Expectations of Steel: First ‘Superman’ Trailer Reaction

 

There’s one North Pole resident who can fly around the world in a night dominating social media right now, and it ain’t Santa Claus.

DC Studios has given us our best look yet at James Gunn’s optimistic take on The Man of Steel with a new Superman teaser trailer that sent anticipation for the 2025 film up, up and away when it dropped on Thursday. With bright colors, big-time action and a fantastic cast – including David Corenswet as the titular Kansas farmboy-turned-demigod, Rachel Brosnahan as intrepid Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as calculating “bald-is-beautiful” poster boy Lex Luthor – Superman looks like a lot of fun. Plus, we get a glimpse of the live-action debut for one of comic books’ goodest boys, Krypto the Superdog, who proves to be just as heroic as his nigh invincible owner.

If you know me, you know I have owned a LOT of action figures in my life, but one of my first was Kenner’s “Super Powers” Superman, who met an unfortunate fate when I accidently jammed him between the cushions of my mom’s Toyota Tercel – there was obviously some Kryptonite stashed in the glove compartment. Superman II was also one of the first movies I watched on repeat as a three-year-old, alongside Ghostbusters and The Empire Strikes Back. So yeah, me and Supes go way back.

I didn’t gel with Zack Snyder’s take on Superman in The Man of Steel or its sequels, and Bryan Singer’s 2006 Superman Returns hasn’t aged particularly well, so I’m excited for a film that seems tonally similar to the classic Christopher Reeve film while creating something entirely new. I’ll be looking up when Superman flies into theaters July 11, 2025.

Watch the teaser below!  

‘Clayface’ Movie Officially in the Works

As an in-the-weeds comic book fan, sometimes it’s hard for me to believe that most casual movie audiences have no idea that one of Batman’s most dangerous adversaries is a goopy, shape-shifting mud monster. Well, Warner Bros. Pictures’ DC Studios is changing all that with a standalone Clayface film, Variety reports. The horror/thriller/tragedy is set to hit theaters Sept. 11, 2026.

The film will be based on a script by Mike Flanagan (Doctor Sleep), and filming will begin next year. Details are scarce, but there’s no word as to whether Batman will appear. As we’ve seen with HBO/Max’s The Penguin series, The Caped Crusader’s villains don’t necessarily need to be squaring off with a billionaire in a bat suit to be compelling. That said, given the ice-cold reception to recent no-hero villain stories like Kraven the Hunter and Warner Bros. Pictures’ own Joker: Folie à Deux, sometimes you need a hero. I think there’s even a song about that.

As for me, I’ve been a Clayface fan ever since Batman: The Animated Series’ first season in 1992, which introduced legions of kids to the character with an exceptional two-part story called “Feat of Clay.” Even if you’re not into animation, I highly recommend checking that out on Max.

For the full Variety story, click here.

Chris Evans to Reunite with Robert Downey Jr. in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

We’ve known for months that Robert Downey Jr. would be returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Avengers: Doomsday – but as Dr. Doom and not Tony Stark – but it seems like he won’t be the only OG Avengers actor to return in the 2026 film. The Wrap reports that Chris Evans, who we recently saw as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch in Deadpool & Wolverine, will appear in Avengers: Doomsday, but whether he will don the stars and stripes as Steve Rogers’ Captain America remains to be seen.

This news comes just months before the release of Captain America: Brave New World, in which Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson carries the Cap franchise forward for the first time since the 2021 Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. With that film’s Feb. 14 release date fast approaching, though, rumors of poor test screenings and last-minute reshoots have dampened expectations to a certain extent. Does this casting news shed light on a nostalgia-driven desperation play, or is Evans – like Downey – playing another character entirely?

To read The Wrap’s full story, click here. 

‘The Bear’ Star Jeremy Allen White Joins the ‘Star Wars’ Universe with ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ Role

 

Well, this is weird.

And don’t get me wrong … I LOVE weird. Heck, the main thing I love about the new Disney+ series Star Wars: Skeleton Crew – 1980s Spielberg vibes aside – is its dedication to funny, strange and grotesque alien characters. And speaking of alien characters, the Emmy Award-winning star of restaurant-centric comedy-drama The Bear will be voicing one of them in the upcoming Jon Favreau-helmed The Mandalorian & Grogu. 

I did not see this coming and neither did you. 

Variety reports that White will provide the voice for Jabba the Hutt’s son Rotta, who debuted as an infant in 2008’s Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the feature-length pilot for the animated series of the same name. The film wasn’t exactly well received back then and, fortunately, the series grew out of those messy beginnings to become one of the most beloved and must-watch pieces of Star Wars media. That said, it’s wild to me that “Stinky” – yep, that’s his actual, canon nickname – is being brought back into the conversation and is being voiced by one of the most sought-after actors of our time. Whether White will need to brush up on his Huttese remains to be seen but, as the kids say, let him cook!  Bo shuda, chef!

The Mandalorian & Grogu blasts into theaters May 22, 2026.

Joker’s Mild: Todd Phillips’ ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ Becomes a Box-Office Punchline

 

No, I didn’t see Joker: Folie à Deux this past weekend … and apparently, neither did a lot of people. As reported by Variety, the $200 million musical sequel to 2019’s billion-dollar Joker pulled in a paltry $40 million domestically in its opening weekend. So, why we did all steer clear this time around?

Well, it’s complicated. Indeed, many fans of the first film were less-than-enthused by the singing-and-dancing slant of the sequel, and not even the star power of Lady Gaga as the Harley Quinn to Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker (a.k.a. Arthur Fleck) could pull her legions of Little Monsters into Todd Phillips’ dark, dirty and depressing Gotham a second time. Apathetic-to-antagonistic early buzz and a general “does this movie need to exist?” sentiment among moviegoers resulted in a collective shrug that delivered yet another DC Comics loss for Warner Bros. Discovery.

But let’s be real – are these actually DC Comics movies? Aside from the grease paint, a character called “Harley Quinn,” references to the Wayne family and Arkham and, of course, the aforementioned Gotham setting, do these movies really have much of anything to do with the source material? I’d argue that the connection is tenuous at best even in the original film, serving to give Phillips the chance to craft his ultimate tribute to Martin Scorcese classics like Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy under the guise of an IP-driven blockbuster. Heck, Phillips reportedly had zero contact with DC Studios during production of the sequel, which is wild considering that The Joker is the arch-nemesis of their most lucrative character.  

And that’s the thing. Consider that Deadpool & Wolverine grossed more than $1.3 billion this summer – a film that wore its pulpy roots on its spandex sleeve. Based on its intentional divide from the source material – even moreso than that of the first film – Joker: Folie à Deux is a throwback to a time when filmmakers were embarassed to make comic book movies. And that’s not the kind of nostalgia that sells.

But things are looking up, up and away for DC Studios, whose James Gunn-helmed Superman kicks off a whole new live-action era for Marvel’s Distinguished Competition. Until then, it seems like DC’s most notorious criminal has been defeated … but not by Batman.

Review: ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ Not Quite Worth the Squeeze

 

There are many reasons why Tim Burton’s classic 1988 comedy Beetlejuice remains required Halloween viewing to this very day. It’s creepy, it’s imaginative, and it boasts an all-star cast – namely the always hilarious Michael Keaton as the titular Ghost with the Most. Fans have often speculated as to how a sequel might play out – heck, Kevin Smith was nearly attached to a Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian sequel in the 1990s – but plans never really panned out until this week, when Beetlejuice Beetlejuice arrived in theaters.

Keaton returns alongside Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara as Lydia and Delia Deetz, and newcomers to the cast include Jenna Ortega as Lydia’s supernaturally skeptic daughter Astrid, Justin Theroux as Lydia’s “love” interest Rory, Monica Bellucci as Betelgeuse/Beetlejuice’s soul-sucking (literally) ex wife Delores, and Willem Dafoe as actor-turned-undead-detective Wolf Jackson. With Burton back at the helm and a cast as stacked as this one, what could possibly go wrong? Well, a few things, unfortunately.

There’s much to enjoy about Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Keaton is an absolute delight as the pinstriped prankster we know and love, bringing endearing-yet-repulsive charm to a character who hasn’t grown all that much in 36 years (nor would we want him to). Much like in the original, Keaton’s Betelgeuse is used sparingly and strategically, typically in scenes involving impressive and often disgusting practical effects (including one that is already a disturbing full-sized NECA collectible, but I won’t spoil that here). As ever, he – now aided in his bio-exorcism business by hordes of tiny-headed “Shrinker” monsters – is motivated by an intense desire to rejoin the land of the living. When the death of Charles Deetz draws Lydia, Delia, Astrid and Rory back Winter River and the “Ghost House” from the first film, Betelgeuse sees his chance to reconnect with Lydia and pick things up where they left off nearly four decades ago. But when Astrid’s own romantic entanglement puts her in danger of being stuck in the Afterlife forever, Lydia finds out that she needs Betelgeuse just as much as he needs her. She calls on him for help and, naturally, it’s SHOWTIME! Again!

Keaton reprising this iconic role alongside Ryder and O’Hara, plus the smattering of Tim Burton style and a gaggle of gross-out effects make the film worth seeing for spectacle alone, sure. However, it’s clear that Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is juggling one too many storylines by the time it reaches its underwhelming finale that feels like a checklist of studio notes – including a lip-sync musical number that doesn’t come close to the classic Harry Belafonte “Banana Boat (Day-O)” scene from the first film. The underutilized Bellucci and Dafoe often feel like they’re in different movies entirely, and when everyone is smashed together in the climax, it’s hard to escape the feeling that this movie doesn’t quite live (or die) up to its own ambitions. Plus, there are several extended jokes throughout, including a repeated “Soul Train” gag, that never quite land and tend to play out a lot longer than they need to.

As the latest in an increasingly long line of legacy sequels, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice succeeds as an excuse to resurrect a classic character and let him run amok alongside some familiar faces for an hour and 44 minutes. But if you’re expecting anything close to as good as the original, you’ll be as disappointed as a Shrinker going hat shopping. If you’re a fan of the original and a fan of Tim Burton’s early work, check it out in a matinee or, more preferably, when you can watch it on streaming from your own “Ghost House.”

‘Star Wars Outlaws’ First Impressions

 

It’s a weird time to be a Star Wars fan. On one hand, we’ve got Sigourney Weaver joining the cast of The Mandalorian & Grogu. On the other, The Acolyte getting canceled after just one season amid a hurtful culture war. And then there’s Star Wars Outlaws, the game publisher Ubisoft touts as the first true open-world Star Wars game.

Following the success of EA’s Star Wars Jedi series – first Fallen Order and then the even better Jedi Survivor – Outlaws brings with it no small amount of anticipation. But then came the unflattering gameplay clips on social media, the apparent bugginess on launch day and the general sense that this game wasn’t quite ready for release.

But are the underworld adventures of Kay Vess and her adorably marketable pal Nix truly as disorienting as a jaunt through Black Spire Outpost after one too many Fuzzy Tauntauns at Oga’s, or is this an unpolished kyber crystal of an experience in that galaxy far, far away? Well, it’s somewhere in the middle.

On Tuesday I purchased the Gold Edition for PS5, which carries with it a hefty price tag of $109.99. The extra credits allowed me to jump into the game three days early and granted me access to all kinds of Season Pass goodies. On the plus side, the basic traversal and cover-shooting gameplay is simple to learn and satisfying overall, and the ability to use Nix to distract cameras, attack enemies and even pick pockets creates a lot of fun possibilities as you explore the incredibly immersive environments. The game also provides the sense that a new “big score” is always right around the corner, and I found myself actively looking for NPCs to interact with just to see what might happen. It’s also just a lot of fun playing a Han Solo-esue scoundrel – and not a Jedi – while rubbing elbows with infamous Star Wars factions like Crimson Dawn, the Pyke Syndicate and the Hutt Cartel. This is a much different experience than the Star Wars Jedi series, and that’s a great thing.

Less great, however, are the forced stealth missions, which make the game feel like it was plucked from 2005 – especially when getting caught by an enemy forces you to replay entire sections of gameplay without checkpoints. It’s during these sections that the jankiness of Outlaws starts to rear its ugly head, like a Krayt Dragon about to chomp a Jawa. Some enemies far away will notice you immediately, others will wait until you’ve landed a punch before they’re alerted to your presence. This might be a skill issue (I never really liked mandatory stealth sections, especially not in recent games like Sony’s Spider-Man franchise), but I couldn’t help but feel like I was stuck in a less-than-premium experience whenever these sprung up. And they spring up a lot.

I’ve also experienced two game-stopping glitches that forced me to restart, one instance in which I fell through a planet’s surface, and some bizarre character animations that reminded me of Mass Effect: Andromeda in the worst way possible. I understand a lot of these issues are being patched post-release – apparently requiring those of us with early access to delete our saved games – but it’s disappointing that a game with so much momentum behind it released in a borderline-unfinished state. But, hey, buggy games like No Man’s Sky and Cyberpunk 2077 were vastly improved with post-release patches, and I have full confidence that my primary gripes with the game will be addressed in due time.

All that said, there’s a lot of promise in Star Wars Outlaws, and at its core is a fun, sprawling adventure in the seediest parts of George Lucas’ iconic universe. But when your character clips through a Twi’lek cantina patron during a very important cutscene, just keep the words of your favorite scoundrel in mind, “She may not look like much, but she’s got it where it counts, kid.”

‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’ Trailer Revealed at D23

 

Just when it seemed like we didn’t know quite enough about Star Wars: Skeleton Crew considering its fast-approaching Dec. 3 premiere date on Disney+, Lucasfilm unveiled its first official trailer for the coming-of-age adventure series at D23 this weekend.

The show – which proudly wears its 1980s Goonies influence on its sleeve – features four kids who yearn for swashbuckling adventure in that galaxy far, far away. Set after Return of the Jedi, the children come upon an ancient Jedi temple and soon find themselves facing unexpected perils and surprising allies, namely apparent Jedi Jod Na Nawood played by Jude Law.

Admittedly, I’m a bit disappointed that this series features yet another Jedi who survived Order 66 – I guess Yoda’s “last of the Jedi you will be” deathbed speech to Luke Skywalker was another one of those “certain point of view” sort of things – but I’m willing to overlook that nitpick considering how fun this show seems from a storytelling and character design standpoint (the digital and practical creatures all look fantastic). I also love the idea of exploring the Star Wars universe from the perspective of an out-of-their-depth group of kids as opposed to that of a battle-ready Rebel soldier, a Jedi Knight or a bounty hunter. As a character in the trailer notes, “’Tis dangerous out there in space.”

Watch the trailer below!

Robert Downey Jr. Returns to MCU as Doctor Doom in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

In a move that rattled the walls of Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con International and nearly broke the internet on Saturday, Marvel Studios announced that Robert Downey Jr. – who kicked off the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2008 with Iron Man – will be returning to the MCU donning an altogether difference metal mask as legendary villain Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday in May 2026.

“New mask, same task,” Downey said after taking the stage to an approving roar in a Marvel Studios panel that gave fans a glimpse into the future of the MCU, which included the reveal that Anthony and Joe Russo (Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame) will be returning to helm the next two Avengers films: the aforementioned Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, which will hit screens May 2027.

The reveal effectively erases Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, which was meant to pit Earth’s Mightiest Heroes against Kang, a villain first introduced in 2023’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, a film that received a somewhat lukewarm response from fans and critics. Offscreen, actor Jonathan Majors – who played an outcast Kang variant in that film and reprised the role in the Disney+ Loki series – was convicted on two counts of domestic assault and harassment and will not be playing the character moving forward. In lieu of a recast, Marvel Studios and its president Kevin Feige have opted to shift creative plans completely, focusing on one of Marvel’s top villains and the return of one of the primary architects of the MCU for the fifth Avengers film.

But what does it mean? Is Downey playing a Tony Stark variant that’s broken bad, or is there other multiversal madness at play? Theories are already swirling online amid both praise for the reveal and criticism that bringing back both Downey and the Russos is a desperation play considering the MCU is described by many – including Deadpool in his latest movie – as being in a “low point” right now. 

Personally, I’m confident in the Russo brothers and feel, based on his post-Endgame interviews, that Downey wouldn’t return to the MCU as Iron Man or any other character if there wasn’t a strong reason for him to do so. Now, back to Doom scrolling ...

Hall H. Marvel Studios. Enough said.

Tonight, the talent and filmmakers of Marvel Studios’ upcoming films brought excited fans a first look at what’s next for the MCU. #SDCC2024 pic.twitter.com/IZr62hJKvM

— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) July 28, 2024

‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ Is Exactly What the MCU Needed This Summer

 

We get it. The Marvel Cinematic Universe isn’t what it used to be. In fact, save for certified crowd-pleasers Spider-Man: No Way Home and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the MCU’s output has gotten a mostly tepid response from audiences since Avengers: Endgame in 2019. Perhaps it’s multiverse malaise or perhaps it’s that oft-cited superhero fatigue, but there’s just something about Marvel’s heroes that hasn’t been resonating like it used to.

Enter Deadpool: The foul-mouthed, blood-soaked Merc with a Mouth who might have just resurrected an entire cinematic universe with his R-rated buddy road-trip comedy, Deadpool & Wolverine.

In his third movie outing – his first under Disney – Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool (a.k.a. Wade Wilson) finds himself in desperate need of Logan to save his universe. Unfortunately, the mutant known as Wolverine has been dead and buried since 2017’s Logan, a film that was meant to be Hugh Jackman’s swan song as the cantankerous clawed Canuck. But thanks to the multiverse, there are other Logans out there, including one who actually wears the character’s signature yellow-and-blue spandex. They fight, they bleed, they curse, they might even fall in love with each other a little bit. But they stick together through it all, whether it’s encountering several Deadpool variants – including Dogpool, Babypool, Kidpool, Headpool and Ladypool – or facing a near-endless swarm of cameo appearances that would be dismissed as cheap fan service in a lesser movie. But it isn’t a lesser movie … far from it, in fact!  Stars Reynolds and Jackman shine in director Shawn Levy’s scrappy-yet-grandiose love letter to the superhero genre, Marvel’s past triumphs, and 20^th Century Fox’s now-dormant X-Men universe, which Jackman helped launch 24 years ago.

As fun and nostalgic as this movie is, it’s also refreshing to see an MCU film make fun of itself as frequently as this one does. Few things are off limits – except for one thing, which Deadpool points out – as Deadpool and Wolverine shoot, stab and eviscerate their way through stylish set pieces laden with rapid-fire profanity and “can they say that in a Disney movie?” quips. This is more than just the third Deadpool flick. Deadpool & Wolverine is dopamine in movie form.

It will be interesting to see how Deadpool & Wolverine is perceived as the months and years wear on – we’ve already seen certain corners of the internet change their mind about the universally loved No Way Home – since some of the fun of this film on first watch is the feeling that just about any character from any Marvel project can show up. Does it hold up on repeat viewings? I’ll be sure to let you know, since I’m already planning my next screening. Maybe next time I can actually get my hands on that Wolverine popcorn bucket, which was already sold out at my local theater prior to the 7 p.m. opening night showing. I wonder why …

‘Star Wars: The Acolyte’ Season 1 Review

 

Just like that, the first season of Star Wars: The Acolyte has concluded … and what a ride it was.

The 8-episode murder mystery in that galaxy far, far, away brought us new characters, new creatures, new perspectives on the Force and new lightsaber duels while, offscreen, combat of a different sort took place as angry “fans” launched into long-winded, vitriolic rants on space witches, fire in space and characters using “hell” as an expletive – all things that have technically been part of the franchise for most of its 47-year history.

Toxicity aside, there stands a single question: Is The Acolyte any good? In a word, yes. I didn’t love every episode – I had some pacing issues with the first flashback episode, and I was disappointed that they would ultimately spend 2/8 episodes this season telling the same flashback story from two different perspectives – but there was so much to love about this season and I’m eager to see where showrunner Leslye Headland and her team take the story following the blockbuster finale.

Lee Jung-jae’s dedicated-but-flawed Master Sol emerged as one of my favorite Jedi in the Star Wars franchise, and Amandla Stenberg’s double duty as twin main characters Mae and Osha should be applauded, as I honestly kept forgetting these characters were played by the same actress when they shared scenes together. Plus, as someone who loved Manny Jacinto’s  performance as the affable Jason in The Good Place, I was impressed by his villainous turn as the mysterious Qimir/The Stranger. But is he actually a villain? One of many questions Season 2 will answer, assuming we get it.

Of course, there were two massive cameos in the season finale, both of which are worth discovering on your own if you’re still making your way through the series. Trust me, it’s worth the time.

Oh, but I did have one major issue with the show that’s best expressed on video. Check out my “rant” below, via TikTok.

@james.wortman84 I have a MAJOR problem with #StarWars #TheAcolyte … #Disney @Star Wars ♬ Epic Music(863502) - Draganov89

‘Star Wars: The Acolyte’ and the Absence of Anticipation

 

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

There are essentially three types of Star Wars fans. There are those who watch all the films, occasionally purchase a LEGO set or Hasbro figure, casually catch up on the live-action Disney+ shows, and cherry-pick the animated shows if they watch them at all. Then there are the die hards, who not only watch everything – live-action or otherwise – but read the comics, play the games, pore over the novels, and dedicate sizable space in their homes to their collections. Lastly, there are the fans who claim that Star Wars died when Disney purchased the franchise 12 years ago, and whose Star Wars content consumption mostly consists of hate watching the new stuff, critiquing it online, and then rallying around YouTubers who are doing the exact same thing but are monetizing it. I have my thoughts about that third category still considering themselves “fans” of something they don’t really like anymore but hey, you do you.

I’m mostly in that middle “die hard” category, but it’s admittedly difficult keeping up with everything these days because there’s so, so much of it. But no matter where you find yourself in the fandom, you’re likely spending a lot of time discussing the new Disney+ series Star Wars: The Acolyte, which has sparked debate about everything from “wokeism” in the Star Wars galaxy to whether or not there can be fire in space (there can be, for the record, based on virtually every Star Wars project since 1977). But we’re not going to get into any of that because I feel like I’ve done it enough on X. So, here’s the question: Is The Acolyte good?

Yes.

But just as Yoda warned Luke before he entered that mysterious cave on Dagobah in The Empire Strikes Back, much of what will shape your opinion of The Acolyte depends on “what you take with you.” If you’re open to a slow burn murder mystery set 100 years before the films featuring Jedi you’ve never heard of before, you’ll probably have a good time – at least based on the two episodes we’ve seen already. If you’ve already decided that you don’t love present-day Star Wars under Disney, I don’t see The Acolyte changing your mind.

Star Wars’ High Republic era has been at the center of Lucasfilm’s publishing efforts for the past three years, spanning adult novels, junior publications, comic books and audio dramas. Featuring Jedi who have yet to succumb to Palpatine’s machinations, it’s a near-Arthurian take on the Jedi as the ultimate peacekeepers in the universe, battling threats ranging from greedy pirates to evil plants. Yep, evil plants.

What I like most about The High Republic – from which I have mostly just read the adult novels – is that there’s a sense that any character at any point is in danger, which is something you just don’t get from the stories-between-the-movies print material featuring the movie characters we know.

This unpredictability spills into The Acolyte in a meaningful way from the very beginning, when Carrie-Anne Moss’ Master Indara is killed in battle with a mysterious warrior, who we later learn is Mae, the twin sister of former Jedi Padawan Osha (both played by Amandla Stenberg), who left the Jedi Order years earlier after struggling with the loss of her family. Osha, working as a ship mechanic, is wrongly believed to have killed Indara, and is pursued by her former master, Sol (Lee Jung-jae), along with Jedi Knight Yord Fandar (Charlie Barnett) and Padawan Jecki Lon (Dafne Keen) to be brought to justice. It’s revealed that Mae is alive and is targeting four specific Jedi who were stationed on her homeworld, including Sol himself, blaming them for her mothers’ demise. As the series’ titular Acolyte, Mae is guided by a mysterious dark warrior with a crimson lightsaber who likely has motives of their own.

Showrunner Lesley Headland (Russian Doll) injects the dark narrative with some humor, mostly courtesy of the self-serious Yord and Mae’s poison-making lackey Qimir (Manny Jacinto), who might be more important to the story than we know. Thus far, I’m finding that I’m having fun with The Acolyte, and although I admit that it’s moving at a slow pace so far, with the excellent action scenes being few and far between, I have the feeling that it’s about to pick up with the reveal of Jedi Wookiee Kelnacca at the conclusion of the second episode.

As for performances, Emmy Winner Lee was a clear stand-out for me, which was doubly impressive considering that he learned English specifically for this role (via Radio Times). There’s a lot of Qui-Gon Jinn’s calm power in this character, and considering Qui-Gon was one of the best parts of the prequels, I’m all in on Master Sol.

But there is some definite room for improvement. Some of the makeup effects left me a little cold – looking more Trek than Wars for certain characters – and the dialog lacks the quotable crackle of classic Star Wars, feeling more like Law & Order: Trial by Jedi at times. I’m hoping this will naturally improve as the series delves deeper into the mythology.

But to go back to why this show – and Disney Star Wars and Marvel projects in general – might not be gelling with certain audiences is that we aren’t really given the chance to miss these worlds. The Original Trilogy set a cadence of one movie every three years, which the Prequel Trilogy followed 16 years later. But since The Force Awakens in 2015, we’ve gone from one movie every year to a new TV season every few months. With multiple movies and Disney+ series each year, the MCU has similarly lost some of that necessary mystique that kept anticipation high between theatrical releases. Could the apparent apathy among some sectors of Star Wars fandom be because a new release doesn’t feel special anymore? Or is it that the franchise’s shift from pure, theatrical experiences to a steady stream of serialized TV shows has cultivated a perception of Star Wars being less than premium?

Or, considering that the two-episode premiere’s 4.8 million viewers earned The Acolyte the biggest Disney+ debut of 2024 (via Variety), it’s possible that the show’s most vocal critics are in the minority, and this perceived negative sentiment is as manufactured as the series’ review-bombed Rotten Tomatoes audience score.

Regardless, The Acolyte still feels premium to me, and I’m looking forward to absorbing this series with an open mind when it resumes this Tuesday night on Disney+.

 

Mad Love: ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ Gets a Trailer

 

It’s wild to me that Todd Phillips’ Joker was released nearly five years ago but, then again, it’s been a wild five years. Given its dark subject matter, it’s not a film I’ve revisited often over the years – I think I’ve only seen it once more at home since its theatrical run – I’ve always appreciated Joaquin Phoenix’s excellently nuanced portrayal of Arthur Fleck, a failed comedian whose own struggles with reality make him an unreliable narrator. What’s real? What isn’t? Who is truly the villain? Lots of questions, no real answers. Is it a tad derivative of Martin Scorsese? At times. But there’s a lot of craftsmanship there, too.

Given Joker’s tenuous-at-best connection with the larger Batman mythos (it takes place in Gotham, the Wayne family lives there, and a murderous clown winds up in an asylum called Arkham), it didn’t seem like it was laying the foundation for a franchise. Yet, here we are, with Joker: Folie à Deux teaming Phoenix’s Fleck with Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn … or at least a version of Harley that’s apparently an inmate at Arkham when Joker meets her and not a psychiatrist like in most iterations of the character. But, hey, like the original, this is its own thing and picking nits is annoying.

The trailer for Phillips’ Joker sequel is out, and it looks unhinged. From apparent musical numbers to wanton destruction to Lady Gaga being, well, Lady Gaga, this is one that we’re going to be talking a LOT about when it arrives in theaters October 4.

Check out the trailer below!

‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’ is as Messy as it Looks

Godzilla is having a moment. The classic kaiju is in the middle of a monster renaissance following the critical and commercial success of Toho’s $15 million Godzilla Minus One – which also netted the big guy his first Oscar for special effects – and now his American counterpart is stomping the box office alongside King Kong in Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures’ Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.

I will preface this by saying I’m not always the biggest fan of the films in this MonsterVerse franchise. Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla left me cold when I first watched it – I still struggle with its pacing – and its sequel, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, was exciting to me at first but it doesn’t hold up on rewatches. Meanwhile, Kong: Skull Island is criminally underrated as a fun creature feature period piece with a wild ensemble cast.

This brings us to Godzilla vs. Kong which, I feel, is the strongest film in this franchise. Despite the weird Hollow Earth science (more on that later), this movie gave me everything I wanted out of a movie in which Godzilla and Kong, well, fight each other. The set pieces are satisfying, the human cast doesn’t get in the way, and the inevitable conclusion in which the Titans team up to battle a common foe – in this case, Mechagodzilla – was great even though we all saw it coming. Director Adam Wingard nailed it, and I was confident that Godzilla x Kong would be just as big of a crowd pleaser. It is … but it also very much isn’t.

To start with what I liked most about this movie, I thought the finale was FANTASTIC. Seeing Godzilla and Kong form the biggest tag team of all kind against common enemies – all while a baby Kong-esque ape named Suko scurries around the battlefield – is an absolute delight. I sat with a stupid grin on my face watching monsters pull off honest-to-goodness wrestling moves, use buildings as weapons, fight in  zero gravity, and perform crazy anime-esque team-up attacks. And sometimes, that’s all you need to walk out of a theater happy.

Unfortunately, that action only accounts for a few minutes of the overall running time. In fact, Godzilla and Kong don’t even really interact with each other until the final battle as the film inexplicably chooses to keep them separated for most of the movie. You see, even though Kong saved Godzilla’s life in the last film, Big G would absolutely MAUL Kong if he ever left Hollow Earth. So, while Kong is dealing with Hollow Earth ape adversary Scar King, his captive ice monster Shimo, and an army of simian servants, Godzilla is … sleeping.

Yes, Godzilla sleeps a lot in this movie. Whether he’s celebrating a victory over a giant spider in Rome by napping in the Coliseum or he’s powering up with an arctic catnap to change into his new, slimmer, and massively toyetic new form, Godzilla spends a lot of time not being in the movie at all. This serves a narrative purpose for the most part (he senses danger in Hollow Earth and is evolving so he can deal with it), but one wonders why you would sideline the dude with top billing in the title for so much of the film.

That danger in Hollow Earth leads us to the human cast. Rebecca Hall and Kaylee Hottle return as Kong expert Dr. Ilene Andrews and her adopted daughter Jia, who has a strong connection with the native people who inhabit Hollow Earth. Brian Tyree Henry is back as Titan-obsessed conspiracy theorist Bernie Hayes and Dan Stevens joins the group as Trapper, who is introduced while extracting and replacing a broken tooth from Kong’s mouth. Yep, kaiju dentistry is a thing.

The human cast does a fine job – Henry gets most of the one-liners and laughs here – but unfortunately the movie stops dead whenever it focuses on them. I know that’s a given in these types of movies, but I can’t stress enough how boring this movie is whenever it isn’t showing us giant monsters. And yet, here are the humans droning on and on about Hollow Earth science, gravitational wells and, oh, a “Chosen One” prophecy that both pulls the attention even further away from the main stars and seemingly retcons another movie in this franchise. Cool, cool, cool.

But from the Hollow Earth to the haphazard expansion of Titan lore, it’s beginning to feel like these movies are becoming a lot more complicated and confusing than they need to be. Although it’s almost unfair to compare the two at this point, I can’t help but think of how Godzilla Minus One told a compelling human story with characters that I cared about while also delivering on the spectacle I would expect from a modern Godzilla movie. There’s something to be learned here.

Overall, though, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is a bewildering homage to the kaiju flicks of yesteryear – for better and for worse.  You’ll probably love the giant monster fights when they actually happen, but you’ll be tempted to look at your phone during just about everything else.  

 

Sony Releases New ‘Spider-Verse’ Short Film, ‘The Spider Within’

In a move that was wildly surprising to me (admittedly, much of my free time has been eaten up by hours and hours of Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth the past few days), Sony just released a short film featuring Miles Morales, titled The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story. The short, directed by Jarelle Dampier, was originally screened at the 2023 Annecy International Animation Film Festival and is available to the general public for the very first time.

Although brief at just over seven minutes, the film does an excellent job showing the chaos Miles regularly contends with as his universe’s solo Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man along with the accompanying psychological toll it takes on him.

Like all things Spider-Verse, The Spider Within is visually arresting with surprising depth. It also has me climbing the walls for Beyond the Spider-Verse … whenever that finally gets here.

Watch The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story below!

‘Frozen Empire’ is the ‘Ghostbusters’ Sequel I’ve Always Wanted

Let’s be honest, the history of sequels to Ivan Reitman’s groundbreaking sci-fi/comedy Ghostbusters has been as tumultuous as the Tunguska Blast of 1909. Following the wild success of the original film and the Real Ghostbusters cartoon and toy line, Ghostbusters II released in 1989, and despite the love so many of us have for this sequel – developed as a course-correction cash-in for troubled Sony Pictures – general audiences and critics saw it as a by-the-numbers retread of its funnier predecessor. It also had the misfortune of releasing the same summer as mega-blockbuster Batman, which came out just one week later.

Then there were the ‘90s and the swirling, omnipresent rumors of a third Ghostbusters movie that persisted into the 2000s. Dan Aykroyd insisted it would happen, news of script drafts kept interest alive, but aside from a surprisingly solid video game in 2009, anyone hoping for further adventures of Peter Venkman, Egon Spengler, Ray Stantz, and Winston Zeddemore were left in the spectral dust.

And then the 2016 remake happened … and there was much online toxicity. We don’t need to go over that, but I will say that the movie didn’t deserve the hate it receive.

That leads us to Ghostbuster: Afterlife, Jason Reitman’s sentimental tribute to both his father and the late Harold Ramis. I thoroughly enjoyed the film for what it was, appreciating the introduction of the Spengler family (Carrie Coon, McKenna Grace, and Finn Wolfhard), the always affable Paul Rudd, and other new characters set to continue the franchise for the foreseeable future. I loved seeing the returning original cast, I dug the new surprises (namely the insanely toyetic Mini-Pufts), and I thought it was a competent story that blended the original Ghostbusters lore with a dash of Stranger Things and a sprinkle of The Goonies. I wasn’t as crazy about the third act, which was mostly a retread of the original 1984 film (sound familiar?), but I also acknowledged that this movie was more a soft reboot for future sequels than a true Ghostbusters 3 in the traditional sense.

That future, my slime-soaked friends, is here. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is now playing in theaters, and despite what many critics have been saying, this movie is an absolute blast.

The film opens with the Spengler family now operating as New York’s premier paranormal investigators thanks to a little help from the entrepreneurial Winston. They’re living in the classic Tribeca firehouse, they’re responding to calls in the Ecto-1, and they’re dealing with a certain ugly little spud who’s been squatting in the attic. Ray’s still running an occult bookstore and now a YouTube channel thanks to the tech-savvy Podcast (Logan Kim), Winston’s running a research lab to develop new Ghostbusters tech where Lucky (Celeste O’Connor) from Afterlife has been interning, and Peter is … well, he’s doing Peter stuff. But when a mysterious object enters Ray’s shop, weird things start happening … heralding the forthcoming arrival of an evil deity named Garraka poised to command an army of ghosts and unleash a new Ice Age.

Perhaps what I like most about Frozen Empire is that it feels like a long episode of the Real Ghostbusters cartoon which, according to director Gil Kenan, was entirely the point. From wacky new ghosts to wild new gadgets, this movie is jam-packed with interesting things to look at. Kumail Nanjiani is fantastic as a con artist who could very well hold the key to saving mankind, while Patton Oswalt – though barely in the film – injects some much-needed giddiness into the expository scenes as a folklore expert confined to the basement of the New York Public Library.

McKenna Grace’s Phoebe gets an interesting story arc as the ‘buster who is too young for actual field work, and it’s that alienation from her family/team that leads her to develop a relationship with a kindred spirit – pun intended – in the form of the spectral Melody (Emily Alyn Lind). Grace does a lot of the emotional heavy lifting in this film, and she was more than up to the task. I also never anticipated seeing a storyline like this in a Ghostbusters film, which was refreshing.

As Frozen Empire reaches its effects-laden finale – which features Janine Melnitz (Annie Potts) donning  Ghostbusters gear for the first time in a film, there is unfortunately a sense that the cast is a little too crowded, with about a dozen Ghostbusters of all ages battling Garraka during the climax. Should this series continue, and I hope it does, there will come a point in time when we must trim the roster a bit. Not everyone needs to zip up a tan jumpsuit and throw on a proton pack every time there’s busting to do … even though it makes them feel good after all these years.

And that overstuffing isn’t just limited to the Ghostbusters themselves. It occasionally seems like the filmmakers felt pressured to include a reference to the original two films every few minutes out of fear that longtime fans would be bored. This tendency was especially prevalent during a sequence that took place at the aforementioned New York Public Library, but I won’t spoil that here.

Overall, Frozen Empire does an excellent job building off what Afterlife accomplished, expanding the Ghostbusters mythology while adhering – at times to its detriment – to what came before. It’s funny, it has heart, and it takes some bold risks. Let’s hope they keep taking them.

‘Star Wars: The Acolyte’ Brings High Republic Era to Live Action

Fans of Star Wars: The High Republic are FEASTING right now.

Launched in 2021, The High Republic is a multimedia project spanning books, comics, audiobooks, and other media – including the charming Young Jedi Adventures animated children’s series – that’s set long before The Phantom Menace. Jedi are swashbuckling peacekeepers and adventurers protecting the galaxy from space vikings, evil monster plants and other nefarious forces that threaten peace and prosperity in the Republic.

The books and comics are a lot of fun, and if your complaint about Star Wars media outside the shows and films is that nothing of consequence can really happen to the main characters since we already know their fate, you might want to start with Charles Soule’s Light of the Jedi and keep going. Bad stuff happens throughout this era, and unless their name is Master Yoda, there’s always a sense that a major character might die at any given moment.

This brings us to Star Wars: The Acolyte, Lucasfilm’s first live-action project set during the High Republic era. Created by Russian Doll co-creator Leslye Headland, The Acolyte revolves around a mysterious, rampaging Jedi killer, and if the official trailer is any indication, we’re in for lots and lots of martial arts and lightsaber fights when The Acolyte debuts June 4 on Disney+. I like exploring stories outside The Skywalker Saga, and I like it even more when Star Wars takes risks. I’m so here for this. 

Side note: Carrie-Anne Moss as a Jedi Master just feels so, so right.

Check out the trailer below!

Non-Spoiler Review: ‘X-Men ‘97’ Is So Much Better Than You Think It Is

At first, I got a tear in my eye from the lovingly updated intro. Then I got misty watching the team take down Sentinels just like they always did. Then, someone must have been cutting onions during the final five minutes of the second episode.

But yes, I watched the two-episode premiere of X-Men ’97 on Disney+ and, yes, it’s everything I wanted this series to be and more.

From the modern animation that showcases the X-Men’s powers like never before to suitably grown-up storytelling to the moments that massively impact the futures of these characters, this series is a worthy sequel to the cartoon that got so many of us hooked on Marvel in the 1990s.

With Professor X gone, Cyclops assumes leadership of the X-Men as the group continues their fight against the bigoted anti-mutant group, The Friends of Humanity. But, as was revealed in the trailer, that leadership is called into question when Magneto appears and reveals that Charles Xavier’s last will and testament left everything – including his school – to The Master of Magnetism. What ensues in the second episode is too juicy to spoil here, but I will say that team, personal, and family dynamics are set to shift dramatically.

As was the case with many of you, X-Men was a cornerstone of my ‘90s childhood, and I awaited this sequel series with enthusiasm, trepidation and, at moments, dread. After all, we’ve seen beloved ‘90s series brought back with disastrous results in recent years. But I’m happy to report that Marvel Animation crushed it, and we’re in for an X-citing ride.

Does ‘Dune: Part Two’ Live Up to the Hype?

Um. Yeah. Pretty much.

Much is being said about Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two, the latter half of his epic adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune, which began in 2021. The performances! The scale! The popcorn bucket! Like sand in the Arrakis desert, excitement around the Dune saga is everywhere … and rightfully so!

But I’ll come right out and say it: I was never a Dune fan. The original, MASSIVE book felt impenetrable to me and there wasn’t a lot drawing me to the David Lynch Dune earlier in life, what with its cat milking and battle pugs. Of course, as the first film neared release, I scooped up a copy of the book in the summer of 2021 to ride the hype train like a Fremen atop a sandworm.  I made it about 40 pages in. I was lost. It sat on my nightstand for two years.

I have since seen Dune: Part 1 at least three times, and I enjoy it overall! Villeneuve transformed a tome that was for half a century considered to be unfilmable into a beautiful and raw piece of cinema. Sure, it’s a tad slow and heavy on the worldbuilding. And sure, the movie ends just when the story starts to get really good. But that first installment proved to general audiences – and perhaps most importantly, to Warner Bros. Discovery – that Dune was a blockbuster franchise. Now, nearly three years later, we’ve got our conclusion. Or, at least, the middle chapter of a Dune trilogy given how it ends.

Picking up right where the first film left off, we catch up with Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and his mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), embedded with Arrakis’ native Fremen, a group that includes the faithful Stilgar (Javier Bardem) and the skeptical Chani (Zendaya). After the Atreides family was decimated by the nefarious Harkonnens in the first film, Paul seeks seek to strike back against the cruel and revolting Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård), whose nephews Glossu Rabban (Dave Bautista) and Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler) are hardly lacking in cruelty of their own. Meanwhile, the calculating Emperor Shaddam IV (Christopher Walken) and his daughter, Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh), look on with great interest as the conflict over Arrakis’ spice – one of the most powerful substances in the universe – continues to escalate. Perhaps that’s all thanks to their own machinations. But you didn’t hear that from them.

Of course, there is much knife fighting, worm riding, and Ornithoptering throughout the film’s 2 hours and 46-minute running time, but what truly propels this film is the performances. From Chalamet’s simmering malevolence to Butler’s unhinged menace to Skarsgård’s literal and figurative sliminess, everyone is at the top of their game. Zendaya in particular elevates Chani as the story takes her character on a journey that’s slightly different from the Chani of the book, and I can’t wait to see where she goes next.

And speaking of where Dune goes next, this is where media literacy comes in or, perhaps, our collective lack of it. It’s startling to see how many people on social media have completely misinterpreted Paul’s messianic ascent, viewing him as a heroic conqueror by the end of the film despite Villeneuve’s dedication to Herbert’s original intent. If they don’t get why the end of this movie means very bad things for the universe, they’ll understand completely when Villeneuve’s Dune: Messiah rolls around … I hope.

Dune: Part Two is already being considered one of the greatest genre sequels of all time – up there with The Dark Knight, Aliens and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. I’m not sure I agree just yet, but I will say that Dune: Part Two is one of the best films I’ve seen lately, and it deserves to be seen on the biggest screen possible. As for the popcorn buckets, hey, I won’t judge.  Don’t be afraid to buy one. As they say, “Fear is the mind-killer.” 

SNIKT! ‘X-Men ‘97’ Trailer Hints at Suitably Epic Return for Classic Cartoon

 

Wait … did Gambit just charge up Wolverine’s CLAWS?

Wait … is Jean Grey PREGNANT?

Wait … did that Daily Bugle headline mention the HELLFIRE GALA?

Wait … is Magneto now in charge of the X-MEN?!

These were the questions I asked myself when I first laid eyes on the debut trailer for Marvel Animation’s X-Men ’97, arriving on Disney+ March 20. The new series picks up where the original 1990s X-Men cartoon – arguably one of the best children’s animated series of all time – left off nearly three decades ago. With Professor Xavier gone, Cyclops assumes leadership of the team, which is tasked with continuing his fight for mutant equality … while also scrapping with some giant purple-and-pink robots while they’re at it.

The animation is updated, the character designs are tweaked, some of the voices have changed and the animation has a more modern and almost anime style, but this trailer affirms my hope that the new series will be more than worth the wait based on the, well, waits I listed above. 

Speaking of the trailer, watch it below, bub!

Marvel Studios Reveals ‘Fantastic Four’ Cast, Release Date

 

Marvel loves us. Clearly.

Just days after the Deadpool & Wolverine trailer sent fans into a foaming frenzy, Marvel Studios celebrated Valentine’s Day with a big, sloppy kiss to fans in the form of a Fantastic Four movie cast reveal.

Following months of speculation, Marvel finally confirmed who will be playing Marvel’s First Family in the anticipated film.

·        Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian, The Last of Us) – Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic

·        Vanessa Kirby (Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Napoleon) – Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman

·        Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear, Andor) – Ben Grimm/The Thing

·        Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things) – Johnny Storm/The Human Torch

I have no notes. There’s a lot riding on this film – aside from the X-Men, this is the team that we’ve all been waiting for to make its debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That being said, we haven’t really gotten a great or arguably a good Fantastic Four film yet, so the pressure is on for this one to deliver. But based on the cast, we’re off to a tremendous, nay, a FANTASTIC start.

Marvel Studios also revealed the Fantastic Four release date: July 25, 2025.

Marvel Studios Introduces Disney’s Greatest Love Story with First ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Teaser Trailer

 

Sure, the Super Bowl ended in fairytale fashion with Travis Kelce celebrating a hard-fought gridiron victory by smooching his pop megastar girlfriend Taylor Swift, but let’s be real: The night’s true power couple was a cantankerous clawed Canadian and a foul-mouthed mercenary with a thing for Crocs and unicorns.

Yep, Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool is back … and this time, he’s very much in Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The trailer for the third Deadpool film – now named Deadpool & Wolverine – brings us up to speed on Wade Wilson, whose last film was somehow six years ago. When agents from Loki’s infamous Time Variance Authority come knocking at his door, DP is pulled into a self-aware adventure that promises to change the MCU as we know it … or just s*** all over it, I’m not quite sure yet. 

But what I am sure of is that we’ll get at least one scene featuring Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine in his most comic book-accurate costume to date, plenty of meta humor, and more than a few familiar faces popping in. Hell, they brough back Pyro from the original 2000s X-Men trilogy, and if the rumors are true, he’s not the only surprise character from the 20^th Century Fox Marvel films who will be making their return. I can’t wait. This thing is gonna be BONKERS. 

Directed by Shawn Levy, Deadpool & Wolverine hits theaters July 26. Watch the teaser below!

P.S., was I hallucinating, or was there a trailer for a Twister sequel during the Super Bowl? What a time to be alive.

Disney and Epic Games Collaborate on New Universe Connected to Fortnite

As a 40-year-old man with far too many hobbies, I’ll warily admit that I dabble in Fortnite from time to time. Whether popping in to spend way too much money on a new Star Wars skin or killing time while another game downloads, Fortnite serves as an easy-to-pick-up palate cleanser that’s a lot more fun and immersive than a lot of people my age assume it is. I’m also pretty terrible at it.

Well, I might be spending a lot more time getting one-shotted by buff Peter Griffins following news that Disney and Fortnite makers Epic Games are teaming up to bring us “an all-new gams and entertainment universe that will further expand the reach of beloved Disney stories and experiences.”

According to the press release, which you can read in full here, the new experience will connect to Fortnite, and “the new persistent universe will offer a multitude of opportunities for consumers to play, watch, shop and engage with content, characters and stories from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, Avatar and more. Players, gamers and fans will be able to create their own stories and experiences, express their fandom in a distinctly Disney way, and share content with each other in ways that they love. This will all be powered by Unreal Engine.”

Disney is also investing $1.5 billion to acquire an equity stake in Epic Games as part of this multiyear project.

So might we soon see Lightning McQueen do the griddy through Pandora as Babu Frik wields a Keyblade against Goofy in Iron Man armor? God, I hope so.

Watch the announcement video below!

‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ Trailer Reaction: More Slime, More Ghosts, More Bustin’

 

I’m gonna be real with you: I didn’t love the first trailer for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the much-anticipated follow-up to Jason Reitman’s surprisingly good and immensely tear-inducing Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Based on that initial trailer, the new film seemed like a lifeless retread and, at worst, generic.

Having seen the new trailer for Frozen Empire – I still don’t love the title – I’m a lot more optimistic. Could it be because it’s absolutely loaded with fan service? Probably. But it’s also got a miniature Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man happily getting his arm shredded in a pencil sharpener. See? Franchises can give you something new these days, ya cynics.

But, yeah. About the absolute smattering of fan service … We’ve got William Atherton back as Walter Peck, we’ve got Janine Melnitz in uniform. We’ve got Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson involved for more than an end-of-movie cameo. We’ve got a return to the New York Public Library and the re-emergence of the Librarian Ghost that’s been giving me nightmares for 37 years. We’ve also got Slimer, Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, Paul Rudd slinging a particle throw and a brand-new ghost villain who ISN’T Gozer.

But perhaps my favorite thing in the trailer is the fact that Rudd’s character actually seems to quote the Ray Parker Jr. Ghostbusters theme, which means that it actually exists in-universe. And based on Carrie Coons/Callie Spengler’s reaction, they have the same mixed emotions about that “bustin’ makes me feel good” line as we do in our world.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is directed by Gil Kenan and hits theaters March 22. Watch the trailer below!

‘Star Wars: The Bad Batch’ Season 3 Promises Big Return, Big Finale

When people talk about Star Wars steward Dave Filoni’s best works, they often leave out The Bad Batch, his Clone Wars spinoff featuring a toyetic group of genetically augmented clone troopers who find themselves on the run from the Republic-Turned-Empire. And you know what, those people are wrong! The Bad Batch is a great show, and despite having some slower and more deliberate episodes during its two-season run, this is a solid entry in the animated Star Wars canon and I’m sorry to see it go.

But it’s going out with a bang if the new trailer is to be believed. Following the heart-wrenching loss of Tech, Season 3 is set to feature the remaining members of Clone Force 99 rescuing Omega – a young, female clone of Jango Fett – from Imperial imprisonment. But they’ll be facing other enemies in that galaxy far, far away … namely Count Dooku’s former apprentice, Asajj Ventress! And she’s got a cool new hairstyle!

Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3 begins Feb. 21. Check out the trailer below!