Science Fiction

Jupiter Ascending

  • Title: Jupiter Ascending
  • IMDb: link

Jupiter AscendingJupiter Ascending is insane (and only occasionally in a good way). The latest from the Wachowskis casts Mila Kunis in the starring role as an illegal immigrant house cleaner who is actually the resurrected matriarch of one the galaxy’s richest families. Despite being born on Earth, and having no memory of her previous life, based on her DNA Jupiter is entitled to her former estates and riches which her galactic progeny (Eddie Redmayne, Douglas Booth, Tuppence Middleton) will do anything to prevent from happening.

Saved by a soldier spliced with a wolf on rocket shoes (Channing Tatum), Jupiter eventually finds her way into space to accept her inheritance which includes the planet Earth and everyone living on it.

Did I mention this movie is insane? Jupiter Ascending jumps the tracks fairly early, after a slow introduction to our protagonist’s pre-space-faring life, and becomes a constantly exploding runaway train that no one involved in the project lifts a finger to gain control of for the remainder of its 127-minute running time. Visually intriguing, the film is a mess of mashed-up sci-fi ideas borrowed from better films.

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Star Wars Rebels – Vision of Hope

  • Title: Star Wars Rebels – Vision of Hope
  • wiki: link

Star Wars Rebels - Vision of Hope

While practicing to use his new lightsaber Ezra (Taylor Gray) experiences his first Force vision giving him a glimpse of the adventure he and his friends are about to embark on. “Vision of Hope” continues Ezra’s training as a padawan while reminding us of Yoda’s famous words: “Always in motion is the future.”

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Samurai Jack #16

Samurai Jack #16As a new arc begins rumors of a man with a control over time reach the ears of Samurai Jack who, along with thousands, flock to hear just what the self-professed Master of Time has to say. When the public audience does little more than pique the samurai’s interest he attempts a private audience with the man by sneaking into the heavily-guarded compound. Sadly, our hero isn’t as good a sneak as he is a warrior and ends up dumped (literally) out of the fortress.

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Star Wars #1

Star Wars #1Over the years both Marvel Comics and Dark Horse Comics have released a plethora of forgettable and mediocre Star Wars comics. Over the past couple of years however Dark Horse had found a way to recapture a bit of the old Star Wars magic with a series set shortly after the destruction of the first Death Star featuring the struggling rebellion’s battles against the evil Galactic Empire. Sadly cut short due the Star Wars rights returning to Marvel, a new adventure begins (with an insane amount of variant covers) as Marvel tries their own hand at classic tales featuring Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, and the droids you most assuredly are looking for.

Writer Jason Aaron offers an issue highlighted by Chewbacca’s attempt to kill Darth Vader with a sniper rifle while his rebel pals break into a Imperial Weapons Factory. I mostly enjoy John Cassaday’s art but he struggles getting the right look of the characters in several panels that aren’t close-ups. I thought it was an interesting choice to draw Vader like he appeared in the old Marvel issues (with his mask occasionally stretched) which gave me a hit of nostalgia but also felt a bit wrong.

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Star Wars Rebels – Idiot’s Array

  • Title: Star Wars Rebels – Idiot’s Array
  • wiki: link

Star Wars Rebels - Idiot's Array

“Idiot’s Array” reintroduces a fan favorite to the show with Billy Dee Williams reprising his role as a younger, but no less suave, Lando Calrissian. Winning the Ghost‘s astromech droid Chopper in a game of Sabaac with Zeb (Steve Blum), the scoundrel hires the crew for a job that gets Hera (Vanessa Marshall) temporarily sold into slavery, the Ghost shot at by an Imperial blockade, and introduces a cute but annoyingly expanding Puffer Pig that causes all kinds of chaos once Zeb and Ezra (Taylor Gray) let it out of its cage.

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