fancoloredglasses

[fancoloredglasses]

Star Trek, Part 3: The movies I-VI (Thank you, George Lucas!)

[All images are owned by Paramount. Please don’t sue me]

[QUICK NOTE: This is a bare-bones review of the films rather than my usual tongue-in-cheek blow-by-blow review since I’m trying to cover six movies in one review. If you would like to see any of the films reviewed in-depth, please let me know]

After the end of the original series (and the brief flirtation with animation), fans were certain that was the end for Star Trek. There were rumors that a new series was in the works, but most knew they were just rumors.

That all changed in 1977 when a film set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away hit theaters and changed the landscape. Suddenly, Paramount was VERY interested in a movie based on Star Trek! Fortunately for Paramount, everyone was on board for a motion picture-sized paycheck.

A few years have passed since the end of the series in canon. The entire crew has received at least one promotion.

Since most of the sets, models, and costumes were either destroyed or not suitable for a larger screen, a number of changes had to be made, starting with the uniform.

(Thanks to veniceogar.xyz)

Most fans complained about the new uniforms, saying they looked like sleepwear.

But if they complained about the updated uniforms, there were little objections to the updated Enterprise!

(Thanks to Paul Scollon)

The ship looked much more futuristic than the series (in canon, following the five-year missions, the surviving Constitution class starships underwent a major overhaul with updated warp drive, updated deflector array, and a larger body. In fact, there were so many changes that the class was re-designated “Constitution Refit”) One interesting cosmetic update: The class lost the “battleship grey” paint job in favor of the metal plates of the hull being visible.

But if the exterior was significant upgrade, wait until you see the interior!

Yes, the controls were still chunky as hell, but at least it didn’t look like the 60's vision of the future (more like the 70’s vision)

There was another major change when the franchise hit the big screen…

The Klingons somehow developed bumps on their forehead. This has been mentioned in canon (over a decade later), but was never explained until over 20 years later!

The film felt like a 2 hour episode of Star Trek (in fact, you could say it was inspired by an episode!)

The film was well-received enough that a second film was green-lit. However, the tone would shift to be a bit more action-oriented as Paramount brought in Harve Bennett as executive producer with little input from Roddenberry.

The sets were a little darker and another uniform change was made that would endure through the next six films (though I'll only be covering the next five in this review. Stay tuned for the sixth in a future review!) and (canonically) the next 70 or so years.

(Thanks to Nerdist)

The second film (considered by many to be the best film of this era, if not the entire franchise)…

…brought back a villain from the episode Space Seed…

Khan Noonian Singh (played by Ricardo Montalban, who was famous for playing Mr. Roarke on Fantasy Island), the result of genetic engineering in the late 20th century (you all remember that, right?) In the episode, Khan was awakened after being asleep for 200 years, attempted to take over the Enterprise and was marooned when he failed. Now he’s back and looking for revenge!

The movie also introduces Carol Marcus, an old flame of Kirk’s who developed a technology known as Genesis that could instantaneously terraform a planet (of course, if there’s already life on said planet, it wouldn’t be there for much longer!) In addition to revenge on Kirk, Khan wants the Genesis technology.

Fans were excited for this new take on Trek, but were up in arms due to a scene near the end…

(Thanks to TheAmazingSkipper)

It seems that Leonard Nimoy was tired of being associated with Spock over the past 2 decades and wanted out. However, perhaps due to fan backlash, he agreed to return…if he could direct his return!

In the third film, it’s revealed that the planet Genesis (that was created at the end of the second film) has somehow brought Spock back to life. The Enterprise is due to be decommissioned, but in a desperate attempt to save their friend, the command staff of the Enterprise steal the ship to rescue Spock.

(Thanks to Prometheus of Videos)

…but run afoul of a Klingon Bird of Prey (commanded by Christopher Lloyd of Taxi and Back to the Future fame)

If the fans were happy about the return of Spock, they were horrified about what needed to be done to do so!

(Thanks to spartakirk109)

In the end, Kirk and the crew capture the Bird of Prey and seek asylum on Vulcan, which is where we begin with the fourth film (also directed by Nimoy)

In this film the Earth is threatened by a giant vessel looking to talk with whales (which are extinct in the 23rd century), so the crew (finally returning to Earth to face judgement for stealing the Enterprise) goes back in time to the 20th Century to get some, saving the planet.

Starfleet is grateful, but someone needs to be punished for stealing the Enterprise, so they demote Kirk to Captain and ship the crew off to their new assignment.

(Thanks to April 5, 2063)

Yes, their new assignment is the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-A (AKA the Enterprise-A, but we’ll just keep calling it the Enterprise) In canon, the ship was the USS Yorktown, but is re-commissioned as a thank you to Kirk.

As far as the fifth film…it is considered the worst of the franchise. There are a number of issues, beginning with the film being made in the middle of a strike by the Screen Writers’ Guild (see? It’s not just a modern issue!), meaning no possibility for rewrites (and boy howdy did they need several!). Additionally, the film wanted to work with Industrial Light & Magic (the company responsible for the effects on the Star Wars franchise), but their primary teams weren’t available. Rather than work with one of the secondary teams, the producers went with another company that…well, let’s just say they should’ve gone with the ILM B-Team. Finally, William Shatner made his directorial debut, and let’s just say he should’ve stuck to acting.

The final film of this era of the franchise (released in time for Star Trek’s 25th anniversary), The Undiscovered Country, dealt with a conspiracy to end peace talks between the Federation and the Klingons with the Enterprise stuck in the middle. It also marked the decommissioning of the Enterprise-A after only 3 films (though canonically it's as old as the original Enterprise was when it was destroyed)

(Thanks to Arrow Of Videos)

Of course, this would not be the end of Star Trek, as a brand new television series debuted shortly after Star Trek IV hit theaters, but that’s a tale for another review.

If you would like to see any of the films reviewed in depth, please let me know!

#star trek #william shatner #leonard nimoy #deforest kelley #james doohan #george takei #nichelle nichols #walter koenig #uss enterprise #fan colored glasses

[fancoloredglasses]

[RERUN] Star Trek, Part 2: TAS (TOS Season 4)

[All images are owned by Paramount and Filmation. Please don’t sue me]

(Thanks to Intro Master)

In my last review, I covered the original series starring William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and DeForest Kelley. However, thanks in part to fan support, Gene Roddenberry managed to pitch to Filmation a continuation of the series in animated form for the Saturday morning crowd.

Please note that I said “animated” and not “cartoon”. That was a deliberate choice that Filmation and Gene Roddenberry made in marketing the series. They believed that if they called Star Trek a “cartoon” it would be panned by their fans, and they put a lot of effort into making the series as close to the original series as children’s programming would allow (sorry, there were no Redshirt scenes, but surprisingly there was a death!)

Another note is that, with the exception of Walter Koenig, the entire cast was present (with James Doohan and Nichelle Nichols providing voices for most of the “extras” in the series). Added to the cast were 2 aliens:

Lt. Arex is a member of a race known as the Edosians with 3 arms and 3 legs (you never saw him walk as the animators couldn’t figure out how that would work) who serves as navigator.

 Lt. M’Ress, a member of a race known as Caitians who serves as Communications Officer when Uhura is...busy? They never gave an explanation where Uhura was while M’Ress was on duty.

Despite the fact that Filmation did not have access to the original music from the Original Series, they did compose some music that they have reused in other series over the years.

(Thanks to Grim2)

Despite the fact that it was Saturday Morning fare, the series was not written with kids in mind. While the series wasn’t as preachy as some episodes of the original series were, it did have a more serious tone (even the sillier episodes didn’t feel “dumbed down”. They felt like some of the sillier episodes of the original series), and at least two episodes did tackle some pretty weighty subject matter.

Most importantly, despite a lot of Trekkies not believing the animated series to be “official canon”, several canonical facts have come from the animated series (including Vulcan emotions, Sehlots (the typical Vulcan pet), the Kzinti (a race of aggressive felinoids), and Capt. Robert April, the Enterprise’s original captain)

The series ran for two seasons (though the second season was just two additional episodes) before being cancelled (to be honest, I’m surprised it got a second season, given it was on Saturday mornings). However, this would not be the end of Star Trek, though fans would have to wait a number of years for new content.

If you would like to watch the series, it's available on Paramount+ or behind your favorite paywall.

If you have an episode you would like me to review, please let me know.

#star trek #tas #william shatner #leonard nimoy #deforest kelley #james doohan #george takei #nichelle nichols #majel barrett #uss enterprise #i hate reruns #fan colored glasses

[fancoloredglasses]

Star Trek (Hard to believe I hadn't reviewed this yet), Part 1: TOS

[All images are owned by Paramount. Please don’t sue me]

If you’ve been living under a rock for the past nearly 60 years, this will all be news to you. Otherwise, you’ll be wondering why I’m deciding to review this of all things. Some may even cynically be thinking I’m running out of things to review.

The answer is simple: I don’t review episodes of series I haven’t done a review of, and I’ve recently found a bunch of YouTube clips of scenes I don’t remember seeing. (Not surprising; in every Trek series since The Next Generation I went in with enthusiasm, but then Life Happened and I fell off until I found out the series was ending and HAD to see the finale)

Now, as I’ve stated, I don’t like to review series that are ongoing. For that reason (and the fact I don’t have Paramount+), I will not be touching ANY Trek that debuted (or premiered) after 2009. Also, to give each “era” of Trek its own spotlight (and NOT, as some of you may be thinking, I’m short on ideas!), I will be doing each series separately, starting with The Original Series (or TOS).

(Thanks to dinadangdong)

Star Trek was created by Gene Roddenberry, who was previously known for TV series set in the Old West. It should be no surprise that (a) the show was dubbed “Wagon Train in space" (a Western series that ended the year before Star Trek debuted) and (b) the show at times felt like the Wild West in terms of brawls and playing fast and loose with the law (in particular, the Prime Directive: Do not interfere in the development of less advanced civilizations)

The series tells of the potential of humanity: a utopia where Earth is united and everyone gets along, so now they’ve decided to bring their influence to the stars by forming the United Federation of Planets (or “the Federation”) and exploring the galaxy in the 23rd century.

Now, let’s meet the star of the series…

The USS (short for “United Space Ship”) Enterprise (designation NCC-1701), a Constitution class starship, which boasts cutting-edge technology for the Federation…

…despite the fact that the interfaces look outdated compared to “modern” technology less than 10 years after the series ended.

The Enterprise boasted advanced technology such as…

Warp drives that enable craft to travel faster that light (according to publications that were released following the end of the series the speed was the “warp factor” cubed, so Warp Factor (or simply Warp) 5 would be 125 (5 x 5 x 5) times the speed of light (The only issue with this is timing: the closest star to the sun is Alpha Centauri (about 4.3 light years away). At Warp 5, it would take the Enterprise almost 13 days to travel the distance. Yes, I’m that big of a geek) The Warp drives are also the power source of the ship, using a matter/antimatter reaction that’s controlled using a substance known as dilithium crystals (much in the same way cadmium rods are used to keep nuclear power plants from melting down)

Energy fields (known as deflector shields) able to mitigate the impact of an enemy’s weaponry

Transporters that are able to disintegrate matter, then nearly instantaneously reassemble it several miles away (if it’s a living being, not only are they still alive, but they retain all of their memories!), but are unable to penetrate deflector shields (this closes the plot hole that says enemies can board a ship during a battle using transporters) FUN FACT: Roddenberry devised the transporters because he couldn’t figure out how a ship designed like the Enterprise would be able to land.

But enough about the ship, on to the crew, and what a crew it is! (over 400 personnel, to be exact)

First off, the crew has three designations, each with a different colored shirt: Gold represents operations division (including command, helm, navigation, and fire control), blue represents sciences (including medical), and red represents service division (including security and engineering) In cases where a member of another division is in a command position, that division’s color is worn (which explains why the Enterprise’s First Officer (also its Chief Science Officer) wears blue)

The Enterprise’s commanding officer is Captain James T. Kirk (played by William Shatner) [FUN FACT: Kirk’s full middle name (Tiberius) isn’t mentioned until a few years later; in addition, Kirk’s middle initial was R in the second pilot (more on that later)] Kirk is a seat-of-his-pants space jockey who tends to play fast and loose with the Prime Directive.

(Thanks to Memory Alpha)

Despite this, Kirk cares deeply about his ship and crew (as long as they’re not wearing red shirts (more on that later as well))

Kirk’s First Officer (and Science Officer) is Commander Spock (played by Leonard Nimoy), a member of an alien race known as Vulcans (actually half-Vulcan, as his mother is human) Vulcans show no emotion, relying on logic to dictate their actions (in the original pilot (I promise I’ll circle back to all of this) Spock showed emotion; the lack of emotion didn’t come into play until the second pilot) In the course of the series, Vulcans became more defined (usually suggested by Nimoy), including a nerve pinch that knocks out its victim (because Nimoy couldn’t see Spock cold-cocking someone), the Vulcan salute (shown above, which is from a Jewish ritual Nimoy observed as a boy), and the mind-meld, which allows a Vulcan to share memories with another (and vice versa)

Rounding out the main cast is the Chief Medical Officer, Lt. Commander Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy (the nickname “Bones” refers to an old Earth nickname for surgeons as “Sawbones”, since most field surgeons were forced to amputate injured limbs to save their patients) McCoy is a curmudgeony individual who enjoys teasing Spock about his Vulcan heritage (almost to the point of bigotry), but there was no doubt there was friendship between the two (and Kirk)

There are two phrases that McCoy utters repeatedly in the series that have made nearly any reenactment of the character seem almost a parody…

(Thanks to Scott Cole)

(Thanks to RichardIsBig)

As far as the supporting cast, it was years ahead of its time, showing a diversity never seen in the 60s!

The Chief Engineer is Lt. Commander Montgomery “Scotty” Scott (played by James Doohan) FUN FACT: Doohan tried several accents in his audition before the Roddenberry settled on the Scottish one.

The Chief Helmsman is Lt. Hikaru Sulu (played by George Takei) Following the series, Takei came out as gay and used his status as a sci-fi icon to became an advocate for gay rights.

The Chief Communications Officer is Lt. Uhura (played by Nichelle Nichols) No first name was ever given until almost 50 years later.

Nichols had two inspirational stories about her time on the show she liked to share at the conventions. The first was how she wanted to quit the show due to her character not really doing much of anything, but was inspired to stay by a certain black comic that no one really wants to talk about any more. The other is about a famous black actress who was inspired by her character and eventually got a role on the Enterprise herself! (I’ll discuss her in a future review)

There were also two recurring supporting roles that had importance to the series..

Ensign Christine Chapel (played by Roddenberry’s wife Majel Barrett) is Dr. McCoy’s chief nurse. She also has a major crush on Spock (FUN FACT: This was Barrett’s second role for Star Trek. The first was First Officer (known simply as “Number One”) in the first pilot of the series. Yes, I’ll be discussing this later)

Crewman Janice Rand (played by Grace Lee Whitney) was Kirk’s Yoeman (personal assistant) and was intended to be a love interest as the series progressed, but the network wanted to see Kirk be a “ladies man”, so her character disappeared following Season 1 (though her character would return as cameos in the films)

The second season saw not only the reassignment of Crewman Rand, but the assignment of a permanent Navigator (it’s never explained why the ship needs a navigator when the computer could easily do so)

Ensign Pavel Chekov (played by Walter Koenig) is of Russian heritage (there are two stories as to why the character was added (either, both, or neither could be true): Roddenberry said that the Russians complained that they weren’t represented on a show that talks about a united Earth, while at least one book said that Koenig was cast to appeal to a younger (female) audience, which explains why his early haircut resembles Davey Jones’s)

I would be remiss in my review if I didn't mention the trope that endures to this day: Redshirts!

Because Security's uniform top is red, and the fact that Security are often targeted (and tend to die quite often) when the ship is boarded or a landing party is attacked, the term "redshirt" became used for the extras whose job it is to die messily in any sci-fi series.

(Thanks to comedy4cast)

Of course, every shining beacon of hope needs people casting shade. There are plenty of threats against the Enterprise and her crew, but there are a couple that seem to show up quite a bit.

The Klingon Empire is the main antagonist against Federation expansion. They are a warrior race bent on conquest.

(Klingons are often cast using black actors…at least I hope they’re black and not using blackface!)

The Romulan Star Empire is another war-mongering people (funny how two aggressive races managed to sandwich a peaceful coalition between them) Like the Klingons, their ships are equipped with cloaking devices making their ships invisible to visual and sensor identification (fortunately, they have to drop their cloak to fire of they’d have conquered the galaxy by now)

As you can see, the Romulans are distantly related to the Vulcans, but they retain their emotional, savage side instead of relying on logic.

The series often dealt with rather weighty topics (such as racism and nuclear war), but also had its share of goofy episodes (such as dealing with space Nazis, space gangsters, space Romans, and evil doppelgangers)

The series almost didn't get off the ground, as the original pilot (with Captain Christopher Pike commanding) was rejected by NBC as "too cerebral", but a second, more action-oriented pilot with Kirk commanding was accepted and the rest is history.

The series lasted three seasons before it was abruptly cancelled. Saturday Night gave the fans a fitting sendoff.

(Thanks to Saturday Night Live)

This should’ve been the end of Star Trek’s story, but fan support kept the series alive years after its cancellation. Enough so that the Enterprise got another shot at the small screen years later.

…but that’s a tale for another review.

If you would like to watch the series, it’s available on Paramount+, PlutoTV, or behind your favorite paywall. If you would like to see an episode reviewed, please let me know!

Before I go, I would like to offer up a little ditty about what happens when the crew of the Enterprise are allowed a break from exploring the galaxy, courtesy of Leslie Fish…

(Thanks to Songs from the Stars)

#star trek #tos #william shatner #leonard nimoy #deforest kelley #james doohan #george takei #walter koenig #nichelle nichols #majel barrett #uss enterprise #Fan Colored Glasses

[fancoloredglasses]

Masters of the Universe (which was worse, this or The New Adventures of He-Man? Let me know in the comments!), Conclusion

(Thanks to Warner Bros.)

[All images are owned by Mattel and The Cannon Group MGM. Please don’t sue me]

PREVIOUSLY ON...

The years-long struggle between He-Man and Skeletor has culminated with Skeletor stealing a device known as the Cosmic Key (able to open a portal to anywhere) from an inventor named Gwildor to breach Castle Greyskull and capture the Sorceress. He intends to use the power of Greyskull to steal the Sorceress's power, giving him dominion over the entire universe (somehow)!

He-Man and his allies Duncan (Eternia's Man-at-Arms) and Duncan's daughter Teela recruit Gwildor (who just so happens to have another Cosmic Key) to stop Skeletor and save the Sorceress. However, they are forced to retreat through a portal that Gwildor opened to a random location (that location being Earth). Upon landing, they lose track of the Cosmic Key.

On Earth, we are introduced to Julie (who recently lost her parents) and her sorta-kinda ex Kevin, who find the Cosmic Key. The two get separated as Skeletor's forces attack, with Julie meeting He-Man and his friends (who force Skeletor's forces to retreat) and Kevin running into a police detective named Lubic, who ain't buying Kevin's story.

Now, onto the conclusion of our review! If you would like to watch the film, it’s available on Tubi or behind your favorite paywall.

Back on Eternia, the Goon Squad returns, but without the Cosmic Key or He-Man.

So Skeletor uses Saurod as an example for the price of failure. He then sends Evil Lyn back to Earth with the surviving Goons and a shit-ton of troops, and once they find the Cosmic Key...

This is very much unlike Skeletor. He’s usually not afraid to get his hands dirty.

Back on Earth, Kevin and Lubic arrive at Julie’s house, but no one’s home. The phone rings and it’s Julie. She tells Kevin to stay put, but he plays coy since he doesn’t want Lubic to know what’s going on (why?) Then Lubuc asks about what the Cosmic Key and begins pressing buttons.

Of course, Lubic playing with the Cosmic Key alerts Evil Lyn and the Goons.

Back at the house, Lubic thinks Kevin stole the Cosmic Key and confiscates it and leaves. A bit later…

…the goons arrive, looking for the Cosmic Key! Kevin is overpowered (naturally), then Evil Lyn puts an electric collar on him.

Kevin is put in a trance by the collar and tells Evil Lyn that Lubic has the Cosmic Key, so the Goon Squad leaves to track him down (leaving Kevin in his tranced state; nice guys!), departing just as Gwildor’s stolen car arrives.

Once they get the collar off of Kevin, he comes back to reality and freaks. Fortunately, Julie manages to talk him down.

Then Gwildor comes out dressed in Julie’s mother’s clothing, which gets Kevin started again. Once again, Julie talks him down and he finally tells them that Lubic was heading to Charlie’s, so Julie drafts Kevin and off they all go. Let’s hope they arrive before Evil Lyn’s forces.

Well, since it’s a car, I would say they do.

Unfortunately Lubic isn’t too happy with them, despite the fact that they claim the Cosmic Key is theirs. Worse, Evil Lyn and her goons are closing! After Teela disarms Lubic, He-Man tells Gwildor to compute the way home while Teela gets the non-combatants to the back of the store.

I don’t think the store’s gonna help protect them. In the back, Gwildor tries to explain how the Cosmic Key works.

Unfortunately, Gwildor can’t find the right tune to get them home.

Outside, He-Man and Duncan are holding their own against the Goons (though I can’t say the same for the store, which is gonna wind up one big insurance claim by the time this is over! Though I’m not sure if “Alien Invasion” is covered under a business insurance policy)

Inside, Lubic convinces Teela to join the fight, so she hands Lubic’s revolver to Kevin and heads out. As Lubic and Kevin argue as to who’s in charge, Julie looks outside…

…and sees her mother, who beckons her outside (You think it’s a trap? I think it might be a trap) Julie naturally heads outside where her mother tells Julie that she and Julie’s father faked their death for a secret project that involves the Cosmic Key, and she needs Julie to bring it to her. In the chaos of Kevin, Lubic, and now Charlie fighting, Julie grabs the Cosmic Key and brings it to her mother, who transforms into...

(I KNEW IT!!!! Of course, the film’s special effects budget was so bad they didn’t actually show the transformation)

With that, Evil Lyn calls the retreat. He-Man and his allies (along with Kevin and Julie) give chase, while at Charlie’s…

So rather than help Charlie assess the damage to his store, Lubic’s going on the warpath. Nice to know he has his priorities straight. He then demands that Evil Lyn’s goons surrender.

Yeah, that worked about as well as I expected.

Meanwhile, Evil Lyn signals to Skeletor that she has the Cosmic Key.

Oh, THAT’S not good! Skeletor and whatever forces aren't quashing resistance on Eternia come through a portal. He then sends them to capture He-Man (You may ask: why not kill him? For once, Skeletor has a valid reason (other than the censors won’t allow killing): He-Man’s a martyr if he’s killed, but if his will is broken, so will Eternia’s be)

Skeletor’s air forces find He-Man, so he and the others enter a building and head to the roof where he borrows Gwildor’s grappler, shoots down one of the pilots, and takes his skimmer.

He then attacks Evil Lyn’s forces to try to get the Cosmic Key back. He-Man uses the grappler to retrieve the Cosmic Key from Evil Lyn (oh, Skeletor’s gonna be PISSED!)

Back at the rooftop…

…Skeletor has found He-Man’s friends! Duncan and Teela open fire, but Skeletor’s magic stops the blasts.

Skeletor tells them to surrender of be filled with more holes than the plot of this movie. Surprisingly, they do and Skeletor’s forces surround them. About that time, He-Man shows up. Skeletor tells him to surrender, and he’ll spare the others…

Surprisingly, He-Man relents. Skeletor then returns to Eternia with He-Man, leaving the others behind. Fortunately, he left Gwildor’s copy of the Cosmic Key behind, so they could return to Eternia, but…

What’s worse, Julie was hit by one of Skeletor’s curses, and without Eternian healing magic she’ll die!

Gwildor explains that the music that played when the Cosmic Key was activated was erased when Skeletor zapped it, rendering it useless even if he could fix it. After a few moments of concentration, Kevin whistles the exact tune from the Cosmic Key (WHAT ARE THE ODDS?)

With that glimmer of hope, Grildor works on repairing the Cosmic Key and setting up a jury rigged adapter as Kevin goes to Charlie's to find a keyboard that wasn't destroyed (Don't worry, Charlie can add the cost to his insurance claim, assuming they believe him)

Meanwhile, Lubic (remember him?) has assembled a SWAT team bunch of beat cops to battle Skeletor’s forces. Too bad Skeletor left, leaving Lubic more or less a laughingstock.

Meanwhile at Castle Greyskull, Skeletor returns with He-Man in chains and prepares to take the last of the Sorceress’s power once the moon rises.

Blade then hands Skeletor He-Man’s sword, which he places next to the throne.

Back on Earth, Kevin returns with the keyboard (and about a dozen cops led by Lubic (the rest went home laughing their asses off) close behind) Julie and Kevin share A Moment as Gwildor hooks the keyboard up. But then…

(Thanks to Papa Ganteng)

With that, it’s all over except the fallout…starting with Lubic.

Lubic decides there are worse places to retire to.

Julie is healed from Skeletor’s curse and she decides Jersey isn’t a great place to move to after all, and with that she and Kevin say their goodbyes to He-Man and the others. Gwildor tells them the Cosmic Key could send them to their past or future if they so choose, but they just want to go home.

Julie then wakes up in her bedroom (surprisingly not trashed) in the morning. She goes downstairs to find…

…her parents are still alive! Gwildor sent them back in time to the day they died, meaning Julie could change their future! Julie and Kevin (and Lubic) get their happy ending as we fade out.

Now, normally this would be the end of the review, but I found a YouTube creator who (with a bit of help from Watchmen) made what could’ve been the beginning of the movie…

(Thanks to Jordan Gingold)

#he-man #dolph lundgren #courtney cox #robert duncan mcneill #billy barty #Fan Colored Glasses

[fancoloredglasses]

Masters of the Universe (which was worse, this or The New Adventures of He-Man? Let me know in the comments!), Part 1

(Thanks to Warner Bros.)

[All images are owned by Mattel and The Cannon Group MGM. Please don’t sue me]

In the 80s, one of the hottest cartoons in syndication was He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. It was so popular that not only did he get a spin-off series starring a previously unknown twin sister named Adora (AKA She-Ra), but the 5-part series that introduced them was made into a feature film!

Naturally, someone would get the bright idea to capitalize on He-Man’s popularity by making a live-action film.

Unfortunately, as you will see, not much thought went into how to put together such a film.

The film starred Dolph Lundgren (previously known as Ivan Drago in Rocky IV) as He-Man. While he certainly looked the part, Lundgren sadly didn’t have the acting chops to pull off a Leading Role (which he proved again a few years later in The Punisher)

On the other side is Skeletor, played by Frank Langella (best known for playing Nixon in Frost/Nixon) in a horrible-looking mask. Langella did a great job chewing the scenery when he spoke, but was not up for any major action sequences, especially while wearing a horrible-looking face-covering prosthetic (which may explain why his screen time was very limited)

The rest of the cast I’ll reveal as they’re introduced (including two who would go on to better things)

Now, on with the show! If you would like to watch the film, it’s available on Tubi or behind your favorite paywall.

We open in the throne room of Castle Greyskull, where Skeletor’s forces have taken the Castle and have all but conquered Eternia. Unfortunately for Skeletor, He-Man is leading the resistance against him.

Unfortunately for He-Man, Skeletor’s taking of Greyskull means he has the powerful Sorceress under his control (though she resists his efforts to use her power)

Skeletor then broadcasts his declaration of victory to all of Eternia.

He-Man is less than impressed with Skeletor’s gloating. He spots a squad of Skeletor’s forces with a prisoner tied up in a net. He makes short work of the goons…

…with a little help from Duncan (Eternia’s Man-at-Arms) and his daughter Teela, and frees the prisoner…

…Gwildor (played by Billy Barty in another bad prosthetic mask. Did this film not have a costuming budget?), who is the film’s comic relief. Personally, I’d rather have Orko as the comic relief, but I’m guessing he would’ve been more than the special effects budget could’ve handled.

He-Man wants to know why Skeletor wanted Gwildor, so takes He-Man and the other to his home and shows them…

A device known as the Cosmic McGuffin Key, capable of opening a portal to any place in the universe. Skeletor’s lieutenant Evil-Lyn stole the only other copy of the Cosmic Key (which explains how Skeletor breached Greyskull’s defenses)

He-Man prepares to do the same to take Grayskull back, but Skeletor’s forces find them first! Fortunately, Gwildor has a secret back door that leads under Greyskull (HOW CONVENIENT!) and they escape before the front door is breached. Hopefully they remember to shut the back door.

Inside Greyskull, the group see the Sorceress trapped inside Skeletor’s magic field.

Naturally, He-Man doesn’t care. Gwildor works on attuning the Cosmic Key to the field imprisoning the Sorceress as Skeletor’s goons approach…

…with Evil Lyn directing the charge, and Skeletor not far behind. Skeletor then monologues about his plan to steal the Sorceress’s power at moonrise (which one? I thought Eternia has two moons), then unleash his fury upon the universe! Then Evil Lyn spots Gwildor.

With the jig up, Duncan tells Gwildor to set the key to take them away, but doesn’t specify where (you’d like working with Orko all those years would teach him to be specific) Gwildor punches a bunch of random buttons and a portal opens. Unfortunately, the Cosmic Key is shot and damaged as they jump through!

Skeletor, naturally, is livid.

And where did they wind up?

So not even Gwildor knows? Greeeeeaaaaaat…

Even worse, when they landed, they lost track of the Cosmic Key!

Then they encounter a native to this strange world they’ve landed on.

…a cow? Yes, He-Man and his friends have landed on Earth. I guess they didn’t have much of a set design budget either. Anyway, the four split up and look for the Cosmic Key so they can return, fight a few thousand of Skeletor’s goons, and free the Sorceress before moonrise gives Skelertor Absolute Power. No pressure or anything.

Later, at a nearby rib and fried chicken shack, we are introduced to Julie (played by Courtney Cox, who would later be one of the Friends) on her last day of work and preparing to move to New Jersey after her parents were killed in an accident (I’m so sorry…both about losing her parents and moving to Jersey)…

…and her sorta-kinda ex-boyfriend, a musician named Kevin (played by Robert Duncan McNeill, who would go on to play Tom Paris in Star Trek: Voyager), who Julie broke up with since she was leaving. As they drive off together…

(Thanks to Phuck Yiu)

(So Eternians don’t eat meat? Then what the hell do they feed Battle Cat?)

Back to Kevin and Julie…they’re visiting Julie’s parents’ graves and we get some backstory on her parents’ death (they died due to changing plans after Julie “had to study” wanted to spend time with Kevin. However, as they leave…

…they find the Cosmic Key. Kevin thinks it’s some sort of synthesizer (I mean, it does make music as it works) and plans to incorporate it into his gig that evening. They then activate it.

…giving Skeletor a signal to trace. He orders Evil-Lyn to open a portal to the Cosmic Key’s location the next time it’s activated and send a squad to retrieve it (and He-Man)

Later at the local high school, as Kevin does his sound check for the school dance (with Julie offering emotional support. I thought they broke up?)…

With that, he once again activates the Cosmic Key. With that, Skeletor sends Evil-Lyn’s hand-picked squad (and a few mooks) to retrieve the Cosmic Key and drag He-Man back so Skeletor can gloat.

(Left to right: Blade, Saurod, Karg, and Beast-man)

Back on Earth, Kevin wants to show the Cosmic Key to his friend Charlie while Julie wants some alone time. Three guesses what happens while Kevin’s gone.

The Goon Squad rush in to capture Julie (since she might know where the Cosmic Key is). She escapes, but…

Man, Kevin’s gonna be pissed when he gets back!

Fortunately for Julie, He-Man is in the area looking for the Cosmic Key as well.

He-Man stashes Julie in a secluded spot and hands her his pistol while he deals with them.

(Thanks to Action Cut)

With Skeletor’s goons chased off, He-Man asks Julie about the Cosmic Key.

Speaking of the Key, Kevin talks to Charlie (played by Barry Livingston, who played Ernie on My Three Sons) about his cool new synthesizer.

Suddenly, Charlie sees police cars and fire truck whizzing by and he checks the police band to see what’s happening (three guesses)

Kevin rushes back to the high school and is confronted by…

…Detective Lubic (played by James Tolkan, who played the principal in Back to the Future) Kevin demands that Lubic look for Julie, so Lubic packs him up and off they go!

Meanwhile, Duncan and Leela report that the Goon Squad got away. They hear a banging and turn to attack!

…but it’s only Gwildor in a car that matches his hair. They all pile in and off they go!

WILL He-Man and his friends be able to RETURN to ETERNIA?

WILL they defeat SKELETOR before it's TOO LATE?

WILL someone give the producers a budget for...ANYTHING?

These questions and MORE will be ANSWERED in the exciting CONCLUSION!

#he-man #dolph lundgren #courtney cox #robert duncan mcneill #billy barty #Fan Colored Glasses

[fancoloredglasses]

The Greatest American Hero (Believe It Or Not, this was A Thing)

(Thanks to Crackle)

I'm just gonna say it. In the 70s and 80s, before there were 18,243 cable networks and 2,543 streaming services, there were only 3 networks (plus PBS) and independent stations (that mostly showed reruns from the Big Three) It was difficult to get a show on the air, so you almost had to be quirky to get the networks' attention.

Enter The Greatest American Hero, which took the super hero genre and turned it on its head. The title character was an everyman who reluctantly becomes a super hero and has no clue what he's doing half the time!

Our Hero is Ralph Hinkley, a high school teacher tasked with a classroom full of "problem" students the school has pretty much given up on. He works with them using a combination of compassion and tough love (standing up to them and not taking their BS) I'm not saying they turn into model students, but Ralph earns their respect.

All that changed when he witnesses an alien spaceship...

...that gives him a suit that gives him (and ONLY him; the suit doesn't work for anyone else) Powers And Abilities Far Beyond Those Of Mortal Men (including, but not limited to: strength, speed, flight, invisibility, and clairvoyance)

Just one problem: he lost the instruction manual shortly after getting the suit and has no clue what he's doing!

(Thanks to Sherlock)

Also present when Ralph gets the suit is FBI Agent Bill Maxwell (played by Robert Culp, who at the time was famous for co-starring with B*** C**** in the series I Spy) Bill uses his force of personality to get Ralph to team up with him on cases he's assigned to.

Rounding out Team Ralph is his fiancee, attorney Pam Davidson (played by Connie Sellicca, best known these days for having a radio show with her husband John Tesh) Pam and Bill are constantly butting heads (no doubt due to Bill dealing with crooked lawyers in the past and Pam dealing with law enforcement officials who just want a "win")

The show ran for three seasons. It was originally supposed to be about Ralph dealing with ordinary issues with his extraordinary abilities, but the network wanted to see more "action" and "saving the world" episodes, so I guess you could say it had a bit of an identity crisis.

The series is available on Tubi. If you would like to see an episode reviewed, please let me know!

#the greatest american hero #robert culp #Fan Colored Glasses

[fancoloredglasses]

Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp (Get Smart! gone ape-shit)

[All images are owned by Sandler-Burns-Marmer Productions. Please don’t sue me or do…whatever you did to make those chimps “talk”]

[Thanks to mitzmandave]

Now, I’m not saying Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp owes its existence to Get Smart!. However, the show premiered on ABC (the network that aired Get Smart!’s final season) the year after Get Smart! was cancelled. Additionally, two of the show’s creators were writers on Get Smart!

But enough speculation and conspiracy theory, on with the review!

Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp was a 1970 Saturday morning comedy TV show modeled after spy thrillers, but the characters were all chimpanzees in costumes. According to lore, the chimps walked around on the sets gibbering away while the actors on-set (with only a vague screenplay to let them know what was supposed to be happening) ad-libbed the lines to (somewhat) coincide with the chimps’ lip movements.

The voice cast consisted of three actors:

Dayton Allen, who did a number of cartoon voices but was best known as a cast member of The Steve Allen Show in the 50s, voiced the title character as well as half of the male characters.

Bernie Kopell, who was fresh off from his stint as Siegfried in Get Smart! (hmmm…) voiced the main villain as well as the other half of the male characters.

Joan Gerber, who was a voice actress (one of which was Freddie the Flute in H.R. Puffenstuf) voiced all of the female characters.

 The stories revolved around two factions:

The first is the heroic Agency to Prevent Evil (A.P.E.)

A.P.E.’s top agent is Lancelot Link (who sounds a bit like Humphrey Bogart) who, when not battling evil, works undercover as…

…the lead singer in a psychedelic rock band known as the Evolution Revolution (hey, if Austin Powers can moonlight as a world-renowned fashion photographer…)

Lance’s partner is Mata Hairi (an obvious parody of the notorious spy Mata Hari)

The head of A.P.E. is Commander Darwin (the joke here should be obvious)

On the other side, we have the Criminal Headquarters for Underworld Master Plan (CHUMP)

…led by the evil Baron von Butcher (who sounded exactly like Siegfried from Get Smart!, mainly due to his being voiced by Kopell)

His driver and chief minion is Creto (a play on “cretin” and a parody of the Green Hornet’s partner Kato)

The other member of CHUMP most often seen is the Duchess

Other members of CHUMP are…

Ali Assa Seen (whose last name is a play on “assassin”)

Dr. Strangemind (a parody of Dr. Strangelove), CHUMP’s resident Mad Scientist who sounds a bit like Bela Lugosi

The Dragon Lady

…and Wang Fu

Surprisingly neither Wang Fu, the Dragon Woman, nor Ali Assa Seen were played very racist (especially for the 60s!), though Assa Seen lived in the desert and rode a camel and Dragon Woman was often using an abacus (I would also remark on Wang Fu often eating with chopsticks if it wasn’t for the fact that the chimp playing him actually ate with the damn things!)

Like Get Smart!, the show played the genre for laughs (as if having everyone being portrayed by chimpanzees wasn’t enough of a clue). But unlike its predecessor, there’s no way the plots could ever be played straight!

Between adventures (or in the middle if it was an adventure that lasted the entire episode), the show aired a song by the Evolution Revolution, introduced by talk show host Ed Simeon (who spoke like legendary variety show host Ed Sullivan)

The series lasted one season (since it was a Saturday morning series), but ran in reruns for a second.

As always, if anyone would like to see an episode reviewed, let me know!

#lancelot link #bernie kopell #Fan Colored Glasses

[fancoloredglasses]

Letters From Home (They had to prove the two series are linked somehow)

[All images are owned by Toei Animation and World Events Productions. Please don’t sue me.]

(Thanks to Radwolf76 for the suggestion)

For all anime aired for an American audience (at least in the 20th century), the source material is cut, spliced, re-sequenced, re-dubbed, and in the end is only tangentially related to the source material (with one exception that I know of, and even that was heavily edited)

The two versions of Voltron are no exceptions, having been adapted from two anime series that have nothing to do with one another except the mecha are built from smaller vehicles (yes, in this case I'm calling the Lions "vehicles") and they defeat their adversaries with giant swords they conjure out of thin air.

They were given similar opening sequences (including the same narrator), the same name for their adversaries (robeasts), and of course the mecha have the same name. However, many fans believed these were different universes...until this Vehicle Team episode. If you would like to watch the episode, it's available on YouTube or behind your favorite paywall.

We open with Chip, the smallest member of the Vehicle Team and a member of the Air Team (don’t ask me which part of Voltron he winds up being; I’m not that invested) on a road trip with his brother Pidge (who pilots the Green Lion) Unfortunately they’re in two separate anime Pidge is asleep and doesn’t appear on screen. However, in the middle of his monologuing about the fun times they’re going to have, he looks back to find…

What? You were expecting to see Pidge? I just said the two characters come from different anime franchises!

Then Chip wakes up from his nightmare on board the Explorer.

At roll call the next morning, Captain Newley (Explorer’s Commanding Officer) announces that the ship they just rendezvoused with brought mail (this was made in the days before the internet, so email wasn’t A Thing yet) Chip is eager to hear from Pidge, but no luck. Just a boring letter from his parents.

Meanwhile at a nearby Drule Empire base, their patrols are gathering intel on the Galaxy Alliance fleet that are with the Explorer.

Speaking of the Explorer, they are assisting in the reinforcement of defenses at a nearby Galaxy Alliance base.

The base detects the Drule patrol and launches drones to deal with them as we go to commercial.

The drones make short work of the Drule patrol, but they know more are on the way.

(Jeff being the leader of Air Team; I’m not listing all 15 members since most are barely even mentioned in the series)

However, as Air Team prepares to launch…

So where’s Chip?

Feeling sorry for himself. Lisa (from the Sea Team) breaks him from his funk by asking why he’s not with the rest of Air Team. He immediately rushes out, dropping the letter he received.

However, Captain Newley can’t wait and sends Land Team out instead.

In the hangar, the rest of Air Team lays into Chip verbally (to be fair, he’s the reason they were grounded for this mission, though I’m not sure why Captain Newley didn’t just send out Air Team without Chip)

Chip doesn’t take that too well.

Meanwhile at the Drule base, the Commander goes over the intel gathered and comes up with a plan on how to defeat the Voltron Force.

Back on the Explorer, Sara read Chip’s letter from his parents. Turns out he didn’t get any mail at the beginning of the episode.

Lisa then goes into some exposition about Chip and Pidge and why they’re so close. Jeff then suggests that Lisa talk to Chip (since she’s the one who found out)

Meanwhile…

…a Drule fleet is on the way as we go to commercial!

Back at the Explorer, Lisa reaches out

Meanwhile, the Land Team has discovered a distress beacon on a nearby planet. Captain Newley scrambles Air and Sea Teams, but Chip refuses to go. Lisa decides to stay by his side (you don’t suppose being 2 ships short will matter?)

Chip admits to Lisa that he wrote the letter and lets loose the emotional floodgate.

Lisa assures Chip that something must’ve happened to the letter (suuuuuure it did)

On the planet, Land Team discovers the wreckage of a Drule ship.

You think it’s a trap? I think it may be a trap.

I KNEW IT!

The Drules realize the Voltron Force is two vehicles short, so they attack!

Yeah, no shit!

Then the Drules deploy their latest Robeast!

Crap, it’s got a sword! As any Voltran fan will tell you: once the sword is out, it’s all over!

However, despite being outgunned and two short, Air Team and Sea Team make short work of the Drule fleet. Unfortunately, Land Team still needs to deal with the Robeast!

On the Explorer, Captain Newley pleads with Lisa and Chip to join the fight.

This is enough for Chip to break out of his funk as he and Lisa rush to their vehicles and arrive in time, so…

Once Voltron is in play, the battle ends quickly…

…and what’s left of the Drule fleet quickly retreat.

Later on the Explorer, Captain Newley has something for Chip: a letter!

And wouldn’t ya know, it’s from Pidge! The producers then splice in scenes from Lion Force as Pidge’s voice narrates the letter.

Excuse me, I have some familial love in my eye.

#voltron #vehicle team #Fan Colored Glasses

[fancoloredglasses]

The Day of the Doctor (They couldn't convince Paul McGann to return?), Conclusion

[All images are owned by the BBC. Please don’t sue or EXTERMINATE! me]

(Thanks to BBC)

(Thanks to Doctor Who)

PREVIOUSLY ON...

The Doctor (in his eleventh incarnation, played by Matt Smith) and his companion Clara Oswald have been drafted by UNIT commander Kate Lethbridge-Stewart to investigate a strange event in the basement of the National Archives: several paintings have had their glass shattered from the inside and the people in the paintings have vanished.

While investigating, a time vortex opens and we discover that the current Doctor is on his twelfth incarnation (but we'll still call him the eleventh) as he crosses paths with his previous incarnation (played by David Tennant) and a previously-unchronicled ninth incarnation (whom we will call the War Doctor, played by John Hurt).

Prior to their meeting, the War Doctor was preparing to end the Time War by using a device known as the Moment (the interface being played by Billie Piper, who previously played Rose Tyler) to destroy the Daleks and his home planet of Gallifrey.

Meanwhile, the Tenth (not calling him Eleventh) Doctor was investigating an invasion by a shapeshifting race known as the Zygons, their leader having impersonated Queen Elizabeth, who locked all three Doctors in the Tower of London.

Meanwhile in the present, Kate brings Clara to UNIT's Black Archive (home to all the cool world-ending alien crap they've salvaged from previous invasions) to show a device capable of time travel before revealing that she and her top aides are also Zygons. Fortunately Clara manages to use the device before the Zygons can capture her.

Now, on with our story! If you would like to watch the episode, it's behind your favorite paywall.

In the Tower of London…

(Thanks to Sub2RichieReviews)

Back in the present, Osgood returns to the “statue” room after the Zygons leave and discovers…

Osgood frees Kate, who realizes the Zygons are likely making a move for the Black Archives, and the planet is doomed if they get a hold of it!

Back in the past…

(Thanks again to Sub2RichieReviews)

So…is the Doctor now the King of England?

Anyway, back in the present in the Black Archive, Kate arrives and starts the self-destruct to prevent the contents of the Black Archive from falling into the Zygons’ hands.

(Once again thanks to Sub2RichieReviews)

As Kate and Kate negotiate a peace between their people (whichever ones they are), Clara has a chat with the Doctor.

Clara tries to talk the Doctor out of activating the Moment and ending the Time War, but the Doctor maintains that his action made his future selves into crusaders to prevent such a thing from happening again.

With that, the Doctor and the Moment return to the past to end the Time War.

The Moment tries to talk the Doctor out of it, but he is adamant. So she stalls him until…

She reminds the Doctor that the sound brings hope to many in the universe…just like now.

The Doctor tells himself that this event should be a fixed point and they shouldn’t be able to be there…and yet here they are!

(Yep, Sub2RichieReviews)

The Doctor them prepares for their plan…

(Thanks to Doctor Who)

Yes, that was the first glimpse of the Twelfth Doctor!

And back in the present in the National Archives…

Still, the Doctor is comforted that he at least tried to save Gallifrey. As The War Doctor chats with Clara, the other two Doctors look over the painting of Gallifrey, wondering what it’s actually called and how it got there.

Eventually, it’s time for the War Doctor to return to his own time. He realizes that he won’t remember his time with his future selves and he’ll believe he actually went through with it. Well, he’ll remember in about 400 years. With that, it’s off to his TARDIS. Shortly after his TARDIS dematerializes…

…he regenerates into Christopher Eccelston. (I think he lost the ear lottery on that one)

That just leaves one Doctor out of sync and ready to return to his honeymoon with Elizabeth own time…

(Thanks again to Doctor Who)

That was one hell of a cameo! And a bit of (unintended?) foreshadowing, since the fourteenth Doctor was also played by David Tennant.

And so the story ends, save a bit of a monologue from the Doctor.

(Once again, thanks to Doctor Who)

However, that’s not the end of this review! Because the BBC released a short about the time The Day of the Doctor premiered to give the eighth Doctor the regeneration he never got.

(Thanks to BBC)

Happy 60th, Doctor Who!

#doctor who #matt smith #david tennant #john hurt #Fan Colored Glasses

[fancoloredglasses]

The Day of the Doctor (They couldn't convince Paul McGann to return?), Part 1

[All images are owned by the BBC. Please don’t sue or EXTERMINATE! me]

(Thanks to BBC)

Now, I’m not saying the only reason I reviewed New Who was so I could review Day of the Doctor. After all, there are a LOT of “iconic” episodes. I could rattle off a half dozen between the ninth and eleventh Doctors’ tenures alone! (The introductions of the Weeping Angels, the Silence, Jack Harkness, and River Song, the re-introductions of the Daleks and the Master, the regeneration episodes…) However, getting a chance to revisit this milestone event during the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who is a pretty big incentive!

The original plan was to get the three Doctors from the current series together for this historic event. There was only one small issue: Christopher Eccelston’s departure was due to tensions between Eccelston and then-showrunner Russel T. Davies, and the BBC announcing his departure before the season ended, claiming he was “tired” rather than the actual reason. While Davies was replaced by Steven Moffat, the BBC would not apologize for the way his departure was handled (additionally, he’s not a fan of stories that feature multiple Doctors, as he sees them as nothing more than ratings grabs (he’s not wrong, since everyone tunes in to see their “favorite” Doctor again)) Therefore, he refused to return. This necessitated making a slight retcon in the Doctor’s history.

Now, a bit of history…

The Doctor is in his eleventh incarnation (played by Matt Smith) and carries the weight of the universe on his shoulders, often coming across as weary of his 1200 year journey.

His companion is Clara Oswald, a former nanny who appeared in multiple time periods. She began traveling with the Doctor to unravel how this was possible. Following these events, she has (for now) returned to Earth.

Now, on with the show! If you would like to watch the episode, it’s available through your favorite paywall.

We open with Clara teaching a class when one of the staff comes in and says she has a phone call from her Doctor. With that, Clara climbs on her motorcycle and rushes off.

…and makes a hell of an entrance into the TARDIS. However, her happy reunion with the Doctor is short-lived as the TARDIS suddenly takes off!

…though not under its own power. A helicopter has TARDIS-jacked the Doctor and Clara!

Meanwhile at the Tower of London (the current HQ for UNIT)…

The commander of UNIT, Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, and her aide Petronella Osgood (two callbacks in one shot! Kate is the Brigadier’s daughter, and…well, Osgood’s scarf could only be inspired by one person!) get a phone call from the Doctor. She had ordered the retrieval of the TARDIS, but didn’t know he was inside (so she was planning on hijacking the TARDIS and making him come to her then?)

The Doctor then falls from the TARDIS and is hanging on for dear life as the opening credits roll! He eventually finds his way to solid ground.

It turns out Kate was acting on orders from Queen Elizabeth…the First! The Doctor and Clara enter the National Gallery to get to the bottom of this as the credits wrap up.

After a brief explanation of UNIT (and the fact that the Doctor technically is still their Chief Scientific Advisor), the Doctor and Clara are brought to…

…a painting of Gallifrey during the last days of the Time War (known as “No More” or “Gallifrey Falls”). Now how did that get there? And how did Queen Elizabeth I know about it? And how is an oil painting in 3D?! (For that last question: “Because Time Lords”, naturally) This gives the Doctor a flashback about the one incarnation he’s tried to forget…

(Thanks to Sub2RichieReviews)

And with the Time Lord version of Skynet, the Doctor set out to destroy the Daleks, the Time Lords, and Gallifrey.

[A quick note on the new ninth incarnation of the Doctor (what is now known as the “War Doctor”), played by John Hurt (who is best known for having a xenomorph burst from his chest): when Eccelston refused to return, the writers had to make a quick rewrite to the script and Who lore. Eccelston has since said he thinks the finisjed product works better than the script he was originally presented with…so there’s that at least. However, that technically means that Eccelston’s, Tennant’s, and Smith’s Doctors should be one higher in the count, though fans retain the original numberings. Isn’t retconning fun?]

However, once the Doctor found a suitable location to commit two counts of genocide…

…he hears a noise outside and goes to investigate (why? There might be a Dalek out there!) when he returns, he finds…

The Moment has awakened and has a holographic interface only he can interact with (played by Billie Piper, who was also Rose Tyler) and calls itself…

[FUN FACT: At the end of the ninth Doctor’s tenure, Rose was possessed by the spirit of the TARDIS and referred to herself as “Bad Wolf”]

The Moment (sorry, not calling her Rose or Bad Wolf) tries to talk the Doctor out of using her to end the Time War with finality, saying that there will be consequences. The Doctor is not expecting to live past this act.

The Moment tells him he would have to live with what he had done. One day he will count the innocent children who will burn alongside the Daleks and the Time Lords. The Moment wants the Doctor to see what that will turn him into.

So, the Moment opened a portal and what should come through?

Yep, a fez. Isn’t that cool?

With that, the flashback ends and we’re back in the National Gallery. The Doctor reads the letter from over five centuries ago, that names him curator of the gallery under the National Archives, which holds a great danger to England. Kate brings them to the “Under-Gallery”.

As they leave, one of the UNIT soldiers gets a phone call. He looks confused at who’s on the other side and the orders he’s given.

Meanwhile, in the Under-Gallery, the Doctor sees a painting of Elizabeth I and a familiar-looking man next to her.

This triggers another flashback…

…in which he romanced Queen Elizabeth. Careful Doctor, “Mad Queen Bess” was known to decapitate those who fell out of favor with her!

As it turns out, the proposal was a ploy by the Doctor, who believed “Elizabeth” wasn’t who she said she was, accusing her of being a Zygon!

 [FUN FACT: Zygons made their debut in the fourth Doctor’s tenure, never to be seen again until now.]

The Doctor then insulted “Elizabeth” about how ugly the Zygons are. Just one issue…

Elizabeth wasn’t the Zygon. Her horse was! Oops…

The Doctor tells his new fiancée (apparently) to run while he deals with the Zygon. Unfortunately…

Hooboy…

Then a portal similar to the one the Moment created opened above the trio and what should pop out?

Okay then…

With that, the flashback ends and they enter the Under-Gallery proper, where Elizabeth I kept art she deemed dangerous. As they walk, the Doctor sees they’re walking through “stone dust” (most would call that “sand”) He then tells Osgood to analyze it, since why would there be sand stone dust on a gallery floor? As they walk through the displays, the Doctor sees a fez on display and takes it (after all, fezzes are cool!)

With that, we get to the crux of why UNIT hijacked the TARDIS to summon the Doctor (remember that?)

(Thanks to Doctor Who)

Kate calls one of her subordinates to look up some report from the Brigadier’s era

…as an oddly shaped shadow looms.

Meanwhile, the Doctor argues with himself about what to do about the portal when…

The Doctors are NOT happy to see the Doctor’s appearance. The Doctor tells the other two he’s looking for the Doctor, as these two goofs couldn’t possibly be him!

Well, this is awkward…

Even more awkward, several royal guards surround the Doctors and demand to know which is the Doctor, as the Queen is not herself.

Back at the National Galley, Clara figures out that there are 3 Doctors on the other side of the portal.

Indeed there is!

The Doctor claims Clara is a witch and tells them to leave before she gets angry.

Then Elizabeth (or is it “Elizabeth”?) shows up.

Whoops! The Doctor (the current one) demands to be locked in the Tower along with the other Doctors. In the present, Kate drags Clara away upon hearing that.

Once the Doctors are locked in a single cell in the Tower, the Doctor (the current one) begins carving something into a column while the War Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver to scan the door. Then the Tenth (no, I’m not calling him the “eleventh”, deal!) Doctor asks the important question about their “reunion”…

Meanwhile back at the National Gallery, Osgood finds of the “stone dust” was ordinary marble and granite; the type of stone used in statues. Suddenly, she realizes the figures in the paintings smashed the statues.

With that, the tarps covering the “statues” are pulled aside and the Zygons beneath attack! Osgood’s aide is killed as she cowers in the corner. Then a Zygon approaches and changes form into…

However, Osgood manages to trip “Osgood” on “her” scarf and escapes.

Meanwhile, in the Tower of London, home to UNIT’s Black Archive (a vault that’s so secure it’s TARDIS-proofed and the staff have their memories erased daily. That’s some MIB-level shit right there!), Kate reveals to Clara a time vortex manipulator.

The Doctor, naturally, knows UNIT has it, but kept the activation code to himself to keep it from being misused (that explains what he’s inscribing on that column) One of Kate’s people finds the inscription and sends it, allowing Kate to activate the device (you of course know he’s going to change the code when he returns, right?)

Then Osgood and her assistant enter the Black Archive, which raises a few questions from Clara. Kate decides to answer them.

…or should I say “Kate”.

Unfortunately for the Zygons, Clara grabs the device and inputs the code from Kate’s phone, escaping into the past.

WILL Clara save the Doctor from the Zygons?

WILL the Doctor save the Earth from the Zygons?

WILL The War Doctor die by a Xenomorph to the chest?

These questions and more will be answered in the conclusion of this review!

#doctor who #matt smith #david tennant #john hurt #Fan Colored Glasses

[fancoloredglasses]

Man I'm still trying to process Rooster Teeth being shut down and what it could mean for RWBY. Like arguably with the trouble RT was having Warner shopping RWBY around might increase its chances of getting more seasons but that comes with no guarantees that the core creatives staff from RT will be involved which worries me greatly. This show has been my obsession for over 6 years now, if this is the end I'm grateful for getting introduced to so many great artists and content creators because of it and for it inspiring so many horrible puns for me to inflict on the fandom.

I suppose more than anything my heart goes out to the employees who got blindsided by this and I hope they are able to land on their feet and find some place to start making the content they were so passionate about again soon.

[fancoloredglasses]

Zorro (Get your swashes buckled, folks!)

[All images are owned by New World Television and Zorro Productions, Inc (really!) Please don’t sue me or ruin my clothing with Zs]

(Thanks to megafan_12)

For those who are unaware, Zorro (“The Fox” in Spanish) is a masked swordsman who fights a corrupt government in the same vein as Robin Hood or the Scarlet Pimpernel, but in the town of Los Angeles during the time California was under Spanish/Mexican rule. Much like the aforementioned literary heroes, Zorro is a member of the local aristocracy (Don Diego de la Vega, son of one of the largest landowners in the region) who acts like a dandy and a coward to hide his masked activities.

He has been in literature since 1919 and has been in several movies and television shows (usually by a white man) In fact, it wasn’t until the 70s that a Latino (or Spanish) actor was cast in the role! Talk about injustice!

Most people know the Zorro films that starred Antonio Banderas as the title character (who inherited the mantle from Anthony Hopkins, yet ANOTHER white guy!) Many have seen Guy Ritchie as Zorro in the 50s (who didn’t need to worry about being white since the series was filmed in black & white and no one could tell his skin tone) The film I was first introduced to the character was Zorro, the Gay Blade (no, it wasn’t porn!) which starred Goerge Hamilton (yep, another while guy) as Don Diego and his twin brother Ramon (AKA “Bunny Wigglesworth” who was, shall we say, a bit flamboyant) The less said about that film, the better.

But the subject for this review was a forgotten gem from the 90s that aired on the cable network known as The Family Channel (I swear I saw it in the USA Network, but I couldn’t find any record in my research to prove this)

The series, naturally, follows Don Diego (played by Duncan Regehr yet ANOTHER white guy!)

…and his masked alter ego. (NOTE: Regehr was more muscular and fit than most previous actors in the role, meaning he could be a bit more physical. The character was also written as being a bit of a science buff)

Don Diego lives with his father Don Alejandro (played by Efrem Zimbalist Jr (yep, also white), who voiced Alfred in Batman: the Animated Series, in season 1…

…and Henry Darrow (FINALLY! A Latino actor, and one who actually played Zorro a few years earlier!) for the rest of the series)

…as well as his family’s mute servant Felipe (played by Juan Diego Botto), who also pretends to be deaf and is the only one who knows Don Diego’s secret (it’s not like he can tell anyone)

Don Diego’s love interest is Victoria Escalante (played by Patrice Martinez, who also played the love interest in The Three Amigos)

Zorro fights the corrupt Alcalde (governor) of the territory around Los Angeles Luis Ramone (played by Michael Tylo...yep, another one)

…but was replaced in season 3 by Ignacio de Soto (played by J.G. Hertzler (Seriously?!))

The Alcalde’s chief aide (and leader of the garrison) is Sgt. Mendoza (played by James Victor, the ONE Latino on the bad guys' side), who is the comic relief (of course...) for the series (which explains why they can never stop Zorro)

The plots generally revolve around the Alcalde’s latest plot to stop Zorro by trapping him while performing some form of injustice against the people of Los Angeles, only to be foiled. Note that while the series is very by-the-numbers, the action sequences are well done and there are a number of well-known (or soon-to-be-well-known) actors (as well as, for some reason, a handful of World Wrestling Federation wrestlers) who have guest starred.

As always, if you would like to see an episode reviewed, please let me know!

#zorro #Fan Colored Glasses

[fancoloredglasses]

Doctor Who (Wait, didn't we already cover this?)

[All images are owned by the BBC. Please don’t sue or EXTERMINATE! me]

Now, I know some of you are wondering if this is a RERUN because I already reviewed the show. That’s not entirely true. You see, most fans differentiate between the series (and TV movie) that featured the first eight Doctors (“Classic Who”) and what came after (“New Who”) In my original review, I covered Classic Who, as New Who was (and is) still airing, but I feel that these newer Doctors deserve their time in my spotlight (plus I would like to review some of the newer episodes, and I don’t review episodes to series I haven’t already reviewed)

Now as a rule I don’t review series that are still releasing new content, mainly due to fear of being contradicted by episodes that haven’t yet aired. However, I’ve broken that rule before. Also, I’m expecting to have to update this review eventually to cover newer Doctors as their tenures come to an end.

Now, on with the review!

When William Hartnell left Doctor Who, to be replaced by Patrick Troughton, in 1966, many fans thought that was the end of the series. I mean, how can you replace the title character with another actor? Surprisingly, instead the show continued to be a success, and when each subsequent Doctor regenerated, fans were a mixed bag of dread (due to their Doctor leaving) and anticipation (due to wondering how this would change the tone of the show). However, that came to an end in 1989 when the BBC cancelled Doctor Who.

However, fans were given new hope when the TV movie/pilot aired in 1996. However, a new series wasn’t picked up and fans were sure this was actually the end.

However (again) the BBC announced a new Doctor Who series to debut in 2005! Fans were once again a mixed bag. Was this a reboot or a continuation? Would Paul McGann return as the eighth Doctor or would we get a new Doctor (and would it be a rebooted first or the ninth)? Would we see the villains and allies we’ve seen in the past? What would a decade of advances in special effects do for the look and feel of the series (and will they actually get a special effects budget this time)?

These questions were answered when Christopher Eccleston burst on the scene as a Doctor fresh from his regeneration to deal with the latest threat facing Earth. This Doctor was intense and haunted by the fact that he was the last of the Time Lords (the rest were destroyed, along with the Daleks, to stop a Time War between the two sides that threatened to destroy the universe)

His companion for his entire tenure was Rose Tyler (played by UK pop star Billie Piper) There was definite romantic tension between the two as they traveled together.

Of course, as we all know, every major threat in Doctor Who is never finished “Once And For All”, so we see that the Daleks survived!

(Thanks to CyberTARDIS)

…and 21st century effects showed them to be the threat they were meant to be!

(Of course the Daleks weren’t the only threats to return, but the others would have to wait until later)

However, there was one other major addition to the series during the Ninth Doctor’s tenure…

Jack Harkness, an immortal scoundrel, befriends the Doctor and Rose. Eventually he returns to modern London and joins the alien defense group (and spin-off show) known as Torchwood.

However, due to conflicts behind the scenes, Eccleston only stayed on for one season (making his tenure as the Doctor the shortest if you count the nine years between the TV movie and New Who as McGann’s tenure) and he regenerated into…

David Tennant, who brought his brand of manic energy to the character. He would also bring back the rest of the Doctor’s old foes…

The Cybermen

The Sontarans

…and the Master (who’s no longer trying to look like Roger Delgado), as well as a new threat…

The Weeping Angels, who “steal” time (sending their victims to the past) with a touch, but can’t move when observed.

But he would also bring back an old friend…

Sarah Jane Smith (played by Elisabeth Sladen reprising her iconic role), who would get a second chance at a spin-off series in The Sarah Jane Adventures, which she would star in until her death in 2011.

He would also introduce a new recurring character in her final appearance (time travel…gotta love it!)

River Song (who keeps a diary so she knows which Doctor is which when) Though she meets her end (SPOILERS!) when the Doctor first meets her, she is a recurring character throughout the rest of the series.

Eventually, Tennant’s time comes to an end and he regenerates into…

Matt Smith (the youngest to play the Doctor to date), who ironically played the Doctor as an old man (he is over a millennium old, after all!) trying to connect with his younger companions…

(Thanks to Will TThe Ghost)

…and feels the weight of the universe and all he done for (and to) it on his shoulders.

With a new Doctor comes a new threat to the Universe to join the Daleks and the rest of the lot…

The Silence, who make can their victims forget they exist (and work with the Weeping Angels)

However, we would see the introduction of one of his “past selves”...

…played by John Hurt (though technically he’s the ninth Doctor and regenerated into Eccleston, the fans do not give him his “proper” designation and simply call him “The War Doctor” as he existed only during the Time War)

This makes the “eleventh” Doctor the twelfth (and final, as Time Lords only have 12 bodies) However, the Universe couldn’t bear to be without the Doctor, so…

(Thanks to Doctor Who)

Thus was the twelfth Doctor (thirteenth if you count the War Doctor, which most fans don’t) brought into the universe

…played by Peter Capaldi (tied for the oldest actor to play the Doctor with Willam Hartnell). This Doctor was very much the Grumpy Old Man who was mean and sarcastic to pretty much everyone (even moreso than he usually is)

In addition to the Usual Band Of Threats, this Doctor faced a number of minor threats from previous incarnations that returned stronger than before, as well as a new version of…

…the Master (or “Missy” as she calls herself), which sets the precedent that Time Lords are gender fluid. Which was important, as when Capaldi’s time ended he regenerated into…

…Jodie Whittaker. This Doctor was a lot more empathic than her predecessors (the closest being the fifth) and called her first companions her “Fam” (short for family)

Unfortunately, hers was the one that was the worst received (primarily due to the Gatekeepers of the fandom, but also her writing was a bit erratic at times), and her time eventually ended…

(Thanks to BBC)

Yes, the fourteenth Doctor regenerated to a previous body!

Now, the fifteenth Doctor will have been announced and revealed by the time this review is uploaded, but that’ll be for another time (as I haven’t seen the fourteenth's tenure yet! Will he have the same manic energy or will Tennant bring something new to the table?)

As always, if you would like to see an episode reviewed, let me know. For now, I leave you with a non-canon Doctor Who episode filmed for the British charity Comic Relief courtesy of TJ DW. You may recognize who’s playing the Doctor…

Part 1

the conclusion

#doctor who #christopher eccleston #david tennant #matt smith #peter capaldi #jodie whittaker #Fan Colored Glasses

[fancoloredglasses]

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (live action anime)

[All images are owned by Saban Entertainment and Toei Company Ltd. Please don’t sue me]

(Thanks to Power Rangers Official)

It’s hard to believe that it’s been over 30 years since this show came out. I’ll admit, I thought it was dumb then and not much has changed my opinion, but Saban is still releasing new Power Rangers shows, with the final installment based on the original series released last year and a reboot scheduled for next year!

Much like with most anime shown in the US, Power Rangers used footage from a Japanese show (in this case Super Sentai), removed any Japanese cultural imagery, then re-formatted and re-dubbed it. However, in this case they also used original footage filmed in the U.S. and spliced it in.

The Earth is threatened by the evil Rita Repulsa and her horde that have been trapped in what’s best described as a “space dumpster” for 10,000 years. Her first act upon gaining her freedom is to make plans to conquer the nearest inhabited planet (three guesses which one)

Fortunately for Earth, the sage known as Zordon learns or Rita’s escape and recruits 5 teenagers from Angel Grove, California as the planet’s defenders. He gives them enhanced abilities and snazzy faceless suits to battle Rita’s forces, christening them…

…the Power Rangers!

Jason Scott, the Red Ranger, is the leader of the team. The other Rangers are…

Billy Cranston, the Blue Ranger

Kimberly Hart, the Pink Ranger (Oh, cute! The girl is the Pink one! Very clever, guys!)

Zack Taylor is the Black…SERIOUSLY?! The BLACK Ranger? Are you going to make the Yellow Ranger an Asian?

OH, COME ON! Yes, Trini Kwan is the Yellow Ranger

Whenever Rita sends her army of minions to invade (and they ALWAYS start their invasion in Angel Grove for some reason), the Power Rangers suit up and get ready for action!

(Thanks to RANGERVERSE)

Of course, once the Power Rangers are on the scene, Rita sends in a giant monster. However, part of the Power Rangers’ abilities include telepathic command of giant robots (known as “Zords”) that resemble the prehistoric creatures they gain their powers from. Much like with the Lion Force, individually they’re not much of a match for the monster until…

(Thanks to tallarun2005)

…they join forces to form the Megazord, then Save the Day.

Of course, being teenagers, they have typical teenager stuff to deal with, including comic relief bullies.

Meet Skull and Bulk, who are often causing mischief that almost always blows up in their faces.

Of course, after a season of getting beaten by five teenagers, Rita’s superior Lord Zed stuffed her back in the dumpster and took over. The last thing Rita did before getting trashed was make her own Ranger…

Tommy Oliver

AKA the Green Ranger, commanding the Dragonzord. Tommy eventually shook Rita’s control and joined the Power Rangers. However, Zedd took away his powers, so Zordon gave him new powers and christened him…

…the White Ranger, commanding the White Tigerzord.

The series lasted three seasons, but has had several movies and spinoffs (Of course, with new Rangers as actors decided to move on, with David Yost (who played Tommy) being the last of the original five to leave in 1996. Jason David Frank, who played Tommy, left in 1997 but made sporadic appearances until 2022)

If you would like to see the series, it’s available on PlutoTV or behind your favorite paywall.

If you would like to see an episode reviewed, let me know!

#mighty morphin power rangers #Fan Colored Glases

[fancoloredglasses]

Birds of Prey (minus Harley Quinn)

[All images are owned by DC Comics and Warner Bros Discovery. Please don’t sue or paralyze me]

(Thanks to The World’s Finest)

It’s absolutely incredible that Bat-mania, that was always low-key A Thing since Batman's debut in the 1930s (but kicked into high gear in 1989 thanks to a little film starring Michael Keaton) is still going on (despite Joel Schumacher’s best efforts) It’s to the point that pretty much any DC film (and a number of TV shows) that doesn’t feature the Dark Knight is all but doomed.

This may have been the issue with 2002’s Birds of Prey, based on the comic of the same name. The show takes place in Gotham some years after Batman stopped being A Thing, but there is still Scum and Villainy in Gotham (or New Gotham) to deal with, so a new team was formed to deal with them.

The team is led by Barbara Gordon…

…AKA Batgirl…or at least she was until a scene ripped right from The Killing Joke graphic novel…

(Thanks to jbaltiero)

The Joker’s bullet shattered Barbera’s spine, leaving her a paraplegic. Still wanting to make a difference, she asked Bruce Wayne to set her us with a state-of-the-art computer system, which she used to hack into the city’s computer and surveillance network, allowing her to gain information on the underworld and rechristened herself…

...Oracle

The second member is the team takes her origin from her pre-Crisis years rather than post-Crisis.

The Huntress AKA Helena Kyle, daughter of Batman and Catwoman. When the Joker murders Selina Kyle, Barbera takes in Helena and trains her to be her partner on the street.

Finally we come to the final member of the team…

Dinah Lance is the daughter of the Black Canary. She has psychic abilities but little in the way of fighting abilities. As such, she’s usually held in reserve (or in danger)

The trio work to do what Batman did years ago, dealing with the Thug Of The Week.

However, as this was essentially a Batman series without Batman, plus for the most part there was no overarching storyline, the series only lasted half a season. Which is a shame, since the series had potential, even if the hardcore fans (like myself) may have had issues with the series taking too many liberties with DC canon.

However, the series was given a (sort of) proper sendoff 17 years later…

(Thanks to TV Promos)

If you would like to watch the series, it's available on Tubi or behind your favorite paywall.

If you would like to see an episode reviewed, let me know!

#dc comics #birds of prey #oracle #huntress #black canary #Fan Colored Glasses

[fancoloredglasses]

The hills and valleys of super hero movie interest with the power of gifs!

So as a child of the 80s I grew up with the late 70's/early 80's Superman. I recall the iconic moment when Lois Lane gets swept off her feet and says, "You've got me!?! Whose got you!?!" Being the moment when the character really started to hit his stride. You could believe a man could fly.

And almost believe he turn turn back time. Don't piss off Sups. You wouldn't want to see him angry...

The other hero I watched an awful lot of was 1960s Batman. The live action Batman lots of *POW!*, "ZOK!", "SOCK!!" and of course the ever elusive *ZOWIE!* The typical Batman battling villains, escaping traps, and defeating the bad guys! YAY!

As the 80's slipped into the 90's so did change the heroes.

Batman got all dark. And I loved it! Bruce wasn't as much the cheerful hero and more brooding. But he still had the same heart as the beloved Adam West version.

In addition to the Animated Series was the Tim Burton movie. And... Dat Soundtrack.

Then in the 90's. Superman died.

(image snagged from aiptcomics.com)

Sups death hit me hard. (At least in the short term before DC brought him back. Hey, kids gotta keep buying comics you know!)

Suddenly, my childhood heroes could die. That was sobering to me.

(Thank goodness I didn't see Crisis on Infinite Earths then I might have hit this existential brick wall a tad bit sooner...)

Superman did come back (eventually).

I thought hey, "At least there still are more Batman movies coming out!" Unfortunately, the Batman movies I enjoyed started to get a little... Zowie.

I mean Zany.

I wanted to be interested in Batman Forever and Batman & Robin (& Batgirl) but the epic camp cringe was a little much for me. In addition, I like actor consistency with my characters. When Michael Keaton left the Batman role so did my interest.

That was about the time when Marvel comics did something extraordinary. They made a kickass superhero movie.

I was introduced to Blade (film) as a "You are watching this whether you like it or not" movie night. Because my friends know good films and I didn't have much choice. While the film Blade is graphic with its violence (It's a vampire film. Expect blood and guts) I loved it. Fantastic cast, great characters, and good story I thought. I followed the Midnight Suns comics briefly in Marvel so I knew a little bit of Blade's backstory. Blade was a cool anti-hero, born of a woman who was turned into a vampire. Blade was a Dhampir specifically, a vampire who could walk in the light. Blade himself was a vampire hunter out to rid the world of Vampires. The film Blade was perfect for an era where heroes generally got dark to the point of Ultraviolet.

Okay, Okay. That was a bad joke.

Then came the 21st century when suddenly the biggest thing to hit the box office (For comic geeks) hit the theaters.

Whoa whoa! No! Nononono! (Jumping a bit too far here!)

Right movie universe. But the movie I want to talk about was wayyyy... Before the Spiderverse.

Nope. Not this one. We're going to circle back to Deadpool later.

But this is not to the film I want to talk about yet.

Great scene. The film I want to talk about is a little earlier...

Wait. What? Too far back! Ugh. At least it wasn't the 90's movie version of Cap...

Alright, I just need to make a slight adjustment to the Gif-o-matic...

There. That's the one. Sam Rami's Spiderman.

You might ask, why that film?

It got me believing a kid could web shoot and soar across skylines. (And take a chair to the head. Rest In Peace Macho Man.) Spider Man was really the first Marvel film other than the Blade series that actually was good. Uh, I mean that made money.

The Spider man story followed the original comics beat for beat even throwing in a "firefighters help Spidey" scene because they are the real heroes.

No seriously.

Lets take a moment to thank firemen/women/people for what they do. They risk life, limb and lungs running into burning buildings for a living. Firefighters pull people, animals, possessions, and whatever out of buildings because they care. They might not have super powers but they are there to save the day.

Back to the film: The one major difference between the film and the comics was that Spidey didn't have mechanical webshooters built from scratch, Peter Parker got spider DNA to give him bio web shooter glands in his wrists. (This was actually a nod to the Spiderman 2099 character but that is a story for another day.)

Spidey got me me back into super hero films after the Batman series faded into campy oblivion.

The actor cast for Peter Parker looked like him, and the actor for the Green Goblin did a fantastic job.

Plus we got our first and Best J. Jonah Jameson.

The Spidey/Green Goblin costumes looked awesome, and we got our "With great power comes great responsibility" moment. Plus I got to witness the long standing tradition of silly Stan Lee cameos.

Right. Yes, Sir. Got it. My apologizes. No more snark. God bless you.

The Spidey movie got me back into watch comic book films just when the big comic boom began with the first X-men series, and eventually Iron Man who started the whole cinematic universe.

But... Where I'm getting to is that I eventually got knocked off the comic movie watching rails once again.

Batman v. Superman. There were good scenes I liked but there were more bad ones in my opinion. There were times I just wanted the B v. S movie to just stop and start over. But the one scene that really was uncomfortable... Was watching Bruce's parents die one more time. I give credit to the director for making the scene short but it follows a trauma inducing script:

Family leaving a movie theater.

Dark alley shortcut.

Mugger appears.

Parents shot.

Childhood lost.

A beloved hero is born from the death of childhood but I just felt tired from having seen it in the late 80's film, animated 90's shows, and the Christopher Nolan film. After watching B v. S, I needed a long break.

Even though some really good hero films came out with Wonder Woman, Black Panther, and multiple Avengers films, the New Spider Man series, the New X-men series, the Thor/Hulk films, Dr. Strange, and more. I have just felt tired. Not sure I could get back on the super hero film train again.

Well... One super hero film did bring me back.

Deadpool. Gritty, 4th wall breaking, joking, insane, anti-hero who laughs hiding honest pain.

When Ryan Reynolds put on the suit, Deadpool was born. I found myself just laughing through the entirety of the film. More over I would watch the film again and again because the writers, actors, and director really wanted to do the movie justice and it shows.

That said, I'm going to be in line for Wolverine and Deadpool. Who is with me?

[fancoloredglasses]

Captain N: The Game Master (A better brand ambassador than Nintendo cereal)

[All images are owned by DIC Animation (and I’m guessing Nintendo) Please don’t sue me]

(Thanks to Cartoonintro)

One cannot understate the popularity of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in the late 80s. Unlike the previous “king” (the Atari 2600; yes, the 5200 was released 3 years before the NES, but it didn’t have the traction the 2600 did), the processor was powerful enough to play games that looked exactly like they do in the arcades.

And what games they were! Aside from the arcade ports, the NES had games that would be the start of several franchises that are still releasing new games to this day!

In fact, the NES was so popular they had their own fan magazine (Nintendo Power) that had an advice column headed by an entity known only as “Captain Nintendo (later “Captain N”)

Eventually Captain N got a comic within the magazine, which the led to Nintendo contracting DIC Animation to make a television series.

And what a series it was! In addition to the main cast (more on them in a bit), nearly EVERY franchise on the NES made an appearance at one point or another, except one…

(Thanks to The Dubbing Database)

…because they had their own show.

The show’s premise is that a teen named Kevin is summoned via his NES, along with his dog Duke, to a realm known as Video Land.

Kevin is rechristened “Captain N” (good thing he already had a letterman jacket with an N on it) and is the Chosen One, destined to save the realm. Assisting Captain N in his quest are…

Princess Lana, the de facto ruler of Video Land after her father’s disappearance

Simon Belmont (the main character from the original Castlevania), who is a pompous ass, has a massive crush on Lana, and believes he’s the Hero of the Story. He’s mainly used for comic relief, but mainly through his interactions with the other heroes (he’s obviously not incompetent; Nintendo’s trying to sell his video game after all!)

Kid Icarus (from the video game of the same name), who is a crack archer and can obviously fly, though he has issues with his height; he’s the shortest of the heroes besides…

…Mega Man (from the game of the same name), who has a variety of devices and attachments.

But what’s a hero without villains, and have they got the who’s who for a mastermind…

Mother Brain from Metroid (for some reason, the show doesn’t have the game’s hero Samas Aran) Unfortunately, she has a “Who’s that?!” for henchmen.

The Eggplant Wizard (from Kid Icarus) and King Hippo (from Mike Tyson’s Punch Out), who are the incompetent comic relief on the villain side.

Fortunately, she does have some competence in the form of Dr. Wily (from Mega Man) Unfortunately, he doesn’t show up that often.

The plots are run-of-the-mill. Mother Brain comes up with a plan to take over Video Land (or ay least one of the realms within) and it’s up to Captain N and his allies to stop her (usually aided inadvertently by Hippo and Eggplant’s bumbling) And somewhere along the way, Simon awkwardly tries to hook up with Lana despite the fact that she’s clearly not interested.

If you would like to watch the series, it’s available in its entirety on YouTube.

#captain n #kid icarus #simon belmont #mega man #mother brain #nintendo #Fan Colored Glasses