January 2019 | Otaku No Culture

I’m All Abuzz with Bumblebee the Movie

Whether this Bumblebee the Movie acts as a soft reboot to this franchise or not, I enjoyed this film more than the past works.

Transformers Bumblebee the Movie Poster Spoiler Alert

Anyone who played the Transformers War or Fall of Cybertron games will be in for a treat in the opening act of Bumblebee the Movie. I heard about the buzz and still had a bit of trepidation with the designs. I’m glad I was wrong and when I found time to see this film, not only did it take on familiar tones from How to Train Your Dragon in the relationship of a troubled young girl and her “pet” car but also, the nostalgia play was bang on. Anyone who saw Transformers: The Movie (1984) will know what I am talking about.

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Top Five Comic Book Films to Look Out For in 2019

Just how many movies do we need in this superhero genre? Most of these comic book films define the box office these days, and we offer our must sees on the big screen.

Not every Marvel, DC and Dark Horse movie makes this list, so instead of ten, I will pare down the list down to the essential five must see comic book films. Yes, Avengers: Endgame is on the list and enough is being said about how it will change the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. Lineups will no doubt change and I’m expecting a shift to the West Coast Avengers. It has to happen.

Also, my heart is with Ron Perlman and Guillermo del Toro‘s version of Hellboy. I will give this new version a chance, but it’s tough to let go. It’s not so much the Right Hand of Doom has quite the grip on me, but rather, I wanted to see a finale to this product. It will never see fruition like the Russian made Night Watch series never got its third film.

On this list of must-sees are:

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When Stranger Things #4 Arrives to Soothe the Savage Beast

Stranger Things By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Release Date: Jan 2nd

The last issue of Dark Horse Comics’ Stranger Things brings to close Will’s journey in the Upside Down. The terror gets hairy for this lad’s journey, and he goes into that comfortable place he invented for himself–into the realms of Dungeons and Dragons–to stay safe. No, we are not talking about the cartoon series from the 80s, but rather the game he’s played with friends. Just how he managed to stay sane is one for psychiatrists to answer, but for viewers, to understand what he went through is a satisfying read.

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The Vintage Tempest’s Most Anticipated Films of 2019

When a huge plate of comic book films is being offered in 2019, is it possible to make a list of movies worth seeing without mentioning a comic book (especially Marvel or DC) title? That will be a separate article but within this category, M. Night Shyamalan’s Glass deserves special mention. It’s certainly comic-book inspired. Instead, it’s set in the reality only this auteur can imagine.

Works from Asia is just as important! Not on the list, but believed to release sometime this new year is a sequel to The Mermaid (2016). This runaway hit and director Stephen Chow‘s perchance for comedy has me waiting in bated breath for an American-side release. Chinese-made films rarely get noticed, and when making my list, I had Warriors of the Future as a movie of interest.

Anime-wise, Mirai no Mirai (未来のミライ) will get wider distribution in this new year. It released during winter of last year with limited screenings. I saw a clip in the promo reel for the Victoria Film Festival 2019, and am fairly sure this will be screened locally. I will be looking forward to watching this 76th annual Golden Globe Award-nominated film.

Listed in chronological order are:

Godzilla: The Planet Eater

January 9

The final part of Toho’s animated trilogy gets its worldwide release on Netflix! While this take takes on shades of Hideaki Anno‘s Evangelion, this concept should be of no surprise when considering this creator directed the last live-action work, Shin Gojira in 2016.

Kaiju fans are in for twice the fun this year, since King Ghidorah is the villain. I’m sure the planning was coincidental since one side of the Pacific was not in constant communication with the other for plans for big G. Not even a three-headed monster can choose sides for which is best.