Masters of the Universe: Revelation: Part II: This Will Shut The Fanboys Up

 "I have the power!" Just saying that phrase gives me a sense of confidence.  Of course, growing up in the 1980's I was into He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.  It's a little too cheesy now to watch as an adult.  A more palatable version is the 2002 Cartoon Network reboot that I believe only lasted two seasons, but the 3-part origin story is a great framework on how a He-Man movie could be.  A while ago, it was announced that the ultimate geek, Kevin Smith, was going to be producing a Masters of the Universe series for Netflix that was going to be a sequel to the beloved 1980's series.  I hoped it wouldn't be as campy, and from the trailer it looked like it could be family programming.  Then came the wrath of the fanboys.

When the first five episodes were released back in July it got MotU fans in a tizzy as both He-Man and alter ego, Prince Adam, were barely in it.  Instead, the first few episodes focused on Teela, and the aftermath of a great battle that made Eternia believe both He-Man and Skeletor were gone.  People brought their grievances to social media and attacked Kevin Smith personally.  They accused him of creating an SJW series that focused on a girl instead of, "the most powerful man in the universe."  I took it for what it was; the first five episodes of a season that had more to come.  I wasn't overjoyed by Part 1 of Revelation, but knew Mr. Smith and his team had a second half of the story still to tell.  Today, Part II of Revelation was released on Netflix and I believe it's everything the whiney fanboys from months ago wanted. WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD!

When last we were in Eternia, Skeletor had returned and now has the Sword of Power, which he used to stick Prince Adam with.  The Power of Grayskull was his!  As the new episodes start out our heroes are on the run and Teela uses her emerging new abilities to heal Adam before certain death.  They soon rendezvous with King Randor and his army to try and fight Skeletor, but, before they do, Evil-Lyn has tricked bonehead and she is now Master of the Universe.  And she's looking to burn it all down.

This is the part of the season fans wanted.  A lot of action, a lot of their classic hero, and big consequences with not a lot of talking.  I think we all saw Teela becoming the Sorceress before this was all over, and I thought it was cool that without the sword Adam's transformation of power pretty much just turned him into the Hulk.  In the end we had a giant spectacle of a battle that ended with the Skeletor defeated and He-Man as Eternia's champion once again.

But this series has also evolved the mythology into something new, and not just the classic story.  The opening tries to fill in newbies as to what MotU is, but I think a person having seen at least a few episodes of any previous He-Man cartoon would help when they start this series.  But now, going forward, they can tell new stories, and not just retell old episodes of the original cartoon.  The characters I've known since my childhood have grown and can continue to grow.  Also, I'm not an MotU expert, but if this series is supposed to be a sequel to the 80's cartoon, then don't She-Ra and the Horde already exist?  Don't get me wrong, I loved the tag at the end to set-up the Horde, but is Hordak still fighting She-Ra and the rebels in Etheria?  I just want some clarification if those characters already exist moving forward in this series.

When the voice talent was announced for Revelation, I thought it was top knotch all the way; from Sarah Michelle Gellar to Mark Hamill.  In Part II, the stand-out voices for me were Liam Cunningham as Man-at-Arms and Lena Headey as Evil-Lyn.  Along with Teela, Lyn got the most character development in the season, which is why I know some fans cried SJW.  But I say again, this series is MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, not HE-MAN and the Masters of the Universe.  

The lesson Teela learned that her mother did not is that becoming Sorceress doesn't mean leaving those you love behind. In fact, Teela learned that they made her stronger than those who guarded Castle Grayskull before her.   That part made me think of Harry Potter, since it's a cliche hero lesson; but a goodie none the less.  I wanted to rewatch the first five episodes before starting the new ones, but this time of year leaves me no time to do so.  But I would like to go back and watch all ten episodes together at some point.  For now though, I think this season is a great journey that gives He-Man fans the prospect of good things to come as far as storytelling.  But I gotta say, I was kinda sad no one said "snoochie boochies" at least once. 

Ghostbusters Gets An Afterlife (WARNING: SPOILERS)

Who ya gonna call? How can anyone not respond to that question without saying, "Ghostbusters!" I grew up in the Ghostbusters era. The first two films are beloved by me.  I watched The Real Ghostbusters animated series as well as the Filmation Ghostbusters series.  I was a Ghostbuster for Halloween at least twice as a kid, and I had quite a few Ghostbusters toys.  One that comes to mind is a footless Egon action figure thanks to our family dog.  So, when it comes to the Ghostbusters, I guess I would call myself a fan.

But as a Ghostbusters fan it's been a while since I've had something to get excited about.  I was too old when the Extreme Ghostbusters animated series came out, and it just seemed not that great anyway.  The IDW comic books in recent years have never gotten my attention.  And of course, the 2016 film was quite controversial.  I didn't mind it, but I thought it was nowhere the level of 80's classics. Then came news that Jason Reitman, son of the original film's director, was going to tackle a new Ghostbusters sequel.  Jason has directed such films as Juno, Thank You For Smoking, and Up In The Air.  All of which I enjoy, so it got me excited for this new edition to the franchise.  But then the trailers started to be released my excitement dwindled.

The first trailer had a bunch of kids driving Ecto-1 through a town and chasing a ghost (who at first, I thought was Slimer, but more on that later).  The films and the animated series were full grown adults who could handle an apocalypse-level event with thermal nuclear weapons on their backs.  Plus, they were funny as F$%K! These trailers made it look like Stranger Things the movie, not helped by the addition of Finn Wolfhard from the Netflix series.  I spent the two weeks before seeing Afterlife introducing my 8-year-old daughter to the franchise.  We watch the first two films, and a few episodes of The Real Ghostbusters.  We sat down to watch Afterlife, and to be honest, I thought it was ok.

The daughter and grandchildren of Egon have moved to a smalltown after Egon's death and they soon find out that the original Ghostbuster villain, Gozer, is about to rise again, and it's up to little Phoebe (played by McKenna Grace) to organize her own ghost-busting team.  This film is of course Sony's attempt to reboot the franchise and get a new generation into Ghostbusters.  I say this because my 11-year-old nephew was sitting several seats down from me and I could hear his excitement.  And my daughter also seemed into the film, getting several references from the previous movies we had recently watched.  Maybe having a Ghostbusters film starring not all men (or women), but kids, could be just what the franchise needed.

I kept drawing parallels to The Force Awakens, in that it was a very similar plot to the first films in their franchises and had the returning veterans playing supporting characters.  McKenna Grace is known for playing younger versions of women in films like I, Tonya and Captain Marvel, but I would call her the lead in this film.  However, I think expanding on the troubles of her mother could have helped us get more invested.  We get one quick scene to meet the three characters before being thrusted into the plot.  Why was her mom behind on rent?  Did she have a job?  How good of a relationship does she have with her kids?  And if Janine wasn't her mom, who was Egon's wife/baby momma? 

Sexiest Man Alive, Paul Rudd, helped bring a gravitas to the film as he did what he does. But it seems like they forced the two adult characters of the film together just for the Keymaster and Gatekeeper pay-off, which also seemed like the writers almost forgot they needed to bring forth Gozer. Wolfhard's character was just there to drive the car it seems; and to crush on a girl.  The real personality of this film came from Phoebe and her friend, Podcast, played by Logan Kim.  They all seemed a little too young to be taking on an evil God, which is why I thought the original cast should have come in sooner.

Let's be honest, Annie Potts and Sigorney Weaver's parts were pointless.  They were quick and added nothing.  I wish after the phone call to Ray the three Ghostbusters would have gotten there sooner before the battle had started.  And when they tried to stop Gozer, but couldn't, it would have made Phoebe's attempt more meaningful.  I thought Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson's deliveries were great, but to me it just didn't seem like Bill Murray wanted to be there.  Sure, he is older now, but I didn't feel the Venkman energy of wit I love so much.  Bringing them in sooner would have given them more time for character development, or some kind of story instead of just semi-cameos. And speaking of cameos, no Slimer?  I thought Munchie was cute, but come on!   At one-point Slimer was more popular with Ghostbuster fans than the actual Ghostbusters! 

"Are you a god?"  Luckily Ray had the right answer this time around.  The film is filled with plenty of easter eggs like Twinkies and marshmallow-covered heroes.  The end of the film is beautiful with ghost Egon appearing as you see the original four in one shot.  You get a father/daughter hug and it seems like the Ghostbusters are back in business as the film ends with Ecto-1 blaring through the streets of New York again.  But why?  I thought ghost-busting business had dried up in New York City?  I know they are trying to set-up a sequel with that (and the post-credit scene with Winston) but I don't see how stopping a ghost in the Midwest equals ghost activity now up in New York?  

I feel like I've written this review like I've hated the film, but I didn't.  To me, this film was made for kids who can see themselves in Phoebe and Podcast, and grow up to carry the torch of this franchise for another lifetime.  I thought Reitman did a decent job directing with some great camera shots and angles.  While I wasn't thrilled with the teenage characters, I thought Phoebe and Podcast were great and carried this film well.  I also may not have thought Afterlife was a worthy sequel to the others, but it's cute enough to entertain families and possibly spark more Ghostbusters films.  And to this once one-legged, Egon action figure owner, that makes me happy. 

Spider-Man: No Way ALL The Rumors Are True

Well folks, it finally arrived.  After days of anticipation we finally got to see it; my mother-in-law's new fancy bed.  But while I was putting that together, people in L.A. were gathering into a theater to be the first ones to get a look at the newest trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home. Sony promised a special surprise for those in attendance.  And I guess the appearance of Tom Holland is the surprise they got.  But those of us at home were hoping to see appearances from different webslingers last night.

Not since Avengers: Endgame has so many rumors and theories been swirling around a single film.  From Daredevil to Professor Charles Xavier I've heard every Marvel character might make a cameo in Jon Watt's third installment in the MCU's Spider-Man "Home movies." Cue laugh track. 

But with this film bringing in all the villains from previous Spidey movies people expect to see the Spider-Men that go with them; Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. Recently, film pundit, John Campea posted some pictures online he thought were fake, but was soon contacted by Sony to take them down because they "could be real" as the Sony rep told him.  But it was too late.  People saw, saved, and shared those pictures all around showing Holland with Garfield and Maguire on a set much like the one we see in the new trailer when Peter is about to face off again Electro, Sandman, and Lizard.  People are speculating Marvel pulled one of their trailer magic tricks and erased two Peter Parker's from that shot for the trailer(look online for the Lizard getting punched by air).

So what take-aways do I have from this newest Spider-Man trailer?  Well I'm about 99.9% sure Maguire and Garfield are in the film.  I think Spider-Man is about to jump over to his own Sony-controlled film universe.  And I think Peter will suffer a tragedy.

A few years back Marvel and Sony Pictures broke a new deal after their old one in sharing live-action rights to Spider-Man had expired.  After it looked like Tom Holland's Spider-Man was gone from the MCU the two companies said they had renewed for 2 more movies; 1 Spider-Man film and 1 MCU film that Spider-Man would appear in.  I, like some, believed this was the two studios way of writing Spider-Man out of the MCU and into his own Sony universe with Venom, Morbius, Kraven, all of his own supporting characters. With the Multiverse going awry it would make sense that Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness is the other MCU film Tom Holland will be in, and then have "no way" to get back to the MCU after Strange cleans up the Multiverse.  I for one have enjoyed Spider-Man interacting with the other Marvel characters, and while I believe he can lead his own cinematic universe I'd much rather see him stay in MCU.  But I think Sony is done letting Marvel Studios play with their most valuable toy.  Even if Marvel did re-polish it after Sony mistreated and dragged it through the mud.......Moving on.

The first trailer gave us Doctor Octopus and a hint of Green Goblin.  We also knew Jamie Foxx would be reprising his role as Electro. In this newest trailer we got confirmation of Sandman and Lizard with Doctor Strange saying "They all die fighting Spider-Man; It's their fate."  Now, I plan on re-watching all the live-action Spider-Man films before seeing No Way Home, but Sandman didn't die.  From my memory, all the others died at the end of their subsequent films, but Thomas Hayden Church turned a corner at the end of Spider-Man 3 and became dust in the wind.  Plus, we are missing two live-action Spidey villains; Venom and Harry Osborn's Green Goblin.  The end credit scene of Venom: Let There Be Carnage hints that "a Venom" might make a cameo in this film, and Willem DaFoe wasn't the only Green Goblin in the trailer. One shot showed a Goblin looking different. My guess is it's Harry from The Amazing Spider-Man 2, but some say it may be Ned's possible Hobgoblin turn like in the comic books.  But I'm more curious about Ned's letter jacket?  What sports or activities is he in to get one of those?  I also don't believe Molina's Doctor Ock will be a true foil in this film.  He also turned over a new leaf at the end of Spider-Man 2 and was about to die a semi-hero.

The trailer ends with a classic love interest fall and Peter diving to save her.  Maguire saved his girl.  Garfield killed his.  How do you think Holland is gonna shake out?  "This is all my fault. I can't save everyone," is what Peter says in the trailer.  Also falling in the trailer is a giant shield.  Looks like New York is making some Captain America memorial?  And the last line of the trailer is Strange saying, "They're starting to come through, and I can't stop 'em." Which I believe is a tip of the hat of what the good Doctor will have to fix in his own sequel film. Let's also not forget Peter had another new suit, a black one, that looks magical, because, we gotta sell some toys!  

I'm at that point in my life as a geeky film fan where I walk in trying to check all the rumors and head Canon before going in.  I'm not the biggest Spider-Man fan, but I do enjoy the character, and I look forward to see what Marvel and Sony have in store for us.  But, I'm wearing my Daredevil shirt just in case Charlie Cox shows up and I scream, "Yes!"

Eternals: A Better Justice League(SPOILERS!!)

X-Men. Daredevil. Captain America.  These are Marvel characters I keep up, and read, on a monthly basis. Like a lover of any form of media I can't consume it all.  But, when a new film is announced based on a comic book I don't know very well, I at least seek it out to try.  Guardians of the Galaxy was a title I knew, but never read.  But when Marvel Studios decided to make a film about these obscure characters in Phase 2 of their plans I went and read a few issues; and I loved it!  Shang-Chi and Eternals fell into the other category.  I knew of the characters, and their basic origins, but when I went to dive into their worlds I was disenchanted by what I read, which in turn didn't get me excited for either of their upcoming films.  

I sat down to watch Eternals not really knowing what to expect.  I knew the reigning defending Best Director, Chloe Zhao, was the film's director, but to be honest I turned off Nomadland an hour in because I thought it was boring.  I also knew that the Critic Score for Eternals was the lowest score ever given to a Marvel Studio film, and hanged just on the other side of "Fresh".  As the film progressed I became more and more intrigued with these Gods trying to act human.  And after the film was done, my friend and I agreed, this was a better Justice League film than anything we got from Warner Bros.

Eternals is about a group of superpowered beings who land on Earth thousands of years ago.  Their escapades are passed down through time to become myths.  They live among the humans, and find out their mission on this planet, and their own existence, is not what they thought. Now they must stop the world they love from being destroyed by the birth of a new god.  One of them can fly and has heat vision. One is super fast.  One is a warrior woman.  One is good with technology.  They didn't have a fish guy though. 

I'll admit the film starts slow with setting up the characters and their origins, and honestly I was finding some of the performances stoic.  But as the film progressed so did their relationships, and when the world was in peril you saw what each of them was fighting for.  Gemma Chan and James Madden led this ensemble as Sersi and Icarus.  Two beings whose love stretches across hundreds of generations.  And this I felt was the crutch of the film.  Cersi loved the humans, which was represented by her relationship with the other Stark brother, Dane Whitman(more on him later).  And as the strongest Eternal(allegedly), Icarus knew what their true purpose was and was willing to carry it out to the end.  But like Sersi, who clung to her connection to the humans, it was Icarus's connection to Sersi that did not allow him to stop her from saving the world.

SIDE NOTE:  Why was the love scene in the film?  I mean I get it, we know they probably bumped uglies, but in a Marvel film we've never seen sex; only insinuated it after or before.  I felt like Icarus and Sersi's sunset kiss was good enough to show the audience their feelings for one another.  We didn't need 10 seconds of them naked on the dirt from the shoulders up.  And since I came to the theater with two 8 year-olds, I felt it was unnecessary.  

The rest of the cast did a find job in sharing their characters with us.  Kumail Nanjiani's Kingo gave us some comic relief; along with his assistant Karun.  We felt the sorrow of Sprite as she longed to look older, and wondered why she was made to look young. Thena sought revenge on the Deviant who killed the person who never gave up on her.  And Phastos had a family, and tried to live a good life, to try and make penance for the sins of his past. Each one, I could feel their point of view, even Druig, who I felt like may become the villain of the film after the first hour.  

Marvel isn't really known for strong villains, but in this film I felt like it didn't matter.  We believe at first the Deviants are the villains; killing the Eternals and stealing their powers.  But once the bigger picture is revealed it seems like the Deviants no longer matter, and there are bigger fish to fry.  Thena still gets her revenge in the end, and I understood the Deviant's role.  They're the Manhunters to the Eternal's Green Lanterns.(look it up).  So, the so-called "weak villain" troupe didn't bother me.

As it seems with every MCU film these days, the mid-credit scene sets up the film's possible sequel, while the post-credit scene sets-up what is to come in the greater MCU.  In the mid-credit scene Thena and the other voyaging Eternals learn the fate of their comrades courtesy of Pip and Eros.  In the comics, Eros is technically an Eternal along with his brother; Thanos.  So as much as I hate to admit it, this does give us the possibility of a Thanos resurrection. 

Meanwhile, in the post-credit scene, we go back to Dane Whitman("later" is now) who is about to touch a magic sword when a voice behind him warns him of the consequences.  It was at this point that the two people next to me turned my way and asked what that was all about.  I get that a lot after Marvel post-credit scenes. And although I knew Kit Harrington is becoming the Black Knight, I don't know much about the future Avenger.  And as Chloe Zhao confirmed, the voice warning Dane of his actions was Mahershala Ali, who is set to playing Blade the vampire hunter in future MCU plans.  So after a little research on the Black Knight I find out that his Marvel origins are based in medieval magic, as his sword, the Ebony Sword, was forged by Merlin and he is a descendant of Sir Percival; a knight of Arthur's Round Table.  But the sword is said to corrupt those who wield it, including Dane's uncle.  So where does a vampire hunter fall into it?  I have no f#$king clue.  

Despite what some may say, I found Eternals to be a deeper film than most we have seen out of the MCU, and it's relationships and tipping of the cosmic scales is what I found most entertaining.  With most films I can usually see why people don't like them(ask my wife about The Last Jedi).  Films are art, and art is all subjective.  But with Eternals I don't see what all the bad press is about.  This is the first film in years I'm going to try and see again in theaters.  And while my intrigue won't be enough for me to give the comics another shot, you can be sure I am gonna find out more about the Black Knight.

The Book of Boba Fett's 1st Trailer

       Next week is Disney+ Day. The Mouse House has promised exclusive looks and insight into what the company has in store for the streaming service.  One thing we Star Wars fans figured we'd get was our first trailer for the newest series; The Book of Boba Fett.  So, I for one was surprised when Disney/Lucasfilm released a Boba Fett trailer a week before Disney+ Day.  It was already anticipated, so why not wait another week, or perhaps Disney has another big surprise in store for us fanboys to make us geek out?

     In any event, the trailer runs just under two minutes long and provides us a sliver of what this entry of the Star Wars franchise has in store.  For those who didn't know, there was an end credit scene in the final episode of season 2 of The Mandalorian.  In it, Boba Fett and Fennec Shand return to Tatooine, to Jabba's palace to find Jabba's old crony running the show.  With one blaster bolt, Boba takes the throne and it looks like he's going to be in charge.  And that's what we get in this trailer; Fett and Shand trying to take control of the Underworld that Jabba once ruled.

      At first viewing I was a little underwhelmed.  With the series premiering in less than two months I thought there would be more to it than this.  However, I expect another trailer to be released before the series airs on December 29.  To be honest I've always been one of those guys who thought Boba Fett was overrated.  I never saw the appeal.  But after he shows up in the last season of The Mandalorian looking for his armor, and then helps Din Djarin kick some stormtrooper ass, he thought he finally lived up to his reputation. Though, he did seem a little less ruthless than his reputation would perceive him.  Maybe getting swallowed by a living pit in the desert gives a guy a new perspective? 

      When a spin-off series was announced I was intrigued, but like The Mandalorian, the lack of Jedi and Force ushers didn't get me super excited.  But from this trailer it looks like we getting a galactic Sopranos.  One man's quest to seize and keep power in an area of the galaxy where everyone else is trying to to the same.

      One thing I liked about The Mandalorian was how it connected to other parts of the Star Wars universe.  Din finding a creature of the same species as Yoda, being rescued by Death Watch during the Clone Wars, the status of the Empire years after Return of the Jedi, the beginning of Snoke, and several memorable cameos. So what do I think we could see in this series, or what do I hope for?  For me, Boba's connection to the clones has been his more interesting characteristic. Could we see Temuera Morrison play multiple roles like say a Captain Rex or even a member of the Bad Batch?  What about his "sister" Omega?  As far as the underworld, I'm taking a cue from one of my favorite Star Wars podcasters, Joseph Scrimshaw, and going on "Hondo Watch."  The animated pirate turned Galaxy's Edge host could provide some great comic relief against Morrison and Ming-Na Wen's serious characters.  A live-action Doctor Aphra would be cool.  I would also hope for Cad Bane, but we saw him return not that long ago in The Bad Batch; so I don't want to be greedy.

From this first look, The Book of Boba Fett looks like it builds off the feel The Mandalorian sets up.  But I expect it to be even more gritty.  Either way, it's Star Wars, so everyone knows I'm in.....unless it's LEGO.