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Jumanji: The Next Level

  • Title: Jumanji: The Next Level
  • IMDb: link

Jumanji: The Next Level Blu-ray reviewJumanji: The Next Level brings back the cast of 2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle for another trip into the video game version of Jumanji as Spencer’s (Alex Wolff) friends follow when the isolated college Freshman goes looking for something familiar. This time around, however, the players are all in different avatars and two of the players have been replaced by Spencer’s grandfather (Danny DeVito) and his former business partner (Danny Glover).

I wasn’t all that impressed with the 2017 film which was fun at times but also lazy and largely forgettable, and The Next Level offers more of the same: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson smoldering, characters hashing out their issues while running for their lives, and Karen Gillan running around the jungle in short-shorts. The addition of the older players does offer some new dynamics (along with quite a few easy old people don’t understand technology jokes), and having none of the players in the avatars they expected is one of the sequel’s best choices.

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Samurai Jack – Episode XIX: Jack Remembers the Past

  • Title: Samurai Jack – Episode XIX: Jack Remembers the Past
  • wiki: link

Samurai Jack - Episode XIX: Jack Remembers the Past television review

Throwback Thursday takes us back to the adventures of the time-displaced samurai and his quest to make his way home. “Episode XIX” is a melancholy episode even for a show about a wandering warrior stranded in a dystopian future. After a short action sequence involving our hero saving a village from the tyranny of the Cossacks, the show takes our hero on a journey home… or what’s left of it. Without realizing it, Jack‘s (Phil LaMarr) wanderings have led him to the ruins of the home he knew as a child prompting several memories including playing the once lush fields, his first encounter with a samurai (in a reference to Lone Wolf and Cub), and using his wits to stand-up to bullies. Jack makes a cute kid, and it’s fun to get to see a more carefree version of the character in his youth before the evil that is Aku.

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Supergirl – Immortal Kombat

  • Title: Supergirl – Immortal Kombat
  • wiki: link

Supergirl - Immortal Kombat television review

The Fifth Season of Supergirl comes to an early end. Given the COVID-19 shortened season, not all of the season’s plot points are resolved, as the show offers a cliffanger ending leaving the fate of one supporting character in doubt and the endgame of Lex Luthor (Jon Cryer) still a mystery. More than the big battles featuring Supergirl‘s (Melissa Benoist) pals fighting literal gods, or Kara’s speech to convince people to leave Obsidian North Platinum, the finale is most notable for finally offering the opportunity for Kara and Lena (Katie McGrath) to put aside recent hurt feelings and come together once more (hopefully the signaling the start of a new friendship that won’t be fractured by the first sign of trouble… or Lex’s inevitable retaliation).

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Human Target – Dead Head

  • Title: Human Target – Dead Head
  • wiki: link

Human Target - Dead Head television review

Throwback Tuesday takes us back to the Second Season of Human Target. The case of protecting an amnesiac John Doe (Roger Bart) injured in a car explosion quickly becomes personal for Winston (Chi McBride) when he discovers the person who wants their client dead is the same dirty cop (Nick Chinlund) he spent half of his career failing to bring down. A ghost from Winston’s past does offer the opportunity to flesh out his character by revealing a bit more of Winston prior to working with Chance and introducing Tracie Thoms as his estranged ex-wife.

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Supergirl – Deus Lex Machina

  • Title: Supergirl – Deus Lex Machina
  • wiki: link

Supergirl - Deus Lex Machina television review

While not as successful as “The House of L,” “Deus Lex Machina” does use the same structure to present a story from the perspective of Lex Luthor (Jon Cryer) to catch viewers up on what the character has been up to behind-the-scenes over the past few months. Beginning with his return after “Crisis,” the episode chronicles how the villain has juggled the various threats against him and used Eve (Andrea Brooks) to both ingratiate himself to Leviathan and work for their destruction. While successfully coming out both an ally for Leviathan and hero for stopping them, Lex earns another victory. However, his ego does get in the way where a certain caped hero is concerned.

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