June 2023 | Otaku No Culture

How Many Super Mario Bros. Movie Home Video Varients Are There?

Now on #homevideo is Illumination Entertainment and #Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros. Movie! And we got the deets on the extras.

Available to stream on Amazon Prime
For a detailed movie review, please check out our review here.

The best way to power-up with the home video release of The Super Mario Bros. Movie is to check online for which outer package looks best on the shelf. There are steelbook editions (featuring Toad on the case; Best Buy), lenticular packaging (Target) and even a star-shaped tin (Walmart, online only). Unfortunately, it doesn’t light up otherwise I would’ve had it on preorder once I knew about it.

There might also be regional variants, but for me, when all I want is the motion picture and the bonus features, the standard 4K and Blu-ray issue holds.

I’m sure that when the planned series is over with, there’ll be a mega set in the shape of the golden power up box or Zelda’s chest. Nintendo is now developing the latter with Illumination Entertainment. That’ll be exciting, and it’s safe to say these properties won’t cross over! After these two flagship titles are out, along with the much anticipated Yoshi and perhaps also Starfox, an ultimate release is what I’m patiently waiting for. Fans of long running IPs never grow tired of playing or watching their favourite heroes embark on new adventures.

Super Mario Bros. Movie Walmart Tin

Alternatively, had all the Super Mario Bros. releases included a coupon code for Nintendo owners to redeem, I’d be tempted to collect them all. Whether what’s offered by doing so is enough for a discount for a videogame or a digital wallpaper is ultimately up to Nintendo to decide.

Continue reading “How Many Super Mario Bros. Movie Home Video Varients Are There?”

When Worlds Collide in Heroes of the Golden Mask Proves to be a Headscratcher

Here’s hoping the animated take, Heroes of the Golden Maskm will inspire John Wilson to finish his book series that insired the film.

Heroes of the Golden Mask Movie Poster When the only people who can save Ancient China are the Heroes of the Golden Mask, and one of them has fallen, who else can the royal family turn to? Apparently, it’ll take bringing a Yankee to the Imperial Court to fill in the gap! Curiously, this world also needs the assistance of a Mayan warrior and a soldier from Atlantis too. The big question I had was to wonder why a film that’s set in this past would feature warriors from other cultures?

I’m sure Chinese producers were happy that a novel exists to explore how the masks discovered in Sanxingdui might have been used, but to toss in ideas taken from many Ancient Alien theories–including that all these past cultures communicated with one another–is mystery. Anyone who’s seen the exhibit might make this connection too. Maybe that’s what original author John Wilson penned when writing his book, The Ruined City (The Golden Mask Book 1, Amazon link). I haven’t read it, but after watching this film, I definitely want to pick up a copy.

Continue reading “When Worlds Collide in Heroes of the Golden Mask Proves to be a Headscratcher”

Transformers. When The Rise of the Beasts Must Help and More Than Meets the Unicron!

Just how much of a threat are The Rise of the Beasts, or should that be Maximals vs Unicron? #transformers #moviereview #hasbro

Transformers Rise of the Beasts Movie Poster Paramount Pictures

Ever since I saw Transformers The Movie back in 1986, my love for Unicron only grew! To learn that he’s the big threat in Rise of the Beasts only got me excited, and since I knew this ancient threat is tough to take down, some new warriors must be borne!

In the original, various Cybertronian factions worked together to sever this giant’s link to his robotic self. As a result, his spirit would always linger. His head looms over Cybertron as a reminder of how he simply lays sleeping. To bring some of that omnipresence in Rise of the Beasts is a highlight and Steven Caple Jr. certainly delivers what we both adored from the animated film!

However, to show just how nasty this intergalactic level threat truly is can be tough. Short of using artificial intelligence to bring Orson Welles’ voice back, Colman Domingo has big shoes to fill! What’s presented is very satisfactory. But to show why he matters to the Maximals, the new robot guardians of the peace, is part-way explained, even though it breaks the original canon.

Continue reading “Transformers. When The Rise of the Beasts Must Help and More Than Meets the Unicron!”

Danger, Danger, Miles Morales! There’s Trouble All Across the Spider-Verse!

Not everyone will have watched Marvel’s What If series which explains how many worlds exist in Across the Spider-Verse, and one nexus point concerns Miles Morales and canon events which define the foundation of how this omniverse continues.

Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse Movie Poster To answer the joke of what happens when one Spider-Man disappears from the multiverse, another version will simply take his place! Across the Spider-Verse, just how many of this hero we meet requires putting the film on pause and counting every iteration presented to audiences! That’s what I wanted to do when this action got really baffling, and this movie is not just about Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore).

Well, technically, it is about this version and Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld). Both are having daddy issues. Regarding what these two have to measure up to is what parents want for their kids. This angle is at the heart of the film, and it’s wonderfully defined when they finally have the talk.

And there’s also all that glitz which makes watching this film a pop culture explosion of Andy Warhol, Leonardo da Vinci and many other post-modern artists put into a blender. But the range of styles don’t end there. There’s flourishes of Norman W. Marsh’s Detective Dan and much more. To name all the artistic influences would be tough, and I’m certain that amongst all the names who have drawn the wall-crawler, I’m still searching for a moment Todd McFarlane’s signature style is splashed all over.

Continue reading “Danger, Danger, Miles Morales! There’s Trouble All Across the Spider-Verse!”

Listing All The Significant Events in the Transformers Timeline is Needed to Make Sense of the Big Picture

Here, we present a chart of everything you need to know in the Transformers timeline to know where this franchise is headed!

The order of which live-action Transformers movies to watch first is easy to figure out, but to understand where all the events fall into place in this Transformers timeline is haphazard. It requires rewatching the films again or looking at a good movie information page to review what’s significant. After catching the early access release of the latest film yesterday, I realised I had to make this chart in order to identify the master plan.

Transformers Rise of the Beasts Movie Poster

After Rise of the Beasts, the Optimus Prime we meet isn’t the same as the one from those early films. He’s a lot more rough at the edges, and to explain if he left Earth at some later point in time only to return again in Michael Bay’s film may well have long time viewers confused. That’s assuming this filmmaker’s movies are still important to the longer narrative. It’s possible that Hasbro and all the producers will have to decide to return to the present to address the story as it’s still left untold.

Even though Bumblebee is considered a soft reboot by ignoring the future by giving us tales set in the past, at some point the narrative has to return to the now to explain a huge plot hole.

Thus, we have the following points to consider from the Transformers timeline (spoiler alert):

17,000 B.C. (Transformers 2) – The First Cybertronians discover a method to harness the power of the Sun, and when one of them selects Earth’s solar system to burn out, he gets banished. His evil decision went against their prime directive.

Continue reading “Listing All The Significant Events in the Transformers Timeline is Needed to Make Sense of the Big Picture”

All’s Not Well in The Secret Kingdom and What Peter Has To Do is….

Even though most of the talking critters hail Peter as the once and future king, it’s a role he doesn’t live up to in The Secret Kingdom.

Saban Films
In Theaters, VOD and On Demand on June 9
Spoiler Alert

The tale found in The Secret Kingdom (previously titled Don’t Go Below) suggests Peter’s (Sam Everingham) family and their life are in shambles. He has anxiety and other problems, and we don’t really know why. When his parents decide it’s best to move to the old homestead, they are all escaping something. Matt Drummond‘s junior effort (his third film) looks at how he manages, and what’s needed is a magical hero’s journey to help this boy cope.

This movie borrows from a lot of past familiar works, like The Golden Compass, The Lion, Witch and Wardrobe and perhaps also Neverending Story. There’s a Spielberg vibe when considering how the focus is really about Pete’s relationship with his sister. When his sister Verity (Alyla Browne) chides him at his insecurities, he’ll have to save face somehow than to say he’ll always be weak.

Continue reading “All’s Not Well in The Secret Kingdom and What Peter Has To Do is….”