Author: Robert Greenberger

REVIEW: Teen Titans: The Judas Contract

Condensing nearly eighty years of comics continuity, characters, and interpretations into other media allows for cherry-picking and revision to be done, so the resulting new work has the look and feel of the original while offering up something fresh, and hopefully, good.

One of the best-regarded storylines in DC’s history is “The Judas Contract” which was the culmination of a two year thread in New Teen Titans because no one saw the twists and turns in the storyline while it also dramatically shifted Dick Grayson’s status quo. It also provided readers with the origin of the Tiran’s great foe, Deathstroke. The ending was emotional and strong while the entire story holds up on rereading.

What is offered up in Teen Titans: The Judas Contract animated feature, out now from Warner Home Entertainment, is a pale comparison for a number of reasons. First, the lineup of characters is substantially different so the bonds of friendship are different. We open with a flashback to the original Titans (more or less) showing their ease with one another, their trust and teamwork. It nicely introduces Starfire and shows her immediate connection with Robin. Then we move five years into the Animated Universe continuity and we have the current Titans: Starfire (Kari Wahlgren), Robin (Stuart Allan), Beast Boy (Brandon Soo Hoo), Raven (Taissa Farmiga), Blue Beetle (Jake T. Austin), and Terra (an excellent Christina Ricci). There is little explanation of when Terra joined the team, but in the comics, she was around for quite some time before betraying the team.

In the comics, Deathstroke was hired by H.I.V.E. to destroy the Titans and manipulated Tara Markov, a sociopathic teen exiled from Markovia, to be his mole. He played the long game, getting her deep with the team’s trust, even initiating a romance with Changeling (Beast Boy), before having her deliver them to his grasp. She wound up sacrificing herself to save the team, a noble final act.

In the animated film, this is a much more condensed story, with lots of character threads that are under-deserved while the comics’ concurrent Brother Blood (Gregg Henry) story was given way too much play here. Ernie Altbacker, who did a great job on Justice League Dark, has a tough job in adapting the story for film and by using Brother Blood and his cult, serves up nonsensical action in lieu of the real emotional core. Terra’s introduction to the Tians is skipped over while flashbacks show a vastly different origin than the comics, a cliched one at that.

Terra’s romance with Beast Boy comes too late in the story and doesn’t have the same deep resonance it had in the comics, the same with Deathstroke’s uncomfortable sexual relationship with Terra. In the film, he is colder towards her, redeemed only by Miguel Ferrer’s strong (and sadly, final) performance as Slade Wilson. I still dislike how Deathstroke was appended to the League of Assassins in these films since it makes little sense and wish they’d move past that.

Blood’s device, designed to drain the Titans’ powers into him, transforming him into a god, is perhaps the weakest part of the story and an illogical one since Beetle’s alien tech or Raven’s supernatural force cannot easily be captured and transferred.

Where Altbacker excels, is with the evolving relationship between Starfire and Nightwing (Sean Maher) as they move in together at the same time she is jealous with his easy rapport with the team he no longer leads. The other character subplots – notably Beetle’s tense relationship with his father – could have been stronger. At least this film runs longer than most, clocking in at 85 minutes, allowing even this much characterization. His use of Damian is an excellent addition although he’s off the gird for a long stretch in the middle, as if Altbacker couldn’t figure out what to do with him.

Long-time fans will recognize Jericho in an early scene and we’re rewarded with a hint of things to come with a post-credits scene. Similarly, Wonder Girl is seen at the end, and should be showcased whenever the Titans turn up next.

Overall, if you take the film as the latest installment in the shared animated universe, it’s a strong entry. As an adaptation of this cherished comics tale, it falls woefully short. The film can be found in a variety of formats, of course, including a nifty gift set complete with Blu-ray, DVD, Digital HD code, and a Blue Beetle figure.

The Blu-ray comes with a 28-minute chat between New Teen Titans co-creators Marv Wolfman and George Pérez which shows their easy camaraderie. Marv brought along some nifty artifacts enhancing the video.

Less interesting is the Villains United—Deathstroke (9:00), with Wolfman, Pérez, and Mike Carlin talking about Slade Wilson’s evolution and place in the pantheon of great antagonists.

There’s a fun Sneak Peek for the next offering, the stand-alone Batman and Harley Quinn with the return of Bruce Timm to the team. Rounding out the video are two thematically-related episodes from the DC Comics Vault: “Terra” and “Titan Rising”, both from Teen Titans.

Win a Copy of Split on Blu-ray

James McAvoy showed news aspects of his talent in M. Night Shyamalan’s return to scary filmmaking with Split. The film, which took the box office crown in January, is coming to Blu-ray on April 18 and we have a copy to give away to a lucky reader. Courtesy of Universal Home Entertainment, we’ll give you an opportunity to experience the frightening thriller which delves into the mysterious depths of one man’s fractured mind as a terror unlike the world has seen prepares to be unleashed. Split offers viewers a closer look at the movie fans are raving about with a never-before-seen alternate ending, deleted scenes, character spotlight, and a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film.

All you need to do is tell us which your favorite Shyamalan film and why.

We need your entries submitted before 11:59 p.m., Monday, April 17. The contest is open to readers only in the United States and Canada. The decision of ComicMix‘s judge will be final. The winner will receive a copy directly from Universal Home Entertainment.

Producer Marc Bienstock (Before I Falland executive producers Ashwin Rajan (Devil, The Visit) and Steven Schneider (Paranormal Activity series) who collaborated on The Visit reunite with SPLIT. Starring James McAvoy, Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch), Betty Buckley (The Happening, Oz), Haley Lu Richardson (The Edge of  SeventeenFollow) and Jessica Sula (Recovery Road), critics hail SPLIT as “a nerve-shredding thriller” (Tim Grierson, Screen International).
BONUS FEATURES ON BLU-RAYTM AND DVD
  • Alternate Ending Deleted Scenes
  • The Making of  Split Filmmakers, cast, and crew discuss what attracted them to the project and how they were able to bring such a unique premise to life.
  • The Many Faces of  James McAvoy- A look at how James McAvoy approached the challenge of playing so many different identities.
  • The Filmmaker’s Eye: M. Night Shyamalan- Director and writer M. Night Shyamalan has a singular, big-picture vision of his projects. Producers, cast, and crew discuss how Night’s process gives them the freedom to execute their roles to the fullest.

REVIEW: Batman: The Brave and the Bold The Complete Third Season

Well, it’s about time. For the last twenty-five years or so, we’ve had one animated Batman series after another but to be honest only two are really good: Batman the Animated Series and Batman: The Brave and the Bold. The latter has been slowly coming out on Blu-Ray with season one in 2013 and season two in 2015. This month, we’re getting the third and final season and the good news is that it is as entertaining as remembered.

After increasingly odd interpretations of Batman, Warner Animation decided to go retro and bring back the Batman of the 1960s, who was not afraid to operate in daylight and would partner with just about anyone in a mask as the need arose. Producer James Tucker saw to it that it honored the comic the series took its name from while modernizing it with contemporary characters and characterizations. The result was a delightful thirty minutes for three seasons and now we get the final thirteen installments.

Episodes 53 through 65 continues to have Batman (Diedrich Bader) mix and match heroes and villains, zaniness from emotional intensity and serving up action, laughs, and fine vocal work. Each episode has a teaser bit that as often as note, relates to the main story, allowing for tonal variety. We open with “Joker: The Vile and the Villainous!” as the Clown Prince of Crime (Jeff Bennett) comes to appear in the majority of the story, much to the Caped Crusader’s chagrin. It also shows how deep into the vault they will go for characters as they resurrect the Weeper (Tim Conway) from Bulletman’s exploits in the Golden Age of comics.

Throughout the season we see Batman dealing with Justice League International as Blue Beetle (Will Friedle) continues to grow as a hero and Captain Atom (Brian Bloom) is welcomed to the team.

We jump around Batman’s career as we see him partner once more with Robin (Grey DeLisle) to take down goes including Catwoman (Nika Futterman) and King Tut, as a nod to the 1966 TV series in addition to time travel tales that involve Kamandi,

There are Easter Eggs aplenty and many a reference to elements and stories from the comics themselves such as “Night of the Batmen”, taken from the eponymous comic book version, which was inspired by a story from Batman #177, as an injured Batman watches Aquaman (John DiMaggio), Captain Marvel (Jeff Bennett), Green Arrow (James Arnold Taylor), and Plastic Man (Tom Kenny) don the mantle of the Bat to protect Gotham City from Deadshot (Kenney), Cavalier (Greg Ellis), Babyface, Killer Moth (Corey Burton), and Sportsmaster (Thomas F. Wilson). Another episode was taken from 1976’s DC Superstars Giant #10. Then you have a variation on an old 1950s story as the Batmen of All Nations are confronted by the Jokers of All Nations (I’m genuinely surprised Grant Morrison didn’t come up with this first).

As the series wound down, the penultimate episode pulled out all the stops with four vignettes that focused on the guest stars over the title hero. We have “Adam Strange (Michael T. Weiss) in Worlds War” as Kanjar Ro (Marc Worden) makes his second appearance this season; “Flash (Alan Tudyk) in Double Jeopardy” with appearances by Captain Boomerang (John DiMaggio), Mirror Master (Tom Kenny), and Abra Kadabra (Jeff Bennett); “’Mazing Man (Tom Kenny) in Kitty Catastrophe”, a delightful use of the charming character; and ”The Creature Commandos in The War That Time Forgot” which focuses on a mission to Dinosaur Island and confrontation with the Ultra-Humanite (Jeff Bennett).

The fourth wall is shattered in the final episode when Bat-Mite (Paul Ruebens) pops up and has decided this format is tired and needs to be retired by making the show so awful the Cartoon Network has to cancel it. With Batman, Aquaman (Ted McGinley), and the whole cast endangered, the only one to stop Bat-Mite is…Ambush Bug (Henry Winkler)?

The shows are tremendous fun and if you’ve never experienced them, now’s a good time to find them all.

REVIEW: Static Shock: The Complete First Season

Animated fare was very slow to integrate, largely because there was a paucity of useful source material to mine from. In the 1990s, that began to change, largely thanks to Milestone Media, a multicultural operation that had a line of comics distributed through DC Comics.

Milestone’s best known character is Static, a young urban teen with a definite modern-day Peter Parker vibe to him. Virgil Hawkins just wanted live his life when he was accidentally exposed to mutagen gas, giving him electromagnetic powers. Donning a self-made outfit, he protected his corner of the ‘Hood as Static.

The show arrived in 2000 with a bang and became a cause because it not only featured a positive image of a black male, but closely resembled the source material thanks to Milestone co-creators Dwayne McDuffie and Denys Cowan being heavily involved in the show. Static has been back every now and then and the 52 episodes remain well-regarded even today. Thankfully, Warner Archives has released Static Shock: The Complete First Season.

For those unfamiliar, McDuffie started on staff at Marvel, rising to be a writer with a distinct voice. At much the same time, Cowan broke in to DC, training under the last full generation of master editors, allowed to develop his own, gritty style where he blossomed on The Question. Joining them on the production side was producer James Tucker under the guidance of supervising producers Alan Burnett and Scott Jeralds along with executive producers Jean MacCurdy and Sander Schwartz.

The subject matter was certainly different for cartoons as we meet Virgil (Phil LaMarr), who lost his mom to gang violence, being recruited to join one of the gangs that rule Dakota City. When the gas explodes, not only does Virgil gain powers but so do others and they are all dubbed “Bang Babies” whether good or bad. As Static, he tries to do what is right, despite the complications and obstacles. He also pines for her best friend Frieda (Danica McKellar). Thankfully, he has a faithful best friend in Richard “Richie” Osgood Foley/Gear (Jason Marsden), who covers for him and helps make equipment as needed. During the season, he also befriends Daisy Watkins (Crystal Scales), who becomes a confidant.

There are complications aplenty starting at home with his father, Robert Hawkins (Kevin Michael Richardson), who runs the Freeman Community Center and disapproves of the Bang Babies and their antics. This is contrasted by Ivan Evans/Ebon (Gary Sturgis), leader of “The Meta-Breed”.

The show is grounded in ways most other super-hero fare has not been and did not shy away from social issues such as the gangs and gang violence that was there from the beginning. A strong episode in the first season also dealt with racism while another dealt with responsibility after he took a job but had to leave it to save the day, only to be fired. There are ties to the Milestone universe as he comes under the watch of Edwin Alva, from Hardware.

While the animation is occasionally stiff, the storytelling, writing, and soul more than make up for it. The first thirteen episodes, included here with a smattering profile-style extras, allows you to watch the series and its diverse cast grow and mature.

REVIEW: The Zeta Project

Lost amid the hubbub over the animated series based on the traditional DC Comics was The Zeta Project, a fun spinoff from Warner Animation’s first original creation, Batman Beyond. Thanks to Warner Archives the two season series, spanning 2001-2002, is being released on DVD.

The series is focused on Zeta (Diedrich Bader), formally known as Infiltration Unit Zeta, a synthoid, who works for the NSA. The machine was introduced in the season two Batman Beyond episode “Zeta,” written by Robert Goodman, who developed the spinoff.

He violates his programming when he is asked to kill an innocent and goes on the run, vowing never to kill again. Of course, the NSA wants him back and sends a team, led by the clichéd obsessive, Agent James Bennett (the well-cast Kurtwood Smith), convinced Brother’s Day, the terrorists reprogrammed the agency’s machine. He’s often accompanied by the arrogant Agent West (Michael Rosenbaum). Only Agent Lee (Lauren Tom) considers Zeta may be telling the truth. Exasperated, she will eventually leave the NSA at the end of the first season and is replaced by Agent Rush (Erika Alexander, later Dominique Jennings).

Thankfully, Zeta has 15-year-old runaway, Rosalie “Ro” Rowan (Julie Nathanson) to help him navigate the civilian world and find Dr. Eli Selig, his creator and the one person who can prove his innocence.

Being in the near future of Batman Beyond, everything is high tech, glossy, and interesting to look at. The episodes explore different settings and locales, and you can always count on an explosive action as Zeta uses his holography to disguise himself. After disposing of the weapons he was left with non-lethal tools including handheld welding lasers and extensible limbs.

Unlike its host series, Zeta was definitely aimed at a younger audience so the characters were flatter and the action more frenetic. As a result, it never found the same enthusiastic crowd, even after a dramatic shift in look and tone began with the two-part “Wired” during season two. It might have been too late which is one reason why the show ended after two seasons and it’s taken this long to collect the second season at all.

The series ended without a conclusion so Zeta is still on the run with Dr. Selig seemingly killed. He did make two appearances on BB, “Shadows” and “Countdown”, both of which originally aired on the same day and are included as bonuses in the two-disc Season One set.

REVIEW: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

J.K. Rowling did a superb job creating her magical universe, populating it worldwide with schools, wizards, prisons, creatures, and muggles aplenty. She also gave her world a rich history and then has been mining it with spinoff works of varying lengths and media. One of the more popular has been Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, taking a reference book mentioned in her Harry Potter novels and telling the story of how Newt Scamander managed to pen such a fascinating work.

Warner Bros, seeking ways to continue to profit from the film series, optioned the title and has created a trilogy with Rowling taking her turn as screenwriter for director David Yates, who directed four of the eight films. He did a far more immersive and coherent job on last year’s Legend of Tarzan.

The resulting film has grossed over $800 million worldwide so the gamble seems to have paid off and yet, the film adaptation was surprisingly lacking in charm and, well, magic.

Wisely, the story is set in America so we can see a different attitude and approach to magic as Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) has come to the States in search of more magical beasties to preserve. He has the misfortune to arrive as 1926 New York City is under attack and magic exposed to the No-Maj populace. Fanning the flames is Mary Lou Barebone (Samantha Morton), peddling the New Salem Philanthropic Society. The overly complicated plot also has a search going on for dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald and schisms within the Magical Congress of the United States of America, allowing its director Percival Graves (Colin Farrell) to conduct some extracurricular work of his own.

Coming to Newt’s aid is disgraced Aurora Tina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston), her sister Queenie (Alison Sudol), and would-be baker Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler), a non-maj. The Queenie-Jacob relationship is the film’s real heart and soul and I wish there was far more of that rather than sound and fury signifying how large their budget was for CGI. Everything is loud and overly prolonged without necessarily advancing character or story.

Visually, this is a dreary version of Jazz Age Manhattan which was flying high just prior to the 1929 Stock Market Crash. There are dark clouds and somber tones permeating the film, all the more to contrast with the realm where Scamander has been housing his finds, preserving them from a magical community that misunderstands and mistrusts them.

Frankly, the film, out now for home video consumption from Warner Home Video, is a messy disappointment, missing the essential elements that made the host series a cultural event. It looks good, is very well cast, and has some nice moments, but too little is explained, and there is little genuine emotion found in the overall story. Newt comes across as a brave bumbler, far from heroic, and is remarkably uninteresting compared with Jacob or even Tina.

The film is available in all the usual formats and combo packs with the Blu-ray’s high definition transfer superb enough to make every sparkle shine. The audio is a good match so families watching at home will be entertained by the light show.

The disc offers up over an hour’s worth of extras that feel more perfunctory than special. We start with Before Harry Potter: A New Era of Magic Begins (15:31), focusing on Rowling’s process; Characters (24:19), split into five featurettes (The Magizoologist, The Goldstein Sisters, The New Salemers, The No-Maj Baker, The President and the Auror) complete with actor interviews; Creatures (20:59), divided into seven featurettes (Bowtruckle, Demiguise, Erumpent, Niffler, Occamy, Thunderbird); Design (34:33), spotlighting each location (Shaping the World of Fantastic Beasts, New York City, MACUSA, Newt’s Magical Case, The Shaw Banquet, The Blind Pig); and finally eleven Deleted Scenes (14:33), none of which would have improved the film’s messy feel.

REVIEW: Moana

“You’re wearing a dress and have a pet sidekick. You’re a princess.”

Truer words have never been spoken in a Disney film and possibly for the first time, we have a Disney Princess film that breaks the fourth wall and acknowledges that their characters pee. In so many ways, the delightful Moana is a refreshing take on the classic kids fare. It is funny, the CGI animation is charming, and the songs have a fresh sound to them.

Now out on disc and Digital streaming from Walt Disney Home Entertainment, the film plays well and will withstand repeated watching, a requirement given the target audience. What’s interesting to note is that this continues a trend, started in The Little Mermaid where the characters interact with one another in song, as opposed to the usual assortment of lullabies and I Want songs that fueled the original era of Princess tales.

It is certainly refreshing that the army of writers and directors behind Moana left European legends behind to base their culture on a mixture of Polynesian Islands with dollops of Hawaiian, Samoan, Maori, Tokelauan, Fijian, and Tahitian found within the societies depicted. The people are at peace and live in harmony with their lands until a supernatural blight threatens Moana’s people. The next-to-be-chief has been chosen by the ocean itself to set things to right and in a delightful prologue sequence, we see that this has been a decade or more in the making.

Essentially, Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) needs to seek the demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) convince him to restore a magic jewel he stole ages before in the heart of the goddess Te Fiti. He has been in self-imposed exile since being nearly defeated by the fiery Te Kā. As in the current era, Moana must defy her parents and cultural expectations – in this case, not paddling beyond the barrier reef – to do what must be done in order to save everyone.

Accompanied by her demented chicken Hey Hey, Moana goes on the Hero’s Quest, collects Maui, dodges some animated coconuts, and goes on to battle Te Kā. We discover how plucky she is and resourceful and talented, everything one wants in a Disney protagonist. In this regards, the film does too little original as it checks the boxes and adults and some older kids can predict what happens next. The worst such moment may be when a defeated Maui abandons Moana to her fate when we all know he will return. Audiences have been so conditioned since the Millennium Falcon returned to hold off the TIE Fighters so Luke Skywalker could blow up the Death Star. A little variation to the trope would be appreciated.

That said, I laughed and thought the animators superbly gave Moana some terrific body language and facial expressions, enhanced by Cravalho’s performance. Johnson’s Maui is also entertaining and they form a fine buddy team. They are surrounded by engaging supporting characters led by her grandmother Tala (Rachel House).

The 1080p high definition transfer is gorgeous, which is necessary given the rich, bright colors found throughout. It is accompanied by an only slightly wonderful DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack.

The Blu-ray comes packed with the usual assortment of extras adults have come to enjoy with these releases. The combo pack comes with the Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD code.  We get the bonus short “Maui Mini-Movie: Gone Fishing” (2:29) which the kids will enjoy. They will also get a kick out of the Deleted Song: “Warrior Face” with Introduction by Songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda (3:41), presented with the basic animation. They may also appreciate the Deleted Scenes (25:56) and the music video for “How Far I’ll Go”, performed by Alessia Cara (3:04) and “How Far I’ll Go” Around the World (2:44) as the song us seamlessly performed in multiple languages.

There is also Theatrical Short Film: Inner Workings (0:48): The filmmakers discuss the short film ((6:26) that life and daily routine; Voice of the Islands (31:13); Things You Didn’t Know About…: co-directors Ron Clements, John Musker, Auli’i & Dwayne (2:02) and Mark Mancina, Opetaia Foa’i , & Lin-Manuel Miranda (1:57); Island Fashion (1080p, 5:13): Neysa Bové discusses the challenges and specifics of costuming the characters; The Elements Of…: Mini-Maui (3:34), Water (4:38), Lava (2:56), Hair (3:05); They Know the Way: Making the Music of Moana (12:37); and Fishing for Easter Eggs (2:52).

Finally, there is some interesting Audio Commentary from Musker and Clements.

REVIEW: The Jetsons & WWE: Robo-WrestleMania

Everywhere you turn, there are odd mashups occurring throughout comics, especially at Warner Bros. and DC Comics where the wall separating properties has crumbled. The latest example is the confounding The Jetsons & WWE: Robo-WrestleMania direct-to-video film. Apparently they must have had a success with The Flintstones & WWE: Robo-WrestleMania because here’s a sequel.

Thankfully, WWE World Heavyweight Champion Big Show has been frozen in ice, like a certain star-spangled Avenger, and when George Jetson thaws him out, the wrestler wants title back. He does this by vanquishing that era’s wrestle-bots and once he takes the throne, decides he wants to take over the universe. Coming to the future’s rescue as Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Alicia Fox, the Uso Brothers, Sheamus and WWE impresario Vince McMahon.

George, his boy Elroy, daughter Judy, and Jane, his wife, have to save Orbit City when it’s invaded by a wrestle-bot army en route to the conquering all of space. Good thing Elroy has a handy time machine so Big Show’s greatest opponents are brought forward in time to save the world, the universe, and beyond.

For kids who thrive on mayhem and plot-light entertainment, there’s plenty of antics. For their parents and grandparents, there is a certain comfort in seeing the tried and true tics of the original animated Jetsons one more time: from George’s ineptness to Mr. Spacely’s temper. However, at nearly 80 minutes, this can quickly grow tedious because there is just not enough content for the vast majority of the viewers, especially those unfamiliar with the current generation of WWE superstars.

As a crossover, this is weak stuff, more along the lines of when the Harlem Globetrotters got (briefly) stranded on Gilligan’s Island rather than smarter fare such as Batman ’66 Meets the Man from U.N.C.L.E.

There are times its feels director Anthony Bell is going through the motions and the animation quality is so-so at best. Jeff Bergman’s George Jetson and Mr. Spacely works because he’s had 20 years to get them right. Grey Griffin’s Jane is acceptable but Danica McKellar’s Judy is spot on (goodbye Tiffany) and topping her work is Trevor Devall’s Elroy. And it’s always good to hear Frank Welker’s Astro. The WWE stars play themselves so they sound right and look silly and seriously out of place – although the script doesn’t play enough with that.

REVIEW: Doctor Strange

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been very careful and deliberate as it introduces mass audiences to over 75 years of comic book continuity and conventions. Wisely, we had a handful of super-heroes before we had a team and after some hints about outer space, we had a specific look with Guardians of the Galaxy. Sooner or later, once “Stephen Strange” was name-checked in Captain America: Winter Solider, we knew a peek at the supernatural side was coming.

When Doctor Strange finally arrived last November, it was an amazing visual triumph that nicely walked us through some of how magic worked while offering up an origin story that showed a man’s hubris turned into something better. While the broad strokes make Strange and Tony Stark nearly identical, their journeys are vastly different with the former far slower to accept the consequences of his actions.

But the film, out now on disc from Disney Home Entertainment, is also the study of conflicting ideals as Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) comes to accept his new role and responsibilities while an ally, Karl Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), sees things vastly differently and sets up a future conflict.

The film, from writers Jon Spaihts and Scott Derrickson & C. Robert Cargill and director Scott Derrickson, leavens the heavy supernatural with doses of humor, usually offered up by Wong (Benedict Wong). We also get to see how much Strange has changed and how accepting denizens of Marvel Earth have come to accept the fantastic through Strange’s colleague and former lover Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams).

While drawing much from the early Stan Lee-Steve Ditko issues of Strange Tales, there are pieces unique to the film, from Palmer to the silly sling rings needed to remain in another location. Disappointingly, the relationship between Strange and his teacher, the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton), is all-too-brief.

Strange’s search for healing is also one of redemption, counterpointed by Kaecilius’s (Mads Mikkelsen) fall from grace. He and his cypher disciples seek enlightenment and power from the Dark Dimension, exposing the connections the Ancient One has with its ruler, the Dread Dormammu (Cumberbatch). There are rich complexities in the story even if Kaecilius’ personality is two-dimension in comparison with so many of the other characters.

The visually sumptuous production fits in nicely with the rest of the MCU although it is let down by a rote Michael Giacchino score that doesn’t enhance the story nearly enough.

The post credits sequence with Thor (Chris Hemsworth) firmly connects this film to the greater MCU and apparently sets up his appearance in November’s Thor Ragnarok and next summer’s Avengers Infinity War. How supernatural, mythology, and super-science blend should be interesting.

The film has been released in a variety of formats but the Blu-ray has a fine high def 1080p transfer. Given how much goes on through visual effects, it’s good to be able to discern all the detail. The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack is a fine companion and makes for a good viewing experience.

The amount of bonus features is pleasantly surprising starting with the commentary. There’s a multipart look at the making of the film that is a little more surface than depth but has good information and BTS footage including A Strange Transformation (9:42), Strange Company (12:37), The Fabric of Reality (12:32), Across Time and Space (13:21), and The Score-Cerer Supreme (9:51).

There is also a brief Marvel Studios Phase 3 Exclusive Look (7:28) that tries to put things into perspective with a distinct lack of specificity.

For those who liked the Team Thor short, we now get Team Thor: Part 2 (4:38), the best being Thor explaining Civil War to an elementary school class.

There are some interesting Deleted & Extended Scenes (7:52) and a nicely edited Gag Reel (4:12).

REVIEW: Nocturnal Animals

The line between reality and fiction is often blurred by the author, who plumbs his or her life experiences to work through anger, grief, remorse, love, etc., pouring those experiences into thinly veiled versions of themselves. But, to use those characters as a blunt instrument in an act of revenge is something different.

Fashion designer cum part-time director Tom Ford explores those themes in his visually perfect, emotionally sterile Nocturnal Animals. He wrote, co-produced, and directed this adaptation of the 1993 novel Tony and Susan by Austin Wright. It opened to fairly positive reviews in November but given the heady subject matter, it didn’t find its audience and vanished quickly only to remind audiences of its worthiness when Michael Shannon received an Oscar nod as a Best Supporting Actor nominee.

Susan Morrow (Amy Adams) was once married to Edward Sheffield (Jake Gyllenhaal), a budding novelist. They became lovers during grad school, married, and then parted as she lost faith in his ability and chances for success. Instead, she had an affair with Hutton Morrow (Armie Hammer), eventually marrying him and becoming a wealthy art gallery owner in Los Angeles. However, now time has not been kind to the marriage and they are rapidly drifting apart leaving Morrow alone and lost in a world of opulence.

Then, a manuscript for a forthcoming novel arrives from Edward, dedicated to Susan. She begins reading it and loses herself in his beautifully written world and its’ tragic inhabitants. We then are taken into the novel and meet Tony Hastings (Gyllenhaal), his wife Laura (Isla Fisher), and their teen daughter India (Ellie Bamber). Driving along the Texas highways, they are set upon by a gang led by Ray Marcus (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). After terrorizing the three Hastings, the women are spirited off to be raped and murdered, leaving Tony thoroughly abandoned.

With the help of Detective Bobby Andes (Shannon), the hunt for justice and vengeance begins.

The film cuts between real world flashbacks and contemporary settings with the novel’s narrative taking up the largest portion of the film. It’s not hard to follow and it does nicely reveal Susan and Edward’s past, explaining why he wrote this story and then, in the film’s final minutes, we understand his act of revenge.

It’s chilling and terrifying at times, gorgeously shot at other times, and it’s telling that the most riveting performances come during the novel sections. Adams’ Susan is cold, frozen with uncertainty and regret, certain her second marriage is crashing.

With all that said, its remote tone keeps audiences from getting fully invested in the characters (we know the more interesting ones aren’t real) which may be why the movie failed to find its audience.

There’s a chance now with the film out on Blu-ray from Universal Home Entertainment. The 2.40:1 high def transfer is crisp so you see through the shadows and experience the gorgeous Texas settings. The DTS-HD Master Audio is a superb companion.

The disc’s scant extra is a three-part The Making of Nocturnal Animals: Building the Story, the Look of Nocturnal Animals, and The Filmmaker’s Eye: Tom Ford. These provide a thorough examination of the adaptation process and bringing the themes, if not the characters, to full life.