkind. The first episode ends with a big twist that sees an unexpected shakeup at the mansion. From there, Episodes 2 and 3 only surge into a showcase of twists and turns. Each episode is unbelievably packed considering their 30-minute run times, and they manage to evoke the spirit of X-Men: The Animated Series while proving that even Marvel’s most iconic cartoon can be improved upon.

X-Men ’97 will transport you back to Saturday mornings in the ’90s, but the fun doesn’t stop with a simple return to form. The animation is a vibrant improvement that manages to conjure the feel of the original while elevating a format that was once deemed “just for kids.” There are genuinely impressive action sequences with a crisp design that will have you cheering at the TV. 

As for the writing, the new series is rated TV-14 while the original show was TV-Y7, which means the content is slightly more mature. The series is undoubtedly kid-friendly, but the episodes are not afraid to tackle big themes and showcase exciting action as well as rocky romances. It wouldn’t feel like the X-Men without some love triangles, but don’t expect the same old Scott/Jean/Wolverine story. The writing shows deep care and love for X-Men lore while still keeping those who know the comics’ history on their toes. 

It’s important to note that X-Men ’97 is also easy to follow for newcomers. While knowledge of X-Men: The Animated Series and comics will undoubtedly improve the experience, the new show stands on its own. In fact, we’re willing to bet that if you were to come into X-Men ’97 completely blind, it would not only satisfy, but it’s likely to make you want to go back and learn more. This show is one of the strongest things Marvel Studios has created since the launch of Disney+, and it only makes us excited for their future, especially when it comes to animation. 

Whether your favorite is Scott, Jean, Storm, Rogue, Gambit, Jubilee, Beast, Morph, Bishop, or Magneto – or if you’ve never seen an episode of X-Men: The Animated Series in your life – you will not be disappointed by this next phase of Marvel Animation. If the rest of the season is on par with the first three episodes, X-Men ’97 will go down in history as one of the best examples of how to properly execute a television reboot.  

Rating: 5 out of 5

X-Men ’97 is now streaming on Disney+ with new episodes airing each Wednesday.

The post X-Men ’97 Review: An Ideal Reboot for Marvel Fans and Newcomers Alike appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Invincible came into Season 2 with all the challenges of a breakout hit show entering its sophomore season – and then made the bold move of splitting Season 2 into two halves, separated by a long stretch of months. Now, Invincible Season 2 Part 2 is premiering on Prime Video, facing the even bigger challenge of making fans pick up their cares for Mark Grayson/Invincible (Steven Yeun) and his world where they dropped them, as well as making Invincible Season 2, overall, a strong followup to the epic run of Season 1. 

So does Invincible Season 2 Part 2 meet all the challenges facing it? For the most part, yes, it does, paving the way for an even more interesting and exciting Season 3 to follow. 

NOTE: The Review of Invincible Season 2 Episodes 5-8 is spoiler-free 

The second half of Invincible Season 2 turns out to be remarkably similar to the pace of Part 1. That boils down to Episodes 5 and 8 (the bookends) being faster-paced and more action-packed episodes, while Episodes 6 and 7 tend to be denser, and driven by the character dramas of the sprawling ensemble cast rather than major action set pieces. Invincible has fairly earned a reputation for having episodes that are denser than so many other shows (animated or live-action); each of these new episodes strikes a balance between action and drama, but the biggest fights are placed strategically at the beginning and end of this block of episodes.

There are also some ways that Invincible Season 2 Part 2 borrows from Season 1, in terms of throwing some pretty shocking twists and turns into the story. Viewers who haven’t read the original comic series are definitely going to be taken back several times over by the time Episode 8 ends. 

A sophomore season tends to be challenging for a reason. Once the initial concept and principal story arc of a series are established, it’s much harder to expand the scope of that focus and still retain the quality and excitement level. Because Invincible takes on such complex character arcs within a vast comic book universe, bringing all those characters and stories along and developing them is a massive undertaking. The biggest accomplishment of Invincible Season 2 Part 2 will likely be the most divisive amongst mainstream fans: namely, the deeper storytelling opened up. 

There will probably be backlash to where Invincible Season 2 leaves things (compared to the finales of Season 1 and Season 2 Part 1); however, this second season never loses the throughline of its thematic core: the ramifications of Nolan Grayson/Omni-Man’s (J.K. Simmons) heel turn against Earth, and what it does (mentally and emotionally) to Nolan, Mark, and Debbie (Sandra Oh). Amid all the galactic and/or alt-dimension machinations that are unfolding across the second season, Invincible makes sure that Mark, Debbie, and Nolan’s arcs go from a place of trauma and confusion to new resolutions or outlooks that already set Season 3 up with some surprising new context and exciting new stakes. 

That’s not to say that Invincible Season 2 Part 2 doesn’t have some big payoffs to deliver – because it most certainly does. Once again, Robert Kirkman and co. prove that even in an over-saturated market of superhero stories, Invincible will do things and go places (literally and figuratively) with familiar tropes and lore that virtually no other superhero series would think to. Season 2 Part 2 gets pretty wild and very gnarly, at times.  

Invincible Season 2 meets the challenge of a sophomore season – even if it doesn’t do so without some flaws. The world of Invincible is successfully expanded, and most of the characters and storylines in that sprawling web feel important and necessary. It’s always hard to predict where this unpredictable show will go next, but even the early hints will have most viewers hoping that promises of Invincible Season 3 arriving sooner before later are true. 

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 

Invincible Season 2 Part 2 will debut on Prime Video on Thursdays starting March 14th.

The post Invincible Season 2 Part 2 Review: Growing Pains appeared first on ComicBook.com.

“It was always about getting back to you,” Andrew Lincoln’s Rick Grimes intones in voiceover to Danai Gurira’s Michonne on The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live. AMC’s new spinoff series – which Lincoln and Gurira co-created with TWD Universe chief and former showrunner Scott M. Gimple – was always about the indomitable “Richonne” love story, literally left up in the air after Lincoln and Gurira each departed the zombie drama before the end of its 11-season run. First announced as a Walking Dead movie trilogy, Rick and Michonne make their long-awaited returns in the strikingly cinematic six-episode series premiering February 25th. Intense and intimate, The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live is epic, emotional, and explosive television. 

Years after Rick sacrificed himself by leading a walker horde to a bridge he then blew up to save his family and friends in The Walking Dead Season 9, The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live picks up with Rick at the C.R.P.: The Civic Republic of Philadelphia. Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh) secretly saved-slash-stole Rick from the riverbed and shuttled him away aboard a helicopter piloted by the Civic Republic Military, the mysterious three-rings group that operates with a code: “Security and secrecy above all.” No one leaves or escapes, ever, explaining Rick’s eight-year absence. Now toiling away culling walkers (called “delts”) as Consignee Grimes, he’s under the charge of CRM Lt. Col. Donald Okafor (a commanding Craig Tate), who reminds Rick: “There’s no escape for the living.” 

Six years after the bridge, Michonne found Rick’s belongings and then embarked on a mission to find “the Brave Man” and bring him home to their children, Judith and Rick Jr. On her journey to find Rick – who she believes and hopes against hope is alive, but can’t be certain — Michonne comes across two straggling strangers, Aiden (Breeda Wool) and Bailey (Andrew Bachelor), part of a mass-migrating group that never stops for anyone who falls behind. Now, with sweetly-sassy pyromaniac and tinkerer Nat (Matthew Jeffers) as her traveling companion, the katana-wielding warrior is on a collision course with the CRM. And there will be as much bloodshed as tears shed.

The 55-minute series premiere, titled “Years,” reveals what happened to Rick in the years after that fateful helicopter flight. The teleplay (written by Gimple from a story he co-wrote with Lincoln and Gurira) incorporates flashbacks, time jumps, and Gimple’s signature non-linear storytelling from his tenure as showrunner on Seasons 4-8 of The Walking Dead to tell a story that plays like a TV-tailored version of what the first Rick Grimes movie might have been. 

Deftly directed by Bert & Bertie (Marvel’s Hawkeye, the AMC Studios-produced dystopian drama Silo), “Years” is the most cinematic piece of Walking Dead filmmaking since the Frank Darabont-directed “Days Gone Bye” pilot in 2010. Each episode feels like a mini-movie, and the Gurira-penned Episode 4 is an emotionally charged masterwork that encapsulates what The Ones Who Live is about: If you live for the ones you love, what happens when you lose them? What comes after – and what do you become? (AMC provided the first four of six episodes for review.) The post-Rick episodes of The Walking Dead asked such existential questions, but with the Civic Republic’s army acting as an existential threat to Rick and Michonne’s love and lives, the series digs into who these characters are apart… and who they are together.

Gimple, Gurira, and Lincoln (also executive producers) have a clear understanding of the characters Rick and Michonne, and their reunion is the fulcrum that the whole story turns on. AMC has asked that reviews not spoil how or when Rick and Michonne reunite, but it shouldn’t be a spoiler to say that the Richonne-centric series doesn’t keep them apart much longer. Faithful fans who have waited with breathless anticipation since 2018 to see long-lost loves Rick and Michonne together again can rest assured: it’s as satisfying as you’re expecting, and maybe more subversive than you’re expecting. The Richonne relationship is more complicated and complex than it ever was on The Walking Dead, their circumstances the ultimate challenge to the ultimate love story. Rick and Michonne will either save the world – or burn the whole damn thing down. To quote Rick Grimes: “They’re f-cking with the wrong people.”

“Security and secrecy above all” also applies to the often shocking and spoiler-filled series, its propulsive storytelling and episode-ending cliffhangers sure to leave you chomping at the bit for the next 50-minute chunk of the story. It puts pedal to the metal and almost never slows down, except to flesh out its compelling characters and their dynamics. 

With its expansion of the CRM mythology that crossed over to Fear the Walking Dead and The Walking Dead: World Beyond – and with enigmatic new characters like CRM Sergeant Major Pearl Thorne (Lesley-Ann Brandt) and shadowy CRM Major General Beale (Terry O’Quinn) – The Ones Who Live plays out as a conspiracy thriller against the backdrop of the post-zombie apocalypse. Part Prison Break and part World War Z, with such influences as Casablanca and the romantic drama Somewhere in Time, this is The Walking Dead on the scope and scale of a zombie movie blockbuster. It’s all superbly acted by the perfect pairing of Lincoln and Gurira.

The Walking Dead spinoffs Dead City and Daryl Dixon have revitalized and revivified AMC’s long-running franchise, and the Rick and Michonne show is more proof that there’s still a lot of life left in the TWD Universe. After all these years gone “bye,” The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live is well worth the wait.

Rating: 5 out of 5

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live premieres February 25th on AMC and AMC+, with new episodes airing Sundays at 9 p.m. ET.

The post The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Review: Epic, Emotional, and Explosive appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Halo returns for Season 2 on Paramount+ after what can only be described as a turbulent first season. Behind-the-scenes issues resulted in a live-action TV series experience that Halo game fans were disappointed in, while mainstream viewers had trouble accessing the series and its mythology – which only got more convoluted in its TV adaptation. More than anything, there was clear unevenness in the production of Halo Season 1, with showrunner Kyle Killen dropping out before filming even began, and showrunner Steven Kane having to then steer the show, before exiting himself. By the Season 1 finale of Halo, it was clear the series needed new creative energy – but has it been enough? 

Halo Season 2 showrunner/executive producer David Weiner wastes no time putting his stamp on the show, with director Debs Paterson (Willow TV series) helping him lead the charge. The Halo Season 2 premiere “Sanctuary” gets right into it with the kind of Halo battle sequences that fans of the game love to see. It’s made clear from the initial action and character beats that this new creative team is working smarter when it comes to measuring out the visual effects and camerawork, using fog, and Covenant elite active camouflage to create an atmosphere of real dread, danger, and edge-of-your seat tension (while saving on VFX). The same proves true as the season rolls on, with each episode offering at least a taste of some compelling action and stuntwork, again indicating a smarter overall game plan as to how the season is being budgeted and paced. There are much more loyal and detailed nods to the Halo games in the battle sequences, staging, props, and overall design work and production on Season 2.

While the opening sequence is a good starting point, Halo Season 2 is not free from the obligation of servicing the story that came before in Season 1. That means the initial thrust of action must inevitably take a backseat to the first couple of episodes catching us up with the extensive web of characters from Season 1 and all their arcs – while also introducing new elements, like James Ackerson (Joseph Morgan), the new intelligence officer overseeing the Spartan program. 

Episode 2 is more of a “moving the pieces” story, with far more drama than action – but even those “slower” portions tend to be more focused and compelling in Season 2, with each character feeling more interesting and fully formed – especially the Spartan unit, whose banter and connections already give Season 2 a stronger emotional core. Longtime Halo game fans will likely be happier with how Master Chief (Pablo Schrieber) is depicted – even if there is still a substantial time of Schrieber appearing outside of the iconic character’s armor. 

On the whole, the creative team behind Halo Season 2 gets through the clean-up effort from Season 1 pretty quickly and sets a much cleaner and more accessible premise for Season 2: The Covenant is gathering its might in the shadows and striking out with impunity and no one believes Master Chief about the dire level of threat that’s coming, so the Spartans need to prove it before it’s too late. Everything beyond that is kept vague or implied enough for viewers to lock into and sets up an arc that’s basic yet dynamic enough to keep viewers coming back each week for more reveals and the exciting battles we already know are coming by the end of Episode 2. 

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Halo Season 2 is streaming new episodes on Thursdays on Paramount+. 

The post Halo Season 2 Review: Better Equipped for the Fight appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The first season of True Detective debuted in 2014 and, thanks in large part to it being developed by the mostly unknown writer Nic Pizzolatto, the series became a surprise success. Anchored by top-tier stars Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, and Michelle Monaghan, that first season took a traditional detective story and injected it with time jumps and a sense of the supernatural to elevate the adventure into an immensely engaging experience. Being an anthology, the next two seasons, while written by Pizzolatto and also featuring impressive actors, failed to capture the attention of audiences or critics in quite the same way. Now, with True Detective: Night Country, showrunner Issa López brings the series back to its more unsettling roots, delivering audiences a twisted and terrifying tale that is the best the series has been since that debut season.

Set in northern Alaska, a team of researchers working on a mysterious project goes missing, causing Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) to investigate. When the men are found, evidence of the bizarre event could provide a connection to an unsolved murder that Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis) could never let go, as the pair work together to uncover the events that led to the grisly deaths of these researchers. In traditional True Detective nature, their investigation unravels a web of revenge, greed, coverups, politics, racism, and even a bit of the supernatural.

With all seasons of True Detective being anthology narratives, both audiences and filmmakers have struggled to define what it was about that first season that resonated so strongly with viewers and what it is that defines the nature of the concept. For the first three seasons, the essence of the series was that they were all detective stories that Pizzolatto wrote, regardless of what themes these narratives touched upon. Interestingly, Night Country started its life as an entirely independent story from López that had nothing to do with that iconic TV show, with HBO noting there were enough similarities to their popular program that, with some tweaks, this story could easily be folded into the True Detective banner. This could prove to be the key to this season’s revival of the franchise, as López seemingly was able to avoid aiming to replicate the success of the debut season and could instead deliver the best story imaginable, only to retroactively find some tonal and narrative connections to its predecessors to make for a more cohesive venture.

López landed on many genre fans’ radars thanks to her 2017 film Tigers Are Not Afraid, a magical-realist story about young children caught in the aftermath of a Mexican drug war. Fans of that film will quickly connect with the tone of Night Country, as it not only offers an entertaining story on the surface, but she also managed to organically inject culturally relevant conflicts of this isolated community. Complicating the overall events of Ennis, Alaska are the growing tensions between the Inuit community and the rest of the town’s residents, as a mining operation brought money and jobs to the town, though at the cost of the mining operation destroying the land, increasing pollution, and contaminating water supplies. None of these concepts are being explored for surface-level enrichment or narrative distractions and are key components of the entire storyline. 

Night Country feels less like a replication of that first season and instead serves as a mirror of that journey’s more effective elements; Season 4 trades the humid and sun-baked South for the frigid winter of Alaska at the time of year when the darkness is inescapable. Rather than the fringe beliefs of more radical religions, revival tents, and cult-like worship seen in Season 1, we’re seeing communities who believe in the land and something far more ancient and powerful than can even be grasped by outsiders. While previous seasons had opening credits featuring Blues-inspired riffs, Night Country opens with Billie Eilish’s “bury a friend,” signaling to audiences just minutes into the season premiere that we’re venturing into fresher territory.

The first three seasons of True Detective tackled some intense themes, though all fell more into the realm of thriller and noir genres, with Night Country easily being the most horror-centric story the series has seen yet. The isolation of a research team in a frigid environment will immediately feel reminiscent of John Carpenter’s The Thing, while the plunge into a seemingly endless darkness will remind fans of the vampiric 30 Days of Night. There also feels to be a lot of influence from the real-life Dyatlov Pass incident back in 1959, as both events focus on the mysterious disappearance and discovery of researchers with no clear explanation for frozen bodies, nearby clothing, and destroyed or missing body parts. Night Country will satisfy horror fans more than any other season, thanks to an omnipresent sense of unease and darker forces, as well as a handful of jump scares, though not at the cost of alienating audiences more interested in the detective story. Episode 2, though, features a horrifying scene of body horror that will likely go down as one of the year’s most memorable and unnerving. 

Even if Night Country bucks some trends of True Detective, one constant it maintains is a compelling cast. Foster, having won an Oscar for playing detective Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs, is as good as ever in her return to true crime. What feels fresh about her Danvers, both for Foster and for the series, is that our leads typically have superiors to report to, but given the isolated nature of this Alaskan town, she gets to call the shots, even when she’s overextending her reach and asking too much of people, to their detriment. Boxer-turned-actor Reis brings a physicality and intensity that isn’t often highlighted in the series, yet does so with restraint and an unexpected vulnerability, allowing her to avoid being pigeonholed into being a stereotypical character who is merely rough around the edges. The ensemble is rounded out by actors like John Hawkes, Christopher Eccleston, Finn Bennett, and Fiona Shaw, with every supporting character in the series being as complex, empathetic, and problematic as the leads. 

Everything about Night Country feels like a success, which should all be championed, but what prevents it from being excellent is that it never quite feels like more than the sum of its parts. We’re given a compelling murder mystery that’s injected with elements of cosmic horror, we’re given troubled characters that resonate with us, and we’re given a satisfying resolution, all while López manages to organically inject an effective exploration of the exploitation of native cultures. All of it works, and its six-episode length gives more urgency to the story, yet it is never quite transcendent. You can’t help but wonder if Night Country would have worked better on its own, without having to incorporate branding and narrative connections to the beloved series, or if it would have been stronger without these references. (Also worth noting is that the connections to that debut season amount to little more than glorified Easter eggs, so don’t count on learning more about the Yellow King or Carcosa.) In fact, it makes the viewer wonder why Night Country was lumped into True Detective while 2021’s Mare of Easttown, a similarly compelling murder mystery featuring a star cast, rural setting, and grisly outcome, was allowed to exist as its own story.

True Detective fans who felt disappointed by the previous two seasons will appreciate the overall premise of Night Country and its more straightforward investigation into a gruesome crime, which is anchored by talented performers bringing to life tremendously flawed figures who still feel compelled to do what’s right. Those fans who felt mostly drawn to the implication of supernatural forces in Season 1 will also feel satisfied by how Night Country leans even further into those elements, cementing this story firmly in the world of horror. Luckily, the horrors of the series won’t entirely turn off all audiences, as fans of films like Wind River, Hold the Dark, and Insomnia will also be engaged by the frozen foray into a small-town murder. Night Country proves there can still be life in the True Detective brand, so long as HBO continues to empower ambitious storytellers like López, while also showcasing that a gripping adventure is comprised of far more than just a recognizable title. Whether Night Country would have been better as a standalone series or not will never be known, but after waiting nearly a decade, longtime True Detective fans will be pleased to see that this new season is the best the franchise has been since we first learned that time was a flat circle.

Rating: 4 out of 5

True Detective: Night Country premieres on HBO on Sunday, January 14th at 9 p.m. ET.

The post True Detective: Night Country Review: A Frightening and Frigid Return to Form appeared first on ComicBook.com.

For fans of Rick Riordan’s beloved Percy Jackson series of novels, the Disney+ adaptation has been a long time coming. While the story of the titular demigod and his adventures was adapted to film — Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and 2020 and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters in 2013 — fans of the beloved series have long hoped for a fresh adaptation of the work, one that was closer to Riordan’s story. Such an adaptation is what Riordan himself promised when the Disney+ adaptation was first announced and now, with Percy Jackson and the Olympians set to arrive on December 20th, it’s clear that Riordan is making good on that promise. The new series is everything Percy Jackson fans could want and more.

From the first episode, “I Accidentally Vaporize My Pre-Algebra Teacher,” the Disney+ series makes it clear that the series is staying true to the first book in the series, The Lightning Thief, quickly getting down to the business of introducing viewers to Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell) and laying the groundwork for the rest of the season (ComicBook.com was given the first four episodes of the season’s overall eight for review): Percy is a demigod —half human, half god-child —and that makes the world not exactly a safe place for him, prompting him to be sent off to Camp Half Blood with other demigods. From there, and in subsequent episodes, more of Percy’s story is revealed, as well as an important quest he ends up going on alongside fellow demigod Annabeth Chase (Leah Jeffries) and Grover Underwood (Aryan Simhadri), Percy’s best friend who just so happens to be a satyr.

For those familiar with the book, the episodes unfold very much like reading the book itself, but for those who aren’t familiar, it’s not a detriment. Instead, this structure lays things out beautifully for viewers of all levels of familiarity with the series and, for the most part, paces things well. There are no boring moments in the first four episodes of Percy Jackson and, as is the case with any good story, each reveal builds upon the next. The series does a fantastic job of breaking down the individual story beats for each episode so that they feel perfectly contained, but also give the viewer just enough to make them eager for the next chapter — or, in this case, episode. The first two episodes do move a little quickly and compress a good bit of information into their run times, but once things move past the information dump, things even out. There are also some subtle changes from the books that longtime fans will notice, but they are just that, subtle, and end up serving to somehow make the books themselves better in how it all ties together.

Outside of its faithfulness to its source material and well-considered structure per episode, Percy Jackson and the Olympians excels in terms of its performances. This is a series that is expertly cast and every single actor is perfectly fit to the role they inhabit. Scobell’s Percy is relatable, a little frustrating, and endlessly root-for-able. Jason Mantzoukas as Dionysus/Mr. D is an absolute gift, despite being in relatively few scenes. Both Aryan Simhadri and Charlie Bushnell turn in fantastic and quite heartfelt performances as Grover and Luke, respectively, and Jessica Parker Kennedy’s Medusa will make you see that character in a completely different light. The real standout in terms of the series’ performances, though, belongs to Jeffries’ Annabeth Chase. Jeffries doesn’t simply portray Annabeth; she inhabits her. Jeffries gives Annabeth’s attitude, intellect, and quiet strength and vulnerability a realism that makes the viewer, at times, forget they’re watching an actor play a role. The entire series is perfectly cast, but Jeffries even more so.

The series also excels on a technical level, with its effects — both in terms of creating the mythical creatures that are part of the world as well as some of the more intricate details of various mythical creatures’ physical appearances — being very well done. Nothing here looks cheap or cheesy. Megan Mullally’s Alecto is chilling in full Fury form while the very snakes that make up Medusa’s hair are simple, but they just work. There’s also a fantastic bit of interplay between the real-world locations in the film and the more mythical and magical elements from the series that lends to an overall feeling of both realism and wonderment.

A faithful, and truly excellent Percy Jackson adaptation may have felt like a near-impossible quest, but Percy Jackson and the Olympians has pulled it off. Between an obvious love and reverence for the source material and its devoted fans, some of the best casting you’ll ever find in a television series, fantastic performances, and even the magic of the visuals and world-building itself, Percy Jackson and the Olympians is about as perfect a television adaptation as you can get, almost as though it’s been favored by the gods themselves.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Percy Jackson and the Olympians debuts Wednesday, December 20th on Disney+.

The post Percy Jackson and the Olympians Review: The Adaptation the Gods Intended appeared first on ComicBook.com.

After two films starring Tom Cruise in the lead role, Lee Child’s beloved Jack Reacher character moved to the small screen and became an instant hit. Reacher saw the lead duties handed to Blue Mountain State and Titans alum Alan Ritchson and delivered Amazon’s Prime Video one of its biggest streaming success stories to date. The series broke records and drew critical acclaim in its debut season last year, and returns this month for a second installment. Like the Jack Reacher novels, the new season adapts a different story with an almost entirely new cast of characters. The places and faces may have changed for this new installment, but the quality certainly doesn’t — Reacher is as good as ever in Season 2 (maybe even a little bit better).

The first season of Reacher kicked the show off by adapting the first book in Child’s popular novel series, Killing Floor. Season 2, on the other hand, jumps ahead in the original series to tell the story of Bad Luck and Trouble, the 11th Jack Reacher book Child published. This story sees Reacher reuniting with a few members of his old military unit to uncover a conspiracy after several of their other comrades turn up dead. Those still left alive not only need to stop whoever’s behind the murders before they become the next victims, but they also want to be sure to exact revenge for their fallen friends.

While it may seem strange for a show to jump 10 whole books in a series for just its second season, Bad Luck and Trouble is perhaps the perfect choice for Reacher‘s sophomore season. The first season put Reacher in a place he wasn’t familiar with and alongside a group of allies he’d never met. He had to learn who he could trust and how they worked. They had to figure out how exactly to deal with his unique characteristics. That element of unfamiliarity between the characters helped create a lot of tension, but Season 2 flips that idea on its head to keep you on your toes. 

This time around, Reacher knows all of his allies and he trusts them with his life, as he has in the past. As the audience, however, we aren’t so trusting of those in the group, save for Maria Sten’s Frances Neagley, who appeared in a couple of episodes of Season 1. This allows the show to alter the way we watch the story unfold, as well as alter how Reacher operates. 

Make no mistake, this is still the hulking, enigmatic badass you came to love in Season 1. Ritchson’s performance as Reacher continues to be the centerpiece of the entire series, and every minute he’s on screen, it becomes more and more clear that this is one of those rare opportunities where just the right actor and character found their way to one another. Jack Reacher needs a level of physicality that very few can provide, but his quirks also require a very subtle and clever — almost childlike — comedic ability. I never thought that years of playing Thad Castle could help someone become one of TV’s most interesting action heroes, but here we are. There’s a boyish charm deep within the brooding physicality of Ritchson’s Jack Reacher that could have only been cultivated by starring in something as relentlessly silly as Blue Mountain State, and he shows an incredible amount of restraint bringing just the slightest pinch to the surface exactly when the moment is right.

It’s initially disappointing not to see some of the faces that made Reacher Season 1 so special. Malcolm Goodwin and Willa Fitzgerald were so vital to the magic of Reacher in its first season that you wonder how it could be remotely as engaging without them. Fortunately, Season 2 is up to the challenge. Sten returns as Neagley and makes remarkable use of her extended screen time, crafting a character that’s every bit as layered and interesting as Reacher. Serinda Swan and Shaun Sipos join the party as Reacher’s other former allies, each crafting something so different from what we’ve already seen on the show to this point. Domenick Lambardozzi may be the most delightful new addition, though, playing a detective with a chip on his shoulder who serves as a pitch-perfect foil to Reacher’s brand of vigilantism. This series is superbly cast from top to bottom and, while Ritchson is clearly the linchpin, Reacher doesn’t hum the way it does without this kind of precision in its casting department. 

It’s also worth noting that Reacher Season 2 ups the ante in terms of its action and set pieces. It’s got the same balance of humor, heart, and excitement as the first season, but the big moments here go so much bigger. Without getting into spoiler territory, there’s a sequence in an early episode of the season where Reacher and the team raid a potential enemy hideout that is just so expertly crafted on every level. The stunt and effects teams on Reacher do such a great job of proving you don’t need to spend every dime you can get your hands on to make effective action sequences that keep you on the edge of your seat.

Reacher isn’t just one of Prime Video’s biggest original shows; it’s also one of its very best. Ritchson is at his very best and he’s surrounded by a stellar cast and crew that continually go to great lengths to create the kind of action drama TV fans miss so dearly. 

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Reacher Season 2 premieres on Prime Video on December 15th.

The post Reacher Season 2 Review: New Faces, New Places, Same Great Series appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is once again bringing fans back into the world created by artist Bryan Lee O’Malley. Dropping eight episodes of the anime adaptation on Netflix, the series isn’t just expanding on the lives of the original story, it is also bringing back some of the biggest actors from the movie adaptation, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. Michael Cera, Brie Larson, Brandon Routh, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Aubrey Plaza, and many more reprise their roles, but even with this big cast, is Scott Pilgrim Takes Off able to live up to its predecessors?

Warning. To even discuss the story of Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, we’re going to need to dive into spoiler territory, so be forewarned. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off fooled us all. It is neither an adaptation of the original graphic novels nor the feature-length film, telling a brand new story that revisits the characters but gives them an entirely new scenario to deal with. Scott himself takes something of a backseat for a good portion of the series to Ramona as she has to come into contact with her Evil Exes to solve a major mystery. Unlike the original graphic novels and the movie, the Evil Exes are now leading very different lives as a result of the eye-popping ending of Scott Pilgrim Takes Off’s first episode.

First and foremost, this is Ramona’s story, and in that fact, Scott Pilrgim Takes Off is able to find its footing and weave a story that is able to hit just as emotionally hard as its predecessors, if not more so when it comes to its climax. The Netflix anime almost feels like a story of redemption not just for Scott and his friends, but for the Evil Exes as well. The series allows viewers to get a more in-depth look into what makes them tick, while also giving the villains some in-depth characterization that wasn’t explored in the graphic novels or the movie. There are some origin stories here that will give Scott Pilgrim fans a closer look into what made some of the Evil Exes “evil” outside of simply being broken up with by Ramona. 

This new take on the world of Scott Pilgrim takes such a big risk by deviating so much from its source material, and while that might come as a shock to many, it’s a risk that ultimately pays off. Takes Off feels like a Scott Pilgrim story made by creators who are simply at a different time in their lives. The Netflix series is a story that has been made for our current generation and the people that both fans of the original series and the creative minds responsible for the franchise have grown into. There’s an argument to be made that the original stories focusing on Scott and Sex Bob-Omb have elements that surpass Takes Off, but that doesn’t negate the strong story and voice work present in the Netflix anime.

When it comes to the animation from Science Saru, the production house is able to do justice and then some to the original graphic novels, capturing the energy and frantic style of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s artwork. The fights are as big as needed to maintain the spirit of Scott Pilgrim’s world, despite the story taking some big detours when it comes to the original comics. Surprisingly enough, the fast-paced frantic moments of the series often exceed the quieter moments, as it felt as though the production house made a mistake or two when it came to some characters’ movements and motions in the downtime. 

It’s great to say that the voice cast, which is mostly made up of the actors that brought Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World to life, hasn’t missed a step. You can tell that there is a serious love for the source material as the likes of Chris Evans’ Lucas Lee, Brie Larson’s Envy Adams, Brandon Routh’s Todd Ingraham, and many others are relishing the chance to step back into the shoes of their characters over a decade later. 

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is a worthy re-imagining of the graphic novels and the movie, giving fans of both plenty of reason to stick around and check out the new lives of the heroes and villains of the series. O’Malley, Science Saru, and the creative minds behind the animated series are able to do justice to the spirit of what came before while giving viewers plenty to think about when it comes to these fresh paths that the characters are taking moving forward. 

Rating: 4 out of 5

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is currently streaming on Netflix. 

The post Scott Pilgrim Takes Off Review: Scott’s Precious Little Lie appeared first on ComicBook.com.

“No one’s gone until they’re gone.” What were once the last words of Clark family matriarch Madison (Kim Dickens) to her children, Nick (Frank Dillane) and Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey), have become the defining theme of the eighth and final season of Fear the Walking Dead. AMC’s first Walking Dead spinoff returns with the second half of its shortened, 12-episode final season on October 22nd with “Anton,” named after the new identity of a drastically reinvented Victor Strand (Colman Domingo). By finally reuniting Madison and Victor, the first hour of Fear‘s remaining six episodes establishes the oft-stated theme of the back half of Season 8: “Everyone deserves a second chance.”

The first half of the season saw Lennie James’ Morgan exit the series after passing the figurative torch of lead role back to Dickens, who returned in the Season 7 finale following the revelation that Madison survived a seemingly fatal heroic sacrifice midway through Season 4. With Dickens reinstated as series lead for the first time since 2018, Madison takes central focus as she sets out to rebuild PADRE into the sanctuary that the Clarks’ Texas stadium was meant to be before it was overrun and destroyed.

“The place I’m building, it’s not about me,” Madison says. “It’s about keeping something bigger alive.” That “something bigger” is Nick and Alicia, her kids who were long gone even before the final season premiere jumped seven years into the future. But when Troy Otto (Daniel Sharman) — who looked dead as a doornail when Madison twice bludgeoned him with a hammer to the head back in Season 3 — returns with his one good eye on taking PADRE, it threatens not just the Clark family legacy, but the futures that Victor Strand, Daniel Salazar (Rubén Blades), and the little-seen Luciana (Danay García) have built (frustratingly, off-screen) for the past seven years.

Following Fear‘s recent slew of foes ranging from forgettable (“Filthy Woman” Martha, Logan, PADRE’s Shrike and Crane) to formidable (Virginia, the nuclear bomb-dropping Teddy, the CRM), resurrecting Troy Otto as the show’s final existential threat is almost an admission that there’s no better villain to end Fear with than a dead one — retcons be damned. Sharman reprises his role as psychopathic fan-favorite Troy for the first time since 2017, and he’s exceptionally effective as the final foil for Madison, bringing to Fear the same charismatic swagger that made Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Negan as magnetic as he was menacing. The drama heightens whenever Troy is on screen — especially when he’s needling Madison about Alicia and the reason why he has her daughter’s prosthetic from her zombie-bitten, amputated arm.

Still, by bringing Troy and then a second once-thought-dead character back to life in the span of two episodes — for a total of three resurrections, counting Madison — death seems less consequential in a show where anyone could be killed off. Fear‘s biggest advantage over The Walking Dead was that it wasn’t an adaptation of creator Robert Kirkman’s comic book, which meant comic readers didn’t have expectations about who might live or die (even if the flagship series often deviated from the source material). On one hand, AMC hasn’t yet announced any Fear the Walking Dead spinoffs, thereby retaining the dramatic tension that was lost when viewers knew Daryl, Carol, Maggie, and Negan would make it out of The Walking Dead alive to return in spinoffs. On the other hand, Fear feels like a zombie soap opera based on the frequency with which characters return from the grave and then explain why they’re not dead in expository dialogue.

Based on the first two of the final six episodes made available for review, there’s a sense that Fear is a bit rushed. Characters who didn’t appear at all in the first half of the season return with major roles to play in the back half, and so much happened during that seven-year time skip that even viewers who have been watching since the first season in 2015 might feel left out knowing that an entire show’s worth of story happened between the Season 7 finale and the Season 8 premiere. Even with its smaller ensemble, the show would have benefited — and certainly deserved — more than 12 episodes to wrap things up. That’s just half of the three-part, 24-episode final season that The Walking Dead had to deliver a satisfying conclusion.

Fear the Walking Dead Season 8 is at its best and its most compelling when it’s providing Dickens, Domingo, Blades, and Sharman dramatic material to sink their teeth into. In the first two episodes, Dickens, Domingo, and Blades are serviced with emotionally powerful performances deserving of their long-surviving characters, and longtime fans will appreciate seeing Madison, Strand, Daniel, and Luciana all together for the first time since Season 3. 

Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg, who have served as showrunners since the duo replaced series co-creator Dave Erickson in Season 4 onward, have almost reset Fear the Walking Dead to where Erickson left off when he killed Troy and blew up the Gonzalez Dam to end the acclaimed third season in 2017. While the new season naturally builds on some of the seismic shifts that occurred during the semi-rebooted fourth season that crossed over with The Walking Dead to bring Morgan to Fear, thematically, Chambliss and Goldberg circle back to Season 3 in such a way that it plays almost like a direct continuation of the Erickson era. 

Tenured viewers might remember that Erickson envisioned a seven-season arc transforming Madison into a villain, and there are echoes of that as Madison’s benevolence, inspired by her kids, is called into question when she reckons with vengeance, also inspired by her kids; mostly, Madison is a flawed anti-hero, who lived, died, and is living — again — for her kids.

“We’re building PADRE for Alicia, for Nick,” Strand says at one point, asking Madison: “What’s the point of saving it if we turn into the opposite of what Alicia wanted us to build?” The Clarks are still the beating heart of the complex human drama churning the final episodes of Fear the Walking Dead, which is worth seeing through to the end. After all, everyone deserves a second chance.

Rating: 3 out of 5

The final episodes of Fear the Walking Dead Season 8 premiere Sunday, October 22nd, at 9 p.m. ET on AMC and AMC+.

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When it comes to film, no monster is bigger than Godzilla. The behemoth has ruled the kaiju landscape for decades, and Godzilla took back the spotlight in Hollywood nearly a decade ago when the MonsterVerse began. Since then, the franchise has followed the epic highs that come with Godzilla’s reign, but there is more to the monstrous IP. This fall, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters will set out to explore the human element behind the titans’ rise, and the compelling drama is a title worthy of Godzilla’s renown.

Under the watchful eye of Legendary Television, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters unpacks the drama that comes after a kaiju blitz. The show straddles two timelines, as it begins shortly after Godzilla’s MUTO showdown in San Francisco from the 2014 film. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters follows a woman named Cate Randa (Anna Sawai) on a mission to settle her dad’s affairs, but one of his secrets threatens to upend her whole family. The often-absent workaholic has ties to Monarch, and this history sends Cate and some newfound family on a journey to uncover the truth.

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is incredibly strong when it is exploring its present-day narrative. In fact, it is at its best in these moments. Sawai portrays Cate with a jaded intelligence that pairs well with her traveling cohorts. In particular, the character’s bond with Kentaro (Rea Watabe) is nothing short of stellar. The estranged characters unpack all of the problems a legacy brings in the course of Season 1, and this conflict plays out in parallel with Cate’s mission.

While Monarch: Legacy of Monsters does have some thrilling titan fights, the show doesn’t present itself as a kaiju free-for-all. This sci-fi series is a human drama through and through. Split between grief and uncertainty, each character in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters folds into the MonsterVerse with ease. Kurt Russel’s unmatched talent grounds our protagonists, as Cate learns more about herself under the guidance of Russell’s Lee Shaw. And, as expected, the same can be said for Wyatt Russell, who plays a young Lee Shaw in the show’s flashback sequences.

After all, I did say Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is split between times. The show explores the 1950s when not busy with Cate’s present-day adventures, and that is where Wyatt Russell comes in. The star brings a charming authority to Shaw as the soldier finds himself at the forefront of MUTO research. But sadly, Russell is only one of the few highlights found in the show’s flashbacks.

Despite its top-notch acting, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters feels rather disjointed. The series swaps between its timelines at will with little, if any, transition. The highs of Cate’s gripping mission in Japan don’t mesh well with the lows of Shaw’s younger days. In fact, many of the flashbacks would have been better suited as simple asides. With so many flashbacks in play, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters loses its focus with ease. Honestly, the show only recovers from these stumbles thanks to its compelling performances.

And of course, what is a MonsterVerse title without monsters? Monarch: Legacy of Monsters does have plenty of titans, but don’t expect tons of kaiju throwdowns. Most of the titans introduced in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters are shown in short bursts, and as of Episode 5, none of the monsters have fought with each other. If you are coming into this show expecting a kaiju brawl, you will be disappointed, but the titan scenes we do get are intense, to say the least. 

After watching the first half of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, I confess that I was gripped by its story. In the past, the MonsterVerse has taken criticism for having too much human drama, but Monarch: Legacy of Monsters makes no bones about its story. At its core, this live-action series is about families, legacies, and the uncertainties of the future. These are all the themes Godzilla has embraced for decades. When the world wrestles with Godzilla, each person must wrestle with themselves, and Monarch: Legacy of Monsters makes this clear despite its muddled pacing. If you’re eager to visit an unexplored facet of the MonsterVerse, this Apple TV+ original will satisfy your curiosity.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is slated to debut exclusively on Apple TV+ beginning November 17th. 

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Few properties have as large a footprint as Goosebumps in the world of horror literature. The middle-grade series by R.L. Stine is nothing short of iconic, serving as the entry point into horror for millions around the world. Because of the firepower the brand carries, it’s one that’s been mined time and time again for spinoffs and adaptations, with the latest coming in the form of a live-action series on Disney+ and Hulu.

The Goosebumps TV series that debuted in 1995 has become a cult classic in and of itself, a nostaglic tentpole for ’90s kids everywhere. Then there was the film duology starring Jack Black that performed similarly with critics and audiences, though it arguably didn’t become as big of a deal as its predecessor. Luckily, for long-time fans of the book series, 2023’s Goosebumps reboot not only meets expectations, but overshoots any previous live-action adaptation.

Rather than following the formula of the first TV show and feeling more formulaically similar to the films, this Goosebumps takes place in a small Oregon town and follows the complicated relationships between teens Isabella (Ana Yi Puig), James (Miles McKenna), Lucas (Will Price), Isaiah (Zack Morris), and Margot (Isa Briones), who shift from friends to enemies to frenemies to romantic partners. When the gang throws a Halloween party at the town’s infamous haunted home, they learn that not only has new teacher Nathan Bratt (Justin Long) actually moved into the spooky property, but that he might not be the only one residing in the ominous abode. As the series unfolds, Nathan finds himself forming a connection with a former resident that’s a little too close for comfort, while the teens become the main characters of familiar Goosebumps stories, weaving together original plot points and beloved Stine stories. 

Featuring an ensemble that largely splits screen time equally, the latest iteration of Goosebumps is tonally comparable to a 1980s slasher draped with the setting of Twilight but without the vampires and werewolves—or the sparkly ones, at least. The Pacific Northwest provides the perfect backdrop to this story, one that weaves in and out of every episode between scenes and subplots that draw directly for the source material.

And that may be where the show shines best: its faithfulness to the words Stine first wrote decades ago. There’s a sense of naivety that courses through this show’s bones, as if it were the tween novels actually come to life. The characters are written for consumption by children, with each of them interacting and making decisions you might expect from the audiences reading the books. On that front, it can be cheesy and campy but stops short of being tacky each time. It’s fully aware of what it wants (and needs) to be, and executes near-flawlessly as it never tries to outdo the books it’s based on, rather it pays tribute to the terrifying tomes.

Goosebumps also happens to be surprisingly spooky, partially because of the rain-soaked settings and partially because of its dedication to hits like Say Cheese and Die!, The Haunted Mask, Night of the Living Dummy, and countless other Goosebumps classics. The show refuses to pull its punches, injecting some grotesque sequences that may be a little too much for some in the family.

While each of the 20-somethings-posing-as-teenagers carry their own weight throughout the duration of the show, Justin Long’s presence steals each scene every time he appears on screen. Long’s horror resume is very evident any time he pops up, a consummate professional in his dual role position.

Goosebumps provides plenty of spooks for those looking for a scare, no matter what kind. There’s body horror, monsters, possessions, jump scares, and more—all while being fully faithful to the books that have come before. Now that the calendar reads October, it’s hard to imagine a better watch for the entire family during the season. At the very least, you’ll be in for a ghoulishly good time.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

The first five episodes of Goosebumps will hit both Disney+ and Hulu this Friday, October 13th. The remaining five episodes will then be released every Friday on a weekly basis.

The post Goosebumps Review: One Ghoulishly Good Time appeared first on ComicBook.com.

When Loki arrived on Disney+ in 2021, it was a shining moment for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It marked a bit of a deviation from the type of stories fans of the long-running saga were used to seeing, as it focused on the adventures of one of the universe’s most beloved bad guys. It also delivered a story that was fresh, engaging, and sparked plenty of discussion and speculation, as it took viewers deeper into Marvel lore, set a course for a very different MCU, and featured some of the franchise’s best character development to date. Now, two years after leaving viewers with a shocking cliffhanger that suggested dire changes to the Time Variance Authority — and the MCU — as we know it, Loki finally returns this week, aiming to not only further Loki’s (Tom Hiddleston) journey of redemption, but take viewers ever closer to the next big franchise threat. Unfortunately, while Loki remains the best thing at the party that has become the MCU, the first four episodes are plagued with rushed storytelling, strange characterizations, and forced comedy, further serving as an example of why Marvel Studios might want to take a step back from that party.

Season 2 of Loki wastes no time in picking up the thread from Season 1, making an attempt to bring all the major players — including but not limited to Loki, Mobius M. Mobius (Owen Wilson), Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino), and Hunter B-15 (Wunmi Mosaku) — onto the same page about the danger of He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors). But almost straight out of the gate, Season 2 suffers from being and doing “too much”: the first episode is hectic, throwing new concepts, characters, and threats into the story with little explanation and little reason for fans to be invested. When the premiere does try to stop and ruminate on what Loki just experienced in the Season 1 finale, the end result becomes rushed and confusing. That overstuffed and slightly frenetic chaos sets the tone for the season and, of the four episodes of six screened for review, it’s not something that ever really lets up.

One might be able to look past that energetic storytelling shift given the urgency of what is coming — after all, He Who Remains did have a dire warning at the end of Season 1, and Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars are on the horizon — but it’s far from the only flaw of the episodes. By and large, there is something off in most of the characterizations of Loki‘s characters. Sylvie’s dynamic with Loki feels jarringly more antagonistic, which would make sense if it was spread out over a bit of time, but it comes on very suddenly. B-15 and many of the TVA agents are suddenly more human than they were near the end of Season 1 — something that makes sense in the longer run, but feels very sudden and unearned in context. Even Miss Minutes takes a very strange turn in one point of the story, which feels weirdly creepy and unnecessary.

Loki Season 2 still has some of the best performances in the overall MCU franchise, but, at times, they are hindered from developing further. Hiddleston’s Loki continues to be a rich and layered character, and it’s fascinating seeing him function in a way that is less directly full of villainy. But at the same time, Loki itself keeps cutting Loki short, preventing him from really unleashing the complexity of the character and his journey. Wilson’s Mobius M. Mobius remains a delight, but the season leans too much into the “buddy cop” energy of his partnership with Loki, resulting in something that feels like caricature. Ke Huy Quan’s Ouroboros becomes what might be the most fun addition to the story, and Quan delivers a charming performance, even if, at times, the character is also very one-note. As Victor Timely, Majors does a great job of differentiating from the previous Kang variants we’ve seen, but some of the affectation he uses to do so borders on problematic. Perhaps the best performance of the season, however, is Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who gives Ravonna Renslayer a complexity and a humanity this season that makes her a compelling character in the same vein as Loki in Season 1.

For all the individual, detailed bumps Loki Season 2 has, the season still expands the MCU and the idea of the multiverse in a spectacular way. The lore of the TVA is further explored and fleshed out, as well as the mechanics of the timeline, contributing not only to the urgency of the threat Loki and his allies are facing in the season, but also the future of the MCU. Dealing with the onslaught of branching timelines and the danger they pose to the sacred timeline very much sets the table for future stories and conflict well beyond Loki, without overburdening the season’s sense of self-containment. Additionally, the overall aesthetics of the season – particularly with the cinematography – are outstanding. The retro-futuristic vibe of the series almost feels like a character itself, at times, both grounding the story in place and time while also being very, very stylish.

Loki may be one of the MCU’s most innovative and significant offerings, and Season 2 of the series certainly maintains the spirit of the first season and pushes not only Loki’s story but the future of the MCU forward. But like the Sacred Timeline itself, Loki Season 2 shows signs of coming apart in places with little bits that could stand refinement, reconsideration, or even just a strong bit of editing. Season 2 definitely doesn’t suffer from some of the pitfalls that would make people continue to question if superhero fatigue is real or not, but through characterizations, pacing, and too much self-awareness, it definitely feels like a very different show. It’s by no means bad, but it certainly feels like most of the fun will be in digesting each episode after the fact, rather than taking it in for what it is just while watching. 

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Loki Season 2 premieres on Disney+ on October 5th.

The post Loki Season 2 Review: Beautifully Burdened with Glorious Purpose appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Since first appearing on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1986, Castlevania has spawned countless video games that have players fighting Dracula. Despite the gaming franchise’s popularity, it was only until Netflix shone a spotlight on the Belmont family that the series was given an animated story to accompany the games. Following the first four seasons of the successful video game adaptation, Netflix has returned with a new series to follow the monster-hunting adventures of Richter Belmont, Maria, Annette, and their fellow monster hunters. Can Nocturne live up to Trevor, Sypha, and Alucard’s journey?

If you need an introduction to the story of Castlevania: Nocturne, it takes place hundreds of years after the events of Castlevania’s initial four seasons. Following our main characters during the French Revolution, the creatures of the night prepare for the arrival of their “Vampire Messiah” while forging some unlikely deals to make sure that an army of demons is waiting at said dark savior’s beck and call. A young Richter Belmont (Edward Bluemel), the latest in a bloodline of vampire hunters, finds himself teaming up with Maria Renard (Pixie Davies), a budding sorceress, Annette (Thuso Mbedu), a Caribbean ex-slave hunting for revenge, and Edouard, an opera singer whose future takes him to some dark places. It’s up to this quartet to push back the Vampire Messiah and the blood-sucking hordes looking to usher in an age of eternal night.

Richter, as a protagonist, is far different from the self-assured hero who first led the animated series, Trevor Belmont. Rather than brashly fighting against vampires with a smile and a level of snark, the latest Belmont will retreat if need be as he struggles with a dark event from his past that haunts his present. Of the characters that lead the charge, Annette is perhaps given the most background, as an entire episode is dedicated to what set her on her path of revenge, granting her the most characterization in the process. The characters don’t quite have the same level of chemistry that the initial trio of Trevor, Sypha, and Alucard did, but that chemistry took time to flourish and it makes sense that the first season of Nocturne would need to build the world before fully fleshing it out.

The villains here are something of a mixed bag. Before Adult Swim ruined the concept of “Too Many Cooks,” that statement could be applied to the vast number of characters we see in Nocturne, which is true for both sides of the aisle. Standouts such as Orlox, the vampire responsible for killing Richter’s mother, are compelling enough, though the same can’t be said for other fang-bearing members. Drolta and Erzsebet Bathory simply don’t have as much characterization when comparing them to the antagonists that came before, such as Dracula and Carmilla, making them far less compelling. 

Where Castlevania: Nocturne is able to shine is both in its jaw-dropping animation and its wildly impressive fight scenes. The choreography of the battle sequences was an element that helped to push the first four seasons of the previous series in the minds of animation fans, and it’s clear that Powerhouse Animation has improved on what came before. Fights are brutal, fast, and inventive, often having the viewer waiting to see the next big set-piece that will take the opportunity to show off the skills of both heroes and villains alike. Powerhouse does a fantastic job of making this a story of its time, capturing the feel of the French Revolution, whether that be through the country’s upper crust or the poverty inherent in France’s lower class. There are moments in the series that almost feel downright experimental with the line work and coloring, but it all works in further fleshing out this current time period. 

One major caveat to this first season is that it is most assuredly presented as a “Part One” to the sequel storyline. There are quite a few plotlines that find no resolutions this time around. In fact, I believe the vast majority of them end with a big “to be continued” feeling for viewers. Fans might find themselves at a loss, especially when it comes to the mind-blowing cliffhanger that Nocturne’s season finale gives us and what that means should the animated series continue. There are sure to be viewers who will come to the stark realization that there are only eight episodes in total following the season finale’s final moments as fans look for what comes next. 

Castlevania: Nocturne, like the series before it, has loads of Easter eggs courtesy of executive producer Adi Shankar. As a major ‘Vania fan myself, I was surprised at some of the big reveals and mentions peppered throughout the first eight episodes. There are moments and character beats that will have keen-eyed viewers taking to Wikipedia pages to help further flesh out the history that is laid out here. Much like my previous complaints, some of these elements could have used more screen time, but it’s apparent that they will be examined in a potential second season. 

Castlevania: Nocturne shows a strong opening performance, and while it doesn’t hit the same heights as its predecessor, it feels like the series is on the right path to do just that. Think of Nocturne as a “Freshman Orientation” and cross your fingers that more seasons are on the way, because it’s clear that the animated series will up the ante in what comes next.

Review: 3.5 out of 5

Castlevania: Nocturne is out now on Netflix.

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To this point, the John Wick franchise has consisted of four feature films, all starring Keanu Reeves and all directed by Chad Stahelski. That will change this week with the premiere of The Continental: From the World of John Wick, a prequel series set in the 1970s that focuses on how a young Winston Scott took charge of the iconic assassin hotel from the films. The Continental does indeed tell the story of Winston, a core character from the John Wick films, and it includes plenty of references to the larger world that Reeves and Stahelski’s films have alluded to. But that’s about all the connective tissue this show shares with the movies that preceded it. The series doesn’t pack the same sleek action, tight narratives, or mystifying aura. The Continental is John Wick in name and name alone.

Stahelski and Reeves have been making modern action magic for the better part of a decade with the John Wick movies, all of which have been released to critical acclaim and box-office success. Without those two directly involved, The Continental is an empty shell of the films that inspired it. There are a couple of solid action sequences littered throughout the three, 90-minute episodes, but most of the fights and chases are jumbled and incoherent. The brilliance of John Wick‘s colors and lighting didn’t make the leap to the small screen. If The Continental wasn’t attached to the John Wick name, it would be a serviceable, sometimes pretty enjoyable event. But hitching its horse to the greatest action franchise of the 21st century only holds a magnifying glass to its shortcomings.

The ties we do get to John Wick don’t come in the form of actual tone or style. There are some characters we know. We learn a little more about the origins of the Bowery (probably the most interesting element of the show). And there are plenty of frustrating nods to the films that were done specifically to grab your attention and nothing more, like Winston ending the first episode by delivering an iconic John Wick line for no reason at all.

The Continental spends its three episodes focused on how Winston (Colin Woodell, taking over for Ian McShane) took control of New York’s premiere assassin hotel in the 1970s. That’s really all you need to know going in. It’s admittedly not too interesting of a premise, given that there are dozens of questions you want answered from the John Wick movies before you get to, “Hey, how come the older gentleman in the ascot is in charge of this place where killers hang out?” He just is, and at no point in any of those movies do you doubt that he could accomplish such a task. Winston belongs to the Continental and the Continental belongs to Winston. Like many things in John Wick, it works so well because no explanation is needed.

It’s not necessary, but the backstory we get for Winston and right-hand man Charon (Ayomide Adegun) is interesting enough. Some other intriguing characters populate the story as well; the brother-sister duo of Miles (Hubert Point-Du Jour) and Lou (Jessica Allain) are a pair I’d love to spend more time with in the modern Wick world. Most of the additional story we get in The Continental, however, makes it all entirely too busy. A story about two detectives trying to tie a gun-running operation to the hotel gets what feels like a third of the show’s run time, but seemingly only exists for one moment of pay-off in the finale. A lot more time is given to the show’s big bad, current Continental operator Cormac (Mel Gibson), than really feels necessary. 

The series as a whole is doing way too much, while somehow also not doing nearly enough. A simpler approach could’ve made The Continental a lot more effective, which is the path of the John Wick movies. Alternatively, a longer series could’ve helped create characters and stories that are actually worth investing in. Instead, it falls somewhere in the middle, not intricate enough to create something lasting and not simple enough to keep an interesting pace. 

The majority of the cast does great work with what they’re given. Both Woodell and Adegun do a great job of breathing new life into the characters that McShane and the late, great Lance Reddick built from scratch back in 2014. Allain and Point-Du Jour are the clear-cut standouts of the series. Mishel Prada turns a lifeless character into a much more interesting one. Mel Gibson is…Mel Gibson? He does exactly what he’s hired to do and it makes total sense why he was hired to play an absolute maniac who loves drugs and terrible puns. It’s also a role that a lot of other people could play and likely bring something much more interesting to the table. 

Over the course of three episodes, The Continental tells a mostly complete story that won’t leave you with a lot of questions or open ends. And it’s worth noting that the series ends with a solid bang, with the quality of the third episode easily surpassing the first two. At the end of the day, you’re left with a decent period-heist drama that’s fun to watch, but you’ll probably forget about it before too much time passes. It’s good enough, but if it’s John Wick you’re looking for, Keanu Reeves and Chad Stahelski must have taken all the magic with them, because they sure didn’t leave it at the Continental. 

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

The Continental: From the World of John Wick premieres September 22nd on Peacock.

The post The Continental Review: Peacock Prequel Is John Wick in Name Alone appeared first on ComicBook.com.

“God is make-believe in the world of The Walking Dead.” That’s according to the zombie saga’s creator, Robert Kirkman, and it’s a nonbelief instilled in Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus). When Beth, the religious daughter of a devout Christian, once admonished Daryl that it wouldn’t kill him to “have a little faith,” he snarled in response, “Faith ain’t done sh-t for us.” For a show about the resurrection of the dead, The Walking Dead tended to lean more secular than spiritual. So it’s somewhat surprising that The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon (premiering September 10th on AMC and AMC+) has what Reedus called a “religious vibe” with themes of hope and faith.

The Walking Dead series finale ended with a goodbye between best friends Daryl and Carol (Melissa McBride) before Daryl left Ohio’s Commonwealth community to go search for Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira). “I’ll find them,” Daryl promised their young daughter, Judith Grimes (Cailey Fleming). “I’ll bring them home.” After a detour, the 60-minute Daryl Dixon premiere picks up months later with Daryl thousands of miles from home as he clings to an overturned lifeboat adrift in the Mediterranean Sea. Judith’s words echo in voice-over: “You deserve a happy ending, too.”

Washing ashore in post-apocalyptic France, Daryl “struggles to piece together how he got there and why,” per a semi-misleading logline that suggests an amnesiac mystery out of The Bourne Identity. It’s not so much a puzzle to Daryl as it is to the viewer, with sporadic memories emerging in flashes to fill in the gaps until the fifth (and penultimate) episode of the first season stops withholding answers and reveals how and why Daryl was transported across the Atlantic Ocean. (AMC made all six episodes available to critics.) Transatlantic ships are scarce, so the new Walking Dead spinoff follows the marooned Daryl “across a broken but resilient France as he hopes to find a way back home. As he makes the journey, though, the connections he forms along the way complicate his ultimate plan.”

Daryl encounters nun Isabelle (Clémence Poésy) and takes shelter at the Abbey of St. Bernadette, part of a group called l’Union de I’Espoir (“Union of Hope”). Once a pill-popping pickpocket, the prudent Isabelle found religion after witnessing a miracle at the onset of the outbreak 12 years earlier. She’s the guardian of the orphaned Laurent (newcomer Louis Puech Scigliuzzi), a precocious 11-year-old boy born just as les affamès (“the hungry ones”) rose from the dead. When it appears that Daryl’s arrival is divinely preordained, Isabelle tells Daryl that he’s the “messenger” they’ve been waiting for to deliver Laurent to The Nest: a community up north that will raise and nurture him “to be who he was born to be,” says Isabelle. “To be the new messiah. To lead the revival of humanity.”

An atheist, Daryl is skeptical of the boy’s alleged abilities and seemingly supernatural perceptions — as uncanny as it is when the empathetic Laurent tells him, “I feel your sadness. Not to despair, Monsieur Daryl, but you deserve a happy ending, too.” As fate would have it, the treacherous path to The Nest leads to La Havre, a port rumored to be active with operating ships. Daryl agrees to chaperone Isabelle and The Chosen One up north in exchange for passage home, undertaking an odyssey across zombie and peril-plagued Angers, Orleans, Paris, the Seine River, and Normandy.

Daryl’s simple raison d’être is to get home. It would be a spoiler to say why Daryl gets tangled in the strife between l’Union de I’Espoir (“Union of Hope”) and Pouvoir Des Vivants (“Power of the Living”), a political movement that’s controlled most of France since the outbreak. The antagonists — it isn’t quite right to call them “villains” — are nuanced in areas of gray. “The American” quickly makes enemies of Pouvoir patriot Madame Genet (Anne Charrier) and her Guerriers (“warriors”), including the tattooed, strong-willed soldier Stèphane Codron (Romain Levi).

With a tasteful, artful approach, creator and showrunner David Zabel (ER, Mercy Street) and directors Daniel Percival (the dystopian thriller series The Man in the High Castle) and Tim Southam (totalitarian sci-fi drama Colony) recall the understated Frank Darabont era of early Walking Dead with real bite. Where The Walking Dead: Dead City evoked the gritty pulp of Escape from New York, Daryl Dixon is thematically and aesthetically akin to Children of Men or The Road. Its questions are intriguing: Is Laurent the messiah, or a false hope? Is the boy supernatural, or spiritual?

The shot-on-location French settings — from the Catacombes de Paris to the Eiffel Tower, an eroding monument of groaning metal eerily looming over the darkened City of Lights — offer a strikingly different aesthetic than The Walking Dead and are beautifully captured by director of photography Tommaso Fiorilli (Baron Noir) and production designer Clovis Weil (BBC’s Marie Antoinette). France proves fruitful for action, too, and plenty of it; blood-pumping set pieces include Daryl wielding medieval weapons in battle alongside killer nuns, fighting his way out of a castle’s zombie moat, and gladiatorial combat against amped-up super-walkers.

The Walking Dead: World Beyond ended with a credits scene set inside an abandoned French lab that CDC virologist Dr. Edwin Jenner (Noah Emmerich) referenced back in the first season of The Walking Dead. Graffiti in the lab reading les morts sont nes ici — “the dead are born here” — suggested that the zombie “variant cohorts” mentioned in Jenner’s video logs resulted from human experimentation. The coda was a clear setup for Daryl Dixon and makes Walking Dead‘s zombies more of a threat: these variant walkers are smarter, stronger, faster, and deadlier than ever. When Daryl suffers the searing touch of a brûlant (“burner”), mutated hungry ones with acidic blood, the rules have changed. 

Daryl Dixon is epic and entertaining as it expands the Walking Dead mythology with rich world-building. France feels like a lived-in, dramatically different corner of the Walking Dead Universe, populated by an intriguing cast of new characters. Along their journey, Daryl and company encounter Lou (Kim Higelin), the resilient leader of scrappy forager youths; Fallou (Eriq Ebouaney), a well-connected Parisian ally of the Union of Hope; and Quinn (Adam Nagaitis), the dimensional, double-dealing owner of an underground Paris nightclub. 

Norman Reedus is magnifique, reenergized by what is destined to become event television. Already renewed for a second season, the new series delivers what Walking Dead fans want — and something entirely unexpected. Daryl Dixon is The Walking Dead as you’ve never seen it before, enlivened and reinvented to prove that there’s a lot of life left in the zombie drama. Vive la Walking Dead. Long live The Walking Dead.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon premieres Sunday, September 10th, at 9 p.m. ET on AMC and AMC+.

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There have been a ton of nostalgic revivals in the last few years, especially as animated projects popular in the 1990s and 2000s have returned for reboots or sequels. The newest of these revival projects has brought back Tiny Toon Adventures as the brand-new Tiny Toons Looniversity. Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television and Warner Bros. Discovery already had experience with bringing back a classic cartoon for a new run with Animaniacs on Hulu last year, and it seems like that revival was successful enough to bring back Amblin’s very first animated effort, Tiny Toon Adventures in a brand-new way. 

Tiny Toon Adventures was notably an animated series released during the boom of showcasing younger versions of popular characters that resulted in the likes of Muppet Babies, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, Tom & Jerry Kids, and more releasing around the same time. But Tiny Toon Adventures was a standout in the fact that they openly referenced the fact they knew they were in a cartoon (thanks to the Looney Tunes D.N.A.) and used that for maximum humor. It’s a bit difficult to juggle that idea these days since it’s so overdone now, but Tiny Toons Looniversity avoids these pitfalls by stepping out with a brand-new looney experience instead. 

Tiny Toons Looniversity isn’t quite like the Tiny Toon Adventures fans of the early ’90s series might remember, as its premise is played completely straight. The original series was quite literally crafted by Babs and Buster Bunny themselves as they needed to come up with a show or be tossed out in the trash, but Tiny Toons Looniversity instead sees each of the young toons enrolling in Acme Looniversity for the first time. There are a few changes to go along with this new take, as well, that could take hardcore fans by surprise, too, like a few seemingly missing characters or making Babs and Buster twins. But they aren’t egregious changes by any means. 

Babs and Buster Bunny had a unique dynamic in the original series that could sometimes be flirty, but making them twin siblings (with a surprising mother) makes them more tight-knit than ever. This actually plays into the main draw of Tiny Toons Looniversity as well, as while each of the toons are as wacky and zany as they were in the original series, there’s more attention paid to their respective character quirks and personalities. Going back to Babs and Buster, for example, the first episode has them dealing with the fact that they are separated for the first time in their lives as they need to use their new school experience to branch out. 

Tiny Toons Looniversity has a different structure, but it’s still very much a playground for looney antics. It’s tethered to a sense of forward momentum for the characters, and the attention paid to a central narrative ultimately offers a much more rewarding experience. There is admittedly a feeling of just a little bit of loss, however, as this structure also means that not all of the characters can be highlighted at all times. These students are no longer just younger versions of their Looney Tunes counterparts, so dynamics have been changed overall. Different toons are interacting with one another, too, such as Sweetie Bird, who was just outside of the main group in the original, but has now been elevated to the main cast. 

These shake-ups mean that fans of the classic series might be disappointed in some of the changes, but they ultimately work out for the better, as it results in a fresh and fun new cartoon show overall. Just like how Tiny Toon Adventures felt like a fresh and approachable version of the classic Looney Tunes formula for the then-1990s audience, Tiny Toons Looniversity feels like it has been appropriately made for kids of this generation. Tons of fun jokes, character-focused stories, and wacky slapstick abound for a whole new era. 

There’s new life breathed into this franchise with Tiny Toons Looniversity, but it never loses that nostalgic allure. They’re just fun cartoons that you can jump into if you want that bit of youthful, loony energy, and will scratch that itch for wackiness that you’re looking for right now. 

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Tiny Toon Adventures streams with Max on Friday, September 8th and will be airing episodes weekly on Cartoon Network beginning on Saturday, September 9th. 

The post Tiny Toons Looniversity Review: Still Tiny, Still Toony, Still All a Little Looney appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Monkey D. Luffy is a busy man. The pirate came to life in Weekly Shonen Jump circa 1997 and changed manga for the better. Luffy’s tale in One Piece is known the world over now as the manga has outsold comic giants like Batman. With a successful anime on hand, One Piece is a true phenomenon, so the stakes were set high after series creator Eiichiro Oda announced its live-action future. After years of work, One Piece‘s live-action TV show is finally here, and I’m pleased to say the series is fit for the future King of the Pirates.

Hollywood’s anime curse has been a blight on the anime fandom for decades, but you’d never know it existed watching Netflix’s One Piece. The show’s first season is self-contained as it focuses on the main aspects of Oda’s story: its crew and its sea. Showrunners Matt Owens and Steven Maeda spent years crafting One Piece‘s live-action debut, and their care is impossible to miss.

To start, One Piece tells the story of Monkey D. Luffy, a novice pirate who is eager to become the King of the Pirates. After eating a powerful Devil Fruit, Luffy takes to the sea after an eventful childhood training, and One Piece picks up with Luffy on his first day at sea. From there, Netflix’s One Piece follows Luffy and his growing crew as they sail the East Blue and follow the trail of a legendary treasure called the One Piece.

In the manga, One Piece is vast, but it always comes back to family. Luffy’s nakama drives him forward as he hunts to reach his dream. In Netflix’s One Piece, Luffy comes to life courtesy of star Iñaki Godoy. The up-and-coming star really is Luffy, and that is that. Whether you know the pirate’s history or not, Godoy’s infectious optimism makes the pirate endearing. Luffy’s boyish charm sets the foundation of the Straw Hat crew, and Godoy nails it while bringing home the captain’s confidence.

It is a joy to watch Godoy’s strong performance take to sea, and he is joined by a truly impressive cast. Mackenyu embodies Roronoa Zoro’s steadfast strength and impressive combat skills. When Usopp is introduced, actor Jacob Romero Gibson regales audiences with a striking swagger. The same can be said for Taz Skylar’s Sanji as the wayward chef’s flirtatious personality is tempered by his convicted performance. And when it comes to Nami, actress Emily Rudd brings the navigator’s daring spirit to life with a gentle ease.

From its principal cast to its secondary pirates, One Piece is cast perfectly, and their chemistry is undeniable. Under close supervision by Oda and his team, the Straw Hat crew feels like family in Netflix’s One Piece, and that makes its seas all the more exciting.

The seas of One Piece are brought to life in this live-action adaptation with care. From the Going Merry to Shell Town and the Baratie, the sets of One Piece are appropriately grand. The adaptation allows itself to lean into the whacky nature of Oda’s original tale while grounding it in all the right spots. Even the manga’s wildest loves like Transponders Snail with a surreal yet level-headed vision. Netflix’s adaptation may have needed to condense its pacing a hair to adapt everything it needed for season one, but it isn’t done in vain. The streamlined story is accessible for fans and newcomers alike, so One Piece can rest easy about its cuts.

Just like superhero films before them, live-action anime has had a rough go in Hollywood, but every streak must end. Netflix’s One Piece marks a definite turn in that sour reputation. Decked with a perfectly curated cast and intimate stories, One Piece captures the heart of what makes Oda’s tale transcendent. At its core, One Piece is about dreams and those destined who see their hopes fulfilled. For years, we’ve waited to see whether Netflix’s One Piece would sink or swim. So as Luffy begins chasing his dream in live action, it is a privilege to say Netflix’s One Piece is worthy of telling the Pirate King’s tale. 

RATING: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

One Piece is now streaming on Netflix. You can also find the original One Piece anime on Netflix as well as Hulu and Crunchyroll. Got any questions about the hit series? Let us know in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your questions!

The post Netflix’s One Piece Review: A Seafaring Triumph Fit For the Pirate King appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Before The Mandalorian kicked off the era of live-action Star Wars television, only a handful of characters from that galaxy far, far away that hadn’t appeared in any of the Star Wars movies had become anything close to as beloved as the heroes of the Skywalker Saga. Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker’s Jedi apprentice, was one of those few. Created by George Lucas and Dave Filoni, Ahsoka first appeared in the dreadful 2008 Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie and the much better Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series. Viewers watched the young Padawan grow up within the Jedi Order, experiencing a gradual maturation unlike anything in the Star Wars films, and one with an unexpected ending as she ultimately left the Order behind. After appearing in The Clone Wars‘ successor series, Star Wars Rebels, and making her live-action debut via guest appearances in The Mandalorian and Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka headlines Star Wars’ latest live-action series on Disney+. Those already intimately familiar with Ahsoka’s journey to date are likely to be intrigued by this next chapter, while others may appreciate its ambitions, but some will be frustrated by its reliance on characters introduced elsewhere in the Star Wars franchise or by the ways its reach sometimes exceeds its grasp.

Developed by Filoni, who wrote the entire eight-part series and directed the first episode, Star Wars: Ahsoka begins at least a decade after the climax of Star Wars Rebels, years after the conclusion of the original Star Wars trilogy, and sometime after Ahsoka’s appearance in The Mandalorian‘s second season, building upon all of those previous stories. With the Empire defeated, The New Republic is on the rise, but Imperial sympathizers still exist, and there are whispers that one Imperial Grand Admiral is still at large. Fearing that this Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) could unite the remnants of the Empire and start another war, the former Jedi Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) discovers a map leading to his whereabouts but cannot decipher it. She turns to her old friend, and fellow former Rebel, General Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), for help. Hera suggests Ahsoka reconnect with another member of their old cell, Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), but it is clear that Ahsoka and Sabine aren’t on good terms. However, Ahsoka isn’t the only one searching for Thrawn, as Baylan Skoll (the late Ray Stevenson, to whom the first episode is dedicated), a former Jedi who managed to escape the Imperial purge of the Order, and his apprentice, Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno), unite with Morgan Elbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto), one of Thrawn’s allies, and make plans to take the map from Ahsoka.

Ahsoka opens with a text crawl, a bold leveraging of Star Wars’ iconography that speaks to an apparent desire on Filoni’s part to elevate these characters he’s been shepherding for 15 years and their stories to the same level of prestige and import as the Skywalker Saga and the iconic heroes and villains of the Star Wars films. Utilizing Thrawn, the villain who debuted in a series of early 1990s Star Wars novels that a generation of Star Wars fans believed would be the closest thing they’d ever get to a true sequel trilogy, also speaks to that ambition. Some shots even feel pulled from those movies, such as Ahsoka in her cockpit alongside her droid co-pilot Huyang (voiced by David Tennant), or moments of Shin Hati surveying the planet Lothal that are reminiscent of Darth Maul scanning the sands of Tatooine in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.

For all of his cinematic ambition, most of Filoni’s solo writing credits are in animation, and the pacing of these episodes feels, at times, like the scripts are stretching to meet the expected length of a live-action episode. Sequences are dedicated almost entirely to the mechanics of the map device, which is nothing more than a MacGuffin (and one that is too similar to the Sith Wayfinder from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker), and linger for too long. The often arch, overwrought dialogue comes with a lack of urgency that, without the enthusiasm that Filoni is used to getting from uninhibited voice actors, contributes to overly practiced deliveries.

Ahsoka‘s stakes are also built on background that viewers may or may not have. Anyone who hasn’t seen Rebels or read certain Star Wars novels has to take the show’s insistence that Thrawn is a threat at face value since he doesn’t appear in these opening chapters of the story. Without that, the tension and urgency in the narrative all stem from the nebulous threat of war, which comes off as mundane. This is a story set in the Star Wars universe. Was star peace ever an option? Still, the setup is big, broad, and operatic as the Star Wars films are, which meets the criteria Filoni seems to be trying to fulfill.

Similarly, the uninitiated get only a brief implication of why Sabine remains distraught over the disappearance of Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi), a young Jedi who went missing with Thrawn in the Star Wars Rebels series finale. In the past, I’ve defended the interconnectedness of Filoni’s corner of the Star Wars universe — Ahsoka’s role in The Mandalorian is pretty straightforward, and that doesn’t change with additional context about her history. Here, that background is more load-bearing.  In almost any other show, one existing independently of a multimedia franchise, viewers might assume that the writers will eventually fill them in when the time is right. Here, it’s hard to figure out what the show takes for granted or otherwise assumes the audience will learn through independent Star Wars research.

If Ahsoka means to be a cinematic experience, the first two episodes available for review are the first act. While Ahsoka’s name is in the title, she shares lead protagonist duties with Sabine. The show reveals early on that Ahsoka had been training Sabine as a Jedi Padawan apprentice, but that relationship didn’t last. Ahsoka embarked on her quest to find Thrawn while Sabine remained on Lothal, growing lonely, listless, and verging on bitter. These first two episodes are about Ahsoka and Sabine reconnecting and bandaging up enough of their old wounds to work together again. It’s only when they finally get there at the end of Ahsoka‘s second episode (a moment first glimpsed in the epilogue to the Star Wars Rebels series finale) that the show feels like it has laid the requisite groundwork to get to the main thrust of its story.

How viewers accept this pairing may come down to whether or not they’re familiar with the duo’s past adventures. For the newcomer, that this Jedi, Ahsoka, had a Padawan is easy enough to grasp, and why shouldn’t it be Sabine? But for fans of Rebels, it may not be as clear-cut. 

Rebels established Sabine as a headstrong Mandalorian with the heart of an artist (her armor had a paint job just shy of infringing on Lisa Frank’s style) and a mind for a tech who already knows how to fight in the ways of her culture. She chafed against her tutoring the one time she briefly underwent lightsaber training and has never shown an interest in or aptitude for the Force. How did she wind up becoming a Jedi Padawan to anyone, let alone Ahsoka, who once rebuffed the Jedi Order in what this new series seems to want viewers to see as a symptom of her inability to commit and tendency to leave people behind, undermining the independent streak and capacity for critical thinking and speaking truth to authority figures that endeared her to many in the first place? It’s possible that Filoni feels the need to pair Ahsoka with a Padawan to contrast her with her former master, and maybe the series will eventually unpack how Sabine is trying to be something she’s not to honor Ezra’s memory. As focused as these episodes are on getting the pair back together, it doesn’t do much to foreshadow where their arcs will head. As is, it’s an odd dynamic to force upon the characters and one that doesn’t suit them as fans knew them.

Dawson’s performance feels distant, as well. Her Ahsoka is subdued, delivering her lines with a consistent calm even when she should be annoyed. Perhaps it represents how much Ahsoka has matured or her strength and balance in the Force. However, for someone who’s followed Ahsoka’s journey, it feels like the distinct character traits of the precocious “Snips,” as Anakin called her, have been subsumed by the mannerisms of a stock Jedi character. 

Bordizzo’s Sabine is a similarly familiar depiction, a frustrated young woman left to turn sour in a (relatively) small town. The difference is that her performance and Sabine’s passive-aggressive behavior fit the situation she’s in, and the moment she finally takes her Mandalorian helmet out from under her bed (where Chekov himself seemingly placed it in the foreground of several shots) signals her return to form. 

Ahsoka and Sabine contrast with the master and apprentice duo of Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati. Where some of the cast are too self-conscious to pull off the sincere, sci-fi serial camp that informed Lucas’ Star Wars and that Filoni seems to be reaching for, Stevenson seems entirely at home in that mode as Baylan Skoll, carrying himself with the practiced gentility and wisdom of an evil, or at least morally compromised, Obi-Wan Kenobi. To complete the set, Sakhno’s Shin Hati doesn’t have many lines but exudes the overeagerness of a Skywalker, reveling in every chance she has to put her skills to use.

The supporting cast acquits itself well all around. While dealing with Ahsoka and Sabine, Winstead plays Hera as an experienced, knowing, and mildly amused mother dealing with two siblings in a row and the performance charms. Elsbeth almost feels like a different character than the one introduced in The Mandalorian, growing from Imperial bureaucrat and middle-management lackey (albeit one who can stand up to a Jedi in a fight) to Thrawn’s witchy visier, but Inosanto proves up to the task. Tennant sounds like he’s having a great time reprising Huyang, still able to fully enjoy the comforts and freedoms of the voice booth as he is.

Ahsoka‘s presentation is similarly commendable. Baylan and Shin have a fresh ferocity in their fight scenes, and Sabine’s fighting style feels similarly distinct, blending strength and precision. Ahsoka’s lightsabers have an unusual weight to them, but it creates a style faster than the slow-paced duels of the original trilogy but with fewer spins and twirls than the flashy prequel trilogy fights.

These battles take place on stunning vistas aided by virtual landscapes that sometimes feel a bit too unreal but mostly stand to task and benefit from established Star Wars design. Without giving too much away, Ahsoka does present an occasion for creative innovation in that department that distinguishes itself from what came before in impressively meaningful ways in a short time.

It all comes wrapped in Kevin Kilner’s stellar score, alternating brash and tender. Kilner’s worked on the Star Wars animated series and leverages some of those established sounds here, proving particularly successful with his repurposing of Sabine’s theme from Star Wars Rebels within Ahsoka‘s episodes and as its closing credits theme.

In its first two episodes, Ahsoka comes off as Filoni’s truest attempt to bring the feel of a Star Wars movie to television, which shouldn’t be surprising given that we now know his television work is feeding into a Star Wars film he has in development. The red text of the opening crawl and the red Lucasfilm logo that precedes it conjures up memories of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi‘s crimson logo, drawing that connection as if to set itself up as that film’s most direct successor. By all appearances, Filoni wants to create a new cinematic Star Wars experience between the original and sequel trilogies on the timeline, taking advantage of the television medium and the characters who have thrived there to do it. These imperfect opening chapters succeed at setting that stage, despite the slow pace and some questionable decisions about the positioning of its lead characters. It’s a series that will appeal most to those who most love to immerse themselves in the expanded Star Wars universe, but that doesn’t mean it can’t appeal to patient newcomers. As the former, I may fall into the most easily targeted audience, and despite my criticisms, I still find myself eager to see the next episodes. Hopefully, the flaws in these episodes prove to be shaky first steps, and, having left Lothal behind, Ahsoka can fully right its ship and live up to its considerable potential.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Ahsoka‘s first two episodes debut on Disney+ on August 22nd. Subsequent episodes of Ahsoka premiere on Disney+ on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET.

The post Ahsoka Review: An Ambitious Star Wars Series That’s Slow Out of the Gate appeared first on ComicBook.com.

When it comes to comic book events, few stand out as much as Secret Invasion, where Earth is overrun by Skrulls. The shape-shifting alien race was first introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe during the events of Captain Marvel and they return in Secret Invasion, a six-episode limited series released by Disney+. Though the series has been hailed as an intense spy thriller throughout much of the marketing, including the release of a password-protected website that made fans search for a code to get in, the first two episodes of the series fail to embody the same spirit.

The series starts off with Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) in the thick of it, and that’s really the deepest the show gets into espionage over the course of its first two episodes. Instead, the show quickly pivots and takes a tone similar to that of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, down to the villains having awfully similar motivations.

Even then, Kingsley Ben-Adir’s Gravik is a villain full-stop, and there’s little questioning what his motivations are. He’s out for blood, and Kyle Bradstreet and his writers’ room are quick to let viewers know that. That said, Gravik is mean and fearsome as he wears his heart on his sleeve, even if it’s to a fault.

Where the series shines exceptionally well is when it lets Samuel L. Jackson be himself. Though the episodes reviewed are without Jackson’s trademark “motherf-cker,” his wit and charm are still put on full display. Secret Invasion is very much the show of Nick Fury, and that might be its saving grace. After 15 years of playing the character, viewers get to see what makes the former SHIELD boss tick, finally providing some storylines that peel back the layers of the walking enigma. It’s an examination of the character in only a way Jackson could accomplish, and it’s something that’s long past due.

Jackson’s supported by a stellar ensemble with the likes of Ben Mendelsohn and Olivia Colman turning out incredible work as Talos and Sonya Falsworth, respectively. Talos finds himself with storylines similar to that of Fury, which may end up being even more impactful, as he’s an alien trying to make his way in a human world. Farnsworth, on the other hand, is an over-the-top MI6 boss that stops at nothing to get what she wants. It’s through Farnsworth that much of that signature Marvel humor comes, though that’s also spread out evenly amongst Jackson, Mendelsohn, and Don Cheadle’s James Rhodes as well.

The story is tired, even though it couldn’t come at a more proper time. Though the Skrull invasion is at the front, a new Cold War is boiling between the United States, Russia, and the rest of the world. It’s a major point of tension in the series, with a global conflict potentially dropping if the wrong phrase is uttered. It’s here that the story gets uncomfortably meta as it evolves to study humanity under a microscope. It forces viewers to reflect on the world outside their window, evoking thoughts of how to make it a better world in light of ample nihilism. Instead of 007 or Mission: Impossible levels of spy goodness, viewers are ultimately left with an amalgamation of Diet Captain America: The Winter Soldier and The Expendables. That may not be a criticism, yet it’s a jarring shift from what Marvel Studios has promised of the show.

Secret Invasion is absolutely fine. Action is few and far between as the set pieces remain some of Marvel’s smallest yet. Dialogue between friends and enemies alike is at the forefront of the show as it avoids falling into traditional Marvel rhythm. Unfortunately for the series, even though into doesn’t fall into a traditional mold at the House of Ideas, the first two episodes are unable to stand out from any other action-adventure streaming today.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Secret Invasion debuts on Disney+ on June 21st with subsequent episodes dropping on the streamer every Wednesday.

The post Secret Invasion Review: Samuel L. Jackson at His Best appeared first on ComicBook.com.

“In death, the city is so much more alive than it ever was,” says a denizen of the undead urban hellscape that is post-apocalyptic New York City in The Walking Dead: Dead City. Creator and showrunner Eli Jorné describes the zombie-mobbed metropolis setting as a “new character” in the Maggie and Negan Walking Dead spinoff, premiering June 15th on AMC+ and June 18th on AMC. “It’s The Walking Dead like you’ve never seen it before,” according to Jorné, a writer and co-executive producer on AMC’s long-running zombie drama that ended after 11 seasons in November. Based on the six-episode first season screened for critics, Dead City is bigger, badder, bloodier — and better than any Walking Dead spinoff so far.

The fifth series in AMC’s Walking Dead Universe — after Fear the Walking Dead, The Walking Dead: World Beyond, and Tales of the Walking Dead — is the first Walking Dead offshoot stemming from the original show. Dead City is also the first of three new Walking Dead spinoffs starring the original show’s returning cast members, with The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon premiering later in 2023 and The Walking Dead: Rick & Michonne slated for 2024.

Dead City picks up years after enemies Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) reached an uneasy understanding on The Walking Dead‘s “Rest in Peace” series finale. A contrite Negan apologized for bludgeoning Maggie’s husband, Glenn (Steven Yeun), with his brains-bashing baseball bat Lucille, but Maggie told him she couldn’t forgive or forget. Not even after she entrusted Negan to save her and Glenn’s son, Hershel.

But when The Croat (Željko Ivanek) — a psychopathic torturer too extreme for even Negan’s Saviors — kidnaps Hershel (Logan Kim, replacing Kien Michael Spiller), Maggie tracks down Negan to save her son. “You’re the last person that I wanted to ask for help,” Maggie says for reasons that this review can’t spoil. (For fans who think it unimaginable — blasphemous, even — for a Walking Dead spinoff to pair Maggie with Glenn’s killer, there’s a compelling explanation forcing these two characters back together.)

They agree to a quid pro quo: Negan will travel with Maggie into New York City to save Hershel, and she shelters his unspeaking ward, the enigmatic Ginny (Mahina Napoleon). Negan is a wanted man, and his relentless pursuer is New Babylon Marshal Perlie Armstrong (Gaius Charles). The Grey’s Anatomy alum is well-cast as the uncompromising Armstrong, bringing to mind Tommy Lee Jones’ hard-assed Deputy U.S. Marshal Sam Gerard in The Fugitive. He’s judge, jury, and death-by-zombie executioner, reciting code violations like scripture as he doles out what the New Babylon Federation deems justice.

Dead City is at its best when entrenching Maggie and Negan in the vendetta they thought was laid to rest on The Walking Dead. Cohan and Morgan, who share top billing, are equally serviced and equally exceptional. Maggie wrestles with letting go of her hatred that’s driven a wedge between her and the angst-ridden Hershel, and proximity to her husband’s killer brings on Negan-induced nightmares about Glenn’s death. And Negan — who was an expecting father with his wife Annie (Medina Senghore) when last we saw him — is remorseful but believes he’s paid for what he’s done. He’s sympathetic to Maggie more than we’ve ever seen him, and her to him, yet there’s still a sense that Maggie and Negan could kill each other at any moment. As they begrudgingly work side by side, tension ramps up to put Maggie and Negan at each other’s throats — sometimes literally — as Jorné has deftly figured out a way to wring out and mine more drama from this compellingly dysfunctional duo. 

“After all these years, you still think I’m the bad guy. I’m not. No one is. But you know what, Maggie? Maybe everyone is,” Negan tells her. “Ask yourself one question: how many husbands and fathers have you killed?” As Armstrong figures out, they don’t live in black and white — but shades of gray. These characters are complex, and their morality is more and more blurred the deeper Maggie and Negan get into Dead City.

The tourists take Manhattan with the help of street-smart survivors Amaia (Karina Ortiz) and Tommaso (Jonathan Higginbotham), native New Yorkers who fearlessly zipline between rooftops to bypass the horde of “fleshies” massed on the streets below. The Croat’s marauder “Burazi” — his barbaric brotherhood of deranged degenerates — have locked down the island, preying on Amaia and Tommaso’s tight-knit Tribe left to fend for themselves ever since the military bombed and quarantined the island to contain the infection in the early days of the outbreak.

“You get on the island, but you don’t get off,” says Tommaso, seemingly unaware characters travel freely between the island and the mainland. “The first few weeks were the worst. It spread so fast — through the subways, the buildings, bodies coming up from the ground, falling from the sky,” Amaia explains, recounting how the Army abandoned the city’s population of eight-plus million. “We watched them blow up the bridges and the tunnels, leaving us in this death trap.” Dead City is The Walking Dead mashed with Mad Max and Escape from New York, which truly is The Walking Dead Universe as you’ve never seen it before. (Even the key art, showing Maggie and Negan with Lady Liberty’s zombified head, recalls Escape‘s iconic poster.)

That Dead City doesn’t flash back to New York’s descent into apocalyptic anarchy at the onset of societal collapse is a missed opportunity. The fall is at least glimpsed through Dead City‘s animated opening credits sequence, beautifully rendered by main title designer Picturemill (Succession, AMC’s Preacher). Evoking the style of Huge Design’s graphic novel and Edgar Allen Poe-inspired title sequence that opened The Walking Dead from Season 9 onward, it incorporates striking imagery: The Empire State Building piercing through billowing clouds of black smoke from a burning city. Times Square in tatters. Blood-splattered subway stations. Tanks and helicopters blasting the city to fiery rubble. NYC is a hellish warzone, overrun by an undead army sprawled across entire city blocks. Composer Ian Hultquist (I Know What You Did Last Summer, Night Teeth) has crafted a pulse-pounding opening theme befitting the mean streets of New York and the dark and edgy Dead City.

The dead and decaying city is brought to life by production designer Scott P. Murphy, the three-time Emmy-nominated Sopranos art director who also worked on the Marvel TV series Daredevil and The Punisher, set on the grimy and gritty streets of Hell’s Kitchen. Some 15 years post-zombie outbreak, Manhattan Island is an Isle of the Dead (the show’s original title). Nature has reclaimed the concrete jungle overtaken by overgrowth. Buildings are crumbling. Lifeless skyscrapers loom over streets teeming with millions of walkers. The city that never sleeps is eerily quiet except for the groans of the roaming horde.

Visually, Dead City‘s urban environments resemble HBO’s dystopian drama The Last of Us more than The Walking Dead. Taking these characters out of rural woods and putting them against the backdrop of iconic New York landmarks like the blown-apart Brooklyn Bridge, the zombie-swarmed Madison Square Garden, and the decomposing Statue of Liberty makes for an impressive sight — and a welcome change of scenery, with scenes set on stories-high rooftops to the subway tunnels and sewers below. (Squeamish? There’s a skin-crawling sequence with a cockroach infestation, and another where someone squirms beneath a gnawing walker with a live rat inside its mouth.)

Dead City has everything you want from The Walking Dead. The special effects make-up by Walking Dead zombie guru Greg Nicotero and his KNB EFX Group Inc. is outstanding, especially a practical puppet monstrosity that is the coolest walker ever created in this universe. It has enough guts, gore, and undead action to make up for what The Last of Us lacked, while telling a story exploring themes of grief, loss, and trauma.

At six episodes, the show is nimbly paced with taut storytelling. It’s not until midway through the season finale, titled “Doma Smo,” that Dead City stumbles beneath a last-minute twist and meta-commentary from The Dama (Lisa Emery). “The show started out with a bang. But then there was a plot twist,” she says in part [spoilers redacted]. “So, naturally, the ending fizzled — and let’s face it, everyone knows the ending is all that matters.” The ending isn’t all that matters, but it is anticlimactic. 

There have already been talks of Dead City Season 2, and the final scenes make it clear that this is not a limited series. (The ending suggests a post-apocalyptic riff on The Warriors, the 1979 film about warring New York gangs.) To quote Escape from New York: “Once you go in, you don’t come out.” Once you go into Dead City, you won’t want to come out.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

The Walking Dead: Dead City premieres Sunday, June 18th, at 9 p.m. ET on AMC. 

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For most audiences, the debut of I Think You Should Leave on Netflix back in 2019 was a complete discovery. Developed by star Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin, the sketches might have featured some recognizable alt-comedy talent, but with Robinson’s highest profile project being a brief stint on Saturday Night Live, the series still felt like it came out of nowhere. Even with the sophomore season, there weren’t the same expectations among subscribers leading to its release as lauded Netflix Originals like Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt or Bojack Horseman. 

In the years since the release of Season 2, though, the meme-ification of the sketches has turned it into a social-media juggernaut, thanks to countless uses of everything from Bob Odenkirk’s “triples is best” to Robinson’s “I don’t even want to be around anymore,” delivered from underneath an old-man disguise. Season 3 delivers the signature silliness of the series that Robinson has perfected, and while there are performances and dialogue that are sure to dominate social media imminently, these new episodes rest on their laurels a bit, playing it safe when the first two seasons surprised us at every turn.

Other than the talent involved in the project, there’s little cohesion that runs through the overall series, with the format seeing each episode running 15-17 minutes and consisting of a handful of sketches ranging from three to seven minutes. While it’s not explicitly stated, the title of the series does encapsulate the idea that the characters in the sketches wear out their welcomes in any situation almost immediately, but the delight in the series is derived from seeing just how deeply these figures dig themselves into all manner of societal holes. 

The Season 3 premiere makes a strong argument for being the best episode in the entire series. Kicking off with a sketch that begins as a lampoon of political talk shows and descends into a passionate confession about cell phones, audiences are immediately inundated with the unhinged lunacy of Robinson’s signature shouting. Following this up with a sketch where an office meeting gets derailed when an offhanded comment is taken too literally, a parody of The Bachelorette focusing on a contestant more interested in the locale’s amenities, a guest-starring Fred Armisen attempting to deceive his children, and a slow-building sketch whose punchline is entirely visual, the premiere feels like a greatest hits of what Robinson and Kanin have accomplished with the series. 

Part of what makes I Think You Should Leave such a treat for viewers is its wholehearted embrace of silliness for the sake of silliness. While plenty of comedy series and sketch programs use cultural touchstones as jumping-off points, I Think You Should Leave delivers a timelessness with its tomfoolery, with even a parody of The Bachelorette being less about lampooning the real-life absurdity of the competition and instead allowing a platform to highlight a character who exploits the unexpected offerings of such a game show. In fact, when a later sketch references Kim Kardashian, it feels jarring to have the show reference a real-life figure.

Over the subsequent five episodes, we’re given some of the best sketches in the series, exploring the true benefits of a technologically advanced dog door, what happens when silly wedding photos backfire, and the fallout of someone who is desperate to make viral videos. Robinson is centered in many of the sketches, but it’s guest-starring appearances from Tim Meadows, Sam Richardson, and Conner O’Malley that steal the show. Fans will also appreciate the returns of Patti Harrison (who is criminally underused and only appears in one sketch) and Biff Wiff, who deservedly earned acclaim in all previous appearances.

As shocking as it is to admit, what holds the series back is how repetitive Robinson’s characters are in this batch of episodes, not only from one sketch to the next, but also compared to former characters. Previous seasons have proven how Robinson is just as hilarious whether he is having maniacal outbursts or is attempting to keep his cool, but the lack of diversity in both the premises and the characters means the sketches start to feel redundant. This isn’t to say that these sketches aren’t entertaining, though given how absurdly ambitious and surprising the previous 12 episodes are, this new season is a bit more predictable in execution. 

The resounding success of the first two seasons is partially to blame for that repetitive feeling, as those episodes featuring commercials going in entirely unexpected directions, game shows failing miserably, or inter-office dynamics igniting awkwardness stick so strongly in our memories that we can’t help but be reminded of them when familiar premises are unveiled. Any fan of the first two seasons will be able to identify a surrogate for each sketch in Season 3, and while these premises for a sketch aren’t entirely beholden to the minds behind I Think You Should Leave, the success of those sketches will create unjust comparisons to payoffs in familiar premises from Season 3 and how they were explored in previous seasons. 

Since its inception, I Think You Should Leave has felt like the perfect blend of Mr. Show with Bob and David‘s experimental sketch formats and unconventional humor and Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!‘s embrace of eccentricities and absurdities. Robinson and his collaborators don’t seem to want to hide that influence, with Season 2 seeing an appearance from Mr. Show‘s Bob Odenkirk and Tim and Eric‘s Tim Heidecker starring in sketches in all three seasons. Much like how both of those series helped define their respective decades of comedy, I Think You Should Leave‘s impact is sure to influence not only countless imitators, but it’s also impacting its own output. With seasons coming at a pace of every two years, we won’t be surprised if Season 3 ends up being the series’ sendoff, as Robinson and Kanin explore other opportunities, which would allow it to conclude with an impressive output in which it was consistently hilarious. This latest season might be a bit of a step back from the hilarity of the first 12 episodes, but it is still funnier than just about any sketch series out there.

Rating: 4 out of 5

I Think You Should Leave Season 3 is now streaming on Netflix.

The post I Think You Should Leave Season 3 Review: Silly, Subversive, and Formulaically Safe appeared first on ComicBook.com.

In 2015, Fear the Walking Dead co-creator Dave Erickson described AMC’s original companion series to The Walking Dead as an “apocalyptic journey, dramatizing the horrific disintegration of society through the lens of a dysfunctional family”: matriarch Madison Clark (Kim Dickens), her drug addict son Nick (Frank Dillane), and her daughter Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey). The earliest seasons of Fear followed the Clark clan on their journey across Infected-infested Los Angeles, Mexico, and Texas — adding Daniel Salazar (Rubén Blades), Victor Strand (Colman Domingo), Luciana Galvez (Danay García), and others to their band of zombie apocalypse survivors along the way — but worlds collided when Morgan Jones (Lennie James) crossed over from The Walking Dead.

By the semi-rebooted Season 4 — which saw showrunners Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg replace Erickson, with creative input from AMC’s Walking Dead Universe overseer Scott M. Gimple — much of the show’s original cast was either written off or killed off, including Nick and Madison. What started as a domestic drama against the backdrop of societal collapse suffered an identity crisis, focusing less on the Clark family as Chambliss and Goldberg reinvented Fear each season since: first as a Western, then as a genre-mashing mini-movie anthology, and then The Walking Dead in the nuclear zombie apocalypse.

There was Madison’s Fear and Morgan’s Fear, and there was a sense among fans of a clear demarcation point where the original spinoff died with Madison. (Dickens is reinstated as a series regular after the Season 7 finale revealed Madison survived her apparent death in a zombie-swarmed stadium fire in Season 4.) Fear the Walking Dead‘s eighth and final season (premiering May 11th on AMC+ and May 14th on AMC) is yet another reinvention: an amalgamation. Based on the three episodes made available for review, Chambliss and Goldberg reconciled the two halves to craft a merger that’s likely to satisfy fans of both Fear eras.

After a seven-year time jump, Madison, Morgan, and the rest of the group that set off to find PADRE are living under PADRE’s cynical rule. A lot has happened in those seven years, and AMC asks thatspoilers be kept under wraps until the episodes air. (The post-jumptimeline has no shortage of twists and surprise reveals.)

Since we last saw them, Morgan has spent the past seven years as a [SPOILER], and Madison as a [SPOILER] who goes by the name “Lark.” Daniel is the [SPOILER] of a [SPOILER]. Dwight (Austin Amelio) and Sherry (Christine Evangelista) want to [SPOILER] from [SPOILER]. Shockingly, June (Jenna Elfman) has spent years [SPOILER] because [SPOILER]. Some characters are MIA — their fates as much a mystery to the characters as they are to the viewer — while others are revealed to be [SPOILER], and others are [SPOILER] for [SPOILER].

Less secret is that Morgan and Grace’s (Karen David) now eight-year-old adopted daughter, Mo (Zoey Merchant), is among the children collected and indoctrinated by PADRE, which has the vibe of Hunger Games dystopia and which has subjugated the same people who already rebelled against oppressive regimes under Virginia (Colby Minifie) and a villainous Victor Strand. The thematic through-line connecting all the characters to PADRE is parenthood, inevitably raising questions about legacy and what these characters are living for and not just surviving.

It’s dark — but without the Negan-bashing-brains-in sadism that killed off millions of viewers from the flagship show — and bleak, but without being a miserable slog. Season 8 hits the ground running at a breakneck pace, in part because the shortened season consists of just 12 episodes — half the 24 episodes that The Walking Dead had to wrap up its 11-season run over an extended three-part stretch. 

Fear the Walking Dead’s final season will naturally draw comparisons to the final season of The Walking Dead, which concluded on a well-earned note of hopefulness and nostalgic sentimentality. But in the end, The Walking Dead’s bite diminished — even if fans somehow didn’t know that Daryl, Carol, Maggie, and Negan would live to see spin-off shows, gone was the fear that no one was safe, or that (almost) anyone could go at any time. Even a breed of brainy variant walkers not seen since the days of Atlanta couldn’t bring back the sense of suspense or danger from earlier seasons, and in the end, almost everyone made it out alive. 

While characters from Fear could conceivably live on and cross over into the wider TWD Universe, AMC has not announced any off-shoots stemming from its original spinoff. And unlike the flagship, which adapted creator Robert Kirkman’s comic book that ended after 193 issues in 2019, there’s no source material to pull from.

There’s an edge to this grippingly dark and dramatic final season that suggests some gut-wrenching goodbyes ahead — and there’s an excitement in that unpredictability.

The Season 8 premiere, “Remember What They Took From You,” services Dickens and James especially well: Madison and Morgan’s at-times antagonistic dynamic means they can go from allies to enemies — sometimes in the same scene. Whether it’s a suspenseful sequence set on a waterlogged and walker-logged houseboat in a zombie-infested swamp, or watching Madison and Morgan scuffling in a figurative tug-o-war, it’s a solid start to a season that gets better with each episode. With the 12-episode season rolling out in two six-episode parts, there’s an obvious momentum by the midway point of Season 8A that suggests it’s only going to get bigger — and better — from here.

Fear‘s final season is pure Walking Dead, and as AMC’s TWD Universe moves into the next phase of spinoffs, these first episodes of Season 8 prove there’s a lot of life left in the original. To quote Madison Clark: “No one’s gone until they’re gone.”

Rating: 4 out of 5

Fear the Walking Dead season 8 premieres Sunday, May 14th at 9 p.m. ET on AMC and AMC+.

The post Fear the Walking Dead Final Season Review: No Show’s Gone Until It’s Gone appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Genndy Tartakosky has been at the helm for some of the most memorable animated series in Cartoon Network and Adult Swim’s history, and that’s what made Unicorn: Warriors Eternal so compelling when it was officially announced. Not only did the second season of Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal wrap up recently, but Unicorn: Warriors Eternal has survived all of the recent changes Warner Bros. Discovery and their efforts have gone through in the past year. Much like Primal before it, Unicorn: Warriors Eternal is such a starkly original project that fans really had no idea what to expect from it.

When Unicorn: Warriors Eternal began revealing its promotional materials in full, series creator Genndy Tartakovsky mentioned that it’s a project he had first conceived of during his early days with Cartoon Network Studios over 20 years ago. After seeing Unicorn: Warriors Eternal in action, it’s very clear that this is the case. Unicorn: Warriors Eternal is filled to the brim with care and love from the team behind it, and it results in a perfect blend of action, magic, comedy, and just top-tier cool. 

Unicorn: Warriors Eternal follows a team of three mystical warriors that have been battling against an ancient, evil magic for centuries. Melinda, Seng, and Edred have their souls tethered to a robot named Copernicus as they are summoned into new bodies every few generations when the evil they have been fighting rises again. The hiccup that kicks off Unicorn: Warriors Eternal’s story, however, is that the possessions don’t quite work out this time around. 

Taking place in London during the industrial revolution period, the story then centers on a new trio that Melinda, Seng, and Edred possess, but each of them has mixed up their reincarnations in a different way. Leading to all kinds of memory mix-ups, fractured relationships, and more, it’s a fertile and solid ground that Unicorn: Warriors Eternal then builds on top of with unexpected layers. Not only is it a wonderful blend of distinct fantasy genre elements (such as a witches and wizards-based magic system set in a steampunk world), but it uses those disparate elements to enrich the central conflict. 

At the center of these three characters is the fact that their lives are essentially stolen from them as they are thrust into a twisted hero’s journey. There’s a constant clash of emotions surrounding Melinda, especially as her inability to immediately fuse with her present-day host forms the core of the series overall. The connection between past and present is the highlight at the center of Unicorn: Warriors Eternal, and it only gets better from there. 

With a strong heart in its characters and compelling story, Unicorn: Warriors Eternal then takes this to the next level with the detail-oriented action animation that fans have come to expect from Genndy Tartakovsky’s helmed series. That high attention to detail is in everything from the biggest sequences (which use both the steampunk setting and the core trio’s magical abilities to great effect) to the smaller character beats. Everything is laid out in terms of being clean and easy to follow, but features imaginative sequences. 

For example, those hoping to see some of the Primal spice in here are rewarded as Unicorn: Warriors Eternal has some creatures that are grounded in our reality in terms of design, but have added bits of flare to make them a bit more fantastical. You want to see an elephant? How about a monster one! Pirates? How about skeleton, ghost pirates! Everything feels weighted and real despite the fantastical setting, and there are legitimate consequences for the grander action sequences. It never once feels detached from the reality of everything. 

Even with these heavier burdens of character development, Unicorn: Warriors Eternal feels appropriate for a wide audience. The characters are all designed to be hugely expressive with big round eyes, and more rounded features overall. Harder-edged designs are usually reserved for the more terrifying, and even then, everything in Unicorn: Warriors Eternal feels bouncy in nature. There are close-up scenes where characters are just sitting in their emotions and speaking, and those turn into some of the most gorgeous shots of the series overall. It’s just something you want to see over and over again. 

Every single frame of Unicorn: Warriors Eternal is just cool to watch, and each episode makes the story all the more compelling as it fleshes out a much wider saga than fans might have expected when jumping in at first. It seems like it’s become a cliche at this point with each of Tartakovsky’s helmed successes thus far, but Unicorn: Warriors Eternal somehow tops everything that has come before. It’s just a top-tier experience for animation fans. 

Rating: 5 out of 5

Unicorn: Warriors Eternal premieres on Adult Swim on Thursday, May 4th at midnight and streams with HBO Max the next day. 

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A 30th Anniversary milestone is worthy of celebration in any franchise, but that milestone holds an even greater weight and importance in the world of Power Rangers. Anniversary celebrations are treated as true events, and as soon as Hasbro and Netflix revealed the 30th Anniversary special Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always and the returning original cast, the hype level for the event went through the roof. Now Once & Always is finally here, and if you were hoping for a 30th Anniversary special that captured the nostalgic vibes of the original series with a modern and more mature sensibility, your wish has been granted.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always is set in the modern day and features the return of several longtime favorites, including David Yost (Billy Cranston), Walter Jones (Zack Taylor), Catherine Sutherland (Katherine Hillard), Steve Cardenas (Rocky DeSantos), Karan Ashley (Aisha Campbell), and Johnny Yong Bosch (Adam Park). It also features the return of two legendary voices in Barbara Goodson (Rita Repulsa) and Richard Steven Horvitz (Alpha 5), and then welcomes a new addition to the franchise in Charlie Kersh (Mingh Kwan). The returning cast and Kersh’s addition are a huge part of making Once & Always work, as the form both sides of the legacy equation that moves the narrative forward and carry the majority of the emotional development throughout.

At the heart of Once & Always is Trini Kwan, who was played by the late Thuy Trang. Trang tragically passed away in 2001. The character of Trini has continued to live on in the franchise, but that changes in Once & Always, and as a result the special becomes a tribute and honoring of Trang and Trini’s legacy in the franchise while simultaneously opening up new horizons for that legacy to shine. The weight of that storyline is carried mostly by Kersh, Taylor, and Yost, though Taylor’s work is easily the most impressive in this regard.

While the fights are nostalgia in their purest form, it’s the more difficult conversations that give the special its teeth, allowing the more mature storytelling to shine through. One such conversation happens early on and effectively sets the tone for what’s to come, and Yost and Taylor effectively convey the differences in opinion regarding Zordon’s approach and how that might need to be adapted in the modern world. Later Minh and Billy have another conversation that hits with the impact of a freight train, and it’s Kersh’s performance that sells it and allows it to land with real impact.

That said, Jones really shines throughout the entire special. His work with Kersh grounds everything else and always comes across as genuine, even if you disagree with Zack’s stance and opinion in any given situation. Zack being the guardian figure also allows Billy to stay closer to his original character’s personality and approach to things, though he’s also come a long way from the character we remember.

As for the other returning characters, they all bring something to the table, though because of the core story at play, they all don’t get as much real estate to work in. Cardenas is a constant bright spot throughout the special, and his lighthearted and charming demeanor is the perfect contrast to some heavier scenes. On the villain’s side, Barbara Goodson’s return is a godsend, as her voice alone immediately transports you back to the world you loved. She’s been given some teeth as well though, and Goodson’s tone is perfectly suited for a villain that is finally as lethal as her reputation suggests, something we haven’t seen in the show previously (though the comics have created this aura quite effectively).

Hillard has an important part to play in terms of story and story connections, but she isn’t utilized quite as much as some will probably hope. Likewise, Ashley and Bosch are welcome additions and connect other elements that Ranger fans will love to see represented, but they are only used in a few scenes. Those scenes are effective mind you, but it’s still only a small appearance overall.

Kersh really starts to have some fun with the role when the bigger Ranger pieces are in play, and these sequences are delightful, as is the final battle that hits all the beats and should leave Power Rangers fans delighted. The special is also paced well, with the characters and lower-level fights getting the majority of the screen time compared to the Zord. That’s a good thing in more ways than one, as while there are slick moments involving that battle, there are also some moments that could’ve used more polish. However, any scene with the RadBug? Stupendous, and yes, I said stupendous. The RadBug rules.

The battles also benefit from some destructive force. We get Putties exploding from Blaster fire, Power Swords delivering big final blows, and several other moments that showcase the weapons as actual weapons. This adds a bit of edge to the fights, something fans will definitely appreciate.

While the more mature tone is welcome, there are moments where the acting or dialogue comes across awkwardly, taking you out of an emotional moment after a line just falls flat or seems out of place. The joke-filled battle banter is still intact, and most of it will be just fine with fans. It also helps that the show is self-aware about it, though there are some jokes that you can’t help but shake your head on. As for how the show addresses the cast that didn’t end up being a part of it (like Austin St. John and Amy Jo Johnson), it gets it out of the way pretty early and is equal parts effective and amusing.

Overall Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always delivers the best sort of nostalgia trip, one that brings together all the things you loved about the original series and blends in modern elements and a central story that means something to the fanbase and the franchise. It’s not perfect, but those who jump in will find a special that will immensely entertain while also paying tribute to icons of the franchise, and no Ranger fan should miss out.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always will hit Netflix on April 19th.

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The first season of Showtime’s Yellowjackets was something of a perfect storm. Part thriller, part coming-of-age story, part 90s nostalgia, the series hooked viewers immediately with a tantalizing mystery — what really happened to a group of high school girls whose private plane crashed in the wilderness, leaving them stranded for 19 months. Watching that mystery unfold, as well as the impact it has on the slowly-spiraling lives of crash’s survivors a quarter century later, kept fans coming back each week. Yellowjackets’ inherent sense of humanity and the razor-sharp performances of its cast helped the complicated, but flawed story work. Sure, Season 1 still had some flaws, but they became easier to swallow. As Yellowjackets embarks on its second season, it is still a strong series — even as the mysteries get deeper, the plot gets more convoluted, and some of its weaknesses become a bit more apparent.

Season 2 of Yellowjackets picks up, generally, where Season 1 left us. In the past, the survivors are struggling to survive winter in the wilderness amid the the ramifications of Jackie’s death, and Lottie’s (Courtney Eaton) new rise as a sort of spiritual leader. In the present day, we also jump into the story of adult Lottie (Simone Kessell), who seems to have parlayed her time as the wilderness’ “Antler Queen” into to that of a modern-day cult leader. The other present-day survivors continue to be thrown off — adult Misty (Christina Ricci) by adult Nat’s (Juliette Lewis) disappearance, adult Shauna (Melanie Lynskey) by the growing attention surrounding Adam Martin’s disappearance, and adult Taissa (Tawny Cypress) by her own issues.

That sense of being “thrown off” permeates through the first few episodes — and while it certainly works to further the show’s status as a puzzle box of mysteries, its approach is not necessarily flawless. Compared to Season 1, the early episodes almost immediately lean much harder into the supernatural, with the wilderness being seen as otherworldly and Lottie having some sort of mystical connection to it. In the flashback timeline, much of the interpersonal relationships and shifts of power dynamics have disappeared, resorting to a story largely resting on themes of grief, misery, and shock value. The spooky and supernatural elements are also leaned into in the present, particularly when it comes to Taissa’s story, but instead of being intriguing, it just feels frustrating. When Season 1 seemed to tease that many of the characters had some sort of unusual, almost supernatural thing going on, it felt woven into the general tapestry of the season. In Season 2, it’s a major thread, and it feels like if you pull on it too hard, the whole thing will come apart.

The overall “plot” seems to be in danger of unraveling as well. While the disappearance of Adam Martin is an interesting story in the present, the episodes provided to critics for screening don’t indicate the core of either era’s narrative. Yellowjackets, at times, feels like it’s trying to get by on spooky vibes, and it’s only a testament to the compelling concept, solid production values, and strong performances that it actually does so, and still keeps you coming back episode after episode hoping for answers.

That isn’t to say that the season is bad, however. The present-day focus on Shauna and Jeff’s relationship is beautifully honest and almost frustrating to watch in the best way, particularly as we begin to see Shauna starting to soften. Lynskey does a phenomenal job of pulling back the layers of Shauna — not only how her experiences have shaped her, but her inner battle between the barely-contained rage and the intense feeling of loss over the life she could have had. Ricci’s present-day Misty is also a bright spot, bringing a bit of awkward humor this time around alongside cast newcomer Elijah Wood as Walter. The levity is, at times, a little jarring, but given how serious things are overall, it’s very welcome. Another newcomer — Supergirl alum Nicole Maines — is also a solid addition.

Season 2 of Yellowjackets doesn’t exactly live up to the gleam of the first season, but that doesn’t necessarily doom it. While the early episodes begin to veer into a doubt-inducing, Lost-esque territory, the show remains deeply smart in how it approaches its central mystery, and in its examination of what it all means. In lesser hands, this could be a tedious season, but in the hands of the very capable cast — in both timelines — even at its slowest, it’s still a journey you want to embark on.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Season 2 of Yellowjackets streams Friday, March 24th and airs on Showtime on Sunday, March 26th.

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Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur brings the delightful duo of Lunella Lafayette and Devil Dinosaur from Marvel Comics to Disney Channel and Disney+, and it does so in dazzling fashion. The show’s visual style and color palette are off the charts, commanding your attention right from the intro, and the characters you meet along the way are brimming with charm, personality, and humor. The show is as much about Lu’s family and friends as it is about her and Devil, and in many ways, those relationships form the central foundation of the show. The show’s no slouch in superhero action either, with sequences that feel bigger than life and embrace a welcome sense of joy and fun. This has easily become my favorite iteration of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, and the sooner these two are in the live-action Marvel Cinematic Universe, the better off we’ll all be.

For those who aren’t as familiar with Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, the series revolves around a young girl named Lunella who is quite brilliant. In fact, she’s so brilliant that she ends up transporting a red T-Rex named Devil to our world, and as you might expect, chaos (oftentimes hilarious chaos) ensues.

Lunella is voiced by the talented Diamond White, and White is simply fantastic as the lovable superhero genius. Lunella is quick-witted and known for a sarcastic comeback or two, but that never comes at the expense of the compassion and kindness she so frequently shows to her family and friends. White is stellar in the lead role, imbuing the character with a fun and likable spirit, and the same can be said of the entire voice cast.

This is only magnified when Lu is playing off of Devil Dinosaur or Casey, played by Fred Tatasciore and Life Barer respectively. Despite not speaking actual words in his performance, Tatasciore is still able to communicate the character’s feelings and emotions through other means, quickly developing a unique language with Lunella and the audience. Equally as important, though, is Lu’s dynamic with Casey, who almost steals every scene she’s in. Barer’s portrayal is hilarious, and while Casey and Lu generate a bevy of comedic gems, the heart and spark of friendship between them is what stands out most, and it becomes one of the show’s core elements rather quickly.

Family also happens to be a cornerstone of the show and Lunella’s world in general, and the show utilizes them exceptionally well. They might not be the focal point of every episode, but rarely is there a key decision or event that doesn’t somehow involve them directly or their experience and advice. One particular episode deals with Lunella’s hair, and amid all the craziness that ensues, a conversation between Lunella, her mother Andria (Sasheer Zamata), and her grandmother Mimi (Alfre Woodard) is the moment that defines the entire episode. The show creates such a genuinely endearing relationship within the family that it’s difficult to not want more screen time for them.

Laurence Fishburne was a big proponent of the series hitting the small screen, as he not only voices The Beyonder, but also serves as a producer. Fishburne’s passion comes through his performance and he is beyond perfect in the role. It doesn’t hurt that the show’s concept of The Beyonder is gleefully over the top, giving Fishburne a wide canvas in which to work, including hilarious musical numbers.

All of this is bolstered by the show’s striking animation style, a style that takes advantage of its fantastical concept. The action feels larger than life and yet the animation can easily pivot and provide the more poignant moments with their necessary impact and weight. When it’s time for humor, the style once again delivers, as the expressiveness of the characters is a perfect conduit to deliver the show’s mix of snappy comebacks and whimsical musings, all of which are perfect for all ages.

Now, every joke doesn’t land, obviously, but those are few and far between. Perhaps my greatest fear regarding the show isn’t what it is but what it isn’t, and that’s another tether and ongoing chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It would be a shame for some to ignore this simply because it doesn’t interconnect with what is happening on the MCU side of the equation. That said, I will say that Marvel has successfully adapted two wonderful characters from the comics, and if Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur do hit the big screen one day, this is the version of that dynamic duo that I absolutely want to see.

Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur is an enchanting adventure that wears its heart and charm on its sleeve. The show carves out a corner of the Marvel universe all its own with personality for days and characters that leap off the screen, and any Marvel fan will regret missing out on this one-of-a-kind gem.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur premiered on Disney Channel and can be watched on Disney NOW right here. The series will also debut on Disney+ on February 15th.

What have you thought of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things Marvel with me on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!

The post Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur Review: A Superhero Adventure Brimming with Heart, Humor, and Charm appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Star Trek: Picard returns for its third and final season, and it feels like a series rebuilt from the ground up. Where Picard has tried to distinguish itself from Star Trek: The Next Generation in its first two seasons by presenting itself as a prestige character drama centered on Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart, reprising the role), Picard‘s third season, under showrunner Terry Matalas, more readily embraces its legacy by bringing back the rest of the Next Generation cast, emphasizing the sci-fi aspects of the show, and incorporating elements from the larger Star Trek universe into its narrative. That boldness in its story combined with excellent execution in the telling makes Picard‘s third season the show’s most satisfying outing.

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 is about legacy, and that’s not only in that it brings back “legacy actors” and other elements of Star Trek’s past, but also in how it considers what these characters will leave to the future. In the season premiere, Picard remarks that he is not a man who needs a legacy, but his life changes when he discovers he may have one. Much of the story is propelled by how that legacy alters his perspective and what he’s willing to do to protect it. That theme expands to the rest of the Enterprise crew in various ways as they reunite and discover that Starfleet may have an unexpected legacy of its own that’s come back to haunt the Federation.

The writing, directing, and cinematography all feel incredibly cinematic, like one of the classic Star Trek movies shot with The Next Generation‘s cast. The early episodes feel inspired by Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, mirroring some of that film’s plot beats and even specific scenes, including the game of cat-and-mouse between two starships gleaned in Picard‘s Season 3 trailers. Later, as separate narrative strands begin to come together, it takes on more of the tone of a conspiracy thriller, not unlike Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.

Picard‘s third season is one of the few times I’ve seen a show pull off the “10-hour movie” pitch without falling prey to familiar pacing issues and running in place in the middle. That’s because each episode, while serving as a chapter of a larger story, is fulfilling in its own right, with a satisfying beginning, middle, and end. The season’s fourth episode best exemplifies this, feeling like a classic Star Trek: The Next Generation teleplay shot with modern techniques and special effects. Without giving the details away, it’s a story about an unusual, pseudo-science problem solved through the talents of a crew of highly capable people working together and bringing out the best in each other’s unique abilities to find a high-tech, pseudo-science solution, leading to a resolution that emphasizes the wonder of discovery. That’s everything that made a typical episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation special served up to modern viewers while still pushing the overarching plot forward.

Speaking of what made The Next Generation special, the returning cast members have not missed a beat. The rapport between Picard and his former first officer, Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes), feels like a natural evolution of what The Next Generation established, with the two men older and a little more comfortable taking the piss out of each other now that the former isn’t the latter’s commanding officer. Worf (Michael Dorn) and Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), whose true potential was often implied rather than shown in episodes of The Next Generation, are allowed to shine in ways that network television of the ’80s and ’90s couldn’t accommodate. Harkening back to the legacy theme, Geordi La Forge has changed due to his own legacy, and LeVar Burton makes that turn feel natural with his performance. Similarly, Brent Spiner is asked to do a lot with Data’s legacy but, as far as I’ve seen thus far, pulls it off admirably.

That’s not to discount Jeri Ryan, back again as Seven of Nine, and Michelle Hurd as Raffi Musiker, who continue to make compelling cases for a spinoff of their own. Todd Stashwick may deserve special recognition for pulling off a performance as Capt. Liam Shaw, who makes the complex character worthy of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with these established Star Trek icons. The rest of the supporting cast offers stellar turns, especially Amanda Plummer as the villain Vadic, who seems to relish every lavishly delivered line of menacing dialogue.

And yes, there are plenty of callbacks to Star Trek’s past. Some of them are passing Easter eggs that are there to tickle and delight fans, though viewers may be surprised by how much Picard Season 3’s plot builds on specific Star Trek stories that came before it, wrapping up dangling plot threads and advancing others in new directions while still feeling part of a cohesive whole. The season feels as much like a sequel to the entire Next Gen/DS9/Voyager era of Star Trek as it does a sequel to The Next Generation specifically, with plenty of moments that will have longtime Star Trek fans catching their jaws before they hit the floor.

The first two seasons of Star Trek: Picard did what they set out to do by shining light onto previously unexplored areas of Jean-Luc Picard’s psyche and history, but Season 3 feels like the big payoff, the grand finale that’s giving many fans what they hoped to see from the moment Stewart first announced his return. Attempting to give fans what they want can often lead to little more than a checklist of callbacks lazily paraded out to make those fans feel seen, but that’s not this season of Star Trek: Picard. Matalas and his collaborators appear to have recognized that they had the opportunity, perhaps the last one anyone will ever have, to give the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast the sendoff they always deserved and to celebrate the golden age of Star Trek by bringing its legacy (there’s that word again) back to the forefront of the Star Trek universe. Based on the six episodes seen for review, the team succeeded on all counts, and Picard‘s third season, despite being billed as the crew’s final adventure, is likely to have viewers clamoring for more.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Star Trek: Picard premieres on Paramount+ on February 16th, with new episodes debuting weekly on Thursdays.

The post Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Review: The Next Generation Crew Finally Get the Sendoff They Deserve appeared first on ComicBook.com.

It’s been nearly 17 years since That ’70s Show came to an end, and now Netflix is taking fans back to Point Place, Wisconsin to showcase a whole new decade. That ’90s Show stars a new set of teens as they attempt to have the summer of a lifetime under the watchful eyes of Red and Kitty Forman (Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp). In the sequel series, Eric (Topher Grace) and Donna’s (Laura Prepon) daughter, Leia (Callie Haverda), decides to spend the summer with her grandparents where she befriends a group of local kids. Together, they learn all about the highs (literally) and lows of hanging out in the Formans’ iconic basement. While some sitcom sequels have been hilarious and pointed (RIP Saved by the Bell), others have relied solely on nostalgia (looking at you, Fuller House). For its first season, That ’90s Show falls somewhere in-between. The show won’t exactly have you rolling, but it stands on its own and features some of the key ingredients that helped make That ’70s Show a classic.

If you’re looking forward to That ’90s Show, be warned that the first episode is hard to get through. The writing is borderline cringeworthy and the new cast leaves something to be desired. However, if you’re willing to power through, the show eventually finds its stride. Unsurprisingly, Smith and Rupp return to their characters with glorious ease. They were the best part of That ’70s Show and that hasn’t changed in the revival. Sadly, the rest of the original cast doesn’t get much screen time. If you were hoping for a big reunion, you need to lower your expectations. Grace is only in the first episode, but Prepron pops up a few times and Wilmer Valderrama (Fez) has a fun little arc. However, most of Ashton Kutcher’s (Michael Kelso) and Mila Kunis’ (Jackie Burkhart) small cameo was already featured in the trailer, and their scene is the biggest letdown of the entire new series. 

While That ’90s Show doesn’t give a lot of the original cast much to do, the show does shine when it comes to embodying the new decade. Much like That ’70s Show, the nods to the past are never too forced or gimmicky. Although, the ’90s jokes will feel a little surreal for people who watched the original series as it was airing. Considering That ’70s Show began in 1998 and this show takes place in 1995, it’s almost jarring to hear references that were happening in succession with the initial series. The Formans watch Friends?! What is time?! 

One thing that really made That ’70s Show stand out back in the day were all of the dream and parody sequences, many of which were inspired by 1970s pop culture. Thankfully, That ’90s Show follows in the original show’s footsteps by having some extremely smart and silly inserts. There’s a scene in the show’s second episode that pays tribute to the many times Eric had to talk to his parents while high, and it is the first moment of the new series that matches the cleverness of its predecessor. 

As for the new cast of teens, they eventually do find their groove, but none of them dazzle like the original young stars. Haverda is very believable as the daughter of Donna and Eric, and Mace Coronel (Jay) really does look and act like he could be Kelso’s son, but it’s Reyn Doi (Ozzie) who is the most memorable. Doi proved his comedic chops in Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar back in 2021, and he is the only newcomer that is guaranteed to make you laugh at least once. Ashley Aufderheide (Gwen), Sam Morelos (Nikki), and Maxwell Acee Donovan (Nate) round out the group nicely, but it’s hard to imagine any of their characters having the same impact as Eric and company. 

One big positive of the new series is seeing a little diversity in Point Place. Thankfully, we’re not dealing with another group of white kids and their foreign friend whose ethnicity is treated as a running gag. There is also a sweet coming-out storyline that never feels too movie-of-the-week or out of place for a 1995 setting. The show’s creators clearly learned from their mistakes this time around.  

The main question of That ’90s Show: Who is this series for? When you look back at TV history, there aren’t many successful teen-oriented sitcoms. While they certainly exist, the majority of teen-focused shows are either dramas or dramedies, and most of the ones that are sitcoms come from Nickelodeon or The Disney Channel and are geared toward younger kids. I was watching That ’70s Show while I was in middle school, and it was accessible enough to have jokes about sex and drugs without being too obvious or graphic. The new series holds to that theme, which could make it a good comedic source for today’s young teens. As a kid, I had a deep appreciation for the 1970s because of That ’70s Show, and its sequel could very well do the same for today’s kids and the 1990s. The only thing standing in its way is the fact that it’s not nearly as funny as the original series. That being said, it still has the potential to strike a chord with younger audiences. 

As for the returning viewers, there is one hard pill to swallow. When the original series ended, fans hated that Jackie and Fez ended up together, but putting her back with Kelso in the reboot, even for cameo appearances, was not the answer. In fact, even Kunis was against the idea. While Jackie and Fez’s ending made a lot of fans unhappy, the one positive thing about their union was Jackie’s character growth. She was still vapid and self-involved by the end, but she gained a lot of empathy and grew as a person in that final season. In the mere minutes Jackie is seen in That ’90s Show, all of her character development went out the window and it felt like watching Season-1 Jackie again. Sure, it’s cute because Kutcher and Kunis are together in real life, but this isn’t real life, this is Point Place, and the regression of Jackie will be a bummer for die-hard fans.   

Despite the Jackie upset, there are still plenty of moments that will make longtime fans happy, ranging from classic locations to cool cameos and iconic lines. If Red and Kitty were your favorite part of That ’70s Show, Smith and Rupp are worth the price of admission. However, if you’re looking for a series that’s about the Point Place crew all grown up, you will definitely be disappointed. This show is made for a new generation with some gratifying nostalgic sprinkles. That ’90s Show is cute and it’s worth checking out, but it’s not going to go down in history as one of the stronger sitcom reboots. 

Rating: 3 out of 5

That ’90s Show is now streaming on Netflix.

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HBO’s The Last of Us is likely the most faithful video game adaptation we’ve ever seen in TV or film – which is a very good thing that also comes with some notable downsides. Quality-wise, The Last of Us is outstanding. It features great performances from its leads, Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, along with the rest of the members of its expansive cast. And while it’s clear that HBO spared no expense to bring this critically acclaimed game to life, I think some of what made The Last of Us special in the first place has been lost through this retelling. 

Throughout the course of its nine episodes, HBO’s television iteration of The Last of Us adapts the same story found in the 2013 PlayStation game from beginning to end. The narrative itself centers around the main protagonists Joel (Pascal) and Ellie (Ramsey), who are on a cross-country journey to meet up with a group of rebels that hope to reverse the fate of this post-apocalyptic world. Joel, who is initially against going on this mission, is placed in charge of protecting and delivering the young Ellie to this group, as she could be the key to undoing this outbreak. Along the way, the two develop a deeper bond and come into conflict with the monsters – both infected and human – that inhabit the former United States. 

For the most part, The Last of Us sticks incredibly close to the story that is found in the game. While there are some slight changes to familiar locations and characters, the HBO series faithfully adapts the same throughline narrative from start to finish. When The Last of Us is at its best, though, is when it opts to briefly shake loose from this mold and further flesh out this world in unique ways. 

In some of the earliest episodes of The Last of Us, in particular, the series adds far more context to the Infected that now plague its fallen world. Beyond simply presenting the Infected as former humans that are now out to attack the living, HBO’s The Last of Us actually ends up showing the origins of the virus and how it came to be. Not only does the show provide insight in this regard that is never explored in the game, but it also sheds light on a number of other subtle character details and motivations as well. 

Although the broad strokes of The Last of Us remain the same, co-writers Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann find ways to subvert the expectations of even those who have already experienced this tale. None of these changes ever prove to make a drastic impact on the outcome of the story, but they were the moments that I found myself the most captivated by.

When HBO’s The Last of Us isn’t adding new wrinkles to its characters or world, though, it’s sticking so close to the source material that it almost becomes off-putting. Personally, I’ve played The Last of Us countless times in my life, so it’s hard for me to separate my own views on this show from what I’ve experienced in video game form – your own mileage may vary. With this in mind, seeing so many of the scenes from the game recreated with virtually the same shots, the same lines of dialogue, and the same outcomes felt somewhat hollow to me, at times.

Again, that’s not to say The Last of Us is bad, but it just felt like new actors were stepping in to play out identical scenes with very few differences. The performances within these scenes remain largely stellar, but it was a bit hard for me to get pulled in because I almost always knew what would be happening next. With this in mind, I feel like those with fresh eyes who have never seen or heard of The Last of Us are going to get the most out of this show, but my own feelings may prove to be an outlier. 

If there is one aspect of The Last of Us that I was thrilled to see left untouched in this HBO adaptation, it would be the music. Gustavo Santaolalla’s powerful and resonating score from The Last of Us (and partially from The Last of Us Part II) has been lifted and placed directly into this TV series. Even though part of me wonders what it would have been like to see a completely new or remixed soundtrack recreated for the show, keeping the music largely left in its original form is one decision that I’m quite happy with.

I think where The Last of Us struggles the most is that it feels incredibly condensed at times and doesn’t have enough room to breathe. Although the show lasts for the aforementioned nine episodes, many of the characters that run into Joel and Ellie over the course of their adventure come and go quickly. It shouldn’t be a surprise that since The Last of Us is set within a highly dangerous world, not every character ends up making it through to the end. And while this is still in line with the game, the original version of The Last of Us found a way to flesh out and make you care for certain characters before they reached their eventual demise. In comparison, the show’s most tragic, emotional moments (outside of the big one seen in the pilot) don’t carry the same weight, because it feels like we still barely know these characters.

One of the big things about The Last of Us that I must further commend is HBO’s overall commitment to quality. All of the show’s various sets, the cinematography, and the attention to detail across the board are remarkable. Specifically, I was greatly impressed by the Clickers in this show, as they’re more horrifying than ever before. HBO has pumped a lot of money into The Last of Us, and it absolutely comes across during the show’s biggest moments. 

The Last of Us is to be praised for helping break the video game adaptation “curse” that has permeated for decades, but I also can’t say that this TV series does enough to outshine the source material. As such, I imagine that many, like myself, who are incredibly familiar with the game might not find as much enjoyment with this retelling as they would initially expect. For new audiences, however, The Last of Us is very much worth viewing as its story is still gripping, even when told through a new medium. 

Rating: 4 out of 5

The Last of Us is set to premiere on HBO and HBO Max later this week on January 15th. Advance screeners of the series were provided by HBO for the purpose of this review. 

The post The Last of Us Review: Gaming’s Most Faithful Adaptation Yet appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Throughout human history, magic has long been a fascinating subject, but one aspect of that mysterious and supernatural world — witches — has always held its own particular fascination. Simultaneously respected and reviled, esteemed and feared, witches are both the stuff of our most curious nightmares and our most fantastic dreams, which is why for many fans of the late author Anne Rice, it’s her books about witches that are more precious than her more well-known novel, Interview With the Vampire. Spread over three volumes, The Lives of the Mayfair Witches trilogy traces the story of the complicated Mayfair family, a family of witches who have passed their power matrilineally over centuries through their dysfunctional and haunted line. The first — and most complex — novel in the series, The Witching Hour, gets a live-action series adaptation by AMC, the second series based on Rice’s overall body of work after her vampires got a reimagining. Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches delivers to fans a largely faithful adaptation of the beloved source material that is nothing short of magical.

Mayfair Witches, arguably, has the harder job when it comes to adapting Rice’s work for screen in that The Witching Hour is a huge novel, one with a complicated story that spans centuries as it not only traces the history of the women of the Mayfair family and their relationship with the supernatural entity known as Lasher (Jack Huston), but also coalesces that history around one extremely powerful witch, Rowan Mayfair (Alexandra Daddario). Almost immediately, the series makes the wise decision to center their focus on introducing us to Rowan in a way that sets up the humanity of her story while also introducing us to her history — or rather the history of her own mother, Deirdre (Annabeth Gish), that in turn begins to sow the seeds of Lasher. Just in the first two episodes of the series, we cover a lot of ground in terms of story that lets the viewer — even those who are perhaps not acquainted with the story from the novels — get fully invested. It’s excellent storytelling, both on the part of the source material the series draws from, but also series co-creators Esta Spalding and Michelle Ashford who find a way to take literally hundreds of pages of story and bring them to life in just a couple of hours of screen time, all while visually bringing to life the lush and vibrant world Rice put on the page.

Yet, while Spalding and Ashford do give us (even beyond those first episodes) a story that is faithful to the books, there are certainly some changes. Going into the series, fans of Rice’s novels are aware that Michael Curry, a major character in the novels, does not appear in the series with Ciprien Grieve (portrayed by Tongayi Chirisa), a character who is something of a combination of Michael and another character from the novels, instead taking his place. Rowan’s story is also altered a little bit, though just some fine details about her life before stepping into her role within the Mayfair family. The biggest shift — at least in the episodes provided to critics for review — might be that of Deirdre Mayfair, whose story is significantly altered, but all the changes made don’t fundamentally shift anything in the story. Instead, the little bit of “creative wiggle room” these changes provide opens the series to further explore the themes of women, feminism, and power and how the world — especially a male-dominated one — responds to it. As someone who, personally, adheres to the idea that Rice wouldn’t want changes made to her stories as the author was intensely protective of them in life, even I can concede that the changes Mayfair Witches made enrich the experience. This is a case of enhancement, of simply making a beautiful item fit just a bit more beautifully without creating something new.

Working from the beautifully constructed story, the performances in Mayfair Witches are top-notch as well. Chirisa’s Ciprien may not be Michael Curry or Aaron Lightner from the novel and doesn’t exactly have traits of either, but his performance in this somewhat original and familiar space is compelling. He’s quickly a character you want to know more about. Gish’s Deirdre may be one of the strongest performances in the series, while Harry Hamlin’s Cortland Mayfair is charming, but Hamlin also makes the viewer feel unsettled in a way that almost makes you feel guilty for feeling unsettled. It’s a fantastic performance. The real standout, however, is Huston’s Lasher. One of the great questions going into the series for fans was how they would translate a supernatural being like Lasher to screen in a way that captures his simultaneously terrifying and seductive power and Huston nails it at every turn. The only real weak point in the acting — and it’s almost a stretch to even call it a weakness — is Daddario’s Rowan, who comes across as too uncomfortable in her own skin early in the series, though there is certainly room for the character and Daddario’s performance to be more self-possessed and one gets the sense in the first five (out of eight) episodes that that is exactly where things are going.

Adaptations can be difficult to get right, and it can be especially daunting when the thing being adapted is deeply loved and the most recent adaptation from the same general universe was so wildly well-regarded, as has been the case with AMC’s Interview With the Vampire, but Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches surpasses expectation. The series makes a few careful changes to bring the story from page to screen, but never loses sight of the prose or the message that made the story beautiful, haunting, and beloved. Bolstered by nuanced and complex performances all against a gorgeous backdrop of New Orleans, this series is easily the best Anne Rice adaptation yet — and may be one of the best television adaptations ever.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches premieres on AMC and AMC+ on January 8th.

The post Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches Review: The Best Adaptation of Rice’s Work Yet appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Sonic the Hedgehog is having quite the year. After starring in Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and headlining Sega’s Sonic Frontiers, the blue blur is getting a brand-new animated series from Netflix. The show takes Sonic on all-new adventure through the “Shatterverse,” where he meets wild new takes on his friends and foes. The show’s first season is an ambitious one, as it tries to appeal to longtime fans of the franchise, as well as newcomers introduced through the movies and recent games. Luckily, the show manages to strike that balance more often than not.

In Sonic Prime‘s premiere, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Rouge find themselves in combat with Dr. Eggman. However, when Sonic’s impulsiveness results in the destruction of the mysterious Paradox Prism, the hero finds himself transported to a twisted take on Green Hill called New Yoke City. The lush greenery has been replaced entirely by machinery, and the animal populace is kept in check by a group of Eggman variants known as the Chaos Council. Sonic quickly finds that his friends in this world are “shattered” takes that are significantly different than expected.

Sonic’s adventures in the show’s first season mostly take place in New Yoke City. However, the hero finds himself bouncing between other worlds, each of which has vastly different takes on the main cast. These takes are actually a big highlight, and it’s fun to see just how different they can be. While the New Yoke City version of Knuckles feels close to the classic take, the pirate version is more laidback than the echidna has ever been depicted; longtime Sonic fans are sure to get a kick out of seeing how the writers capitalized on the concept. It also helps to keep the show lighthearted, even when things start to get a little bit dark.

That said, I can see some viewers struggling with the show’s overall concept. While older Sonic fans will be happy to see new takes on classic Sonic characters, some newer ones might long for the familiar versions. When we’d see flashbacks with the plucky, lovable version of Tails, Ifound myself lamenting the fact that most of the time we see thecharacter, he’s a bitter loner that calls himself “Nine.” He’s not the only one that’s had a major makeover, as one version of Amy Rose sees her transformed into a dangerous villain called “Rusty Rose.” I couldn’t help but wonderhow younger audiences coming off seeing Tails and Knuckles in Sonic the Hedgehog 2will feel about these takes, and what impact it will have on theirenjoyment of the series. Thankfully, the show does feature frequent flashbacks to events that take place immediately prior to the premiere. Not only does that add a lot more context to thestory, it also gives viewers a chance to see more familiar versions of these heroes.

In an interesting deviation from previous Sonic cartoons, Sonic Prime is set in the continuity of the Sega games. While I was aware of that fact going into the show, I was skeptical of how much it would actually be reflected in the series. However, this ended up being one of my favorite things about Sonic Prime, and it will likely prove true for a lot of Sonic fans. Sonic’s actions and moves are very faithful to the games; we often see him running through rings to pick them up, and even dropping them when he gets hit. The series also features flashbacks to events from past Sonic games, and even shows them animated in a 16-bit style meant to evoke the Sega Genesis. When Sonic reflects on his first meeting with Tails, we see it play out in the same way it does in Sonic Origins, except now we’re seeing it in a faux-Genesis style. It’s a great callback to the character’s history, but Sonic Prime doesn’t overdo it; these sequences happen very infrequently, and actually left me wanting more.

While Sonic has already had two other voice actors this year (Ben Schwartz in the movie and Roger Craig Smith in the games), Deven Mack provides the character’s voice in Sonic Prime. Marvel fans might be familiar with Mack’s work, as he’s voiced Thanos in several projects over the last few years. He does an excellent job bringing Sonic to life in the show, staying true to what’s come before and helping to sell the idea that this is the same Sonic from the games. The rest of the voice cast is equally strong, and there’s not a bad performance to point to.

The first season of Sonic Prime might be the most ambitious animated series to ever feature the character. Setting a show in the world of the games was a gamble, but the show’s producers managed to do it in a way that feels authentic. The animation is great, the voice actors all do a stellar job, and it feels like a love letter to the source material. Given how well the series handles that sourcematerial, I sometimes found itdisappointing that we don’t get to spend more timewith the “real”versions of characters like Knuckles, Amy, and Tails, but not everyone will feel the same. The season also ends pretty abruptly, and fans will be left wondering when more episodes will be made available. Regardless of these issues, Sonic Prime is yet another strong release in a year that’s already been very good for fans of the hedgehog.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Sonic Prime is set to premiere on Netflix on December 15th. All eight episodes of the first season were provided by Netflix for this review.

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1200 years before Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer would undertake their epic quest, the continent was still full of conflict, political intrigue, and magic. It wasn’t full of larger-than-life monsters and those who hunt them, however, until the conjunction of the spheres. The Witcher: Blood Origin seeks to establish what led to that world-changing event and weave new threads into the universe moving forward, all while spinning a compelling adventure unto itself. The goals are lofty, especially when trying to achieve them in just four episodes, but I quickly found myself drawn in by the stellar mix of peculiar personalities and bloody action, all brought together in a classic tale of rebellion, hope, and sacrifice. It has its flaws, but Blood Origin is an easy recommendation for those looking to jump into this world as well as for those who are already so lovingly invested in it.

Now, while Blood Origin is set well before the events of the mainline series, it still has physical tethers to Geralt’s adventure through the use of Jaskier (reprised by Joey Batey) and Minnie Driver’s mysterious character known as Seanchai. Seanchai and Jaskier’s dynamic is lovely in their limited scenes, and as Batey has said, their scenes are more of a bookend to the story and a way to carry things on as opposed to significant in how the story plays out. I would have loved to see more of them, but it also makes sense why their time on screen is limited.

Blood Origin very much adapts a classic “assembling the team” concept through its first two episodes, and it’s a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it allows you to get to know a smaller group more intimately, and that’s rewarded in Episodes 2 and 3, especially in regards to Laurence O’Fuarain’s Fjall and Sophia Brown’s Eile. Their dynamic becomes central to the story rather early on, and without those first two episodes of seeing their relationship evolve, those final two wouldn’t nearly have the same impact. That said, those final two episodes benefit greatly from having most of the team assembled and interacting with each other, and it’s in these moments that the series absolutely shines.

One particular night of entertainment, laughs, and calm before the storm stands out the most. I could have lived in this moment in time for a whole extra episode, as the series not only moves Fjall and Eile’s dynamic further, but Scian (Michelle Yeoh), Brother Death (Huw Novelli), Zachary (Lizzie Annis), Meldof (Francesca Mills), and Syndril (Zach Wyatt) all find their own moments to shine and bring warmth, romanticism, and uncomfortable truths to light. In fact, one specific scene between Meldof and Brother Death on the current plight of the elves and the pain still felt by the dwarves might be my favorite scene of the series; and prepare for a lot of Meldof cosplay, because she’s an absolute scene-stealer throughout the entire show.

There’s depth to be found in the antagonists as well, even with a more straightforward villain like Balor (Lenny Henry), whose commanding presence is felt in every scene he’s in. Then there are conflicted characters like Merwyn (Mirren Mack), who wants what’s best for her people but the execution is up for debate. Granted, there are not just human villains, as it wouldn’t be a Witcher series without a few monsters to hunt, though they aren’t as plentiful as you might expect. One or two more would have been ideal, but the ones that do show up are effectively larger than life, and one, in particular, feels quite unique, warranting the action set piece that follows.

Ultimately you will find out what laid the foundation for Witchers to come, and Blood Origin conveys just how agonizing the process of becoming a Witcher can be. Grief, shock, pain, and hope are all wrapped up in the process, and this pays off in a finale that is quite thrilling but also heartbreaking in unexpected ways. In that balance, it captures a mix that has made so many other Witcher tales so compelling, and while the effects occasionally do look like they could have used just a bit more time to bake, the moments that stick out never broke the immersion. It also helps that when swords and hammers clash, the action absolutely delivers. The combat is visceral and brutal, with every swing and smash conveying a grounding sense of weight. It’s become a hallmark of the main Witcher series, and it’s a welcome sight to see that carried into Blood Origin as well.

Blood Origin moves along a quickened pace but manages to keep from feeling rushed. That said, it does feel as if the show could have slowed down just a bit to hover in certain spaces in time, giving the talented cast more time to interact and convey more about their history and their hopes for the future. It’s not necessary, of course, but personally, that would’ve probably been the perfect mix for me, though I can’t argue that at four episodes it never felt like the show was dragging or decompressing for the sake of it, and by the end, I was satisfied with where we started, the journey in between, and where things conclude. The Witcher: Blood Origin accomplishes its goal of setting the stage for a universe and bringing life to a much talked about but rarely explored time in Witcher history, but while the event may be the central point, it’s the characters and their short time together that will stick with me most, and I’m glad I had a chance to tag along.

Rating: 4 out of 5

The Witcher: Blood Origin debuts on Netflix on December 25th.

The post The Witcher: Blood Origin Review: A Thrilling and Bloody Prequel Well Worth Your Time appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Grief and trauma have become staples of superhero entertainment, with stories from both the DC and Marvel universes digging into the ways that pain and loss influence not only the human experience, but also the superhuman experience as well. It would be wrong to say that HBO Max’s Doom Patrol started this trend but it certainly is no exaggeration to say that the series may do it the best. Over the series’ first three seasons, Doom Patrol has dug into the complexity of grief, trauma, and identity that both plagues and powers its misfit troupe of unlikely heroes and, in the process, saw those characters grow and heal in ways that feel real, despite a narrative setting that somehow manages to get weirder and more outlandish at every turn. Now, the show’s fourth season not only continues in that vein, but somehow tells an even better story, taking on deeper existential questions while also getting weirder and more entertaining than ever.

One of the big developments of Season 3 was that we saw the Doom Patrol come together as an actual team after a season of dealing with the death of Niles Caulder, their own adventure in the afterlife, and a testicle monster, among other challenges. It’s this new team atmosphere where Season 4 picks things up, but right away it’s clear that this is not a whole or happy team. Rita has gone too much into her role, everyone is still adjusting to their new status quo of sorts — Vic no longer having his cybernetics, primary issues for Kay/Jane, Larry having Keeg, Cliff and his battered body — not to mention the addition of Rouge to the team. If the season were to deal with just this new normal and little else beyond a monster-of-the-week situation, Season 4 would be quality television. But Season 4 doesn’t linger there, and in short order, this new normal is rattled with a revelation about the future that threatens, well, the world, but also threatens to destabilize everything with the team as well.

It is this destabilization that not only allows the series to continue telling truly bonkers stories over its first six episodes and, thus, set up for another massive world-ending threat in a way that feels genuine while still sticking to the series’ tried and true formula, but also allows the series to continue the healing journey of its characters. What Season 4 of Doom Patrol does best — perhaps even better than its previous three seasons — is show the heroes using their hard-earned emotional tools. Season 4 tests the heroes, both in terms of how they see themselves and how they interact with the world now that they know themselves better. The grief here is a little bit less center stage as perhaps it was in the past, but now it’s more about looking outward instead of inward.

This season also has some incredible performances. Particularly, Michelle Gomez’s Rouge has a fresh dimension to the character in Season 4, while April Bowlby’s Rita Farr is perhaps the most authentic version of who this woman is yet. Even the new additions to the series seem to be a notch above this season, with Madeline Zima’s Casey Brinke/Space Case being so perfectly what you’d expect and at the same time nothing like you’d expect that there is simply no getting around how good the performance is.

There’s also the matter of the show’s uncanny ability to go weirder than ever and still feel grounded in real threats. As the trailer for the season revealed, the were-butts are back in Season 4, but there’s also a good amount of time travel, both of which feel like they have real stakes and, in the case of the were-butts, are very well-examined and explored in creative new ways that keep something this outlandish fresh — no small feat. The only real hiccup is Immortus. While the iconic Doom Patrol villain is a major aspect of the season and the primary threat, it does feel like the series is a little slow to set that up, even by the show’s usual standards.

For the past three seasons, Doom Patrol has been one of the most inventive, introspective, foul-mouthed, and hilarious shows on television and Season 4 is every bit in line with that. By managing to somehow raise the bar in terms of both interesting stories and just flat-out weird entertainment all while organically continuing its heroes’ human journey, Doom Patrol Season 4 remains both a mirror to the world and a balm for its hurts, offering up a messy, beautiful, and surreal celebration of humanity.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Doom Patrol Season 4 Part 1 premieres on HBO Max on December 8th.

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Marvel Studios has had a tough time with their Guardians of the Galaxy franchise over the years after they removed director James Gunn from the third film due to some controversial tweets the director had posted on Twitter earlier in his career. Gunn has since been brought back on after apologizing to simultaneously direct The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 earlier this year and has since wrapped on both projects. The studio has been hammering out a bunch of series on the streaming service and even released their first Special Presentation with Werewolf by Night this past October. Now, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special will be the next Special Presentation from Marvel Studios to land on the Disney+ streaming service and while both projects are very different from each other, this one is far lighter in tone. With the studio getting ready to release the holiday special later this week, we can confirm that the Holiday Special is a holly-jolly good time.

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is pretty reminiscent of the other Guardians films, but this one definitely feels emotionally heavier than what has come before it. What Gunn has crafted is pretty sentimental, joyful, and could really inspire some holiday cheer. As with all his other projects, the director masterfully creates a Christmas playlist that fits right in with the MCU and sets itself apart from other holiday films. With its very short run time, the Marvel Studios Special Presentation weill definitely leave you wanting more, but in a positive way. It’s so good that you’ll want a Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special every year. Marvel Studios has captured lightning in a bottle with this adventure because it allows them to push past the boundaries of the main storyline.

What makes The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special so unique is how absolutely insane the concept is. Gunn delivers a bonkers Marvel Cinematic Universe project that’s contained itself from the Multiverse Saga but still fits in with Phase Four. In the Special, Peter Quill / Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) seems pretty sad after the events of both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame due to Gamora (Zoe Saldana) perishing at the hands of her father the Mad Titan Thanos (Josh Brolin). It also happens to be Christmas time on Earth, so Kraglin (Sean Gunn) is telling the Guardians and the Ravagers a story about a time that Yondu (Michael Rooker) ruined Christmas for a young Peter. Mantis (Pom Klementieff) and Drax (Dave Bautista) come up with a hare-brained scheme to give Peter a good Christmas by kidnapping and gifting him his favorite actor, Kevin Bacon.

With the story, Gunn gets to finally re-team with Pratt, Bautista, Klementieff, Karen Gillian, Bradley Cooper, and Vin Diesel after tumultuous years. We also get reintroduced to Cosmo the Space Dog, who is now being voiced by Borat Subsequent Movie Film star Maria Balalova, and it’s one of the more interesting parts of the Holiday Special. But one of the more interesting performances had to be from the director’s favorite MCU character– Kevin Bacon. Bacon plays himself in the movie, and while he has some of the best moments throughout the journey, it’s only when he meets Peter Quill that he starts to shine. He even gets to do a pretty great musical number that shows the Guardians and Ravagers what Christmas is all about. Even though the Special Presentation isn’t a feature-length film, the performances delivered were some of the best in the MCU.

If you’ve been waiting for quite some time to see a solo Guardians of the Galaxy project, then I can safely say that this will hold you over until we get Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special gives Marvel Studios a Christmas hit and fans should be very excited for it to hit Disney+ later this week. With some very good performances from Klementieff, Bautista, and Bacon, this is sure to be a gift you want under your tree. If you were looking for something new to add to your Christmas movie lineup, then this is the project to add. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is a good watch for the holidays.

Rating: 4 out of 5

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special will begin exclusively streaming on Disney+ on November 25th.

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30 years after Tim Burton was first attached to direct an Addams Family picture, the filmmaker is getting his time to shine. The Batman Returns filmmaker had to pass on the 1991 live-action film because of scheduling conflicts with the Caped Crusader, ultimately leading to the director’s arrival here on Wednesday, an eight-episode series soon debuting on Netflix. In what may end up as one of the most unique and refreshing takes on the gothic characters we’ve seen to date, Burton’s signature stamp is on the production from the leap.

Though the entire Addams bunch appears in some manner throughout the series, Wednesday, as one might expect, focuses solely on the family’s lone daughter. This is a grand departure from anything we’ve seen from the franchise before, as the last four movies—and the original television show, for that matter—either equally focus of the various family members, or treat Gomez and Morticia as the leads.

Here, Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) is sent to Nevermore Academy, a Hogwarts-esque boarding school, only there are no wizards here; instead, the halls of this campus are packed to the brim with werewolves, sirens, gorgons, and other shape-shifting mythological beasts. Despite having a class roster full of what most would call monsters, the demented and introverted Wednesday finds herself a second home.

Tonally, this live-action series most closely resembles that of MGM’s two latest animated features in that the production is very self-aware with its campiness, accentuated by the upbeat score recorded by Danny Elfman and his team. It’s just as moody as you would expect, with glimmers of sunshine few and far between. Like its protagonist, Wednesday feels dark and dreary, leaving hope and luster at the door on the way in. That doesn’t mean things are entirely doom and gloom, however, as the writers inject dark humor wherever they can, serving as deserved breaks amongst an otherwise insidious series.

Throughout the eight-episode first season, viewers will see Ortega’s Addams slowly break out of her shell, or, at the very least, as much as one can expect from the character. On that front, the Scream star excels at every turn; using her ever-growing horror resume to her benefit, Ortega embodies the stoic personality almost too well. Even with another Wednesday on the cast—Christina Ricci from the previous live-action adaptations plays a teacher at Nevermore—Ortega’s performance outshines any others we’ve gotten.

Wednesday is a series where the characters are put first, even if that risks sacrificing a deep or intricate story. A “whodunnit” at heart, the plot hinges entirely on a single mystery that’s far less exciting than seeing the ensemble at hand. Intertwining horror with a John Hughes-ian coming-of-age tale, the character development of Wednesday, Xavier (Percy White), Enid (Emma Myers), and even Nevermore principal Larissa Weems (Gwendoline Christy) takes center stage. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, mind you, it’s just that Wednesday is very much character-driven instead of being dependent on a script with incredible depth.

With Wednesday, a stellar ensemble combined with a dynamic tone crafted by Burton and Elfman results in a macabre shade of an all-too-familiar tale. Despite dealing with murders and monsters aplenty, Wednesday is, at heart, a story about growing up in a world unkind to the “outcasts” and otherwise. The minimal story is certainly relatable, given most of us—hopefully—have suffered through some growing pains at some point in our lives. Though it may have fared better at the height of spooky season, Wednesday still has the right stuff in place to make it a good watch at any point throughout the year.

Rating: 4 out of 5

All eight episodes of Wednesday debut on November 23rd on Netflix.

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Andor Episode 9 started to really pull the various story threads of the series together, as various characters came together in surprising ways. While the deadly chess game of Rebellion against the Empire was took new strides, Cassion Andor (Diego Luna) was trapped on sidelines, doing the endless cycle of manual labor in the Imperial prison Narkina 5. However, Cassian’s timetable for escaping was drastically changed with the news that Narkina 5’s system of prisoner reward and release was a sham, and that he and the other inmates were never getting out. 

As you can see below, Star Wars fans are loving the new character reveals and connections in Andor Episode 9 – but they’re even more hyped for another big, tense, action sequence to come in Episode 10, as it seems a major prison escape is about to be attempted within Narkina 5! 

Bix vs. Dedra 

Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona) was taken in by the Imperial Security Bureau and brought to supervisor Dedra Meero for questioning. This sequence was horrifying with its introduction of a ISB interrogation technique, using a empathic imprint from a race of alien children the Empire exterminated. The sequence only used a close-up of Adria Arjona’s reaction, but it was definitely effective for chilling us to the collective bone.

 It was also a scene that stripped away the veneer of gender to show how Dedra Meero isn’t a sympathetic character as a woman climbing the Imperial ranks – she’s a psychotic fascist and sadist who had no problem horribly torturing another woman. It also feels like this story thread could be a set up for the final story arc of Andor Season 1, with Dedra targeting those closest to Andor like Bix and his adoptive mother Maarva (Fiona Shaw), forcing a final rescue mission/showdown. 

Mon Mothma & “Cousin” Vel

Andor has been good about pulling sudden (if not understated) character twists out of its hat. It started with the reveal that Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) is living a crazy double life as a hardcore Rebel leader and a charismatic Coruscant antique dealer, showing how the wealthy elite ultimate had to take side in order for the rebellion to truly get off the ground. Well, Episode 9 continued that duality theme, by connecting two characters we never suspected had a connection: Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) and Vel Sartha (Faye Marsay). 

It’s revealed that Vel (leader of the Rebel heist on Aldhani that Cassian took part in) is actually the cousin of Mon Mothma, when Vel finally comes to “check in” with Mon before her next mission. It’s quickly implied through dialogue that Mon and Vel took an oath to serve the Rebellion together, and that their family’s commitment is as diehard as they come. The ladies had some deliciously winking moments in conversation while toying with Mon’s husband Perrin Fertha (Alastair Mackenzie), including the sly reference to Vel’s sexuality when Perrin tries to chastise her about being too old for a good husband. 

When Syril Met Dedra: Bad Romance

The romance that NO ONE asked for is setting Star Wars Twitter on fire! 

Syril Karn (Kyle Soller) must’ve felt one helluva kink after being questioned by Dedra Meero (Denis Gough), because he tracks the ISB agent to work and creeps up on her after her shift. Syril is clearly not enamored with Dedra on a traditional romantic level: he loves her unbridled focus and ruthlessness as an Imperial true believer. It’s hard to think of what’s more frightening: how Dedra can manipulate and use and willing and radicalized asset like Karn, or what we’ll have to see if she actually falls for him, and Star Wars takes a sudden turn into Fifty Shades of Grey territory… 

Narkina 5: JAILBREK! 

Finally, Star Wars fans are still looking at Cassian Andor himself (Diego Luna) and his current storyline. The prison story arc took a drastic turn with the reveal that the release system is totally bogus. The fact that the Empire fried the prisoners who found out about the deception has motivated even the delusionally stubborn Kino Loy (Andy Serkis) to follow Cassian’s plan to escape. By now the ebb-and-flow pacing of Andor’s story arcs is clear: Episode 10 looks like it is going to be a massive jailbreak story, and Star Wars fans are HERE for it! 

The post Andor Episode 9: Star Wars Fans Love the New Character Ties and Are Hyped for a Jailbreak appeared first on ComicBook.com.

A major part of anyone’s adolescence is confronting the things that most scare you, whether that results in you overcoming those fears or finding out your own limits. This can be true of the transition into adulthood and all the obstacles that come with it, or true even of just the stories we invest in. For teens who grew up in the ’80s and ’90s especially, one foundational voice in these horrors is Christopher Pike, who delivered dozens of terrifying tales for burgeoning horror fans. The new series The Midnight Club from Netflix might lift its name from one specific Pike story, though its entirety serves as a tribute to the writer’s impressive catalog. Serving somewhat as an anthology, somewhat as an overarching narrative, The Midnight Club succeeds in telling competent horror stories with as much diversity as the figures in the Midnight Club itself, though never exceeds the effectiveness of the source material. 

Set in a home for terminally ill teenagers in 1994, the residents regularly gather at midnight to tell each other frightening stories. While many of these stories are flights of fancy, the teens start to see eerie signals that the death that their home has witnessed might make it a home for more than they bargained for. 

When it comes to borrowing elements from multiple narratives and weaving them together into one adventure, there are few hands more trusted in the world of horror than Flanagan. The Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor both borrowed elements from Shirley Jackson and Henry James, respectively, and injected new concepts to create critically acclaimed experiences. The overall structure and format of The Midnight Club makes possible a remix of elements that his previous series couldn’t afford him, yet this formula also makes it the most difficult to invest in.

Both storytelling elements in this series absolutely work. The running thread of a mysterious and possibly deadly secret being contained within a home meant to help youths take their transition to death into their own hands crafts an engaging thriller that delves into the supernatural. The deviations of delivering the stories that the teens are telling also work, as this detachment from reality makes it possible for the series to explore a much wider array of terror. From episode to episode, we can jump from ghost stories to sci-fi to ’50s throwbacks, all of which have the right blend of whimsy and fright. The series’ shortcomings, sadly, are intrinsic in the approach to adapting the source material.

The overall narrative stretches across 10 one-hour episodes, with some installments leaning more heavily on the 1994-based story while others spend more time depicting the tales being told. The challenge is that viewers are first tasked with investing in these fictional characters, with us then being tasked with investing in the outcomes of the stories these characters are telling. Were the series to have been a traditional anthology, we would enter an all-new reality with each episode, but by telling stories within a story, there’s too much disconnect for audiences to invest much in these campfire tales. This undercuts the effectiveness of each of these experiences, and by having episodes with such a long run time, it can become an exhausting experience.

Another stylistic choice that both helps and hurts the series is that, within each vignette being told, the actors who make up the real-world narrative also play parts in these stories being told by the Midnight Club. This helps enrich the audience both to the performers and the characters they’re playing in the overall narrative, and evokes a more intimate immersion into their world. On the flip side, by the time we get to the season finale, this blur between the realities of the series ignites confusing elements, where audiences aren’t always sure whether they’re seeing reality, a story within a story, or a possible reveal that what we thought was a reality was, in fact, just another story. 

Narrative struggles aside, The Midnight Club is still assuredly effective. Flanagan has a knack for blurring the lines between genres, telling stories that are equally effective as horrors or dramas or romances, which he continues with this series. Part of the reason young horror fans are so interested in the genre is because that is around the time we begin to come to grips with our own mortality, even if it’s in a majorly ambiguous way. The show fully embraces all of the fears that come along with becoming an adult, whether those be the universal struggle of our own eventual demise or the more specific challenge of coming to terms with one’s sexuality and all the judgment that brings along with it. All of the characters in the ensemble circumvent expectations and come from compelling performers, making for a teen-oriented series that felt like it could only come from the pages of Pike. With each character living on borrowed time, seeing them regale one another with spooky stories endears us to them, making their potential passing all the more heartbreaking. Much like our friendships at any ages, we’re really all living on borrowed time, with The Midnight Club reminding us not to squander these relationships while we have them, while also not letting us define that time by their expiration dates.

Flanagan’s skills as a storyteller peaked with last year’s Midnight Mass, thanks in large part to how it successfully managed to build the dramatic and horrifying narrative momentum organically and at an equal rate, only for The Midnight Club to mark a regression. Each component on its own might work, but they fail to gel together into a cohesive final product. By offering a story more authentic to teenagers (there’s cursing and sex, though without fully embracing an R-rated tone and feeling more like PG-15), The Midnight Club could be the perfect gateway drug for burgeoning horror fans to invest more in the genre or specifically Pike, while older audiences will likely connect less with the disjointed horrors and more with the nature of our own eventual demise. We can run from it and we can be scared of it, but that won’t stop it from coming, inspiring us to take stock and appreciate what we have while we have it.

Rating: 3 out of 5

The Midnight Club is now available to stream on Netfliix.

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Published in 2004, Swedish author John Ajvide Lindqvist’s novel Let the Right One In not only offered readers a complex and unconventional vampire story, but its inventive path also highlighted just how desperate audiences were for a new approach to the stagnated genre. Only two years after publication, the process of developing a live-action film based on the story began, with that 2008 film winning over horror fans, as well as offering such a gripping story that its accomplishments appealed to those who often overlooked the horror world. To the dismay of some, the Swedish film was then rebooted for American audiences as Let Me In, from The Batman director Matt Reeves. Much like the vampiric creatures themselves, the core concept continues to be resurrected, this time as a Showtime series, and while fans are surely somewhat exhausted by a studio continuously attempting to breathe life into a well-known narrative, this new take on the material manages to honor the core structure of the novel while expanding on the world and also avoiding the feeling of being redundant. Showtime’s Let the Right One In manages to feel just as fresh for the genre as the source material, delivering a truly touching and heartbreaking exploration of loneliness, human connection, and sacrifice.

Hoping to start a new life, Mark (Demián Bichir) moves into an apartment in New York City with vampiric daughter Eleanor (Madison Taylor Baez), as the city’s high rate of murder means he can find sacrifices for her daughter more innocuously. The only snag is that, with Eleanor’s life of solitude, she’s desperate for human connection, as she quickly befriends her neighbor Isaiah (Ian Foreman), making Mark nervous, given that Isaiah’s mother Naomi (Anika Noni Rose) is a homicide detective. 

In some ways, the frequency of Lindqvist’s novel being adapted helps remove expectations from this new long-form series, as it strips away the nuance and the specifics of the source material. For many, the concept boils down to a male guardian caring for a young female vampire who befriends her neighbor. This holds true for this new adaptation, though excises from the original novel the idea that Eleanor is actually a boy who was castrated and turned into a vampire 200 years ago. At this point, the concept feels more like a game of telephone, with each adaptation distancing itself further from the actual source material. Like previous incarnations, this TV series sacrifices those nuances (surely to the disappointment of those who connected with the queer themes of previous adaptations) while also not feeling beholden to them. 

By solidifying the preconceived notion of the story, making Mark a father caring for his literal daughter, we get much more emotional investment in their narrative trajectory. In the decade since Eleanor became a vampire, Mark has sacrificed everything in order to keep Eleanor’s secret safe, while also trying to identify a “cure” for her ailments, whether they be based in science or in the supernatural. Bichir’s performance especially inspires sympathy in the audience, as, unlike in other adaptations, he’s not someone who is voluntarily connected to the character, but instead has been devoted to both the human and otherworldly version of the girl. When he sees Eleanor, he doesn’t see her deadly proclivities, he only sees her as a suffering daughter.

Most versions of this story keep the father character to the outskirts, making them more one-dimensional, though this series instead shows the trauma and pain Mark goes through as he finds victims whose blood he can drain to keep Eleanor’s bloodlust at bay. However, the series also shows us how he still has to explore more human pursuits, whether that be the challenge of getting a job to pay rent or having the opportunity to establish connections with other adults. This makes for one of the more effective expansions on the original story, as rather than forcing himself into a world of isolation in service of his daughter, both of which have resigned themselves to a depressing life of solitude, Mark has to grapple with whether he’s living his life solely for his daughter or for himself. These themes will especially resonate with viewers who have spent the past few years living their lives in limited social capacities and are coping with the emotional impact of isolation; is there more comfort in reliable loneliness or in the company of others? It’s a question many of us are still figuring out, with Mark’s journey bringing with it an additional layer of effectiveness.

Another powerful narrative thread of the series is Isaiah’s loneliness, with Foreman being the show’s breakout star. Every single viewer will be able to connect with Isaiah’s journey, as his biggest source of joy is his magic hobby, which only amplifies the bullying he becomes the victim of by his classmates. Foreman brings a true delight and joy to the role, with his enthusiasm for a “dorky” hobby only making the harassment he suffers all the more painful for audiences. Not only does he suffer bullying from his classmates, but Isaiah is also processing the abandonment from his father Frank (Ato Essandoh), who has been attempting to address his issues with substance abuse. As audiences learn the tragic reasons for Frank’s absence in Isaiah’s life, it only makes Isaiah’s attempts to reconnect with his father all the more emotionally brutal to watch, with things as subtle as text messages not getting a reply (with the audience knowing why he’s not replying) being as painful to witness as any of the series’ more overt violence. Foreman is sure to become a major standout performer, and we can’t wait to see where this storyline will take Isaiah.

The long-form nature of this adaptation allows for the core concept to be expanded in other interesting ways. We get to see Mark’s journey and attempts to establish roots for Eleanor, the budding friendship between Eleanor and Isaiah, and Isaiah’s ostracization from his peers and his own father. Another interesting wrinkle is Naomi’s investigations into a series of bizarre deaths unfolding around the city, which involve highly brutal killings that are seemingly the result of a new drug. An all-new element of this adaptation involves biologist Clare (Grace Gummer) learning about what her estranged father has been up to for years, which involves a secret about her brother’s “death” and the loyal servitude Matthew (Nick Stahl) has been offering up to their family. Halfway through the season, there are still plenty of mysteries behind the work that she’s been thrown into and how the work and her family connect to the brutal crimes Naomi is investigating, the specifics of which will likely become clear by the end of the season.

The horrors of this adaptation aren’t entirely limited to the more emotional elements of the concept, as the violence is brutal, unexpected, and intense. In fact, it might be the emotional terror of the storyline that adds to the impact of the physical violence, as viewers will already be so on edge from the empathy we feel towards the various character dynamics that the more traditionally upsetting imagery hits even harder. Specifically, in Episode 2 of the series, there’s one sequence involving research animals that is tremendously intriguing and upsetting, resulting in one of the most disturbing encounters in any vampire story in recent memory, showcasing just how inventive the minds behind the series can be and how committed they were to forging a path forward in the redundant space. The overall vampire lore picks and chooses the expected rules that are honored (Eleanor burns in daylight and must be invited into homes, yet can see herself in mirrors), while the story is also keeping us guessing as to whether the vampirism is supernatural in nature or the result of a biological disease. Tonally, the vampiristic elements borrow from the monstrous horrors of 30 Days of Night and the grounded approach of the zombie reinventions of 28 Days Later. These vampires feel familiar, while also having enough tweaks to feel organically unique as opposed to upending these concepts just for the sake of it.

The many adaptations of the material in 20 years showcase just how much potential is contained in the pages of Lindqvist’s novel, reminding us of the timelessness of vampire stories and how desperate audiences are to see new interpretations of the iconic lore. While the connection between two young friends and how they can find comfort in one another in a world in which they feel ostracized is still there, it’s the other relationships and character dynamics that work the strongest in this adaptation. Every viewer has experienced all manner of loneliness, which is a core theme of all previous adaptations of the story and might ring the truest in this new series. The emotional horrors hit harder than any of the blood-sucking exploits, proving that there’s still uncharted territory left to explore not only in the vampire realm, but in this story specifically. While some audiences are sure to roll their eyes at yet another adaptation of the original novel, Showtime’s Let the Right One In is a series that horror fans will want to sink their teeth into.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Let the Right One In premieres on Showtime on October 9th.

The post Let the Right One In Review: An Expansive Adaptation With a Big, Bloody Heart appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Anne Rice famously disliked fanfiction. In the early 2000s, the iconic author posted a message on her website banning all fanfic, writing, “I do not allow fanfiction. the characters are copyrighted. It upsets me terribly to even think about fanfiction with my characters.” There were even claims around that time that legal counsel for Rice reached out to websites and writers of fanfic with cease-and-desist notices and even fanfiction.net, at one point, removed the entire category for fiction based on Rice’s books from their site upon the author’s request, much to the dismay of fans who enjoyed both reading and writing reimaginings of her stories and characters. Now, on October 2nd, AMC will debut a new television series based on Rice’s Interview With the Vampire and, while it may seem a little strange to talk about Rice’s decades-long disdain for fanfiction and an officially sanctioned adaptation of her work at the same time, the reality is this: AMC’s Interview With the Vampire is itself an extremely queer live-action fanfic, but one with great promise that honors the themes of the original work. 

Before jumping into the review itself, one has to address a major point: fans of Rice’s novel coming into the AMC series thinking that they are getting an adaptation of the book may come away disappointed. As teasers and trailers have suggested, this series maintains only the barest of resemblances to the novel. We have the characters who share the names of those in the book and who happen to be vampires, and the story centrally takes place in New Orleans, but nearly every other detail of the story has been radically altered. The timeline is different, the ages of key characters — specifically “child vampire” Claudia and “boy reporter” Daniel Molloy — are wildly different, the very backstories and histories of other characters are also entirely different, namely for Louis. The series is, in nearly every sense of the word, a “what if?” version of Interview – and are in many ways original creations.

If Rice fans can manage to get past that and set aside the expectation of a true adaptation, what remains is an engaging and surprisingly human story, one that has potential though not one without some challenges. Louis, a century-plus-year-old vampire played by Jacob Anderson, tells his life’s story to an aging journalist, Daniel Molloy (played by Eric Bogosian). The story, done in an interview format, is presented as a second attempt of sorts — the series alludes to the idea that the real-world novel, in this telling, was a first interview decades ago making this new one a sequel of sorts. While the interview takes place in the present, Louis’ story takes place in turn-of-the-twentieth-century New Orleans where we see him grappling not only with being a Black man trying to support his family during that time, but also as a closeted gay man working in the city’s less savory businesses. It’s as part of that struggle that Louis encounters the dashing and mysterious Lestat (Sam Reid), who turns out to be a vampire who simultaneously empowers Louis to be his true self and also becomes his abuser, in a sense, when he turns him into a vampire.

The thing that jumps out with the series, outside of its sumptuous and extraordinarily beautiful sets, is that the series’ story, while a far, far cry from the book, is both interesting and does have a huge advantage over previous adaptations. Because Rice’s Vampire Chronicles is now a complete series, something it was not when the best-known adaptation of the material (the 1994 film starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt) was made, there is much more material to draw from in terms of characterization. In the case of Reid’s Lestat, this works out brilliantly. Reid brings to life a Lestat that feels like he walked off the pages of Rice’s novels and feels fully formed and like a whole person, even through Louis’ rather one-sided and biased recollections. His performance is intoxicating, even though you know Lestat is very much the “villain” of Louis’ story. Simply put, Reid is the perfect Lestat. The fresh approach to characterization also works, though to a lesser degree, for Louis, who comes off as a bit more complex and a touch less frustrating than he does in Rice’s novel. Unfortunately, by compressing the timeline between Louis’ vampire turn and his tell-all interview to just over a century down from several centuries in the book, almost none of that character development feels organic and earned. Anderson does a fine job of playing a very tortured human Louis and a fine job of playing a more emotionless and aloof vampire Louis who struggles with his own story, but the two performances feel extremely disconnected – a flaw of the show’s storytelling choices, not the acting. Anderson brings a hauntedness to modern Louis that doesn’t necessarily appear in Rice’s novel and it’s lovely.

There are, however, a few misses with the series’ choices that are similarly complex. Leaning into Louis’ queerness as a primary source of his suffering — in the book, it’s the death of his hyper-religious but beloved brother that is the source of Louis’ torment — allows the series to definitively deliver on the novel’s enduring queer undertones, but at times overcomplicates and undermines them by wrapping them in a predator/prey dynamic. While there is no denying the chemistry between Reid and Anderson as these two men, it’s also undeniable that their relationship is toxic and, at times feels heightened in that respect for drama. There’s also the matter of the two characters whose ages have been tinkered with. Claudia is aged up (and necessarily so) in this adaptation and while Bailey Bass delivers what might be the best performance in the series, the writing still, at times, infantilizes her as though the character wasn’t aged up at all. As for Daniel Molloy, the character is essentially an original creation who bears no resemblance to his novel counterpart and, while Bogosian is a fantastic actor (and as an older Daniel struggling with his own life issues, is a perfect casting choice), his work here feels a bit flat at times, though there is certainly room for expansion as the series and story progresses, something clear in the five (out of seven) episodes made available for review.

Yet, even with the odd changes to story that don’t quite hit, Interview is intoxicating. Visually, this is a very elevated production full of beautiful details and rich imagery. There’s an eroticism to the series that goes well beyond its presented queerness and the “sexy vampire” of it all and, while there is a good bit of violence and a lot of blood – this is a vampire tale, after all – it’s never gratuitous. Instead, there’s this rapid pulse of danger and intrigue that pushes the viewer to let go of their misgivings about all of the aforementioned issues and just give in to the lure of these flawed characters, this city, this darkness. It’s enough to keep viewers, even the most skeptical, hooked and may well send those unfamiliar with Rice’s gothic horror running straight to bookshops for more. It’s a complex series in nearly every possible sense and as such, the series as a great deal of promise and potential. You get the sense that this is a story that wants you to come along for the ride for the long haul and is creating a space for you to settle in to do just that.

Yes, Rice hated fanfiction and AMC’s Interview With the Vampire is very much a live-action version of that, something that is certain to draw the ire of many die-hard fans of her work. But the series is not without seductive charm. Between great visual details and some truly outstanding performances, the series offers a unique interpretation of the larger themes of Rice’s stories and, while it doesn’t quite get everything right in the first few episodes, there’s room to grow and it’s worth growing with it. This series won’t be for everyone, but it certainly has bite.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire premieres on AMC on October 2nd.

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