Better late than never review: Mazinger Z: Infinity

Possible spoilers ahead!

“Mazinger Z: Infinity” takes places years after Koji Kabuto and Tetsuya Tsurugi piloted the mighty Mazinger Z and Great Mazinger super robots against Dr. Hell. his minions and their legions of mechanical monsters. The war took a toll on everyone involved, but eventually, Mazinger and Great Mazinger prevailed against the forces of evil and the world was safe once and for all.

Today, Koli and Tetsuya are older and wiser men, and their respective robots are retired museum pieces for the public to enjoy. The former Photonic Power Lab director Dr. Yumi is now Japan’s prime minister, and his daughter (and Koji’s old flame) Sayaka, is the Power Lab’s new director. Meanwhile, Tetsuya’s old partner Jun is now his wife and expecting his child.

However, the worldwide peace brought by photonic power doesn’t last. When Sayaka’s team discovers a new, bigger Mazinger, Dr. Hell and his army emerge from the shadows and attack the world once again. Soon, Great Mazinger and the latest Mazinger appear lost in battle, which means the time has come for Koji and friends to save the day one more time.

I have been a Mazinger fan since I was three or four years old. The “Mazinger Z” series is the first cartoon I remember following religiously. The show sparked my love for mecha, taught me right from wrong, made me laugh, and gave me and my friends endless hours of entertainment. If it weren’t for Mazinger, I may not be the nerd I am today.

Now, nearly four decades since I first discovered Go Nagai’s creation, I still try to catch anything Mazinhger related from animation, to magazines to toys. So why did it take me almost two years to see “Mazinger Z: Infinity”?

Simple: It took this long because I couldn’t find a copy of the movie anywhere. That finally changed last week when I found it online. My agonizing wait was over and at long last, I got to see “Mazinger Z: Infinity” in all its glory, and I loved everything I saw.

“Mazinger Z: Infinity” is interesting because it’s not only a sequel to the original “Mazinger Z” and “Great Mazinger” series but also progresses the characters. All the characters are older and several relationships have changed. Koji Kabuto has finally grown up in many ways, though he’s still unable to commit to Sayaka. Koli has even given up piloting Mazinger, passing the torch to little brother Shiro, who’s about the same age Koji was when he became Mazinger Z’s pilot. I loved seeing all of this play out, mainly because I wasn’t expecting it.

Yet, everything that I liked from the original show was still there. But now I got to see how the war against Dr. Hell affected each character. In fact, much of this movie is character driven, rather action driven. I even liked seeing Boss, Nuke, and Mucha running a noodle restaurant.

I will admit that I was a little surprised to see Koji’s on again off again girlfriend Sayaka as the new director of Japan’s Photonic Power Lab. But only because in the original Mazinger series she never seemed like the one who would take over for her father. However, she quickly grew on me and I liked how decisive she was in the role.

The only new cast member comes after Sayaka discovers another Mazinger robot buried at the base of Mt. Fuji. This Mazinger one is nearly ten times bigger than Mazinger Z, and inside this new Mazinger is a mysterious A.I. pilot named Lisa. She gives the film a lot of humor and heart. Her childlike innocence is funny to watch play out, but she can be a great ally in battle as well.

It was also cool seeing the villainous Dr. Hell, and his lieutenants Brocken and Baron Ashura, again. There was just something special about seeing all the core characters together again. The filmmakers even brought in Ichiro Mizuki (singer of the original Mazinger Z theme) comes in with a revised version of the song for the film’s opening
Credits.

Take note movie studios: This is the way a long-running franchise can reboot itself but still maintain what made it great in the first place.

“Mazinger Z: Infinity” is a fun and refreshing re-start for a character I’ve loved most of my life. This movie brought me back to being a kid who ran home from the school but so he could catch the latest episode of “Mazinger Z.” on television.

 In the end,  the robot battles in “Mazinger Z: Infinity,” look better than ever before, and the human characters have finally evolved. All of the pieces are here to make “Mazinger Z: Infinity” a must see for all Mazinger fans.

“Mazinger Z: Infinity” score: A

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Polar Review

Possible spoilers ahead!!

The Netflix film “Polar” is based on the webcomic-turned-graphic novel of the same name by Victor Santos. “Polar,” tells the story of infamous assassin Duncan Vizla/The Black Kaiser (Mads Mikkelsen), who is weeks away from retiring after a long career. But the organization he worked for wants him hunted down before he can retire. Why?

Because the company’s leader, Blut (Matt Lucas) decides It’s cheaper to kill Duncan than it is to pay him the $8 million-dollar retirement pension he’s owed. Blut’s second in command, Vivian (Katheryn Winnick) repeatedly warns him going after Duncan is a bad idea, and suggests paying him is the smart move. That way she argues, they don’t have to look over their shoulder for the rest of their lives.

Blut refuses to take the advice, and instead sends his most elite squad of assains to take Duncan down. The foursome takes out anyone that may know where Duncan is living, but as the body count rises, Duncan is living a quiet life in his Montana cabin. However, the assassins eventually track him down, and when they involve Duncan’s innocent neighbor,  Camille (Vanessa Hudgens), he isn’t just out of retirement – he’s out for blood.

“Polar” was without a doubt a crazy film. This is not a movie for everyone, and it certainly wasn’t what I expected at all. The Jonas Åkerlund directed film is a wild ride from start to finish, with a ton of action, sex, and a massive body count. “Polar” was also a lot darker than I would have thought based on the trailers, but there are still a few laughs along the way.

One of the best things “Polar” has going for it is its lead, Mads Mikkelsen. It’s clear the actor put in the work to look like the killing machine Duncan supposed to be. He looks great in the fight scenes and convinced me he was someone to fear. But Mikkelsen also gives Duncan a nice amount of heart, which was nicely captured through his subplot with Vanessa Hudgens’ character.

While this type of relationship is another trope we have seen before in films like this. But, it still provided enough genuine dramatic moments that it kept me interested in the fates of these two characters. I’m no fan of Vanessa Hudgens, but she did a nice job with the part. This is certainly the most grown-up role I’ve seen her in and I appreciated that her relationship with Duncan was one of father figure rather than a love interest.

However, that subplot is simply a vehicle for the over the top violent action-sequences in “Polar.” Mikkelsen was fantastic in these scenes, with a nice blend of gun-play, hand-to-hand combat, and dark humor. He made the killing spree’s a ton of fun to watch. which I realize is a strange thing to say.

One of my favorite action sequences was the one where Duncan tells one of the assassins sent to kill him, “Try not to be afraid.” He says it over and over again in a calm manner, and even explains why he’s saying. With just a few words, he showed how menacing Mikkelsen could be without a gun. It’s a simple scene, but quite effective I thought.

As I said before, Mads Mikkelsen is the best thing “Polar” has going for it. But this comes at the expense of some of the other characters who get little to no development. I’m still not sure why Blut (Matt Lucas) refused to pay any of his retired assains. Maybe he was just cheap, but considering how much he was spending on killing his former employees, it might have been cheaper just to pay them off.

Some of the supporting cast of character are almost cartoon versions of killers including a quiet one, the sex-pot, and more. One of the assassins sent to kill Duncan has one job: seduce the target. So, of course, we get more than one sex scene with her and so many ass shots that I lost count. Some of her scenes were the type of stuff you’d see on Cinemax after dark.

The only supporting character that gets any sort arc is Vivian (Katheryn Winnick). For much of the film, we don’t really know which side she stands on. I got the feeling maybe Duncan had been some type of mentor to her, so she was well aware of what he could do to them, but I don’t recall if this was ever confirmed or not.

I also liked Vivian’s sense of style. I think she had a different look in every scene she was in. Unfortunately, we don’t get to see her in action. Most of the time she’s on the phone or yelling at Blut. But I liked her and was left wanting to know more about this mysterious assassin.

In the end, “Polar” is a roller coaster ride of a film with some good and bad parts. However, if you like ultra-violent assassin movies and don’t mind some borderline sex-scenes, then “Polar” is just right for you. If nothing else, it’s checking out for Mads Mikkelsen’s performance.

“Polar” score: B (speak)

TV Review: Bancroft

I think one of the best things I did this year was signing up for a little something called Britbox. The streaming service focused on British entertainment has allowed me to watch old personal favorites like “Doctor Who,” “Are You Being Served?” and “The Vicar Of Dibley.” Britbox has also introduced me to a slew of brand new shows. Actually, I should say shows that are new to me.

Anyways, this past weekend I checked Britbox for something I hadn’t seen, and I landed on a series called “Bancroft.” The 2017 drama stars Sarah Parish as Elizabeth Bancroft, a well-respected Detective Superintendent, who is currently attempting to bring down a criminal gang. At the same time, a cold case which involved Bancroft is re-opened by young Detective Sergeant Katherine Stevens, played by Faye Marsay.

The cold case from 1990 revolves around a young woman named Laura Fraser. She was found murdered in her own home in a pool of her own blood after being stabbed over a dozen times. Spring forward 27 years, where up and coming detective Katherine Stevens (Faye Marsay), is assigned to the cold case desk.

The first cold case Stevens looks into is the stabbing of Laura Fraser. Ar first it seems like he case will have a dead-end, but her research eventually finds evidence of a possible police cover-up, something Bancroft might be at the center of.

I won’t spoil here how exactly Bancroft fits into the cold case. I’ll just say that I liked the idea and brought it something fresh to this type of cop drama. Another nice thing about “Bancroft” is we got to see how Katherine Stevens put together her new evidence. It’s a simple thing, but the actual work gets glossed over in too many cop shows these days.

The premise of the series is rather simple but it works thanks to the excellent performance of Sarah Parish as Elizabeth Bancroft. Parish plays the tough detective quite well, as a natural leader and someone who has given her life to the police force. Consequently, she’s trusted and adored by her colleagues and a promotion to Detective Chief Superintendent looks likely. Bancroft also seems to be a good mother to her son, and possible mention to Katharine Stevens.

But this old case of hers could be trouble, and she will not give up will do anything to make sure it the case remains unsolved. Bancroft is also a very controlling person and this lifts a lid on a part of her life that she can’t control and she doesn’t like it. Watching her was odd because part of you wants to root for her because she is a damn good cop. but the more you find out as the series unfolds, the more you as the viewer begin to wonder if it’s okay to like this woman.

Also worthy of praise is Faye Marsay. She plays Stevens as a detective just trying to do the right thing no matter where it leads. She seems to really care for the victims and their families which makes her stand out from some of her colleagues. There’s conflict in her new job as well after she begins a relationship with Bancroft’s son, and also begins to admire Bancroft as a police officer.

I liked the Katharine Stevens character quite a bit, she’s the viewer’s guide through all the twists and turns in the series. But sadly, we really don’t get a lot of background on her. Maybe that because the series focuses on Bancroft, but a few more lines of dialogue about where she comes from or what she likes to do on her downtime, would have been nice. Regardless, Marsay did an excellent job of making Stevens more human and someone the audience can cheer for.

At just four episodes, events in “Bancroft” move very quickly. The main plotline builds and builds at such a pace that you can’t help but binge-watch the entire thing in one sitting. However, considering how incredible the build-up was, I was expecting more from the finale.

Don’t get me wrong, episode four was a solid episode that answered many questions and had strong performances. But I thought the episode was missing something. From what I understand there’s going to be a second season to the show, so maybe that had something to do with how it ended, who knows?

But if any show needed a definitive ending, I’d say it was “Bancroft.” Oh well, as the Rolling Stones once said: “you can’t always get what you want.”

At the end of the day “Bancroft” is still a series worth watching, and at only four episodes it won’t’ take too much of your time. And even though I was a little unsatisfied with the series’ ending, I’d have to say this show is still one of the better crime dramas I’ve seen, British or not.

“Bancroft” score: B+

Retro TNU: Saved By The Bell

If you were a kid or a teenager during the early 1990’s chances are you probably watched “Saved By The Bell.” I know I watched the show every weekend. the series became my Saturday tradition. After spending the morning delivering The Patriot Ledger. I’d rush home shower, eat something, the plop down in my room to watch the latest shenanigans at Bayside High.

Like most people, I started watching “Saved by the Bell” with the classic cast of Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Dustin Diamond, Lark Voorhies, Dennis Haskins, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, Elizabeth Berkley, and Mario Lopez. I don’t remember ever watching “Good Morning, Miss Bliss” until I saw it on re-runs years later, so don’t ask me about those early years.

Anyways. I stuck with “Saved By The Bell” until the classic cast left Bayside High, sometime in 1992 or 1993. I never watched any of the new casts, though I did try a few episodes of “Saved by the Bell: The College Years.” But by then my tastes had changed, and I didn’t stick around for the entire season. However,r I watched repeats for a few years every afternoon on WSBK in Boston. But as time went on, I stopped watching “Saved By The Bell,” probably sometime in the late 1990s or early 2000s.

This changed last Sunday morning when I was flipping through the channels and saw “Saved By The Bell” on MeTV. Watching the show for the first time after so many years was an absolute shock. While I remembered some of the show being cheesy, now some of the jokes felt stale and fell flat. The school and Max sets looked cheap and dated, and I never noticed how much time is spent in the hallway set. And I swear I saw a boom-mic a couple of times. I was also surprised by the lack of establishing shots. The more I think about it, I don’t remember ever seeing the outside of Bayside or the Max in any episode.

The acting was also pretty bad, but then again, it was never that good, to begin with. To be fair though, the acting was not the reason I watched “Saved By The Bell.” The actors did what they could with the material they were given, and the scripts were rather simple. But to their credit, the series did tackle some serious issues like drugs. I remember this being a big deal at my school, to the extent that my teacher showed us the episode one day.

As I said earlier, I stuck with the main cast for a good while. But I also recall some variations to the cast. There was a period where the gang worked at a beach resort, similar to what “Beverly Hills 90210” had done. If I remember correctly, either Kelly or Jessie was missing, and replaced by a young Leah Remini who played the daughter of the resort owner. And then there’s Tori…

Who is Tori you ask?

During another period where Kelly and Jessie were off doing who knows what, the rest of the cast were joined by Tori (Leanna Creel). Tori is probably a character most people don’t remember because her sting on the show was so short. But she made an impression on me because she was different from the other girls on the cast. Sure, Tori was pretty, but she was also tough. A little bit of a tomboy who rode a motorcycle and wore a leather jacket. I really liked her, and remember being pissed off when she stopped appearing on the show and was never mentioned again.

So yeah, I was a little shocked at what I saw a few days ago. But the more “Saved By The Bell” episodes I watched, the more I started to like the series again. The problems I mentioned above seemed to disappear, and soon enough I was back in my room on those Saturday mornings of old. Zach Morris’ giant cell phone never gets old, and A.C. Slater going after Kelly while still dating Jessie was a rather mature plotline for its time.

However, it also donned on me that I was more like Screech that I would like to admit. No, I wasn’t a complete nerd like he was. But I often made a fool of myself over a girl like Screech would do with Lisa. Though in hindsight, Lisa and the girl in my situation probably had a point. And am I crazy, or did Screech eventually get a girlfriend with giant glasses? Or maybe I have him confused with Urkel, who knows.

“Saved By The Bell” is definitely a show of its time. You can see it in the sets, wardrobe, and in many of the jokes. Yet, as shocking as it was watching the show in 2018, I can’t help but still like it. It’s not perfect, but ti wasn’t meant to be. It was supposed to entertain young people at a time when there really wasn’t anything like it on tv. This was a show for young people, and that’s how I’ll always remember “Saved By The Bell.”

Random Thought of the Day

I always liked Bailey better

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Review

Possible spoilers ahead!

Sabrina the Teenage Witch is back on tv in the new Netflix series “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.” But Sabrina’s world is far darker than anything you’ve seen before. In other words: forget the old tv show. This time around, Sabrina Spellman is played by Kiernan Shipka (“Mad Men”). She’s a soon to be 16-year-old high school student who is half mortal and half witch.

As her birthday rapidly approaches, Sabrina struggles with her upcoming Dark Baptism, a ceremony which will see her bound to the dark lord himself. She understands signing the dark book is her calling, and by joining she’ll become a full witch and have use of all her witchy powers. But given the violent apocalyptic visions Sabrina encounters before the ceremony, she can’t decide which path to take.

Going ahead with the baptism requires Sabrina to attend a secret academy for witches, which means leaving behind the only family she’s ever known: aunts Zelda (Miranda Otto), and Hilda (Lucy Davis). Sabrina would also say goodbye to her town, school, and friends Ros (Jaz Sinclair) and Susie (Lachlan Watson), and her wholesome and devoted boyfriend Harvey (Ross Lynch).

Sabrina has a tough choice ahead of her. One that isn’t made easier when outside forces appear to be pulling her in different directions.

Forget everything you ever knew about Sabrina the teenage witch from the old Archie Comics and the ABC TGIF family-friendly sitcom starring Melissa Joan Hart. The new Netflix series, “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,” is reinventing the entire formula from scratch with a unique mix of darkness, humor, drama, scares, and fun. And it worked on me!

I am rather shocked at how much I enjoyed the “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.” It’s been a couple of years since I binged a Netflix show as I did with Sabrina. Normally I’ll watch one or two episodes a day, but with Sabrina, I watched the whole thing before game four of the World Series. The show hooked me from the first episode, perhaps this is due to the show’s darker yet fun tone. But more than likely it’s due to leading lady Kiernan Shipka.

Shipka gives the role of Sabrina a ton of depth, and in a number of ways. From her first love to not wanting to disappoint her aunts, to wanting answers so she can make the best decision possible for her life. She’s sweet an innocent, and one of the most loyal friends you will ever have. Kiernan Shipka nails every dramatic element the script requires. But she does it in such a way that as the viewer, you’re almost instantly like her and are rooting for her.

Miranda Otto and Lucy Davis play Sabrina’s adoptive aunts, and they serve as a bit of comic relief. But nothing like in the ABC show. In the new series, Davis’ Hilda is good-natured and sweet, always looking out for Sabrina. Whereas Otto’s Zelda is an authority figure who wants Sabrina to join the coven whether she wants to or not. But Zelda also takes time from her work as a funeral director to sit on the front porch for a smoke break.

Then there’s Chance Perdomo as Ambrose Spellman, Sabrina’s witch cousin from England. He’s often a voice of reason and occasionally her partner in crime. But Ambrose is forbidden from leaving the Spellman home after being placed under house arrest by the Witches Council for attempting to blow up the Vatican.

Last but certainly not least is Michelle Gomez as Mary Wardwell. She’s Sabrina’s favorite teacher and mentors at Baxter High, but that was before she became possessed by the devil’s handmaiden to become Madam Satan, a cunning manipulator who seems to have her own agenda. Gomez is brilliant in the part, and she’s clearly having a lot of fun with the part.

Sabrina’s friends also deserve mention. Ros (Jaz Sinclair) and Susie (Lachlan Watson), and Harvey (Ross Lynch) are all well-developed. Each got back stories and each one has something to deal with at home. These characters weren’t cartoons like in the old show, and I loved how Sabrina would do anything for them, and they in return. Friends like these are hard to find in the real world.

In the end, the “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” is a welcome addition to the expanding, reimagined television world of Archie Comics. This is a show that packs a ton of story into each episode, making each chapter more like a mini-movie than an individual episode.

The sets and cinematography are incredible throughout, giving the show a unique and timeless look. Add in a solid cast led by the talented Kiernan Shipka, and you got a winner, and one of my new favorite Netflix shows.

“Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” score: A

 

Retro Review: From the Earth to the Moon

I’ve always been fascinated by space travel. As a kid, I spent hours reading everything I could about NASA and the various space programs around the world. My sixth-grade science project was on the Space Shuttle, and I even dressed up as an astronaut one Halloween.

Over the years I also devoured any movies and tv shows that had anything to do with space flight. One of my favorite space shows is HBO’s “From the Earth to the Moon.”

“From the Earth to the Moon,” was one of the most expensive television miniseries in history. Costing around $68 million, the twelve-part docudrama took viewers back to the incredible era of the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union, culminating with the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969.

Along with producers Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Michael Bostick, Tom Hanks served as executive producer/co-writer/co-director/actor and even introduced eleven out of the twelve episodes. Their passion is evident throughout the series, and all of them went to great lengths to ensure “From the Earth to the Moon” would be as accurate as possible.

The ambitious project aired weekly over six weeks in two-hour installments. Each chapter had radically different artistic styles behind the camera. With different writers and directors gave each episode its own tone, look and feel. Each hour of “From Earth to the Moon” plays like a mini-movie, beautifully mixing archival news footage with the new material.

But when “From the Earth to the Moon” first aired in 1998, I wasn’t able to see it, because I didn’t have HBO at the time. I didn’t discover the series until the following year when it hit DVD. It didn’t matter though, I was hooked from the first episode. “Can We Do This?”

Directed by Tom Hanks, the opening chaptter is arguably the most linear, condensing the first few years of the space program into an hour-long episode. This one episode told you everything you needed to know about the history of manned space flight and introduced you to all the key players for the rest of the mini-series. From the opening shots of the Vostok 1 launch to Mike Peck sequence. All of it was a joy to watch.

However, as good as “Can We Do This?” is, other episodes have become my personal favorites. For example, episode five “Spider” begins in 1961, as NASA engineer John Houbolt tried to convince management that the easiest way to land men on the Moon will be to use a separate landing craft. It then traces the design and development of the Lunar Module by a team led by Grumman engineer Tom Kelly.

“Spider” also covers the selection and training of the first crew to fly the LEM: James McDivitt and Rusty Schweickart (along with Command Module pilot David Scott), and culminates with their first flight of Spider in Earth orbit on Apollo 9.

Another episode I can watch over and over again is episode seven, “That’s All There Is.” This episode tells the story of Apollo 12, the second lunar landing mission. The entire episode is narrated by Lunar Module Pilot Alan Bean (Dave Foley).

I like this episode because of the friendship the Apollo 12 crew share, and how lost friends are never forgotten by the astronauts.  Pius, there are some very funny moments involving a camera, and a school field trip.

Finally, there is episode ten, “Galileo Was Right,” and episode twelve, “Le Voyage Dans La Lune.” I see these episodes as the two-part story of Harrison “Jack” Schmitt (Tom Amandes). He was the first scientist to go into space.

But maybe, more importantly, Schmitt was essential in getting the astronaut corp the geology training they needed. Plus I also like how nerdy Schmitt and professor Leon Silver (David Clennon) get on field trips.

All in all, “From the Earth to the Moon” remains one of my go-to space shows. IT’s brilliantly cast and directed, no other mini-series has topped it since. I can sit down and binge watch this series at any time, and I usually watch it at least once a year at least.

Whether you saw it twenty years ago, or are just hearing of it for the first time, “From the Earth to the Moon” is an exceptional piece of television, and well worth your time.