Indonesian superhero movies don’t get a lot of love abroad. That’s because there aren’t that many and to criticise them against the heavyweights from America isn’t fair. As a result, these works really need word of mouth to get known. Legend of Gatotakaca (Satria Dewa: Gatotkaca) released in its native country last year, and now has international distribution courtesy of Well GO USA.
After giving the entire 16 season series many views over the holidays and into the new year with the knowledge of their future, upcoming seasons have been foreshadowed for Ninjago in 2023.
The LEGO Ninjago animated series isn’t over. Although Crystalized concluded with an epilogue showing Sensei Wu, Lloyd, Jay, Cole, Nya and Zane rebuilding, what’s slated for the future may well be akin to Star Trek: The Next Generation. After giving the entire 16 season series many views over the holidays and into the Lunar New Year with the knowledge of their future, upcoming seasons have been foreshadowed for Ninjago in 2023.
One major example includes Wu often mentioning how one can’t mess with “The Hands of Time,” which started in season two’s “Child’s Play.” It seems Wu knew a lot more than the Ninja when they got turned into kids, and had to use a potion to restore them back into young adults, along with Lloyd. This later season would also see Wu age and get thrown to a void, only to be reborn as a baby and relearn everything, which demonstrates how cyclic this series’s narrative is.
This list of Lunar New Year Top 10 Movies includes shorts, and must touch upon some aspect of the celebration.
Not every film released during the start of the moon calender truly reflects the celebration, and to put together a proper list that does so is tough. In my Lunar New Year Top 10 Movies list, I consider that the story has to touch on either some aspect of the celebration or extols some virtue from it. To really be reflective upon this South Asian celebration means putting some meaning behind the work rather than releasing it at this time of year.
Sometimes these movies feature the zodiac animal as part of its story and other times, they do not, just to help commercialise it. Those living in China had two films–Legend of a Rabbit and Moon Castle: The Space Adventure to enjoy back in 2011 when this bunny leaped into everyone’s hearts. Jumping twelve years later to now, all I could find is the charming-animated short, “Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit!” by animation studio Game Science.
Depending on whom you ask, this jubilee can mean one of a few things. The better ideals include wishing others spiritual well-being, celebrating family togetherness, and looking ahead to brighter futures.
While I have a stockpile of Asian films to watch during the 15-day celebration, not all of them are about this special occasion. A few titles from last year took a while to offer up a home video release I could purchase, others are from the Internet (in public domain or hiding on YouTube), and the rest are playing at cinemas for all to enjoy. I could watch a film each day, but I don’t feel there are enough appropriately themed takes to fill a top fifteen. I am adding shorts which are just as great.
The two Wandering Earth films will count as an entry, and before I go into greater detail about the latest that debuted today, I feel the seminal work that really represents the spirit of the day begins with:
Shout! Factory is ready to release Jackie Chan in bluray with new extras and a streaming marathon!
Available to order at Shout! Factory (with mini-poster (not shown) while supplies last) and Amazon
Unbeatable. Unstoppable. Undeniable. Jackie Chan stands alone among action heroes thanks to his death-defying stunts, unparalleled fight scenes, and his signature sense of humor. An international superstar, Chan has thrilled fans around the globe for decades. As the standard bearer for martial arts action, Chan has forged a legacy that never has nor will be matched.
On January 24, Shout! Factory will release The Jackie Chan Collection Vol 1 (1976-1982), a collection of seven classic films remastered on Blu-ray which showcase the unique mixture of martial arts, action, and comedy that has made Jackie Chan a cultural icon.
To add to the excitement, Shout! Factory TV will be celebrating the release by airing a special Jackie Chan Brawl-A-Thon (link) on January 28th beginning at 12pm PT/3pm ET. This martial arts extravaganza will stream simultaneously across Shout Factory TV, including the TokuSHOUTsu and Shout! Cult channels for 24 hours of your favorite kicks, flips, and Chan’s unique blend of hilarious comedy!
After two specials and sixteen story arcs, the two series that make up LEGO Ninjago–The Masters of Spinjitzu and Ninjago–is at an end. After doing many rewatches of this excellent series, I can finally say what are my Five Best LEGO Ninjago seasons to watch. The reason behind the separation is silly, since the naming convention is to distinguish which studio did what; but for a fan like me, it’s the same series and I prefer to acknowledge it as a whole unit.
I found my feelingx mixed when the end suggested the this team is retiring. Technically, the word is something else, but when considering all that’s being talked about within the fandom community on Reddit and other sources, this fact is certain. I’ve also expounded upon the last few seasons too when I realised I really love this series. As for what I feel may be coming next, I’ll explore in part two that will be published the following week. This list goes from least to best.
Season 1
Rise of the Snakes
(2011–12)
Technically, the pilot and the first three seasons can easily be lumped together, since they follow one after another to a fitting finale. The reason behind including this set is because it establishes all the relationships going on between the Ninja and their allies. I’m glad the producers planned for a short series run, and when it became a mega success, they were then able to expand upon the world. This run offers a lot of hints at what would get developed in later seasons and they are easy to spot when rewatched.
Rise of the Snakes certainly sets the tone for everything that could come, and when they did after season four, oh boy, rewatching this arc is even all the better! Thankfully, newcomers don’t have to subscribe to Netflix to see this series. The LEGO Company has made the early seasons available to view free on YouTube (depending on country).
Debuting on Hi-YAH Streaming Service
Not every film released during the start of the moon calender truly reflects the celebration, and to put together a proper list that does so is tough. In my Lunar New Year Top 10 Movies list, I consider that the story has to touch on either some aspect of the celebration or extols some virtue from it. To really be reflective upon this South Asian celebration means putting some meaning behind the work rather than releasing it at this time of year.
Available to view on