Netflix SLAYS Daredevil

What a horror show to wake up to! I could hardly believe it this morning when I read online that Netflix had decided to cancel its best MCU series. Now here is where it gets a bit odd ’cause according to Netflix, this is what I read anyway, it’s down to viewership being low. That’s the same reason they gave for cancelling Luke Cage and Iron Fist.

I think that is a load of crap. I reckon what’s happening is that Marvel (I.E. Disney) are taking back their I.P.’s because they are getting ready to launch their own streaming service called Disney + next year.

If you read the statement from Netflix below they pretty much all but confirm the show could live on via Marvel.

“We are tremendously proud of the show’s last and final season and although it’s painful for the fans, we feel it best to close this chapter on a high note. We’re thankful to showrunner Erik Oleson, the show’s writers, stellar crew and incredible cast including Charlie Cox as Daredevil himself, and we’re greateful to the fans who have supported the show over the years…the Daredevil character will live on in future projects for Marvel.”

Now it remains to be seen if Netflix are simply stating the obvious in that EVENTUALLY Marvel will bring the character back or if they know Marvel/Disney has every intention of bringing the show back in some form for their own streaming service. So don’t be too surprised when you likely hear that both Jessica Jones and The Punisher have been given the axe from Netflix once their currently in production new seasons air.

I think this is a bloody shame this is. Daredevil is the best thing Marvel has put out. Yeah even better than the big films. I’ll be sorry to see the show, as it is on Netflix, go. You won’t be seeing the same amount of grit or violence should the show return on Disney +.

Daredevil seasons one through three are currently available to stream now on Netflix and according to the streaming service they will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

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She-Ra and the Princesses of Power to launch early

Good news retro fans. DreamWorks and Netflix’s She-Ra reboot is set to debut tomorrow on the streaming service. That’s November 13th. You know the more I see from this new take on the 80’s classic animation the more I love the look of it. She-Ra was the companion show to He-Man and the Masters of the Universe series. These shows stood out due to their mix of science fiction and fantasy which came together to create exciting new worlds. Both also had amaze theme songs.

He-Man and She-Ra ended up being massive hits in the eighties and would go on to impact fans beyond their childhood. He-Man has had a few reboots over the years but this will be the first time She-Ra has been given a new shot. I was a big fan of both shows. Had the toys. Loved ’em both. Hopefully this new series manages to carve a new and fresh take on a classic tale. I will be tuning in to find out.

Given Netflix and DreamWorks previous offering was Voltron and how good that ended up I think long time fans and new fans should get ready for a great new show. Check out one of the latest trailers above.

 

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power debut trailer!

After being teased for months DreamWorks and Netflix have unveiled the first teaser trailer for their reboot of the 1980’s classic cartoon series She-Ra! The hit show was a spin-off from the equally popular hit He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Both series were famous for having gigantic toy lines during the eighties. To this day both have a huge following amongst fans who grew up with the shows and even have action figures and comic book series on the go to keep the fans happy. In the 90’s and the 00’s He-Man was rebooted twice, the later reboot proving a massive hit with fans. This will mark the first time, outside of the comic book continuity, that She-Ra has seen a reboot.

I grew up with both shows and was a big fan of both. I had He-Man AND She-Ra action figures! I think She-Ra had the superior opening theme. That music! Amazing. Sadly said theme music is nowhere to be found in this teaser trailer. Hopefully it is back. I like the style of this reboot, I think the animation looks very unique and I believe the show intends to stay faithful to the characters original origin.

DreamWorks and Netflix have already had massive success with their reboot of Voltron: Legendary Defender. The reboot proving a massive hit with critics, long time fans and new ones! Hopefully that magic can carry on over to She-Ra when the show debuts this November.

 

 

TV Updates for Buffy, Star Trek and Scream!

Some news broke last week regarding popular genre shows. The biggest was the Star Trek news but we will get to that in a minute.

First of all there is a small update on this new Buffy reboot. During a big TV event last week one of the big bosses at FOX had this to say – “It’s not on an incredibly fast track, but we’re hopeful. There’s actually no script to see. We’ve sat down with creators and had conversations with them about it. It’s a very exciting prospect. It’s fairly early. We haven’t pitched it to any possible licensees yet, all of that is still to come.” Confirming what I figured. If this show happens it will more than likely be a 2020 debut instead of next year. Various cast members from the original show have given their support for the reboot with James Marsters, who played Spike, saying he would be open to return for the reboot. Let’s just see if this all comes to be first of all.

Next up is Scream and the news ain’t good I’m afraid. Netflix, who act as distributors for MTV’s Scream in the U.K.  are no longer under any obligation to stream the already completed third season. The new show was to be a total reboot, after mixed reaction to a messy second season, with a brand new cast and creators. Fans got excited too because the news broke the show would be more faithful to the movies and include the original Ghostface mask! Now the show is in total limbo. There are currently no networks nor streaming services optioning the show. Will it ever see the light of day?

Finally, I have saved the best for last, Patrick Stewart delighted legions of Star Trek fans over the weekend when he announced he was returning to the role of Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Stewart played the popular character for seven seasons on the Star Trek: The Next Generation series and went on to appear in four Star Trek movies after the TV series had wrapped. This new take on the character is said to explore the twilight years of the fan favourite character as he continues to research and explore the mysteries of the galaxy. This new series will be a companion show to the currently airing (and awesome) Star Trek: Discovery. No word yet when the show will debut or if we can expect (you can) any other of The Next Generation characters to return with Picard. Like Buffy I think this will be making its debut later rather than sooner. I’d expect a early 2020 premiere.

 

 

Buffy the Vampire Slayer could be back for round three?

Yo! Buffy might be coming back! Awesome right?

During Comic Con Fox made a dent in the news with confirmation that a reboot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is currently in the works. The idea is that a pilot script will be written -early days yet guys, this thing could ALL fall apart – and the new reboot of Buffy will be taken to various networks and streaming services!

Joss Whedon and Monica Owusu-Breen (Alias, Fringe, Midnight Texas) have paired up to brainstorm this new show. Owusu-Breen is currently writing the pilot script. Both of these talented people have their own shows in the mix at the moment. We do not know if either will stick with this reboot should it get the greenlight. Let’s hope so.

The only fact out there regarding the proposed reboot is that it won’t be a continuation of the original series. Buffy will be played by an actress of colour this time in order to better represent all audiences and fans. More of this please.

I have seen complaining over the weekend over this idea of a reboot. Guys the original show ended strong. Let it be. It’s not like the show was killed before its time. We had an awesome seven seasons of Buffy (Oh the movie! I love the movie) and a spin off which ran for five seasons! Now it is time for new audiences to get their version of this iconic character. My hope is the show stays away from familiar plot points and becomes a trail blazer all of its own making.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its characters struck a cord with fans and because of that, one could argue, there is a sense of ownership. I get that but that is wrong. Buffy, like James Bond or other such iconic characters, is bigger than any one representation of her. Due to that she should be allowed to continue free of chains keeping her tied to one creative route. I want to see this character and this world explored in new and exciting ways.

My hot take? For what little this is worth I would happily see the likes of Willow, Xander, Giles, Angel and (my fave) Cordelia MIA in this new vision. Let’s see a brand new Scooby Gang. Heck move out of Sunnydale. Should the show go ahead its strength will come from what it does on its own terms and not from what it tries to retell.

Last but not least there is this. Earlier I said the show is out to networks and streaming services. Should it go to the likes of Netflix the makers will have a lot more creative control over content than they would on a network. That means the Buffy we get could be a bold and much darker take on the character than what we have seen before.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is currently in early development and will be taken to networks. Should the show get the greenlight and start to move forwards you can be sure it’ll be covered here.

 

The Karate Kid returns in You Tube Red’s Cobra Kai series.

This is cool. You Tube Red, which I know almost nothing about beyond it being the site’s paid streaming service, will debut Cobra Kai this May. What looks so cool about this is that it acts as a direct sequel to the original Karate Kid movie and picks up the rivalry between Daniel and Johnny thirty odd years later.

Original stars Ralph Macchio and William Zabka both return to their iconic roles and in a neat twist the series will be told from Zabka’s characters point of view. I love that.

Yes Johnny was a arsehole in the original movie but the film wouldn’t have worked as well as it did if it wasn’t for the strong performances and characters. It looks like Johnny’s life hasn’t gone according to plan, until a chance encounter offers him a chance of redemption but without loosing his style! Going off the trailer it looks like it’s Daniel who has turned into a not so nice guy this time out. So this series defo looks right up my street as a big fan of the original movie.  It also looks very funny.

Cobra Kai, created by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, will launch early May in the United States via You Tube Red. In the U.K. and Ireland it looks like you’ll have to purchase or rent (?) each episode as You Tube Red is not available here. OR you could be like me and just wait and hope the series gets an eventual DVD release!

Star Trek: Discovery season one review (NO SPOILERS)

Ah the 1990’s. A glorious time for Star Trek fans. 1994 saw the crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation wrapping up their seven season TV run and leaping onto the big screen with Star Trek: Generations. Deep Space Nine, the show known for taking place on a space station and not a ship, kicked off in 1993 and two years later sister show Voyager set off. To recap we had TWO TV shows running along side each other and a healthy prescence on the big screen that would contine into the early 00’s. For ‘Trek fans the 1990’s was a great time.

I was a casual Trek fan. At best. I’d tune into Next Generation from time to time, made an effort to stick with Deep Space Nine but fell off and tried Voyager but got distracted by the arrival of Buffy and Dawson’s Creek which were more in line with my tastes at the time. I did see the movies and they were great. The 00’s, even from the outside looking in, were not a great decade for the Star Trek brand. The shows had wrapped up and the films had finished. That was until J.J. Abrams swooped in and gave Star Trek the reboot treatment for the big screen. The rest is history. Star Trek is back. Three films into the rebooted canon and now with a brand new show in the form of Star Trek: Discovery. The new films are awesome and having finished watching Discovery just this week I am now a full fan. I love Star Trek.

In the long, long history of the series this new show takes place years before Captain Kirk and Spock. Starfleet has made great efforts in it’s mission to explore space and spread it’s postive messages and ideologies. Except the Klingon Empire. They want nothing to do with Starfleet, humans or anyone. Basically they are the big threat in this opening season and thanks to some brilliant make up work and a re-design they have neve looked better and more dangerous! A big part of the show is the turmoil the Klingons cause for the Federation, the threat they pose and most interesting of all the unrest brewing amongst themselves as different factions wrestle for control over the Empire. Discovery is just as much about the Klingons as it is about Starfleet. The show’s writers careful to present arguments for intergration into an organisation like Starfleet and the voices of those who wish to remain beyond it. Add to that the fact the Discovery is a black op’s like science ship and you get not just entertaining sci-fi but legit well written science fiction that delivers again and again.

Seriously I loved this show. Every episode. I saw a few reactions online from long time Star Trek fans who know WAY more about this universe than I do. Quite negative reactions in some cases. I think that’s a shame and I can’t see why they’d react that way. If the aim of Discovery was to hold true to the themes and ideologies of Star Trek and introduce them to a brand new generation than I say mission accomplished. Gender roles, race, sexuality, politics, war and human rights are all explored in Discovery and in ways that make it one of the more forward thinking shows I have seen in some time and certainly one that isn’t affraid to break new ground. That is somthing I felt Star Trek always stood for and what I like about it.

For a TV show this looks amazing. Some of the best special effects I have ever seen on a series. The cast are boss and the characters are excellent. I love this crew and it was very refreshing to see how female driven the show is. That day will come when stuff like that doesn’t even warrant a comment because it will be so normal and Discovery more than does it’s job in playing a role in that. Equal representation does matter.

Unsurprisingly, having now seen the show, Star Trek: Discovery has been a massive hit and a second season has been given the go ahead. Star Trek is back in a big way. Thanks in a large part to this show I am now a proud fan and I can not wait to see where the Discovery and it’s amaze crew brings us next!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Punisher (No spoilers)

The last time viewers saw Frank Castle AKA The Punisher he was on the run and presumed dead. Introduced into the MCU during the second season of Daredevil, Frank’s tale was one of tragedy and brutality. An ex-soldier who found himself caught up in a government conspiracy, Frank would see his family brutally murdered, himself narrowly escaping assassination by those he trusted. Now, starring in his own show, Frank sets out to make those responsible for the murder of his family and the deadly conspiracy pay with their lives. Along the way making certain those responsible don’t simply die but die hard.

Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead, Wolf of Wall Street) is outstanding as Frank Castle/The Punisher. Soon as he came on screen in Daredevil fans knew it was only a matter of time before he would get a solo series. It pleases me to say The Punisher is not just good, no, it’s one of the best MCU titles to date. Up there, for me, with Daredevil season one.

The action in The Punisher is brutal. Frank (and those who he fights against) are stone cold killers and this is reflected in the violence shown on screen. The show is not for the faint of heart. The overall plot is good, it’s to the point – The Punisher wants revenge – but the sub plots that fill in the rest of the show are not just interesting they are (sadly) very topical in todays climate in relation to gun control and home grown terror. These aspects are handled with care and don’t paint a simple black and white picture. The writing is excellent and therefore the show feels like it has somthing to say.

Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Girls) as David Lieberman ties in directly with Frank as a man whose family could go the way of Frank’s. He and Frank have great chemistry. The two working together to bring about justice and not always agreeing. Each wanting the same outcome but by, at times, different means. Ben Barnes is an acting revelation as Frank’s old army pal Billy Russo. Russo came out of the army, like Frank, but followed a different path. Barnes does wonderful work in the role and creates a complex character that serves the plot in a important way. There’s strong support too from Amber Rose Revah as Homeland Agent Madani and Jaime Ray Newman as Lieberman’s estranged wife.

Drawbacks? Little stuff really. The look of the show is not removed from the other Netflix MCU titles. I get it. A consistant visual theme makes sense and The Punisher does go a ways to get more down and gritty but beyond the violence it feels like the other shows for better or worse, I guess depending on your opinion of Daredevil, Luke Cage and Jessica Jones. The subplot involving Lieberman’s family felt like it got more attention than was warranted. As the show goes on that reasoning becomes clear though, yet I was getting a bit bored with that stuff. Stick with it though if you feel the same.

The Punisher is a fantastically brutal show and tone wise it’s easily the most mature show Marvel has put out. If you didn’t see Daredevil season two then don’t worry because The Punisher provides all of the info you need within it’s first few episodes. You will not feel like you have missed any major plot points and can enjoy the series. I really enjoyed it and I hope we get a second (and third!) season.

The Punisher is now available on Netflix.

 

Hella Halloween: Stranger Things 2 (100% NO SPOILERS!!)

Stranger Things 2 is good. It could have been a disaster.

The sequel picks up almost a year after the shocking climax of season one. Will Byers (Noah Schnapp), who was lost in the upside down, is attempting to adjust back to some sense of normality. Yet for Will, it becomes clear, those who dwell in the dark realm of the upside down are not finished with him or the town of Hawkins. No plot spoilers here.

The Duffer brothers, Matt and Ross, along with the show’s talented cast and crew, have crafted a strong second chapter. The show, I’m now convinced more than ever, is no show. After finishing Stranger Things 2, having thought the same during season one, I’m convinced each season of Stranger Things is meant to be a movie. Each season essentially being an eight hour plus film.

A big part of that reasoning is the pacing, most noticeable during this second season, it takes a while to get going. I found myself growing (whispers) a bit bored and waiting for something substantial to happen. That could be down to my lack of patience or it could be down to the Duffers comparing this sequel as the Aliens of their universe compared to the first season being like Alien. Hardly. In fact, I think more happens during the first season.

What you do get, and I understand this stuff is important, is a ton of character development, in fact you get a lot of it. This needed to happen. So in that respect it’s a good thing. Characters like Eleven and (really) Steve get great arcs this year. Several new characters are introduced too and the standouts are 80’s legends Paul Reiser (Aliens) and Sean Astin (The Goonies). Both are great actors and have solid characters that add a lot to the show.

The real winner of Stranger Things 2 is the time period it takes place in. The Duffer brothers and the incredible crew are magicians. The show feels and looks like it was shot in 1984. The attention to detail is out of this world. As you would imagine the soundtrack reflects the time period brilliantly. It is a total love letter to a time lost.

I liked Stranger Things 2. I didn’t love it. Yet, stay with me here, it felt like a season that HAD to happen in order to make way for a stronger Stranger Things 3. At least I hope so. The other side of that is the Duffer Brothers are making this up as they go along and have no real end game in sight. I know it’s meant to have four seasons but if you don’t know how you’re getting there that’s an issue. Hopefully that is not the case.

Stranger Things 2 is available now on Netflix.

 

The X-Files season 11 trailer hints at big change and closure.

Last weekend New York Comic Con 2017 came to a close and the best was saved for last! Sorry Justice League. For this geek it was The X-Files trailer that stole the show. Check this out. That footage, I think, is only from the first FIVE episodes and the cast and crew still have another five to film! If the trailer is anything to go by season eleven is going to be a blast. Creator Chris Carter has stated this season will consist of ten episodes, with a mythology centric episode opening and closing out the season.

Expect big changes if the show is to continue after this season. Last night one of the stars, I won’t say who, revealed during a Q&A  that season eleven will “close the door” on their character. Indeed season eleven appears to be shaping up to be a milestone for the show as it will be focusing heavily on William, the MIA son of Mulder and Scully! This season definitely looks to be one of closure for some and change for all if it lives on.

The X-Files season eleven is set to air next year. No UK date just yet. David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Mitch Pileggi, Annabeth Gish, William B. Davis, Robbie Amell and Lauren Ambrose all return.