Tag: Action-Adventure

With Zsazsa Zaturnnah Here, Hope Is Not Lost!

Sometimes, checking out the original film helps too before catching the animated version of Zsazsa Zaturnnah, which is just as campy, hilarious and fun! This is the other superhero movie that must be seen this year!

Zsazsa Zaturnnah
Played at Fantasia Film Festival on July 20, 2026 at the Salle J.A. De Sève

Some newcomers may wonder whether Zsa Zsa Gabor and Zsazsa Zaturnnah are one and the same. They are not. Although both are glamorous queens capable of making many hearts flutter, there’s far more to the latter than meets the eye. Created by Filipino comic book artist Carlo Vergara, this superheroine became a cultural sensation and an important champion of LGBTQ representation in the Philippines.

Outside the country, she remains relatively unknown, and that’s where the 2026 self titled animated movie comes in. It retells her origin story for a new generation while shifting the focus towards themes that have followed the character since her 2002 debut. For those unfamiliar with her history, this alternative to Wonder Woman first appeared in the graphic novel Ang Kagila-gilalas na Pakikipagsapalaran ni Zsazsa Zaturnnah.

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Who’s The Chan in Panda Plan 2, The Magical Tribe?

Panda Plan 2 The Magical Tribe mixes Jackie Chan charm, playful fantasy, and a soft spiritual thread into a family adventure where HuHu the panda easily steals the spotlight.

Panda Plan 2 The Magical TribeWell GO USA
Coming to select theatres April 17, 2026

Although HuHu isn’t quite like the Dragon Warrior Po from a certain DreamWorks franchise, Panda Plan 2 The Magical Tribe leans fully into that style of animated hilarity. In this Jackie Chan led film, figuring out who’s truly in the spotlight depends on who you love more: a computer-animated fuzzy wuzzy or the man himself. For me, the bear steals the show. A lot has been done to improve the mix of practical stand-ins (in the form of inert puppets) and digital work to bring the cuddly creature to life. Whether that’s enough to keep viewers watching depends on expectations.

And when a long-lost Indigenous group is discovered deep in the wilds of China, a team is unaware as they make their way through this realm to a sanctuary for this star of the show to now live in. From there, the film slips into something dreamlike. Like a modern fairy tale, events unfold with a hint of Alice in Wonderland, where reality and imagination blur. As people disappear and logic begins to slip, the viewer is left adrift as though in a midsummer’s night dream.

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We All Swim With The Pout-Pout Fish in the Deep Blue Sea

It’s worth diving in with a yellow submarine to view the life found underwater in The Pout-Pout Fish. This adaptation of the bestselling series by Deborah Diesen and illustrated by Dan Hanna offers plenty of action, along with a thoughtful look at courage in the face of environmental change.

The Pout-Pout Fish PosterThe Pout-Pout Fish had me wondering if Mr. Fish is somehow a distant cousin of Red from Angry Birds. Their personalities are not quite the same, but both characters exist in worlds that seem determined to tell them to cheer up. Here, the glum Mr. Fish (Nick Offerman) has his solitude interrupted by a very chipper young seadragon named Pip (Nina Oyama), who mistakes his home for a safe refuge. When trouble hits their stretch of reef off the Meanjin coast, located off of Brisban, the two have little choice but to work together.

An overgrowth of seaweed drifts in with the tides, turning the area into a maze of thick kelp that leaves the local marine population struggling to navigate. This spreading plant also creates a darkness that other marine life find unsettling.

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Predator Badlands – When A Hunter Becomes the Hero

A new perspective freshens Predator Badlands, but at the cost of the franchise’s ferocity. Is the softened tone and redesigns right?

Predator Badlands PosterSpoiler Alert

20th Century Fox’s Predator didn’t just thrill action fans; it roared. It took a simple hook—survival in the jungle—and turned it into one of the toughest films of the 80s. Guerrillas, locals, commandos… none of them realised they were being stalked by something far worse. Predator Badlands carries that same DNA, but flips the lens. This time, the hunter is the hero.

Dex (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) is the runt of his clan, desperate to prove himself to a father who’d sooner cull the weak than train them. His brother Kwei (Mike Homik in suit, Stefan Grube on voice) doesn’t think he’s ready. Their dynamic sets the stage fast, and then the film hits full throttle: Pops arrives, declares Dex unworthy, and doesn’t even give the lad a chance. Big brother steps in, pays the price, and the ship bolts off as Dex watches him die. It’s raw, swift, and effective.

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With Lilo and Stitch in 2025, What’s Significantly Bad Isn’t All That Extremely Good

Disney really should stop remaking fond classics, especially with Lilo and Stitch, and simply concentrate on coming up with original material.

Lilo and Stitch 2025 PosterSpoiler Alert

The live-action Lilo and Stitch movie will not please everyone, and when it’s significantly different from the original material, not everyone is going to enjoy it. When this young girl’s relationship (wonderfully played by Maia Kealoha) with Myrtle (Emery Hookano-Briel) is nonexistent, I groaned. Their conflict makes up a significant part of the series as this rival believes her family is better than most Polynesians. To be exact, this girl has a superiority complex. And as for the two aliens who would eventually become friends with the title characters, even I was wondering why change them up that much?

A lot of the humour comes from Jumba’s mad god complex and Pleakley’s belief he knows this world. Even in the alt-universe versions of the series, the new showrunners never changed their purpose; and I’ve looked at both Stitch! and Stitch and Ai (review links) to know why some characters stick around. Zach Galifianakis and Billy Magnussen are decent when performing their own stuff, but when trying to live up to the past material, they really do not measure up.

Without this double act done proper, what’s presented doesn’t make too much sense. I wanted to hear the big hippo hybrid speak with a Russian accent. As for the one eyed alien, what made him a fan favourite is because of all the cross-dressing ventures. Even in human form, to see Billy confused about gender roles and still wear a dress would’ve been a hoot, but it was not done! Continue reading “With Lilo and Stitch in 2025, What’s Significantly Bad Isn’t All That Extremely Good”

To Not Say “Elli and Her Monster Team” Is Not Riding a Ghostly Ghost Train May Seem Unusual, But…

When getting rid of the double entendre makes sense for the American side presentation of Elli and Her Monster Team, the interest in checking out this film needs help to chug along!

Elli and Her Monster Team Movie PosterNow Playing
Presented in English
This review credits the original voice actors.

Originally titled Elli and the Ghostly Ghost Train, this movie from Germany got renamed to Elli and Her Monster Team for obvious reasons. When this title character wants to be like Casper the Friendly Ghost, this film written and directed by Piet De Rycker and Jesper Møller has morals to preach. Fortunately, it’s not too blatant to undermine the action.

It has moments to like and other bits to puzzle over. When this team had Ottfried Preußler’s “The Little Ghost” in mind as their inspiration, not everyone is going to recognise this storybook! Fortunately, I’m familiar with that work and Hui Buh. They may be the two best-known films outside the country about a spirit looking to make a name for him or herself.

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