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The Tiger’s Apprentice Mewling Roar. Looking into the Bold Differences.

Just what viewers can learn from The Tiger’s Apprentice is buried in a fairly standard monomyth. Had there been more emphasis on this aspect of the narrative, this work could have roared.

Now Available to purchase on Amazon USA (DVD)

Raman Hui‘s attempt to adapt the novel, The Tiger’s Apprentice, to become a possible new animated franchise sort of works. When it’s supposed to look at Chinese folk beliefs, what’s shown feels quite light. It lacks that sense of wonder which Light Chaser Animation‘s works excels at. The differences is well explored with the home video release due to the bonus content, and although this film has its heart in the right place, I wished it could’ve done more with why Ming yun (destiny) matters.

Tom Lee (Brandon Soo Hoo) must be ready to become the next guardian and when he’s not even sixteen yet, the force determined to kill him must do so before the coming of every Lunar New Year. Most people know that a select group of animals represent each lunar cycle, and I get the sense that Loo (Michelle Yeoh) is not picky on when to destroy him. I’m also not sure if she’s been trying those few weeks before the end of every twelve months, but if she doesn’t do so quickly, he’ll be strong enough to defeat her! That sense of urgency isn’t conveyed, because during this film, the last time she successfully chased the boy down is during the Year of the Ox.

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It’s Wild and Wacky with Invaders from Proxima B

and we got to talk to the creative mind behind this work too! Ward Roberts brings some funky ideas into Invaders from Proxima B.

Invaders from Proxima B Movie Poster Coming to Fandango at Home
May 31, 2024

Ward Roberts certainly knows everything about UFOs and it manifests is lots of fun ways in his third outing as a movie director. From shapechangers to fuzzy versions and even reptiles, the gambit is well covered in Invaders from Proxima B. As for himself, he plays a character whose time on the road as a musician prevents him from being the father that he needs to be. Some viewers will remember him from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., where he plays Hugo.

And I feel this work excellently showcases not only his comedic talent but also his skill as a director. I’m fairly certain I laughed at every bit he wanted to be hilarious. Viewers not only get treated to a cartoon style adventure but also enjoy the heartfelt payoff. What’s presented is a tale I always wanted the 80s sitcom ALF to end at. After a prologue inspired by Lilo & Stitch, what happens next is certainly expected and chuckle-worthy. When Steve the Alien meets Howie (Roberts) there’s some good natured chaos and eventually, this little fuzzy thing gets “adopted” by the family.

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Oh, Poor Atlas, Why Must A.I. Be Challenged?

That’s because with this film starring J Lo, the agenda is to create another franchise that feels like Terminator and Warhammer combined. Had Atlas played by some other rules, it might work.

Netflix Atlas Movie Poster Humanity’s distrust of artificial intelligence is lightly examined in Atlas, a movie that’s more about a woman bearing this name. She’s a data analyst and to say she hates robots is the least of her problems. Jennifer Lopez not only is the lead but also one of three producers hopeful that this A-lister can become the next Linda Hamilton.

When this tale had its version of Terminator’s Judgment Day, thankfully, not every city was blown up. Instead, an all out war gets waged and she’s somehow involved in how it started. I suspect that’s why this film is named as it is. The weight of the world is upon her shoulders, and unless she fixes what’s right, this battle will continue.

Although this film does not have a direct correlation with the Greek Titan, I had to wonder. Instead, it’s about an android, Harlan (Simu Liu) hell-bent on total annihilation of humanity. Thankfully, there’s G.I. Joe to the rescue; the space rangers did a fantastic job at defeating the enemy and when he delivered a moment worthy of Cobra Commander when he calls for a retreat, I laughed!

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Slash is Back with Orgy of the Damned, and a Look at the Making of 4

After Making of 4 and Orgy of the Damned, just what will Slash the auteur will dream of next has me excited!

slash is pure gold Anyone who doesn’t know Gibson as a guitar maker, will get to discover them as a documentary producer with the Making of 4, available to freely view on YouTube (and also Slash’s latest album Orgy of the Damned). The Gibson Films label is official, and while this work is no different from the other videos on this streaming channel, what’s offered shows higher production values and even bigger names getting involved in this venture. Some of my favourite musicians use Gibson guitars, and their signature sound really makes a different. From the classic years, I’d say Chuck Berry helped make this instrument iconic. And as a Blues music aficionado, I have to mention that Robert Johnson’s most famous photo sees him holding an L-1 Acoustic.

This feature length work takes viewers into a look back at how Slash put together his band, why he continues touring, and what Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators (SMKC) feel while on stage with this legend. I’d say he’s the face of Gibson back when GnR was still together. After parting ways with this band (and returning), he formed other groups to collaborate with to keep on rocking. After working with this particular crew for over a decade across four albums, we see what they’ve been up to during the pandemic years. These recordings (edited to music video standard) represent their best tracks! Although I wanted to know more about Myles and the group, what’s presented is a fair balance between them and who Slash is before taking up the guitar.

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What’s Next for X-Men 97? And A Wish List for Storylines to Adapt

There’s still a lot of questions that needs answering in X-Men 97 when it comes to connecting with the original Fox series. But as it leaves one legacy era behind, what’s next is promising.

X-men 97 Logo With more than twenty years of new source material to draw from, there are plenty of new arcs to consider adapting for X-Men 97. Not everything has to be from the Chris Claremont years, and now that season one is over, fans, and critics can debate over what worked and did not. I’m glad the series recovered with the next arc being from Grant Morrison’s “E is for Extinction” from the New X-Men. Here, viewers learn Professor X’s evil twin sister Cassandra Nova is getting into the thick of things, and after the lacklustre “Inferno,” (review link) all hell breaks loose in Genosha! A lot of mutants die! Also, when the series is moving into storylines that I’m not as familiar with, I’m open to new interpretations.

That includes the eventual return of Apocalypse and a new team of Horseman for season two. Apparently, I still want answers to two lingering issues. Jean Grey’s connection to The Phoenix was never fully severed, and I’m wondering if that means some kind of return down the road.

Kitty Pryde and Wolverine Vol 1 Also, I miss Shadowcat aka Kitty Pryde. She’s quite important in the comic book version, and has had the quite the adventure and for some readers, they saw her grow up from being that not so confident teen hero in the X-Men to a Guardian of the Galaxy, and even has a few ninja type skills to boot! Although she didn’t have much to do other than be a damsel in distress in the non-canonical pilot for the animated series, and I still find it strange that there’s still no mention of her. She did appear in X-men: Evolution, set in an alternate universe, but when will she be in X-men 97?

Whether this series wants to address that or not, I’m still hoping! With the past days of Claremont no longer a reference point, what’s presented so far has me considering if I should try to get caught up with everything printed from 98 on up. In this series, I like that Bastion is a figure hard to deal with. He’s not your typical 90s style villain. Whether he’s been stopped for good in the season one finale, I shan’t say. Hopefully the next season’s arcs will consider his villain’s ongoing influence to build on the teased made.

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Apparently, Limbo Exists Somewhere in Australia’s Savage Outback

When people are lost in desolation, Limbo isn’t a state of mind, but is just a place to be.

Bunya Productions
Now Available to Stream on Amazon Prime

The Australian outback is not a place of Limbo as this movie’s film title suggests. Instead, it’s a world of isolation. Here, crimes can go unsolved for years, and by the time authorities get wind of a situation, rushing to a commune named after this place of purgatory to catch a criminal is often too late.

In this movie’s case, Travis Hurley (Simon Baker) comes to this migrant hovel to look at a homicide left to rot. Charlotte went missing. She didn’t go on a walkabout, as hinted in the opening moments, otherwise she’d be back. Had she been a person of European descent, I’m sure the authorities would’ve been on the case sooner. This detective came here to investigate. But when not everyone wants to talk, I wonder what they are hiding. This work isn’t like Twin Peaks by any stretch of the imagination, but I’m sure Ivan Sen got some ideas from this cult classic.

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