Creature Commandos- Season 1

Grade: A-

In Max’s animated series Creature Commandos, the first entry in Warners reboot of the DC universe, government agent Amanda Waller (voiced by Viola Davies), assembles a team of monsters to stop the sorceress Circe (The Witcher’s Anya Chalotra) from assassinating Princess Ilana Rostovic (Borat Subsequently Moviefilm’s Maria Bakalova) of Pokolistan.

This was created by Guardians of the Galaxy/Suicide Squad/Peacemaker's James Gunn, who has been given the unenviable task of overseeing the DCU after a lot of mixed reception to its previous films. CC seems to be an indicator that the ship's course may have been corrected. Gunn brings his strengths here, making use of lesser known comics characters and crafting a likable group with strong backstories. Most episodes feature a backstory for each monster, and I'm impressed how COMPELLING he makes every single character and their backgrounds. (GI Robot's episode is one of the best of 2024). These may also be some of the darkest backstories in mainstream superhero shows/movies (this is kinda right up there with The Penguin, though CC is more loose in overall tone). 

Show's got solid, bloody action that can be as crazy as it wants because its animated. CC also has a more humorous side. (Whereas the original DCU wanted to be SERIOUS and more grounded, I appreciate how Gunn is interested in the more fantastical aspects of the DC and having fun, while not being Marvel and having more mature elements with good storytelling.)

This all having been said, one can't blame another for getting a little tired of Gunn's formula: A ragtag group of misfits with pasts who rise to the occasion in a crazy, colorful manner. This is his most R-rated (DC lets him off the leash even more than they did with Suicide Squad and Peacemaker), so, at least there is that difference. 

Gunn also continues his tendency of going with very different takes with the lesser known characters. (The creator of Mantis is none too fond of Gunn’s movie version.) Fans of the original comics will  probably not love that Frankenstein (Stranger Things' David Harbor), who was portrayed as more of a good guy (to the best of my knowledge, I'm not a CC expert), is portrayed here as an amoral man-child. Also, Gunn seems to love Frankenstein's delusional rambling schtick. It's like the comedy team of Drax and Mantis in the GotG movies; too much of it, and it gets old real fast.

Fans of the comics may also be disappointed that they changed the look of the Bride (Indira Varma). She originally had four arms, but because Gunn is now having  all the DC shows be in the same universe as the movies (the Matt Reeves Batman/Penguin-verse and the Harley Quinn/Kiteman-verse are grandfathered in), he gave her only two arms since she might pop up in live action, and an extra pair of arms will be a pain to pull off. (I wouldn't mind, but the most recent CC comic ditched the extra arms in order to follow the show, and I hate it when comics change to match the shows/movies).

The show tries to include a lot of characters and plot points in only 8 episodes, and some parts felt rushed. Ilana and Circe could've been fleshed out more. (Though in case of the latter, I'm glad a Wonder Woman villain was picked and got some exposure; they always get the short end of the stick). The Arrowverse on the CW mined a TON of DC villains, but only used one WW baddie the entire time. Circe's a good fighter but is a little basic in the personality department. 

There is one character background element Gunn uses twice for two different characters. It works the first time, but the second time feels a little cheap. Also, the show is very vague about whatever rights the monsters do or do not have in the world.

Standout voices in this are Gilmore Girls' Sean Gunn as GI Robot and Resident Alien's Alan Tudyk as Dr. Phosphorous. You may scream nepotism for James Gun casting his brother, but Sean delivers a unique vocal tone that is mostly stuck on gung-ho, but is able to do so much with limited inflection. This isn't the first time Tudyk has been in the DC (he was Mr. Nobody in Doom Patrol and voiced Clayface/Joker in Harley Quinn), but I think this might be his best job yet. Surprisingly, Tudyk doesn't play up his voice like he usually does. Rather, he goes with a more grounded route that manages to work with the character's combination of sarcasm and sociopathy. (Also, nice to see Dr. Phosphorous chosen for this. He's that  one mid-level Batman villain who's been around for a while that you're surprised that their stock hasn't risen yet). Harbor on the other hand; I just don't think he's working out. His delivery is missing something.

This also being a Gunn project, you've got a lot of songs in this. Though, it's become a little old hat by now, I liked the music he went with. Instead of going with 70's or 80's hits, Gunn goes with an Eastern European punk feel that fits the fictional country of Pokolistan.

Wasn’t originally sold on the line work and character design in this based on the commercials, but I grew to like it. Made for solid action scenes.

Highly recommend. I mean, if you’re not big on MA heavy violence and darker tones, this won’t be for you, but for everyone else this is some really compelling storytelling, valid criticisms withstanding. 

One of them Days

Grade: B+

In One of Them Days, roommates Dreux (played by Nope's Keke Palmer) and Alyssa (singer SZA) have their rent money stolen by Alyssa's boyfriend Keshawn (Joshua David Neal). Now, the two of them have to get the money before 6:00 PM or face eviction by their landlord Uche (Rizi Timane).

The very beginning starts out a little weak. The introduction to the characters and their surrounding apartment complex felt a bit obvious and not 100% natural. Keshawn and Alyssa's making lousy excuses for his behavior ingratiates. To be clear, my issue isn't with these plot points, but that they aren't done well. Keshawn is the typical movie loser boyfriend but he doesn't meet the basic bar for this type as none of his lines are really humorous or tolerable and Neal's performance just doesn't land. I know Alyssa is supposed to be a flaky free-spirit, but her dialogue for her defending her choices felt a little too vague. 

Once the crisis hits, however, things pick up and Alyssa becomes likable once the boyfriend isn't a major focus for her. Honestly, the movie continues to get stronger and stronger until the very end. The series of misadventures the two friends end up in are creative and diverting. I wouldn't say this is the most laugh-out-loud movie there is, but you still enjoy yourself due to the plot and overall vibe.

This is a very typical story about two friends who are opposites to each other with their personal needs for growth that go on a comic adventure. Their plot beats will not surprise anyone, but they are done competently. I also appreciate that this has social commentary, but it feels natural and not like with some works, like the National Treasure show, that its messing with the narrative flow and the scriptwriters are directly talking to the audience. When Dreux and Alyssa go to a loan bank, that's just peak satire.

Palmer and SZA have excellent chemistry, feeling like real friends. This is SZA's first acting major acting job and she is a natural, performing effortlessly. However, Palmer remains the star player. I'm surprised that it took so long for her to be in another movie after killing it in Nope. (Perhaps it's because Palmer has her hands in a lot of projects, or that I kinda get the feeling based on what I've heard is that she doesn't play Hollywood's games). She has this rare energy that few possess.

Other cast highlights include Freeridge's Keyla Monterros Meija, delivering a standout performance as a give no f***s loan agent, and Katt Williams as a homeless man desperately trying to act as the duo's common sense. 

Love the lighting and cinematography in this. Everything looks colorful.

Recommended. One of Them Days (great title by the way) is just a fun ride. 

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew- Season 1

Grade: A

In this new Star Wars show on Disney+, one day Wim (played by Encanto/BlackAF's Ravi Cabot-Conyer) finds a long dormant spaceship in the woods. Him and three of his classmates investigate. The ship is accidentally activated and they are shot far into space, unable to determine how to get back to their planet.

Of the Disney+ SW shows, SC is the most aimed at a family/younger crowd, which I'm pleased with. Don't get me wrong, the dark and mature Andor was superb, but I feel it a bit somber if the entire SW universe was done that way to capitalize on Andor's success. (SW trying too hard to create drama can backfire. The Acolyte misfired, and they blew up so many planets during the new film trilogy. Hey J.J. Abrams! Stop blowing up planets! There ain't going to be any galaxy left!) What made many of us love the original films was the sense of adventure, and I don't think I've seen any of the Disney live action Star Wars programs truly recapture that sense of childhood wonder before this. The show has adventure, exotic places, interesting characters, and an intriguing mystery about the ship and Wim's planet. SC manages to be fun, but it doesn't pull its punches. There is violence and stakes. Sure, the kids have some plot armor because they're the stars and kids, but the danger they face or are surrounded by feels legit.

Visually, this is also the best looking of all the shows. I mean, all the Disney SW shows have quite the budget, but this feels the most film-like. So much effort goes into this, and I kind of wish we could visit these planets.

The characters in this are pretty engaging. The best of the kids is the one alien, the elephant-like Neel (Dear Santa's Robert Timothy Smith). He's a generally nice kid. Jude Law gives a tremendous performance as pirate Jod Na Nawood who ends up teaming up with the children. After his so-so performance in Captain Marvel, the actor got redemption in the world of large franchise performances. Nawood is a truly morally grey and nuanced fellow as well as very charismatic.

The only weak point of this is the main lead. Wim does have his affable moments (his comic bits in particular work), however he is kinda bratty and selfish. And yeah, you could make the argument that that's how kids can be, but if you are raising kids, do you really want to sit through even more of them being snotty?

Highly recommended. Old school SW fans should really enjoy themselves with this.

Cunk on Life

Grade: A+

Journalist Philomena Cunk (played by Diane Morgan) returns in this Netflix mockumentary special to look at life itself.

Honestly, this was funnier than Cunk’s previous outing, the miniseries Cunk on Earth. They just killed it with the jokes, including some pretty bold, unexpected choices. 

Morgan’s performance is what keeps her character coming back again and again over the years (for those unfamiliar with the character, most of Cunk’s specials and miniseries were never released in America unfortunately).  She provides uneducated nonsense delivery in a manner that is both deadpan and undeservedly confident.

There was also something about the sketches sandwiched between Cunk’s narration and interviews that stood out more and felt funnier than Cunk on Earth.

Highly recommended. This is one of the funniest things I’ve seen in a while.

The Damned

Grade: B+

The members of a small 19th century coastal outpost decide not to rescue the crew of a nearby crashed ship due to the risk. However, soon bad events and visions begin to follow them.

The Damned is a very competently made historical horror movie with a decent script, including a few really standout scenes, and some decent startling moments. This is one of those films that are "is it real or in their heads" and is handled in the right manner where a lot of the fear is derived from uncertainty.

The strongest part of this is the cinematography. The stretch of coast they chose is both beautiful but also bleak in its barrenness and excellently shot. The movie also makes good usage of fog and background and foreground focusing.

The Damned, in a world in which it seems that all movies these days have to be 2 hours or more, runs at an old-fashioned hour and 29 minutes. The quick pace is refreshing, as a lot of these psychological horror moves like to drag things out. Or at least refreshing for some of us. I can also see the fast plotting annoying certain people. Early on I was like "Oh, we're getting to this stage of the plot already? That's soon." When the movie ends, it immediately ends.

Recommended. This is one of those international English language horror movies you know nothing about, and come across by chance but end up enjoying yourself. The Damned works as both a scary movie and a drama.

Ranma 1/2 (2024)- Season 1

Grade: A

In this reboot of the 90's anime based on the manga by Rumiko Takahashi, Ranma Saotome and his father Genma are martial artists who fell into separate cursed springs when training in China. Now whenever they are hit by cold water, Ranma turns female and Genma turns into a panda. They return to Japan and end up staying at the house of Genma's old friend Soun Tendo, whose Ranma's hand in marriage Genma had promised to one of his three daughters. They end up matching Ranma with youngest daughter Akane, who is also a martial artist. She and Ranma initially butt heads, but there's a whole will-they, won't-they with them.

I only saw the first two movies and a few of the OVAs of the original show. I can't give definite comparisons of these two versions, but what I'm understanding here is that the new one is trying to be closer to the original manga. The coloring and line work is a lot closer to Rumiko Takahashi's style (it's really impressive these days how close animation can get to copying the original penciling/inking from a comic). The pacing is a lot quicker as well (the old show had to deal with the fact that the manga hadn't been finished and avoiding catching up with it too quickly). Also from what I'm hearing, the reboot is cutting down a little on the Chinese stereotypes from the original.

This show is really fun. I understand why the original anime and manga were huge hits. Ranma and Akane live in a crazy world where they encounter a large cast of people who also know martial arts. Plus, everyone is so weirdly accommodating of the random fights. Some of the fights are very inventive, including an ice skating fight, and over-the-top. 

The characters are another one of the reasons of the manga/anime's lasting charm. As all of them so far are unique and often weird. (My favorite is Ranma's frenemy Ryoga Hibiki who has a rivalry with Ranma but gets dragged into his various problems as well). Though the anime is silly, the two main leads are three-dimensional, and you do get to feel about them.

American viewers may be uncomfortable with the first episode, which I think Netflix had the show originally rated as TV-MA because if it before the rating went down. (Unfortunately, the streaming service rates the series as a whole and not by individual episodes). This episode has no qualms showing frontal, nipple-less boobs of 16-year old female Ranma. Not ideal. 

Highly recommended. Besides the issue with the first episode (and I completely understand if that is a deal breaker), this is a really well-written show where everything and everyone just clicks.

Doctor Who: Joy to the World

Grade: B

In this new Doctor who Christmas special on Disney+, the Doctor (played by Sex Education's Ncuti Gatwa) investigates sinister goings-on at a hotel.

This is a mixed effort. The emotional highs here are really well done, including a couple moments that may be some of the best in a Doctor Who Christmas special. Gatwa, who has proven himself as one of the top Doctors and one brimming with life and emotion, gives one of his best performances as the character here. Plus, we got a game supporting cast. What is actually going on at the hotel is a neat concept.

However, not everything in this is as strong. This is written by former 2nd showrunner Steven Moffat, and he repeats something he's already done several times in the show and for which he's already gotten criticism. Though there is a lot of heart in this, Joy to the World has one of the higher body counts for a DW Christmas special. I know the show has always had a juxtaposition between the happy and the sad, but this is one of those episodes that feels a little too bipolar.

The Doctor's guest companion here Joy Almodo (Derry Girls/Bridgerton's Nicola Coughlan), though she has a backstory, feels more paper thin previous one episode companions. She needed more screentime as there there are a lot of supporting characters taking up room and some of them are more interesting than Joy.

Kinda recommended. This is honestly one of the more emotional Doctor Who Christmases and Gatwa's performance is must-see, but the writer is a little too over-the-place and certain plot decisions may annoy some.