The latest streaming TV show to make its way onto physical media is Peacock’s Ted series. Based on the Seth MacFarlane movie of the same name, the prequel series takes a look at the foul-mouthed teddy bear’s early years as he serves as a bad influence for the teenage John (played by Mark Wahlberg in the films). The Ted Season 1 Blu-ray includes all seven episodes of the show and is a welcome addition to any MacFarlane fan’s library.

“Based on the box office hit and sequel from Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane about a cherished teddy bear that comes to life as the result of a childhood wish, Ted is an irreverent, side-splitting half-hour comedy series about Bostonian teenager John Bennett and his best friend and forever ‘thunder buddy,’ the foul-mouthed stuffed bear, Ted. ?Set in the ’90s after his moment of fame has passed, Ted is forced to enroll in high school with his best pal John, experiencing the highs and lows of teenage life…one bong hit at a time. While Ted may not be the best influence on John, when it comes down to it, he is always willing to go out on a limb to help his friend and his family,” reads the official description.

Your enjoyment of the Ted TV show will largely depend on whether you enjoyed the 2012 movie and its 2015 sequel. If you did? Great! MacFarlane reprises his role, lending his iconic voice to the boozing and weed-smoking teddy bear. If not? This will do nothing to change your mind, although the conceit fits the sitcom format quite well as it’s easy to dream up a fun misadventure to send the duo on (such as a Halloween night gone awry or Ted trying to help John lose his virginity).

If you’re a fan of the films, you’ll also get a kick out of some of the references (you get to see the origin of “Thunder Buddies,” for example), even if there are a few retcons (like the names of John’s parents). Overall, the Ted TV show winds up being a lot of fun over its seven-episode run (most episodes run around 40 minutes long, so you’re basically getting as much content as the two films). MacFarlane is great as Ted and just as funny as ever before, while Max Burkholder does a good job as the human lead. Burkholder does look too old to be playing a 16-year-old, so it might take an episode to get used to it, but he’s far from the worst example of casting an adult as a high-schooler.

Like many home releases of streaming shows, there aren’t any special features on the Ted Season 1 Blu-ray. That’s disappointing, although the two-disc set does feature nicer packaging than a lot of other bare-bones releases. Each disc features artwork rather than just the title of the movie, which has become a disappointing trend, with the first disc holding the first four episodes and the second having the final three. The inside of the Blu-ray case details the contents of each disc, along with loglines for each episode, so it’s easy to keep track if you want to revisit a specific storyline in the future.

Ted Season 1 Blu-ray Review: Final Verdict

While it’s a pretty bare-bones release, the Ted Season 1 Blu-ray is an easy recommendation since the Peacock show is hilarious and still fun upon a rewatch. It’s great for collectors, especially if you already own the two Ted movies, and it’s always nice to see a streaming series escape the digital realm and get a physical release. If you’ve enjoyed MacFarlane’s comedy in the past, then the Ted series will feel like a foul-mouthed welcome back into the fold. It might not be high art, but it will undoubtedly make you laugh as you wait for Season 2.

Disclosure: ComingSoon received product from the distributor for our Ted Season 1 Blu-ray review.

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Winning the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series four years in a row, The West Wing was a huge critical and commercial hit. The political drama was an incredibly written show taking place in the White House that kept viewers entertained for its entire seven-season run from 1999 to 2006. Now the 28-disc The West Wing: Complete Series Blu-ray has been released, giving fans a chance to own the whole series in HD.

“The West Wing ventured where no other TV series had gone before: an extraordinarily intimate look at an American President and the inner workings of the White House. Experience all the crises, triumphs, lofty idealism, and hard realities of the acclaimed series that won 26 Emmys, including 4 for Outstanding Drama Series,” says the description.

What is there to say about The West Wing that hasn’t already been said? This is Aaron Sorkin’s sharp writing at his peak, the show that popularized the walk and talk, and this set features seven highly bingeable seasons available on Blu-ray for the first time. It’s top-tier television that is boosted by some really great performances by Allison Janney, Martin Sheen, and Alan Alda in the final two seasons.

While the show is entertaining for its entire run, there’s no doubt that it peaked with the first four seasons, which focused on Rob Lowe’s Sam Seaborn. Season 5 would feature a creative shakeup as Sorkin, main director Thomas Schlamme, and Lowe all left. John Wells did a good job of taking over as head writer, though, with the final two seasons featuring a very entertaining election storyline after a slightly bumpy transition period.

While a lot of complete collections don’t feature many special features, that isn’t the case here. There are over 20 commentaries across the seven seasons, and each season has behind-the-scenes featurettes (and unaired scenes for Seasons 1-5). There are two really solid documentaries included as well, so you’re getting a lot to chew on either as you go along or after you wrap up your rewatch.

It’s also worth noting that the packaging for The West Wing: Complete Series Blu-ray is quite nice. Housed in a sturdy box sits two separate Blu-ray volumes, with the first four seasons in one and then the final three in the other. Some other complete collections put them all in one case, which can be quite unwieldy and this is a far better alternative.

The West Wing: Complete Series Blu-ray Review: Final Verdict

The West Wing: Complete Series Blu-ray is an easy recommendation for fans of the legal drama. The show looks great in high definition, has aged about as well as any political show can, and features some standout performances across its 156 episodes. Throw in many hours of special features, and you have an appropriately rich set for one of the greatest television series ever.

Disclosure: ComingSoon received the product from the distributor for our The West Wing: Complete Series Blu-ray review.

The post The West Wing: Complete Series Blu-ray Review: Massive 28-Disc Set appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.

Prime Video has had quite a few hits with its television shows, with Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan and The Boys really establishing the streamer’s original content. Currently, one of its biggest shows is Reacher, which has established Alan Ritchson as a star and has done a better job doing the character justice than the previous movies. Now, thanks to the Reacher Season 2 4K release, its most recent installment is available to own at home in ultra-high definition.

“Season Two begins when veteran military police investigator Jack Reacher, played by Alan Ritchson, receives a coded message that the members of his former U.S. Army unit are being mysteriously and brutally murdered. Pulled from his drifter lifestyle, Reacher reunites with three of his former teammates turned chosen family to investigate. Together, they connect the dots in a mystery where the stakes get higher at every turn and bring about questions of who has betrayed them and who will die next,” says the official description.

The first season of Reacher was an excellent adaptation of the character’s first novel, Killing Floor, and the second season jumps far ahead to adapt the eleventh book, Bad Luck and Trouble. This was actually a great choice, as it’s a strong follow-up and tells a story that is just as compelling. Featuring mostly a new cast besides Ritchson, who does an incredible job of portraying the former U.S. Army military police major, fans get to meet a lot of interesting new characters and witness some strong performances by Serinda Swan, Shaun Sipos, and Robert Patrick.

As seen in the eight episodes included in the Reacher Season 2 4K release, the show really has found its confidence. Ritchson is a natural badass in the role, the action scenes are appropriately intense, and the writing provides a satisfying ride that ends with a great season finale episode. It’s a fun watch throughout and wonderfully shot, so it looks great in ultra HD.

It should be noted that you’re just getting all eight episodes on two discs. There’s no bonus content or any real special features included. It’s slightly disappointing for it to be so bare bones, but I’m always a fan of streaming originals getting a physical release, even if the extra work wasn’t put into it.

Reacher Season 2 4K Review: Final Verdict

One of the best action crime series in recent years, Reacher has become a staple for Prime Video as its third season is currently in production. The Reacher Season 2 4K release is a great way to own all eight episodes of its stellar adaptation of Bad Luck and Trouble. Whether you’ve only seen the first season or just want to relive it any time you want, it’s an easy recommendation.

Disclosure: The distributor sent product for our Reacher Season 2 4K review.

The post Reacher Season 2 4K Review: Prime Video Hit Gets UHD Release appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.

In 2021, Disney+ started its long series of Marvel Cinematic Universe content with WandVision, a fun show exploring many television sitcom eras. One of the shining elements was the nosy neighbor turned surprise villain, Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn), revealed to be the antagonist through the catchy song, “Agatha All Along.” This song seemed to take on a life of its own, and now we have a TV series named after the song with Agatha taking center stage. After Wanda sentences her to TV prison, we catch up with Agatha, who is now stuck in a true crime police procedural thriller. But she soon realizes that nothing is as it seems.

The first four episodes of Agatha All Along seem to be a precursor for a lackluster series. If there was ever evidence that the MCU’s quality is declining or that Disney+ TV shows are disappointing, look no further than this. An easy complaint a naysayer could have about this miniseries is that “nobody asked for it.” Well, this complaint doesn’t hold much weight because nobody has asked for most of the movies or shows that exist. What matters is if the piece of entertainment delivers on what it promises. I don’t think it does.

The show starts off fully committing to setting each character in a police procedural drama. Much like how WandaVision had the people of Westview playing different roles in sitcoms, this show starts off similarly but in a whole new TV genre. Some of the Westview residents from WandaVision return to this show, too. We also have Aubrey Plaza in one of her three projects coming out in September, with the other two being My Old Ass and Megalopolis. Plaza stays booked and busy, which is to be expected, given how she manages to light up the screen with her personality whenever she shows up.

For a while, I struggled to justify the purpose of this story in the MCU. It seemed like the cast and crew making WandaVision had such a great time doing it that they made this show to work together again. However, the first episode makes the wise choice of pulling back the curtain a little early. We know the crime show is all just a facade for what’s really going on, and there’s a lot more happening that we have yet to discover. From here, the show pulls some humor out of the idea that everything Agatha sees isn’t real and always benefits from a strong lead performance.

Hahn is a funny, talented actress who makes a meal out of her screen time. She has the presence needed to carry a show like this, bringing in fun voices and comedic sensibilities. The issue here is Agatha as a protagonist. She was the villain of the original show, and Agatha All Along does not appear to push her on a redemptive arc. She aims to go down The Witches Road with a few other witches, as it will give them anything they want, but at a possible cost. Given that she’s a villain with probable wicked intentions, there’s no reason to root for her.

Yes, Agatha wants her magic back, but what will she do with it once she gets it? It’s unclear, and it’s not a mystery worth waiting for. The show gives a few entertaining moments to a new character named Teen, played by Joe Locke. Teen also provides another layer of mystery, as we don’t know much about him or his backstory. Another misstep is the decision to bring in a few more witch characters. The writing attempts to give each of these characters a reason to want to go down the Road alongside Agatha, but there isn’t enough meaningful emotion behind it to get you invested in them.

Furthermore, Agatha All Along constantly wants to make you laugh. The aim here is a campy, wacky tone that serves as a more offbeat entry into the MCU. Some may appreciate it for what it is. For me, every attempt at humor fell flat on its face. Marvel movies and shows can be funny. Many of the MCU films that aren’t even considered comedy movies have laugh-out-loud moments. The writing in these first four episodes didn’t muster a single laugh from me. At its best, the show is slightly dull with sporadic fun moments, and at its worst, this strange ’80s music video got caught up in having too much narrative bookending the music.

The comedy is never that funny, and the drama never feels like there is enough weight. Even when something quite upsetting happens to a character, you don’t feel very bad for them, even though a show with better writing would make you empathize with every bit of it. Instead, we’re here with a selfish protagonist who makes bad choices. The only redeeming quality of Agatha is Hahn’s charismatic performance. On the page, she is not fun to watch. Even Plaza ends up sinking into the background of this ensemble. One sequence from the fourth episode is so goofy that it feels like something from a cheap ’80s VHS tape.

As much as I want to like this show, I can’t vouch for it. The show has the characters constantly complaining about all the misconceptions people have about the witches, from their green skin to riding broomsticks. Better writing could have pushed this down a more comedic angle or a sadder one because they’re a group of people misunderstood by the world, and we’d see that play out and how they’re affected by the discrimination. But no, it’s just said over and over again. It feels too weightless as if the story is just an excuse to get the characters to walk into elaborate sets, wear colorful costumes, and sing songs. Even as an MCU defender, I can’t recommend this one so far.

SCORE: 4/10

As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 4 equates to “Poor.” The negatives outweigh the positive aspects making it a struggle to get through.

Disclosure: ComingSoon received screeners for our Agatha All Along review.

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Like many children, my first introduction to the world of superheroes was through cartoons. For that reason, I’ll always have a soft spot for Super Friends, as while the series had ended its run before I was born, I watched many reruns as a child. Thanks to the new Super Friends: The Complete Series Blu-ray, I’ve been able to revisit the show, which had seven different iterations and aired for 12 years.

“The greatest of the DC superheroes work together to uphold the good with the help of some young proteges. Produced by Hanna-Barbera, Super Friends is an animated TV series featuring the Justice League of America that ran from 1973 to 1985 on ABC as part of the Saturday morning cartoon lineup,” says the official description.

The coolest part of the Super Friends: The Complete Series Blu-ray set is that it does have every single episode of the cartoon ever made. I had no clue that the show had gone through so many iterations. Getting to see that evolution over 93 episodes is quite fun, as the show originally had a trio of largely forgotten sidekicks in Wendy, Marvin, and Wonder Dog, who were later replaced by the Wonder Twins and Gleek. While the show was never known for its top-notch storytelling, it features a ton of colorful and good-natured action that is just fun to have on in the background and looks great, thanks to the HD transfer.

Having never seen the full run before, there’s also the joy of seeing the wide array of heroes make appearances as the series goes on. I was surprised to see Cyborg and Firestorm join the series’ later run as full-fledged Justice League of America members, and there are a bunch of great guest appearances as well. While the villainous Legion of Doom are the main antagonists, there are also plenty of outside villains, ranging from The Joker to Darkseid and Mr. Mxyzptik. It’s really a great look at how diverse the DC universe has always been, and the Super Friends: The Complete Series Blu-ray is a great way to be reminded of why we fell in love with these characters in the first place.

While there aren’t any bonus features, Warner Bros. did go all out in making sure everything was included. This includes the eight “lost episodes” that were part of the 1980 SuperFriends series that were only aired internationally. In total, you’re getting 1973’s Super Friends, The All-New Super Friends Hour, Challenge of the Superfriends, The World’s Greatest SuperFriends, the full three seasons of SuperFriends, Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show, and The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians. It’s a lot of content (3,142 minutes if you wish to count), and there are bound to be some episodes you haven’t seen before if you’re not a diehard fan.

In total, there are 16 discs in the Blu-ray set. Similar to the Succession: The Complete Series set, all the discs are in an Epik Pak tray that just sits inside the case. However, it fills out the full width of the inside, so you don’t feel the discs rattling around when you move them. There’s nothing inside the packaging, although the discs each feature the different show’s logos and make it easy to know what episodes the discs have on them. It’s certainly not deluxe packaging, but there’s been worse in these types of collections.

Super Friends: The Complete Series Blu-ray Review: Final Verdict

Featuring all 93 episodes of the various Super Friends iterations over the years, the Super Friend: The Complete Series Blu-ray lives up to its billing. The show is still quite fun to watch today, even if it was never the peak of superhero storytelling, and is a good introduction to the characters if you have kids. Whether it’s for young ones or for nostalgic reasons, DC fans can’t go wrong with this set.

Disclosure: ComingSoon received product from the distributor for our Super Friends: The Complete Series Blu-ray review.

The post Super Friends: The Complete Series Blu-ray Review: 7 Series in Full appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.

When Colin Farrell first portrayed The Penguin in 2022’s DC superhero movie The Batman, Warner Bros. denied his request to have the character smoke his famous cigar. Let’s just say that in The Penguin, smoking his cigar is the least offensive thing he does. This eight-episode miniseries brings us back to Matt Reeves’s take on Gotham. Farrell first appeared as the iconic villain across from Robert Pattinson’s Batman. Now, he’s taking the spotlight as the protagonist of this fantastic crime drama series that provides a mature, hard-R look at the criminal underworld of Gotham City.

This show quickly reimmerses us in that world, picking up right after the end of The Batman. The streets of Gotham remain flooded after The Riddler bombed the seawall. Oswald “Oz” Cobb is trying to seize control of organized crime after the death of crime boss Carmine Falcone. One of The Penguin’s shining elements is how it draws inspiration from the classics. If The Batman was inspired by David Fincher’s work in Se7en and Zodiac, The Penguin feels like a cross between The Godfather, The Sopranos, and Martin Scorsese gangster dramas. While Marvel’s superhero content has become self-deprecatingly formulaic, DC has pushed the envelope by allowing filmmakers to bring something fresh.

Lauren LeFranc does a phenomenal job creating a show that uses its characters well. It was a wise choice to make this show TV-MA, allowing it to breathe. There are F-bombs, blood, and a harder edge that we didn’t fully see in the PG-13 The Batman. From the first dialogue scene, we learn a lot about what kind of person Oz is through his words and actions. We know what he wants to do, and we meet his obstacle: Sofia Falcone, played by Cristin Milioti, Carmine’s daughter who recently got out of Arkham Asylum.

Much like Christopher Nolan, Matt Reeves wanted to bring a dark, gritty, grounded take on these larger-than-life comic book characters. Farrell is splendid in this iteration of The Penguin, but he’s completely unrecognizable. A lot of the credit goes to Farrell’s spectacular performance and the makeup team for giving him a look that’s drastically different from Farrell’s. He’s also tucked away his Irish accent in exchange for a thick New Yawk accent that works as wonderfully here as in The Batman. Throw in the fatsuit and even I completely forgot I was watching Farrell.

The Penguin had a monumental challenge on its hands. Since the show does not focus on a caped vigilante fighting crime, there is no “good guy.” The crime is front and center, and nearly every character in the show is a bad person who has killed people before. The risk with a premise such as this is the possibility that audience members don’t care about them. If everyone in your show is a terrible person, audiences can be left wondering, “Who do I root for?” Fortunately, the writers took a highly nuanced look at each character, allowing each one to have something you can attach to.

One flaw of the show is that the story is not as interesting as everything else around it. The world and production design are spectacular. The character backstories and conflicts are incredible. However, the main storyline surrounds drugs on the streets and the warring crime families. The drug shipment ideas are not bad, but they are the least exciting part of the show. At times, it can feel like the show is aware of this fact, spending little time on the drugs storyline and spending more time delving deep into each character.

As a result, the first two episodes can take a while to get used to. The first episode is solid, but the second episode may have you wondering whether this show will have much value. The third episode is where we begin to learn about Victor Aguilar, played by Rhenzy Feliz. Victor is a young man whom The Penguin meets and employs in the premiere. When we learn about who he was before meeting The Penguin and see a certain choice he makes, it’s heartbreaking but perfect. The fourth episode barely has Oz at all, but it’s one of the show’s best episodes as it explores Sofia and the lies she tells herself to make herself feel better about everything around her.

While the show has phenomenal casting choices across the board, like Clancy Brown as the menacing Salvatore Maroni or Deirdre O’Connell as Oz’s mentally disturbed mother (she is incredible, by the way), the real stand-out is Milioti. Milioti has taken on a fair share of comedic roles in How I Met Your Mother and a personal favorite, Palm Springs. She taps into something so threatening and yet, so tragic with this role. The more we learn about what made her into who she is, the more humanity she has. Despite consistently being the antagonist to Farrell’s protagonist, I found her to be an easier character to root for than Oz.

There’s a solid emotional center with Oz and his relationship with his mother, where we glimpse into Oz’s haunting past and how he always looks to her for validation. The Penguin does a beautiful job of giving each character enough screen time so that when certain events happen, you feel their impact. Even though Oz is the protagonist, I found myself not wanting him to win. That is a fascinating relationship to have with a show’s main character, and the last two episodes drive this point home. This HBO show is a fantastic addition to a DC franchise that benefits from this. The rich, textured characters push the show forward, and every time we have more character-centric episodes, The Penguin is at its best.

SCORE: 8/10

As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 8 equates to “Great.” While there are a few minor issues, this score means that the art succeeds at its goal and leaves a memorable impact.

Disclosure: ComingSoon received screeners for our The Penguin review.

The post The Penguin Review: A Dark, Gritty Crime Drama in Gotham appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.

The Idris Elba-led Knuckles show premiered on Paramount+ earlier this year, and now it’s available to own at home. The Knuckles Blu-ray SteelBook release is certainly the most stylish way to own the Sonic the Hedgehog spin-off and features some worthwhile bonus features as well.

“Knuckles takes place between the films Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and follows Knuckles (Idris Elba) on a hilarious and action-packed journey of self-discovery as he agrees to train Wade (Adam Pally) as his protege and teach him the ways of the Echidna warrior,” says the synopsis. “Featuring appearances by Ben Schwartz (Sonic), Colleen O’Shaughnessy (Tails) and Tika Sumpter (Maddie), the ensemble cast also includes Edi Patterson (The Righteous Gemstones), Rory McCann (Game of Thrones), Cary Elwes (Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning), Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future), and Paul Scheer (Black Monday).”

Knuckles was a hit on Paramount+, and for good reason. The six-episode series is an entertaining and quick watch, keeping the same charm and humor as the first two Sonic movies. Some limitations are shown, as Knuckles takes a backseat occasionally to his protege Wade (played by Adam Pally). So fans looking for 3 hours of nonstop Knuckles action will be a bit disappointed as the series didn’t have that kind of budget and is instead much more of a buddy comedy.

However, Wade’s storyline, in which he has to find the warrior spirit and confront his own daddy issues in the form of Cary Elwes’ hilarious “Pistol” Pete, a deadbeat dad turned over-the-top bowler, is able to hold its own in between some great Knuckles moments. Pally really impresses with his comic timing, and other highlights include a hilarious low-budget rock opera featuring Michael Bolton. There are also a number of surreal moments, such as Knuckles fighting Kid Cudi, and some great Easter egg references, like Knuckles wearing a cowboy hat like in the old OVA.

One of the big selling points of the Knuckles Blu-ray SteelBook is naturally the SteelBook itself. The eye-popping red case features the powered-up echidna on the cover and looks great. Meanwhile, the back features a cool image of Knuckles on his throne, which is sure to look great in any Sonic collection, and the inside is a humorous image of Knuckles wearing a virtual reality headset next to Sonic. It’s a really stylish SteelBook and one of my favorites as a fan of the video games.

The Knuckles Blu-ray also features over 12 minutes of bonus features. Most of the five videos are previously aired television or online spots, like a game of “this or that?” and the cast doing impressions of Knuckles, but they’re all fun to see, and it’s nice to have them all in one spot. The real draw here is the new gag reel, which is seven-and-a-half minutes long and features some incredible footage of the Knuckles puppet that the actors filmed with before the CGI was added. The scenes are hilarious, and every moment with the puppet puts a goofy smile on my face.

Knuckles Blu-ray SteelBook Review: Final Verdict

The Knuckles Blu-ray SteelBook is an easy recommendation for any Sonic fan looking to add the hilarious series to their collection. It looks great when being displayed on a shelf and is just as fun to watch. Plus, the worthwhile bonus features give you an extra incentive to revisit the show before Sonic the Hedgehog 3 comes out.

Disclosure: ComingSoon received product from distributor for our Knuckles Blu-ray SteelBook review.

The post Knuckles Blu-ray SteelBook Review: Sonic Spin-off Gets Stylish Release appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.

Named after a typical disclaimer attached to works of fiction that claim that any similarities to persons living or dead are coincidental, Disclaimer is the newest Apple TV+ miniseries. This show stars Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett as Catherine Ravenscroft, a journalist who discovers a newly published novel that reveals all the darkest secrets of her past. As more people read the story, she must prevent the book and the truths behind it from tearing her family apart. This show is a spellbinding masterpiece told in seven parts, with a quality of storytelling that will captivate you.

This studio has had a habit of bringing exceptional talent to its films and shows. Whether it’s Gary Oldman headlining Slow Horses or the recent Jake Gyllenhaal-led series Presumed Innocent, there’s no shortage of big names on Apple TV+. While Disclaimer has no shortage of well-known faces, what drew me the most to this show was the face behind the camera. Alfonso Cuarón writes and directs every episode of this magnificent series. He has had a remarkable track record, helming movies like Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Y tu mamá también, Children of Men, Gravity, and Roma. All of his cinematic techniques are on full display in this show, which makes full use of his talents.

Based on Renée Knight’s novel, Cuarón crafts an unforgettable experience. He’s a meticulous filmmaker, and no detail is left to waste. Each episode is named after a Roman numeral, similar to what we see in a novel. Throughout the series, we get a third-person narrator who details more about what each character is thinking and what made them into the person they are. While narration is a tool easily misused in screenwriting, Cuarón allows it to enhance every moment, allowing us a look into the lives of our characters so detailed that we could be reading it from a book.

The opening episode does a beautiful job of establishing each character. Catherine wins an award for her work exposing the transgressions of others. She revels in her joy, not knowing that she’s about to be the victim of a similar character assassination. It can sometimes feel disorienting because there are many characters and storylines. We have a young couple named Jonathan (Louis Partridge) and Sasha (Liv Hill) on a picturesque vacation, we have Catherine and her relationship with her husband and son, and we have an elderly man named Stephen Brigstocke (Kevin Kline).

The disorienting nature is the first episode’s key asset. Audience members continually engage with the episode, trying to figure out how everything connects. Everything begins to come into place once we note a newly published book called “The Perfect Stranger,” which quickly takes the town by storm. When Catherine reads it, it affects her deeply, and by the end of I, we have a sense of how everything connects, along with dozens of questions about where this could go next. And if you weren’t sure how everything connected in I, II drills everything home.

I can’t speak highly enough about Disclaimer’s nonlinear structure, employed in the first episode and throughout the show. It follows the same characters often at multiple points in their lives. The timeline remains easy to understand, and by structuring the story this way, we get a deeper sense of how each character is intertwined, and our perception of these characters evolves a lot. It’s just complex enough not to be confusing, and like the best TV series, it keeps its cards close to its chest before revealing them one by one until they are all on the table.

Cuarón’s filmmaking signature is evident throughout this series. He employs many long takes, a splendid tool for allowing the actors’ performances to take shape. No long take is easy to pull off behind the scenes, and he makes it look effortless. With every tremendous long take comes a shot-reverse-shot scene that he makes just as engaging. The camerawork is often so assured that whenever he changes into a more documentary-esque style or gives us a handheld Dutch tilt, you feel the power in these choices. His style is as accessible as a sunny scene becoming cloudier once upsetting news is revealed.

Every creative choice he makes is designed to be obvious enough for an audience to pick up on. Rather than burying his details in the weeds, he makes every bit of this story understandable and never diminishes the emotional conflict at the beating heart of this story. The symbolism of a cockroach trapped under glass and a bowl full of fish heads can also be left for interpretation. With filmmaking so precise and exquisite, Disclaimer is the latest case in blurring the line between film and TV as a medium from a craftsmanship perspective.

With each episode, we get a deeper glimpse into each character. It’s a genuinely thought-provoking narrative riddled with tragedy. Disclaimer is a show about a family slowly getting torn apart as the past eats away at them. Behind every event is another broken family that has been unable to live on after tragedy struck them. Each character plays an influential role in the events that unfold, and each moment is essential in understanding our characters’ struggles, who they used to be, and how that affects them now. It’s heartbreaking sometimes, and every moment is handled with brilliant care.

Blanchett is incredible in this series as a character performing several dishonorable actions. The biggest surprise is Sacha Baron Cohen as Catherine’s husband, Robert. Cohen is one of the funniest actors to grace the big screen with his work as Borat, Ali G, and Brüno. But in all honesty, I didn’t recognize him for the entire first episode. This is a purely serious role for Cohen, and it’s not easy either. His character is going through immense pain, and he displays every bit of it. Kodi Smit-McPhee does a beautiful job as Nicholas, the son you are supposed to pity and sometimes cringe at.

Kline gives a show-stopper of a performance. He’s one of the most prolific actors of all time, and yet, he’s unrecognizable here. Some of it is the accent, but he gets to play a character with darkness, grief, and a touch of fun. Leila George does a superb job emulating the younger version of Catherine. She isn’t doing an impression of Blanchett, mainly because her iteration of Catherine has a vastly different personality. Every performance is exceptionally crafted to where the ending feels earned, surprising, and inevitable.

Cuarón also uses iris shots in Disclaimer as part of the storytelling language. His usage often feels ironic, as if he is decorating a story with all its peachy keen frills. As the series continues and we get the fuller picture, he uses them less and less. This is the best show of the year, featuring brilliantly written turns and characters pushed to their breaking points. And right when you think you’ve got everything figured out, Disclaimer pulls the rug out from under you. With this new miniseries, this filmmaker proves once again that he is an unstoppable force.

SCORE: 10/10

As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 10 equates to “Masterpiece.” This is the rare release that transcends genre and must be experienced by all fans of the medium.

Disclaimer: ComingSoon received screeners for our Disclaimer review. Any similarity to reviews past or present is purely coincidental.

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After previously only receiving DVD releases in the United States, one of the best television shows ever is now available to own in high-definition thanks to the Succession: The Complete Series Blu-ray set. Created by Jesse Armstrong, who also wrote many episodes, and having 16 of its 39 episodes directed by the talented Mark Mylod, the show is an incredible drama that is as hilarious as it is tense. Featuring one of the most satisfying finales in recent memory, it’s one of HBO’s best shows and nothing currently airing has quite scratched the same itch since it ended last year.

“Power, politics, money… It’s all in the family in this bitingly funny, Emmy-winning drama series about a highly dysfunctional dynasty. With aging, uber-wealthy patriarch Logan Roy (Brian Cox), CEO of one of the world’s largest media and entertainment conglomerates, considering retirement as he deals with health concerns, each of his four grown children follows a personal agenda. Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook, Matthew Macfadyen, Nicholas Braun, and Alan Ruck costar in Succession, winner of the Outstanding Drama Series Emmy in 2020 and 2022,” says the synopsis.

What really makes Succession so special is that it is truly a series that is firing on all cylinders. The writing? Top-notch. The direction? Hilarious when it needs to be while also having the capability of being extremely affecting as well. The ensemble cast? Career-best performances from talents like Brian Cox, Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook, Matthew Macfadyen, and Alan Ruck. Throw in some incredible guest stars (such as Adrien Brody) and you’ve got a stellar show.

The show really shines when watched as a whole, though, as the Succession: The Complete Series Blu-ray demonstrates. I’ve rarely seen a show this consistent in quality. Straight from the pilot to the finale, there are great character moments and performances, and you stay totally captivated. It’s the rare show that never needed to find its footing, instead hitting the floor running and being able to sprint to the very end. It’s a remarkable accomplishment and the Blu-ray looks much better than the previously released seasons on DVD, making this the package to buy.

The Succession: The Complete Series Blu-ray features some great extras as well. The first season is light, as there’s only one special feature going over the season finale, but afterward, there are inside-the-episode featurettes for every episode of Season 2. Seasons 3 and 4 have “Controlling the Narrative” specials, along with some additional featurettes with the cast and a hilarious “The Best of Logan Roy” video. You’re getting a good amount of insight here, and if you enjoy it, you should also check out the official podcast that ran for an even deeper look behind the scenes.

The only flaw with this incredible set is the packaging. It comes with a slipcover that then houses an Epik Pak case. The contents of each of the 12 discs are nicely shown in the interior packaging, and the discs are packed nicely enough, with two per side of each flip tray. However, the flip tray isn’t mounted to the case. It just sits there, so if you shake it around, you can see movement, and it just gives a less-than-premium feel to what is otherwise a really strong set.

Succession: The Complete Series Blu-ray Review: Final Verdict

Despite a small gripe with the packaging, Succession: The Complete Series Blu-ray is an easy recommendation as the show is one of the medium’s finest and as captivating a series that has ever aired. If you’ve never seen the show or just want to be able to rewatch it at any time, it’s worth picking up. As cousin Greg so eloquently said, “If it is to be said, so it be — so it is.”

Disclosure: ComingSoon received product from the distributor for our Succession: The Complete Series Blu-ray review.

The post Succession: The Complete Series Blu-ray Review: The Disgusting Brothers in HD appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.

Before 2014’s The Flash with Grant Gustin, Barry Allen was valiantly played by John Wesley Shipp. Originally airing on CBS, the show started off strong with a movie-sized pilot that drew in 22 million viewers but couldn’t keep the momentum and was canceled after 22 episodes. Now The Flash (1990) Blu-ray is available, compiling all the episodes in HD for the very first time and it’s easy to see why the series still has a cult following to this day.

“Who-o-o-o-osh! The origins and exploits of the crimefighting DC Comics superhero come your way in this 22-episode live-action series. John Wesley Shipp portrays Barry Allen, a police crime technologist endowed with sudden talents after a fluke lab accident. He pledges to use his new powers for good, powers that include ultra-speed reflexes and the ability to vibrate his molecules so rapidly he can pass through solid walls. Amanda Pays is medical researcher Tina McGee, who monitors Allen’s accelerated metabolism and guards his secret identity. The Tricksters, Captain Cold, the Ghost, mad inventors: Central City is rife with criminals. Now there’s a hero to keep pace with them. He’s called The Flash. And in our era of instant communications, he’s more in step with the times than ever,” says the synopsis.

Upon watching The Flash (1990) Blu-ray, you’ll notice a lot of the direction was clearly in the mold of Tim Burton’s Batman, which came out a year prior. For example, the muscle suit that Shipp wears looks similar aesthetically, and Danny Elfman even handled the series’ score alongside Shirley Walker, who would later do a great job on Batman: The Animated Series as well. It’s not quite as weird as Burton’s take, though, as it winds up being a more grounded superhero series than its The CW counterpart or most superhero fare. Of course, there’s still plenty of wackiness as The Flash takes on many over-the-top baddies, such as Captain Cold and a clone of himself, but it all comes together to make a breezy and still watchable show that is fun for any DC fan.

I want to give a special spotlight to the set’s visuals as this is the first time the series has been seen in HD. Warner Bros. did a 4K scan for this 1080p release and the show looks fantastic as a result. The picture and sound are both crisp and leagues better than the DVD. Of course, the special effects couldn’t be redone, but it all holds up pretty darn well and has a stylized look that works in the show’s favor. Props to Warner Bros. for giving this a good treatment for the Blu-ray release and not just doing a quick upscale.

The Flash (1990) Blu-ray is a six-disc set, but it’s more functional than flashy in its packaging (apologies for the bad pun). There’s no slipcover or giant box set. Instead, it’s in a regular-sized Blu-ray case that does a wonderful job of packing in all six discs without getting bulky or putting them at any risk of getting scratched. Episode titles are on the discs themselves, so it’s easy to know what you’re about to watch or find a specific episode.

The only bummer about this set is that there aren’t any extras. While it would’ve been fun to have some commentaries on the pilot or finale or at least some interviews, you’re still getting a great value with all 22 episodes being remastered. It’s just that one small missing touch that would’ve made this a spectacular set.

The Flash (1990) Blu-ray Review: Final Verdict

The Flash (1990) Blu-ray features 22 episodes of a show that has stood the test of time better than I would’ve initially thought. Shipp is a lot of fun in the role, the show has a definite charm to it, and there are quite a few DC Easter eggs throughout the series that fans will get a real kick out of. It goes to show that The Flash has long been one of DC’s better live-action television properties, well before The CW series launched.

Disclosure: ComingSoon was sent product from the publisher for our The Flash (1990) Blu-ray review.

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2018 wound up being an important year for John Krasinski. Not only did he successfully direct and star in A Quiet Place, but he also got to show his badass side and launch a streaming phenomenon by playing Jack Ryan in Prime Video’s action thriller series. Having now wrapped up after four action-packed seasons, the whole show is now available to own in the Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: The Complete Series 4K collection, which can be purchased on Amazon.

“Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: The Complete Series includes all 4 seasons of the explosive TV drama starring 4x Emmy Award Nominee, John Krasinski as CIA analyst Jack Ryan. Follow Jack as he’s thrust into dangerous field assignments in different countries across the globe. The thrilling series also stars Wendell Pierce, Nina Hoss, Betty Gabriel, Michael Kelly, Noomi Rapace, Abbie Cornish, and Michael Pena. This 8-disc collection includes every adrenaline-fueled episode plus exclusive deleted scenes,” says the official description.

Let’s go over what you’re getting here. It comes in a heavy-duty black case that holds all eight discs — each are easily accessible as they’re no discs are packed on top of one another like some of these collections can be. The discs also have the episode titles all listed, which is a nice touch, and it’s easy to find what you want to watch. It’s a no-frills collection that is effective in giving you what you want.

Unlike a lot of streaming shows, which tend to hit on early with a splash and then go downhill over time, Jack Ryan finished strongly. The series really found its footing over time — although Season 2 is probably the weakest — and ended with two strong seasons. One aspect that helped the show was that it never felt obligated to stuff a number of unnecessary episodes into the season order. For example, the final season is a lean six episodes and is better for it as it tells a meaningful story and introduces Michael Pena’s Domingo Chavez, who might potentially star in a Rainbow Six spin-off series in the future.

Throughout four seasons, viewers really get to see Krasinski shine in the role of Jack Ryan. I remember being skeptical of the casting at first, but Krasinski does a great job of playing the everyman hero rather than a larger-than-life figure. It’s difficult to find that balance, but Krasinski really impresses because of it. The show also comes to a satisfying end as the series wrapped things up nicely, an increasing rarity for streaming shows.

Special features all come in the form of various deleted scenes. These can be tricky to find at first as there isn’t a menu for special features. Instead, you’ll want to navigate to “Episode Selection,” and then they will be listed for when there are some. None of these are particularly thrilling — there’s a reason they were cut after all — but it’s nice to have these extra moments (there are even two from the series finale). There aren’t any other forms of special features, but given how scant a lot of releases can be nowadays, it’s nice to have something.

The series is particularly nice to revisit in 4K as the show looks phenomenal, and you don’t have to worry about any streaming compression. Throw in the excellent Dolby Atmos audio mix and you’re getting the best possible experience. I love it when streaming series get these home releases, and there are zero drawbacks here.

Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: The Complete Series 4K Review: Final Verdict

If you like the Prime Video show or are a fan of Joh Krasinski then you can’t go wrong with this set. It’s one of the better action thriller shows on streaming over the past decade and it’s great to be able to watch at any time in the best quality. Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: The Complete Series 4K release is a great value and a worthwhile collection to pick up.

Disclosure: ComingSoon received the product from the publisher for our Jack Ryan: The Complete Series 4K review.

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A new TV series is arriving on Disney+, and this one is set a really long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. The Acolyte is the latest show set in the Star Wars universe and has something quite new to offer. While every live-action Star Wars movie and show has been set in the same general time period (all surrounding the Skywalkers), this show is set 100 years before the rise of the Galactic Empire. It is a time of peace during the High Republic era, and the Jedi Order and the Galactic Republic have coexisted without war for centuries. But a series of crimes threatens to unravel it all in this perfectly watchable series.

The first four episodes of The Acolyte generally provide what we are expecting from this show. It’s nice to have a show that’s set so far away from the Skywalker Saga that it can’t rely too heavily on familiar faces. All this show can do is provide a decent story. Leslye Headland, director of films like Bachelorette and Sleeping with Other People and the TV show Russian Doll, makes her Star Wars debut here. She brings a unique perspective to this galaxy, taking a somewhat familiar idea and bringing it into this world.

The show begins with a crime that kicks off the events of the rest of the episodes. The fight scene at the beginning is well-choreographed. It’s clear that there was a lot of care that went into crafting engaging fights, which was occasionally missing from Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka. It’s filmed in wides and there are elements of martial arts in it, while also drilling home Yoda’s lesson: “A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack.” From there, we follow Osha (Amandla Stenberg), a former Padawan who left the Jedi Order. She is the prime suspect for the crime and finds herself on a prison transport.

Afterwards, we have an entertaining prison break sequence that feels somewhat more fresh for Star Wars. There are a few elements that work well, like the occasional psychological thriller elements that may remind one of the cave sequence in The Empire Strikes Back. The ending of the first episode features a strong hook and sets up an excellent premise for the rest of the show. Even though there is an element that we have seen before in other films and shows, it’s an idea that fits very well into this galaxy. The Acolyte is more of a mystery crime drama than any other Star Wars show.

At the beginning of the show, it can feel a bit like The Fugitive set in the Star Wars galaxy. However, as revelations are made, some of those elements get lost a bit too early. We are also introduced to Sol, a Jedi Master who used to train Osha. Sol is portrayed by Lee Jung-jae, a South Korean actor who recently gained international recognition for his lead role in Squid Game. He fits into the galaxy very well and he portrays a tenderness that is necessary for the character. Each of the first four episodes are fine, but none reach a level of greatness that can be expected from one of the most well-known media franchises of all time.

There are several crimes committed and we know they are all driven by revenge. But the weight of these crimes can ring hollow because we don’t see what led to the revenge first. Episode 3 is crucial to developing the backstory of the characters we see on screen, with the majority of the runtime being a flashback. There’s a sequence surrounding witches that feels a little bit wacky for this universe, but it’s not a bad idea. Furthermore, the visuals can be a bit bland and desaturated at times. Some of the character relationships don’t feel as lived in as they could, and some of that lies with the writing and direction.

The Acolyte works least when it’s going for comedy. It’s not a comedy show, of course, but all Star Wars has its moments of levity. This one doesn’t work. One episode features possibly the least funny execution of a Gilligan cut I’ve ever seen. To define the term, this is when a character says, “there is no way I’m doing this!” and then we cut to them doing it with the occasional accompaniment of “I can’t believe I’m doing this!” It doesn’t work because it’s such a comedic cliché that the punchline is predictable, and rather than a hard cut, there’s an establishing shot between setup and punchline. Another moment nearby isn’t very funny, but the light music seems to be signaling the audience to laugh.

There’s a bit of a compelling mystery surrounding who the big bad is. We have a few antagonists that we follow, but much like the Emperor, there is a looming villain in charge of everything behind the scenes. My only guess is that the villain is Darth Plagueis, but that’s the mystery that will get Star Wars fans like me to keep watching. This is not the worst we’ve seen from Star Wars TV, nor is it the best. There are some practical sets, but a few of the character relationships and backgrounds are not as compelling as they could be. It’s not the most impressive thing we’ve seen in this galaxy, but it’s got something going.

SCORE: 6/10

As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 6 equates to “Decent.” It fails to reach its full potential and is a run-of-the-mill experience.

Disclosure: ComingSoon received screeners for our The Acolyte Episodes 1-4 review.

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I’ll always lament Christopher McQuarrie’s failed big-screen adaptation of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher. The muscle-bound hero with an aptitude for solving insidious crimes and dealing with preposterously violent criminals was tailor-made for the big screen. He deserved the same A-plus treatment Hollywood afforded Tom Clancy‘s Jack Ryan. Alas, despite top-notch talent on both sides of the camera—including Tom Cruise in the title role—the film series stalled at the box office and was subsequently shelved after just two movies.

Luckily, Amazon quickly scooped up the rights to Child’s nomadic hero and produced the next best thing—an 8-episode mini-series simply titled Reacher, starring the more physically apt Alan Ritchson. It’s based on the first novel in the 28-plus book series The Killing Floor. While not nearly as finely tuned as McQuarrie’s effort, Reacher: Season 1 nonetheless delivered the good. It produced an entertaining, pulpy crime drama with plenty of twists and turns, sex, and bloody carnage. The series satisfied Reacher fans, even if the show occasionally veered away from the one-man-army premise that made the novels so enthralling.

Reacher: Season 2 offers more of the same. However, the scope feels more considerable and appropriate for the character on this go-round. Creator Nick Santora again posits our smirking behemoth amidst a handful of colorful characters but gives Reacher plenty of time to shine on his own. This time, the supporting cast feels essential rather than forced, even if the second season veers dangerously close to A-Team territory.

Reacher’s lifelong solo journey across the nation gets interrupted when former members of his military team, known as the 110th Special Investigations Unit, are suddenly murdered in a gruesome fashion. Reacher teams up with surviving mates Neagley (Maria Sten), Dixon (Serinda Swan), and O’Donnell (Shaun Sipos) to track down and murder the people responsible, inadvertently stumbling upon a plot centered around selling state-of-the-art weapons to dangerous factions around the globe. 

The show starts with a bang and ends with a thrill but stalls a bit in the middle — like too many series. I can’t say I was too engaged with Robert Patrick’s cartoonish villain, Shane Langston, who spends most of his screen time wandering around a warehouse barking into a cell phone like a wayward 24 villain. It’s always fun to see him in any role, particularly one that pokes fun at his iconic T-1000 performance in Terminator 2—”Who’s Sarah Connor?” one of his goons asks, “No idea,” he replies—but here he’s not given much to do but scream dry exposition and empty threats. Langston doesn’t pose much of a physical challenge to Reacher and exposes himself fairly early on—you wonder why Reacher and Co. don’t storm the castle and kill him right from the start.

Still, Season 2’s characters leave a mark, and the numerous fights and shootouts offer genuine knuckle-cracking thrills. There’s nothing here that hasn’t been done better in other shows/movies—to the point that you can predict everything that will happen, right down to the ornery cop (Domenick Lombardozzi) with a stick-up-his-ass going out in a heroic blaze of glory—but the production is top-notch. Performances are also strong, particularly by Sten and Swan, and Ritchson’s laid-back charisma remains as contagious as ever. It’s hard not to root for the guy because, well, he’s so damned cool—a testosterone-fueled tank who knows no fear and somehow maintains a zero body fat physique in spite of the diner grub and beer.

Like Jack Bauer in 24, we’re more enamored with the Reacher than the plot. And while the cliffhangers keep us binging, everything rests on Ritchson’s sturdy shoulders. If you appreciate his portrayal of Jack Reacher, you’ll happily invest eight hours watching his team ruthlessly tackle hordes of dim-witted villains in diverse settings such as factories, helicopters, warehouses, and even, unexpectedly, a funeral. Reacher appeals to its audience by delivering a series of action-packed shootouts, fights, and chases without relying too much on melodrama. It’s sturdy, lightweight fun that gleefully revels in violence, brutal confrontations, and mayhem.

Reacher Season 2 may not go down as peak television, but it’s an enjoyable excursion that reliably gets the adrenaline pumping. While thin on profound themes, the show compensates by delivering sheer entertainment, especially when Reacher takes center stage to do what does best—take out the trash. 

SCORE: 8/10

As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 8 equates to “Great.” While there are a few minor issues, this score means that the art succeeds at its goal and leaves a memorable impact.

The post Reacher Season 2 Review: A Gleefully Brutal Good Time appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.

Just over a week after the second season of What If…? concluded on Disney+, we have yet another installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe on the streamer. Echo is the latest MCU miniseries on Disney+, proudly boasting a brand new Marvel Spotlight banner during the opening logos meant to symbolize how this is a more grounded, character-driven story that does not rely on preexisting knowledge of the larger MCU continuity. I don’t know how true that is since this show is a spin-off of Hawkeye with a villain famously introduced in Daredevil. However, Echo was a delightful watch that explored Maya Lopez and her Native American heritage despite having a few flaws that held it back from meeting its full potential.

There were green flags all over this project. Echo is the first Disney+ MCU show to go for a TV-MA rating, which signaled that this would be a more mature outing for the franchise that has largely thrived in PG-13/TV-14 territory. Having seen the show, I can’t say that it is fully committed to adult content there is little to no language, and the bloodiest moments are in the trailers. Regardless, this show explores a lot of uncharted territory for the MCU. Recent MCU projects have been unafraid to capture minority voices and put them in their popular franchise. The filmmakers behind Echo collaborated with members of the Choctaw Nation to represent them properly in this show.

Ultimately, it works well as the show follows Maya Lopez, portrayed by Alaqua Cox. The first episode shows her character’s emotional backstory, starting with her childhood, tragedies surrounding her parents, and ultimately being taken in by Wilson Fisk/Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio). The show recaps a bit of what we saw from the two of them in Hawkeye when Maya shot Fisk in the eye for killing her father. But if you’ve seen the trailers, you know that Fisk comes back in this show. There’s a layered, complex relationship between the hero and the villain of this show, especially because it isn’t exactly easy to call Maya a hero.

Maya grew up training under Kingpin. Violence was her answer to everything. One of the best scenes in the entire show occurs in the first episode when Maya finds herself in a brawl with several goons and a very good lawyer. The fight choreography and camerawork is outstanding during this whole sequence. Much of the action set piece is filmed to appear as if it is one take, and it gives a grittier type of action than we’re used to seeing in the MCU. Marvel action is typically fun, exciting, and sanitized, but fans of movies like The Raid will have a great time with the stonework, especially in the first and third episodes.

Another shining element of the show is Cox’s portrayal of Maya. It appears as if she is doing many of the stunts herself, which is impressive for any actor to do, but when you factor in that she is an amputee with a prosthetic leg, that is beyond incredible. Like her character, Cox is deaf. Therefore, Maya does not have any spoken dialogue in the entire show. She speaks American Sign Language (ASL), and this is another wonderful feat. She doesn’t use spoken dialogue to communicate her emotions the way other actors do. Everything she communicates is through facial expressions and the physicality of her signing, which makes this performance captivating to watch.

It can be even more challenging when you take into account that Maya is a stoic character. Trained to be an assassin from a young age, she has a rough exterior. But Echo explores her relationships with her family that tear her walls down. One particular scene between Maya and her grandmother Chula (Tantoo Cardinal) is a beautifully tragic moment where you get a sense of how troubled their history is. The supporting cast is all giving phenomenal work too. D’Onofrio has consistently portrayed a terrifying villain with Kingpin for years, and he delivers again in this show.

Echo makes full use of its style. There are moments in the show where sign language becomes integral to the communication of a scene. There is a strong soundtrack here, with needle drops placed at the right moments. Most of the episodes are directed by Sydney Freeland, who does a superb job of helming the action and the more emotional beats. The only action sequence that did not work for me was a scene set on a moving train in the second episode that had great stunt work and ideas on paper but wasn’t lit brightly enough to see clearly. One of the better ideas in the show is the decision to begin three of the episodes with backstory on Native Americans, offering a fresh perspective that pays off in the finale.

By the time the finale rolls around, Echo leaves you on a decently satisfied note. My biggest gripe is that the show should have been longer than five episodes because there’s so much world-building and so much story to tell here and it doesn’t get to all of it. The show establishes what could have been a very emotional relationship between Maya and her cousin Bonnie (Devery Jacobs), but it does not feel like that storyline came to its maximum fruition. The finale has a lot of setup, but the actual climax only lasts around 10 minutes. It’s a shame that the best action sequence in the show happens in the first episode, with the finale being underwhelming in comparison. Echo is not as great as it could have been, but it’s a solid show with a strong vision behind it.

SCORE: 7/10

As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 7 equates to “Good.” A successful piece of entertainment that is worth checking out, but it may not appeal to everyone.

Disclosure: ComingSoon received screeners for our Echo review.

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If there were any doubt that Sanctuary: A Witch’s Tale draws inspiration from Twin Peaks, look no further than the character names. The lead witch is named Sarah Fenn, one of her friends is called Cheryl Lee, and midway through the show a newcomer named Lynch shows up. The template’s highly similar, too: the mysterious death of an extremely popular high schooler leads an outsider cop to a quirky small town where things happen that definitely are not normal. In investigating, the detective learns that pretty much everybody has nasty secrets, and the victim was into way darker stuff than anyone pretended to suspect.

Rather than vagaries about a Black Lodge, however, Sanctuary tells you what’s up right in the title: this is a town, and a reality, where witchcraft is legal. Despite this, there’s only one actual registered witch living there, the aforementioned Ms. Fenn (Elaine Cassidy). It’s an expensive seaside town in England, so most of the residents are insulated rich folks who are perfectly nice neighbors unless and until they start feeling threatened in any way.

Branching David-ian

Don’t expect the surrealism of David Lynch, as the homage is mostly in the set-up, and the seven-episode arc mostly resolves every loose end by the time the final credits run. (There’s room for a second season should there be demand, but it would presumably involve a different case or town.) The establishing elements that aren’t Lynchian feel like they could exist in adult Harry Potter’s world — the parts where mostly Muggles roam and outnumber the local witch — minus J.K. Rowling’s unfortunate stereotypes, of course.

Being a British show, Sanctuary is full of casual diversity without conspicuous self-back-patting over it, including a nonbinary witch whose pronouns nobody makes a big deal of. This also largely avoids making the witches an obviously direct allegory for any particular group, since there’s representation across the board.

Arthur Miller’s The Crucible invariably casts a long shadow on any story about witches and witch hunts, and that remains true here as well, as hysteria proves addictive, and demonization easy. The star football (soccer) player died from falling down stairs, but did he trip, was he pushed, or did a curse make him do it? You can probably guess which option the townspeople mostly gravitate towards. Sarah’s daughter Harper (Hazel Doupe) is a prime suspect, but despite her mother’s genetics, she has never manifested witch powers. Sarah’s the only one that anybody knows of with power, and she has a pretty solid alibi having hung out with her coven that night (said coven being three friends who can amplify her powers but have none of their own). Plus, just from a plot perspective, Sarah would be much too obvious a suspect.

Hot or Not?

Typically one might suspect that a show about witches, and an accused teen witch in particular, might be a YA-skewing, CW-style show full of model types. Sanctuary’s not that, at all — its teens look surprisingly normal, but the story skews toward the parental characters, and aims at an audience of the sort of parents who like crime dramas. But if you’re looking to fulfill a spellcaster fetish, look elsewhere. Aside from Detective Maggie Knight (Stephanie Levi-John) briefly getting some implicit action, there’s no sex here save the nonconsensual, criminal kind. Characters talk a lot about past instances of cheating on their spouses, but we don’t get to actually see any of that.

Likely viewers are advised to hang in there till at least episode 2 — the first one is surprisingly uninvolving at first, with an opening teaser that won’t pay off for quite a while and practically demands a rewatch when it finally does. The mythology does a slow build, initially putting the audience as much in the dark about the rules of witchcraft as the more ignorant townspeople are. This also allows for more red herrings — your suspicions may shift a few times, but by the end, it doesn’t feel cheap. Anyone with shade cast their way has something relevant going on, even if they aren’t the guilty party. It’s not like a Scream sequel where everything is misdirection, and therefore, via Incredibles logic, nothing is.

Scare Tissue

While Sanctuary may not feel much like horror at first, the final episode does indeed deliver the catharsis that all the built-up tension requires. It doesn’t solve all the prejudice, but it doesn’t seem like an unfair spoiler to say that certain prejudiced people will pay for it, which is one area in which the show is better than real life.

Supernaturally powered witches may not be real, but the places the show goes with misdirected anger, friends turning on friends in their grief, and insecure narcissists firing up prejudices and scapegoating gets scarily realistic. Does it offer a preview of what’s to come in an election year for the rest of us? Perhaps it can be a cautionary tale, but nobody’s out here casting spells to save us. The real horror is the friends you lose along the way.

Real Wiccans may appreciate the way witch law holds consent sacred herein; they may groan at some of the rest, but understand the way ethical lapses can emerge — and backfire! — out of an overly enthusiastic desire to help. Many small details are left to the viewer to pick up, which is nice. The show may give you all the big answers, but it doesn’t assume you’re too stupid to pick up on small pointers.

The Verdict:

It’s a nice balance, overall. Sanctuary isn’t one of those “rush out and buy the DVD set now” all-timers, but it’s solidly engaging entertainment while you watch. More shows used to have such brief bewitchings.

Grade: 7/10

As per ComingSoon’s review policy, 7/10 is ”Good.” A successful piece of entertainment that is worth checking out, but it may not appeal to everyone.

Sanctuary: A Witch’s Tale debuts with a two-episode premiere on Thursday, January 4, exclusively on Sundance Now and AMC+, with new episodes airing weekly.

The post Sanctuary: A Witch’s Tale Review: Salem’s Lot appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.

Godzilla and Kong spinoff show Monarch Legacy of Monsters hits Apple TV Plus with a double dose of Russell and monsters galore. But does it have a stronger bite than its big-screen brothers?

Kurt Russell and Godzilla in a TV show about giant monsters? With a far from modest budget for bringing those to life? And Wyatt Russell plays a younger version of his father’s character?

This alone meant I went into Monarch Legacy of Monsters excited for the fact so many personal boxes were being ticked, but this is Legendary’s MonsterVerse, an often surface-level examination of the great Toho Kaiju movies of past and present. With more time on the impact of monsters on humanity and on building human characters who you actually remember five seconds after you see them, Monarch Legacy of Monsters has a better chance to add something to the MonsterVerse, and perhaps retroactively put a little more meat on the movies’ monster bones.

Framing the series as a decades-long conspiracy to keep monsters hidden from the public until Godzilla’s 2014 rampage against the Mutos is one way to do it. The series quickly establishes its connections to the movies, with John Goodman returning to do a cameo of his Kong: Skull Island character, Bill Randa, as he encounters a previously unseen Titan on the island. Randa does appear again, but in his youth, portrayed by Anders Holm. There’s a lot of that.

It’s one of two quick bites of monster action to settle us into the more character-driven story. There’s a lot of time-jumping, but two key timelines matter. The years leading up to Monarch’s creation and those in the aftermath of the 2014 attacks. Following the thunderous battle between Godzilla and the Titans that leveled San Francisco and the shocking revelation that monsters are real, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters tracks two siblings Cate and Kentaro (Anna Sawai and Ren Watabe) following in their father’s footsteps to uncover their family’s connection to the secretive organization known as Monarch.

Clues lead them into the world of monsters and ultimately down the rabbit hole to Army officer Lee Shaw (Wyatt and Kurt Russell), taking place in the 1950s and half a century later where Monarch is threatened by what Shaw knows. The saga — spanning three generations — reveals buried secrets and how epic, earth-shattering events can reverberate through our lives.

Cate and Kentaro are technically the story’s heart as they pull at the many threads of their father’s past. Cate especially is a conduit for moving the story along in the present whilst it subsequently unearths snippets of the past. Anna Sawai does well in the role, offering steel and vulnerability when it matters.

Through Cate, we get to see how the world has reacted to the existence of monsters at ground level in a way that wasn’t previously explored. Alterations to public spaces to allow for shelter from monster attacks, people chime in with their batshit theories on what’s really going on (a taxi driver amusingly claims the whole thing was a hoax done with CGI).

There’s even a smartly done moment where we’re shown the procedure for a Titan warning system. It builds the dread, panic, and anticipation of something catastrophic being imminent, and gets much more time to breathe than the snapshots of such things we saw in the MonsterVerse films.

I wish there had been more of this side of humanity’s reaction to the Titans. It’s used well as building blocks in the opening episodes, but gets primarily brushed aside by the Monarch story the deeper we get, which isn’t too much of an issue. I came here for Monarch shenanigans, and that’s what we get, but those early glimpses of life for regular people keep things grounded in a world of growing absurdity.

Still, the Monarch conspiracy storyline gives us a double dose of Russell as Wyatt and Kurt enter the fray as Shaw. There’s something quite magical in how Wyatt captures the sarcastic surliness of his father’s most notable acting roles. It obviously helps being related, but there are moments where I almost forgot it wasn’t a de-aged Kurt Russell in the 1950s segments, but his son pulling off his mannerisms and facial expressions.

But old man Shaw is undeniably the fun part. It’s great to see Kurt Russell getting as much screen time as he does here, and he’s an entertaining whirlwind of B-Movie charm in a blockbuster environment.

His prickly banter with Cate helps give Sawai’s character an extra dimension. This series has some rickety dialogue with exposition-heavy monologues and ”you didn’t need to say that out loud” moments. Some are in keeping with the nature of the beast, but the present-day parts threaten to be the veggies to the flashbacks’ meat and potatoes—something you must tolerate in order to get to the good stuff.

Shaw’s introduction into the present-day sections gives everything a bit of extra flavor, and for a while at least, both timelines are in sync as we race towards deeper, darker secrets at the heart of Monarch, and, of course, more monsters.

Understandably, the show spreads its monster action out over the course of the series. It’s a big-budget show, but it would never be stupid enough to lean heavily on the most expensive aspect of it. Those who felt frustrated by Gareth Edwards’ 2014 Godzilla and its cutaways just as the action got hot will perhaps feel a bit of deja-vu in places, but one of the things that film did so well was make its human cast feel minuscule in comparison to its monstrous entities. That sense of scale is here, too, and the balance of show and tell is inarguably stronger than King of Monsters or Godzilla Vs. Kong.

Monarch Legacy of Monsters is right in the sweet spot. It’s spectacle and drama that is probably the closest we’ve gotten to the likes of the original Godzilla and 2016’s superb reboot Shin Godzilla. It’s not the same kind of animal, and it doesn’t end in the most satisfying way (although that’s somewhat understandable), but it bulks up the MonsterVerse and makes the best use of a talented cast anything associated with it has to date. It’s crazy to think of all the great talent in the movies that didn’t get much more than scraps compared to this.

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is a strong addition to the MonsterVerse, and a solid start for wider adventures in it.

Score: 7.5/10

As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 7.5/10 equates to ”Good”. A successful piece of entertainment that is worth checking out, but it may not appeal to everyone.

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is streaming on Apple TV Plus now.

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The newest Star Wars Disney+ show has come to an end (for now?) with the season finale of Ahsoka. Part Eight: The Jedi, the Witch, and the Warlord begins with Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto) becoming a Night Sister. The Great Mothers provide her with the Blade of Talzin, and we start off an episode that does not conclude the story of Ahsoka in a satisfying way. I was not a big fan of the show when it started, but towards the middle, I felt that it really picked up. Having seen how the season ended, I’m left with a sense of disappointment as all the issues this show has faced are being brought to light.

There are many aspects of the finale that I enjoyed. One of the best moments happens early on when Huyang (David Tennant) reflects on how the relationship between a master and an apprentice is as challenging as it is meaningful. When he says this, we push in on Sabine (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) reflecting on her complex relationship with Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson). Ezra (Eman Esfandi) forges a lightsaber with a handle that Huyang had been saving for Ezra’s former master Kanan Jarrus. We also find out why Ahsoka stopped Sabine’s training, and it’s a heart wrenching moment of backstory.

As we settle into this new galaxy, we find ourselves with an issue. This is the first time in a Star Wars movie or TV show that we have entered a galaxy even farther than far, far away. This is uncharted territory, with endless possibilities for what different galaxies could be like. However, we find ourselves on a planet that looks much like Earth. The creativity here is limited, especially after we saw ourselves in the forest of Seatos earlier this season, which had a distinct look. This is a visually dull planet in a galaxy that had the potential for much more flavor.

Since this is the finale, we get some pretty big Star Wars action. Ahsoka, Sabine, and Ezra charge into Thrawn’s (Lars Mikkelsen) fortress as it rains laser fire on them. It feels quite ludicrous that they would get through this battle unscathed, but the Force has always been a good source of plot armor. We later see them fighting the Night Troopers, but since the scene begins with the fight, it does not feel like there was enough buildup or suspense leading up to it. It almost feels like a chunk was deleted from the episode. However, we quickly have ourselves in full swing, with Ahsoka, Sabine, and Ezra fighting off the troopers. It’s a solid action sequence, and it gets taken up a notch when the Great Mothers use witchcraft to bring the Night Troopers back to life, turning them into zombies.

There are a few novel ideas here that make much of the episode worthwhile. Zombie stormtroopers brought to life by witchcraft is a fascinating concept for Star Wars, and it helps make them a more formidable threat to the Jedi. However, our heroes feel weaker in this final battle. Instead of slicing through them or simply Force-pushing the crowd of Night Troopers away, they find themselves cornered quite easily. The lightsaber movements and choreography are a bit slow, and this carries on into Ahsoka’s fight against Morgan. The fights can be inconsistent, sometimes featuring the best and worst of what Star Wars action has to offer.

There is a moment where Sabine finally uses the Force successfully, using it to grab a lightsaber to take out a Night Trooper. This moment feels like a recycled moment from many earlier Star Wars projects, such as when Rey finally grabs the lightsaber in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. However, the moment in this episode works well on paper but feels emotionally hollow, not serving as the crowd-pleasing, cheer-worthy moment it should have been. Furthermore, during the fight with Ahsoka and Morgan, we have more white lightsabers against a white sky, completely throwing out the color contrast rule that was employed perfectly in Return of the Jedi.

Ahsoka and Sabine finally fight alongside each other, but it does not work too well because we don’t get the sense that Ahsoka will ever lose the fight. The episode doesn’t push anything far enough for us to fear for her. Furthermore, even though we’re getting a rematch of the fight we saw in Chapter 13 of The Mandalorian, this fight does not have too much emotional weight behind it. Elsbeth has been one of the more boring villains in a series that has been trying to balance too many of them. Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson) and Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno) needed to be nearly fully written out of this episode for her to have any moment to shine.

Speaking of which, where are they in this episode? Their storylines don’t get a satisfying conclusion, feeling like a cliffhanger in the worst way possible. Although we get the tease with Skoll standing above the Mortis Gods, he was such a significant aspect earlier in the season that it feels like they went nowhere with the character. He’s so magnetic that he convinced Sabine to join him on his journey. However, they don’t take it anywhere more meaningful than this, nor do we ever get a sense of his motive. Nothing about what they do with Hati makes her story satisfying. She doesn’t get the chance to fully go anywhere that pays off.

We have a scene of infamously ludicrous stormtrooper aim where a whole crowd of them can’t hit Ahsoka or Sabine, even though they are running directly in front of them in a straight line. We have laughably cliché dialogue like, “Your friends are dead and you will die alone,” and “Victory is mine.” One of the interesting things they do is getting Ezra and Thrawn back to their old galaxy, with Ahsoka and Sabine still stuck in this one. It’s an Empire Strikes Back style ending where there is a dark nature to it, but we have a glimmer of hope.

Although we end on the note of Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker’s Force Ghost returning to watch over Ahsoka, there are two issues here. First of all, the concept is exactly the same as the final moments of Return of the Jedi, meaning that it’s not treading any new ground and feels uninspired. Secondly, this is the most visually flat scene in the episode. It is dark, dull, and uninteresting to watch. It’s a shame that the show ended on such a flat note. Overall, Ahsoka mostly delivered on what we wanted, with a continuation of the Star Wars: Rebels characters. However, I couldn’t help but want more from this episode, and not necessarily in the good way.

SCORE: 5/10

As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 5 equates to “Mediocre.” The positives and negatives wind up negating each other, making it a wash.

The post Ahsoka Episode 8 Review: A Whimper of a Finale appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe continues with Loki season 2, a continuation of the MCU Disney+ show that premiered in 2021. Season 1 of this sci-fi show ended with Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) killing a variant of He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors). Loki (Tom Hiddleston) returns to the Time Variance Authority to warn Mobius (Owen Wilson) and Hunter B-15 (Wunmi Mosaku) about his arrival. However, when they don’t recognize him, Loki discovers a statue of He Who Remains at the center of the TVA. The first four episodes of season 2 pick up right where this story ends, this time with a few new faces and a time-bending journey.

While season 1 was run by Kate Herron, Loki season 2 brings in Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead to be the creative voice. This director duo previously worked on the MCU show Moon Knight, and they bring in something that both feels consistent with the previous season while featuring something new. The season premiere features a direction reminiscent of a psychological thriller. Loki is horrified and out of breath for much of this episode. Seeing the villain of previous MCU content acting so terrified of a looming threat makes the threat feel much scarier.

Furthermore, Loki finds himself glitching in a way that’s similar to what we saw in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. As they get to the bottom of this, we get a few more funny moments with Mobius, who is horrified by the glitching. Soon enough, the show introduces us to a new character named Ouroboros, played by Academy Award winner Ke Huy Quan. It’s wonderful to see Quan get the high-profile roles he deserves, especially since he brings charm to this series. The first episode also has a lot of fun with the concept of time travel, taking Loki to the past and seeing how that affects the future.

With time travel, there are many ways to explore it in films and TV. There’s an excellent moment in the first episode where a visual joke/running gag becomes an indicator of where Loki is in time. Parts of the show lean into the horror movie aesthetic, but like most Marvel content, it does not fully commit to it. It’s also worth noting that the first episode features a mid-credits scene, which you should stick around for as it sets up the next episode very well while putting a smile on your face.

The second episode takes you out of the TVA and begins with a mission surrounding a new character named X5 (Rafael Casal), who becomes a movie star under the alias of Brad Wolfe. This is where the show gets interesting. The TVA is a fun concept, but the premise is that it’s a boring office where the characters cannot use their powers. When the show takes Loki out of the TVA, it seems to remember that he is a god with immense power. The introduction to Brad is a little bit strange at first, given how separate it feels from where the first episode left off. However, as it gets tied into the main characters’ goal, it works much better. The characterization for him is fascinating, too, as he is unperturbed by the words of Loki and Mobius.

Another strong aspect of the show is how it pushes Mobius to a tragic place. One of the best scenes is a conversation over a slice of key lime pie, where we learn how comfortable Mobius is in his life at the TVA. He wants to live in ignorance of what his life was before, not wanting to know what he could be missing out on. It’s a well-written idea, and it’s played marvelously by Wilson. The second episode is a mild improvement over the previous one.

The third and fourth episodes really pick up steam. The MCU is setting up their new big bad with Kang the Conqueror, or as he is known in this show, He Who Remains. The strongest aspect of this villain is that there are many variants, and each one feels very different. It’s a character that an actor like Jonathan Majors can feast upon. Comic book movie performances often face criticism for being uninteresting compared to an actor’s full potential. However, Majors is killing it as this character. His performance in this season as a stuttering scientist is vastly different from what we saw in the Loki season 1 finale, which is also very different from what we saw in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

Overall, the first four episodes of Loki season 2 are entertaining and consistent with the quality we have seen from the show before. There’s more of Loki and Mobius as a mismatched detective duo, along with some fun moments that arise from that. There is a subplot surrounding Miss Minutes (Tara Strong) that is the exact kind of darkly funny thing I never knew this show needed. The elements that feel like they don’t belong, such as a storyline with a new character named Dox, typically have a resolution that makes it feel earned. With a few solid character moments with our existing group, Loki is a largely inoffensive show that does everything it wants to do without doing much more.

SCORE: 7/10

As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 7 equates to “Good.” A successful piece of entertainment that is worth checking out, but it may not appeal to everyone.

Disclosure: ComingSoon received screeners for Loki season 2 episodes 1-4.

The post Loki Season 2 Episodes 1-4 Review: A Time-Bending Opener appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.

The first season of Star Trek: Prodigy is now available on Blu-ray with the recent release of Star Trek: Prodigy Season 1 Episodes 11-20. The series has found success on both Nickelodeon and Paramount+ thanks to its blend of Star Trek sci-fi and family television. Thanks to some smart choices, Kevin and Dan Hageman have created a new spin on Star Trek that the whole family can bond over and enjoy.

“In the remaining Star Trek: Prodigy Season One episodes, as the hopeful crew makes their way toward Starfleet, their dreams are threatened when they discover the U.S.S. Protostar harbors a weapon designed to tear the United Federation of Planets apart,” reads the synopsis. “To make matters worse, the U.S.S. Dauntless is on a manhunt for the Protostar as the real Vice Admiral Janeway is eager to uncover what happened to her missing former First Officer Chakotay. With these two ships on a collision course and destruction on the horizon, the fate of the Alpha Quadrant hangs in the balance. This 2-disc set includes 3 new in-depth featurettes with more than 45 minutes of content revealing how Star Trek heritage shapes Prodigy’s characters, story, and settings.”

This package features the final 10 episodes of Prodigy, which sees the young makeshift alien crew of the USS Protostar continue on their journey. The stakes are raised with a Borg encounter in Episode 12 and a surprisingly intense two-part season finale. While this is more targeted at children than other Star Trek fare, the return of Kate Mulgrew as Kathryn Janeway is a real thrill for longtime fans, and there are plenty of other references to the greater universe that make it all the more worth watching. After all, at its core, it’s a fun, well-written sci-fi show, regardless of age.

The second disc of the two-disc set features three featurettes that total over 45 minutes. The biggest of these is “The Odyssey of Prodigy,” a 21-minute video that features the creatives and voice actors discussing the series’ progression and their goals. It’s an interesting watch, especially to see Mulgrew discussing going back to the role of Janeway in animated form. The other two featurettes are “Producing Prodigy: The Planets” and “Producing Prodigy: The Ships,” which are 14 and 12 minutes long, respectively. These are more focused and informative looks at their respective topics. It’s really impressive to see how much thought goes into every aspect, and I could listen to producers discuss Star Trek ship designs all day.

As for the packaging, the initial release includes a slip cover and four character cards (including cards for fan-favorites like Zero and Murf). The cards are colorful and have descriptions on the back. All of the designs match nicely to the packaging of Season 1 Episodes 1-10, so fans that have gotten both sets won’t have to worry about anything clashing.

Star Trek: Prodigy Season 1 Episodes 11-20 Blu-ray Review: Final Verdict

The Star Trek: Prodigy Season 1 Episodes 11-20 Blu-ray is a nice collection that wraps up the first season of the animated Star Trek show. Fun for children and adults, the show ups its intensity in the back half and rewards longtime fans with some familiar faces. Backed up by some worthwhile special features, this is a nice collection that fans will find worth buying.

Disclosure: The publisher provided ComingSoon with the product for our Star Trek: Prodigy Season 1 Episodes 11-20 Blu-ray review.

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The story of Ahsoka continues with “Part Seven: Dreams and Madness.” This Disney+ series set in the Star Wars universe has given fans of the franchise a lot of wonderful moments. This episode is written by Dave Filoni and directed by Geeta Vasant Patel, who both bring even more epic moments to the series. The new episode is an action-packed outing for Star Wars, giving you a lot of what you love from this series while further enriching these characters and setting up what could be a strong, thrilling finale.

The episode begins with Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) facing a disciplinary hearing for her actions. Senator Hamato Xiono (Nelson Lee) chastises her for her actions. His refusal to see the return of Thrawn as a possible threat is well-written, as is Hera’s opposition to his firm beliefs. Soon after, we get the return of Anthony Daniels as C-3PO with a fake authorization from General Leia Organa. This is a perfect little Star Wars fan service moment that makes sense for where the galaxy is at the time. Of course, it’s also great to see Daniels back as the droid who was one of the first characters we saw in the original 1977 Star Wars film.

Furthermore, getting to see C-3PO interact with Hera is a worlds colliding moment that we never knew we ended. It’s two generations of Star Wars coming face to face, which is something this show is able to do again in the next scene. As Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) trains with a lightsaber, she plays hologram recordings that her former master Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) made for her decades prior. Anakin even mentions Asajj Ventress, a villain from Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The connection between live-action and animated Star Wars now feels more complete as a result of a show that brings the mediums together perfectly.

On a deeper level, it’s critical to Ahsoka’s character that she is still watching these messages. Despite knowing what he would become, she clings to the memories they shared together, remembering what it was like to be his padawan. The lessons she learned from him remain with her, and she can always hear his voice calling her Snips. As Ahsoka and Huyang (David Tennant) arrive in the correct galaxy, they find themselves caught in a minefield set up around the planet. Similar to the asteroid field chase in The Empire Strikes Back, a ship flying through a minefield is the exact fun type of scary situation for a Star Wars series. Furthermore, the scene gets brought to life by excellent banter between Ahsoka and Huyang.

Speaking of banter, Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi) and Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) are back together again in scenes that feel straight out of Rebels. They have the banter to a tee, and we get to spend more time with them than we normally would with the hour-long episode format. You really get the sense that these are two old friends reconnecting after not having seen each other for years. We get caught up on a few of the events that happened in Return of the Jedi, and we see that Ahsoka and Sabine are connected through the Force.

Out of all the episodes we have seen up to this point, Part Seven might be the most action-packed. We have our rematch between Ahsoka and Bayaln Skoll (Ray Stevenson), and we also find ourselves in a big fight and shootout with Ezra, Sabine, and many of the antagonists from prior episodes. It’s wonderful to see not only the humor between Ezra and Sabine, but the way that Ezra returns to action, fighting the bandits using the Force and demonstrating incredible skill without a weapon.

The only minor mishap here is that when Ahsoka appears to fight alongside Ezra and Sabine, it should be a huge crowd-pleasing moment. Instead, it feels a bit too brief and anticlimactic, even though the context is excellent. We have an amazing final action set piece as the Night Troopers and Hati retreat. Ezra is excited to return home, and we end the episode on a more hopeful note than other penultimate episodes, which end on the biggest cliffhanger. One must wonder if this is how happy Part Seven is ending, then Part Eight must have a nasty surprise up its sleeve for the fate of our characters. We will have to wait a little longer to find out, but this was another excellent episode of Ahsoka.

SCORE: 8/10

As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 8 equates to “Great.” While there are a few minor issues, this score means that the art succeeds at its goal and leaves a memorable impact.

The post Ahsoka Episode 7 Review: Action-Packed Star Wars Goodness appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.