Movie Flashback: Airspeed

Having suffered from long bouts of insomnia for most of my life has come with a few challenges as you can imagine. I really can’t say the lack of sleep over the years came with many positives (if any).

But if there’s been one upside to my insomnia, it would be that it has given me a chance to watch a bunch of movies I normally would have missed. One such movie is the 1998/1999 air disaster flick “Airspeed.”

I first came across “Airspeed” during one sleepless night around 2000. The movie was airing on one of the Starz channels, and based on the description, it sounded like it could be an interesting movie.

Plus like a lot of people, I’m a sucker for a good air disaster movie like “Airport” and “Executive Decision.” But if you still have nightmares involving Karen Black trying to land a 747 in “Airport 1975,” then these kinds of movies are probably not for you.

 

Come to think of it, “Airspeed” and “Airport 1975” have something in common, as both feature a non-pilot trying to land a plane with help from someone on the ground. There are some differences though. “Airspeed” doesn’t feature a stellar cast of has-beens and the one person trying to land the plane isn’t a flight attendant but a spoiled rich teenage girl named Nicole Stone (Elisha Cuthbert).

Also, instead of a mid-air collision, “Airspeed” involves lightning blowing a hole in the plane’s fuselage which electrocutes the pilot. That’s just one of the problems Nicole faces as all the adults onboard are incapacitated by oxygen deprivation. I still don’t quite understand why she wasn’t affected, but then again is she’d passed out this would have been a short movie.

While Nicole is stuck on the family place, her father Raymond Stone (Joe Mantegna), the volatile CEO of Teknacom Inc., anxiously awaits the landing at the airport tower. I know Stone was rich and well-connected, but if this happened in real life there is no way he’d be allowed in the tower and they try to help his daughter. It doesn’t help that Stone is a control freak and simply tries to throw money at the problem as if that would help.

Unfortunately for Nicole, things keep getting worse as the ground crew realizes the auto-pilot on her plane is stuck. So they come up with the idea of sending another airplane to deposit a rescue crew on doomed Flight. This is where we see Nicole start to change as instead of letting the rescuers take her, she first makes sure the other passengers are taken care of. But her selfless act causes her to miss her chance at rescue.

Anyways, now truly on her own, a panic-stricken Nicole does what any of us would do and gets on the radio to air traffic control. This leads to some sappy conversations with her family, but this is also where she befriends a guy named Jeff, (Charles Edwin Powell). Jeff is a young air traffic controller, but it’s perhaps because of his age that he can relate to Nicole.

Jeff is an unlikely hero for this kind of movie, but I thought once he came into the picture “Airspeed” became as much Powell’s movie as it is Cuthbert’s. His calmness helps Nicole over her fear, and his resulting tone moves her to do what everyone around him thinks is impossible: safely land the plane. Even though the two have never met face to face, they become friends, and I liked that.

Of course, all of the stuff I mentioned above would have more of an impact if “Airspeed” had any production value to it. As it is, “Airspeed” looks like a low-budget tv movie of the week. Special effects are almost non-existent in the movie. Most of the airplane shots are either models or very poor CGI effects. Nearly all of the sets are small, poorly lit and crowded. The plane Nicole is supposed to be on is not very realistic, neither is the plane sent to help her.

Acting wise, “Airspeed” is not an award contender. Though I really can’t place all the blame on Elisha Cuthbert who was very young at the time. Her movie dad Joe Mantegna however, is another story. In this movie, he is so overdramatic that it comes off as laughable rather than touching. Had this been anyone else I might give it a pass, but I know Joe Mantegna can act because I’ve seen him do it. Maybe he was just having a hard time acting in front of a radio or something, who knows?

Charles Edwin Powell probably does the best acting in “Airspeed,” but he too has some cheesy moments. He also has one cringe-worthy moment in the end when he finally meets Nicole and somehow the subject of them dating comes up. It’s creepy because Nicole is 12-14 maybe, and if he’s an air traffic controller then he must be at least in his mid-twenties if not older. But maybe Nicole thought he was Seth Green or something.

In the end, “Airspeed” is not a must see movie. However, this is one of those movies that is cheesy and pretty bad at times, but one that I can’t help but like. Yeah, this is definitely one of those movies that are so bad it’s good, and one that if I ever find on DVD, will scoop up no questions asked. As for my insomnia, that’s a lot better now. Whether watching bad movies like “Airspeed” had anything to do with it is anyone’s guess.

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The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Season 2 Review

Possible spoilers ahead

Sabrina Spellman is back for season 2 of Netflix’s amazing “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.” This time, Sabrina has fully embraced her witch heritage and is a full-time student at the Academy of Unseen Arts. But odd events bring her back to her mortal friends and send Sabrina on the path to her dark destiny, with the Dark Lord and Lilith (Michelle Gomez) pulling the strings from the start.

One of the many great things about this season of “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” is that unlike season one which centered on her life among the mortals of Greendale, season two is largely focused on the witching world. But no need to worry because Sabrina is as rebellious as ever this season she’s often fighting the rules of the academy, bullies, and Father Blackwood (Richard Coyle). And that’s just the appetizer before she goes head-to-head with the Dark Lord (Luke Cook) himself.

Per usual, “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” is worth checking out for the dazzling performances from almost everyone in the cast. Kiernan Shipka is fantastic as the tenacious, curious, and brave Sabrina. Shipka shines when she’s helping others, or simply stating her opinion about something. This season, in particular, I thought she shows more range when her character was supposed to be more intimidating.

In certain episodes, Sabrina’s dark side comes out, but it was interesting to see Kernan Shipka portray the battle between good and evil going on inside Sabrina. Season two also shows us how powerful a witch Sabrina Spellman can truly be. Once sequence in particular lead to a very funny conversation with Harvey (Ross Lynch) that somehow went from Sabrina using her powers to him comparing her to Dark Phoenix. Shipka’s reaction gave me one of the biggest laughs of the season.

In the supporting cast, Michelle Gomez as Lilith remains the scene stealer of this series. In season two she’s given more screen time, as the episodes dig deep into Lilith’s relationship with the Dark Lord. This gives Gomez a chance to play more with the character as we see Lilith live life as a mortal as she becomes school principal and even gets a love interest. Her story arc is well-paced and doesn’t slow down any of the main storylines.

But Michelle Gomez isn’t alone, as season 2 features even more character arcs before. The good news is you’ll be invested in every single one. Many storylines involve Sabrina’s friends, Ros (Jaz Sinclair), Theo (Lachlan Watson) (previously known as Susie), and the aforementioned Harvey. Even Sabrina’s aunt Hilda (Lucy Davis), gets into the act with her own moments to shine.

Meanwhile, aunt Zelda (Miranda Otto), gets a new job, a husband, and more than she was bargaining for. Zelda has one very funny episode in which she’s under a spell from Father Blackwood, which leads to some humorous scenes with her sister and Sabrina. Ambrose (Chance Perdomo) is back as well, and though he gets a ton more to do, he doesn’t get any of the moments that made him such a fan favorite in season one.

One of the characters I thought would annoy me this season was Nick Scratch (Gavin Leatherwood). But to my surprise I found myself liking the character. He did seem to really fall in love with Sabrina, and despite a weird swerve towards the end of the season, he tried to do good-by her. I also enjoyed how he constantly picked on Harvey. Then there’s Prudence (Tati Gabrielle), who is good this season, but I thought her role was more minutes this time around.

This season has a large cast for sure. However, I won’t say too much about misogynistic Father Blackwood. All I can say is that he plays a much bigger role here, but I really hope that his storyline is finally resolved in season three.

Chilling Adventures season two has plenty of action and battles especially in the second half of the season. But for me, one of the best things this show does is to tackle real-life issues in realistic and organic ways. I thought this season did an excellent job handling Theo’s transition to boyhood. The arc was given the time and respect it needed, and marks an important development for the character.

Another nice development in season two is that Harvey is now dating Ros. Yeah, at first this seems to come out of nowhere, but it actually works. Plus this storyline is also handled with care, and in a realistic way as well. Each character gets his or her to say what the new couple means for the group of friends. I liked that no one judged anyone and that in the end, Sabrina was happy for Harvey and Ros.

 

Overall, “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” season 2 is well worth watching. Though maybe it’s not as linear as season one was, this season is a visual delight filled with more great performances. Most important of all, season advances the arcs of every single character and sets up what could be the wildest season yet. Now all that is missing from this show is a talking Salem.

“The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” season two score: B+

Hanna Season 1 Review

Possible spoilers ahead!

The 2011 film “Hanna” starring Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett, and Eric Bana is one those movies that came and went without much of an impact at the box office.  The movie wasn’t bad per se, but it wasn’t a great film either. It certainly wasn’t screaming for a remake or a sequel either thanks to itself contained story. Amazon Studios, however, had other ideas, and now we have the all-new, all-different “Hanna.”

This time Hanna is played by newcomer British actress Esme Creed-Miles. Like in the original film, Hanna is a 15-16-year-old girl who was raised in the remote woods of Eastern Europe from infancy by her father Erik Heller (Joel Kinnaman) after he rescued her from a clandestine government facility when she was a baby.

Over the years he has taught Hanna survival skills, and how to defend herself from what he claims is a group of people who want to kill them both. So far Erik and Hanna have done a good job living in hiding. But Hanna’s curiosity soon shatters their world, attracting the attention of government agents led by  Erik Heller’s former boss, Marissa Wiegler (Mireille Enos). Now the chase is on.

 

Helmed by David Farr, “Hanna” on Amazon is not as fast-paced or laser-focused as its film predecessor. But in this case, that’s okay, because it allows the show a chance to explore deeper character development, new twists, and some excellent action sequences. And let me tell you, there are some solid action sequences in “Hanna.” The European locations are also a sight to behold, and they add to the mystery of the story being told.

At first glance, Hanna seems like an X-23 clone, which is funny since X-23 is a clone of Wolverine. Anyways, the point is that both Hanna and X-23 are genetically (or so we think) enhanced ass-kicking teenagers who were created to be assassins. by a shadowy government agency. But where Hanna differs from X-23 is that “Hanna” keeps things grounded and focused to the core cast.

This show is essentially a coming-of-age story as Hanna learns about family, friends, love, boys, and Instagram. Over the course of the eight-episode season, we learn a lot about Hanna, Erik Heller, and Marissa Wiegler. Many questions that come up during the season are answered, more than I was expecting actually. Yet, by the time the season comes to an end, new and bigger questions arise which left me very excited for a possible second season.

As for the cast, Esme Creed-Miles as Hanna is the heart of the show. Whether she’s awkwardly flirting with boys at a nightclub or exchanging fire with government agents, her subtle performance is very charming and captivating. Her endless curiosity about the world is easy to understand and fun to experience with her. Sometimes her curiosity leads to some very funny moments. Miles also shines in the action scenes, in particular, one in a train station and another later on in a motel.

Another reason Esme Miles’ performance works, is because of her newfound BFF, Sophie (played by newcomer Rhianne Barreto). Sophie could have been a throwaway character that only shows up in one episode, but instead, she becomes an important character because she is that teenage girl Hanna wants to be like. More importantly, Sophie never judges Hanna and always has her back.

To me it seemed like they truly became friends, laughing, fighting, and crying over boys and their super controlling parents. There are moments between Hanna and Sophie when you forget that she’s being hunted by a sinister government agency.

Speaking of the bad guys, “Hanna” features the imposing villainy of Marissa Wiegler (Mireille Enos). Wiegler is the person behind many of the mysteries surrounding Hanna’s birth and unique abilities, and for much of the season, she’s the primary antagonist. But it doesn’t take long to know that there’s a bigger threat just looming around the corner.

Unlike the film version of the character, Enos brings a welcome bit of nuance. At first, we see her as truly evil, but as the show progresses, we really see the character grow. While I wouldn’t go as far as calling her one of the “good guys,” she definitely won me over. Hopefully, we get to see more of her in season 2 because there are plenty of stories left to tell about Ms. Wiegler.

Meanwhile, Joel Kinnaman is fine as Hanna’s father Erik Heller. However, I thought at times he was too rough on Hanna. There were moments when he needed to be her father and not her trainer. Also, his insistence on keeping things from her got on my nerves. The same goes for whenever he wanted to keep her out of the action. I mean, what was the point in training her if you’re not going to let her help?

At the end of the day, I was very happy with season one of “Hanna.” The show effectively expands on what the 2011 film brought to the table. This show works thanks to good casting, engaging character development and thrilling action set pieces. Esme Creed-Miles excels in the lead role, and I bet she’s only scratched the surface on what she can do as Hanna.

“Hanna” score: B+

Glow #1 Review

GLOW #1
Written by: Tini Howard
Art by: Hannah Templer
Letters by: Christina Miesner
Release date: March 27th, 2019
Cover price: $3.99
Published by: IDW Publishing

What It’s about…

The Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling are ready to take on the world—or at least LA—in this comic based on the hit Netflix series! When the unthinkable happens and the women of GLOW find themselves ahead of schedule, Sam ruins the promise of a wrestling-free weekend with… more wrestling! Robbed of blissful relaxation and forced to raise money to fund their way to the event, the GLOW team is less-than-prepared for their opponents: real gorgeous lady wrestlers. What could possibly go wrong?!

What I thought about it…

If you watch the Glow series on Netflix, then you know this is not a show for kids. As funny as Glow is with its wrestling antics, the series tackles some serious issues in its first two seasons. So you would think the new Glow comic from IDW Publishing would match the show’s tone, right?

Wrong.

Reading Glow #1 was like taking a trip to the PG version of Glow. And it pains me to say it, but there is little in this comic that bears any resemblance to what you see on Netflix. Oh sure, the ladies of Glow still work their butts off practicing their moves and promoting themselves as best they can, making props and costumes, and figuring out how to make some extra money when Sam is late with their paychecks.

But that’s where the similarities between the show and the comic book end. The tension we see on the show between characters like Ruth and Debbie is missing in the comic. Sam’s witty takedown of the girls is also gone, as is Bash who isn’t even mentioned. Look, making the comic funny is fine, but Glow #1 went too far in the other direction. Glow #1 is slapstick compared to what we’ve seen on Netflix.

Maybe upping the comedy angle was done on purpose, it certainly would explain the art by Hannah Templer. To be clear, Templer’s anime style art isn’t bad, it just doesn’t fit in with the world of Glow. None of the actors on the show have giant eyes or over the top reactions. Here, however, some of the characters act like school girls rather than grown women and it all due to the art.

The rest of  issue one sees the women trying to raise money to go to a major wrestling festival in California. But there’s also time for Melanie “Melrose” Rosen to plan a weekend party, and for Tammi “The Welfare Queen” Dawson, to get some dental work done. None of these storylines excited me, nor did they go anywhere in the end.

When all is said and done, I thought Glow #1 was a huge disappointment. There were times I forgot these are characters I’m familiar with thanks to the show. While other times the art completely took me out of it. Maybe this comic was trying to introduce new people to Glow and now that’s done, things will improve in upcoming issues. But I have not decided if I’ll stick around or not.

Glow #1 score: D

Retro TNU: The Mark of Zorro (1974)

Last week I was sitting at home waiting for Bitesquad to deliver my dinner when I noticed “The Mark of Zorro” was coming on in a few minutes on one of the Encore channels. Since I’m a Zorro fan and the 1940 film starring Tyrone Power is one of my all-time favorite movies, I decided to watch it while scarfing down my bacon pizza.

However, when I initially saw “The Mark of Zorro,” all I saw was the title on the screen guide. I did not click to read the details, so I was shocked when the movie began and the thing was in color. I was even more shocked when I saw Don Diego Vega was played by Frank Langella. He probably wouldn’t be my first choice, but he probably is the only actor who’s played Zorro, Dracula, and Richard Nixon, so that’s something I suppose.

The film co-starred Ricardo Montalban as Captain Esteban Montenegro; Gilbert Roland as Don Alejandro de la Vega; Yvonne De Carlo as Isabella Vega; Anne Archer as Teresa; Louise Sorel as Inez Quintero; and Robert Middleton as Don Luis Quintero. On paper, the cast isn’t bad at all. But many of them are miscast in this type of movie, and almost none of them even try a Spanish accent. The only one that looks and sounds the part is Ricardo Montalban.

But what nearly gave me a heart attack is the fact this 1974 film is almost a shot by shot remake of the 1940 film I love so much. The plot is essentially the same: Diego Vega heads home and finds a corrupt alcalde and army captain are running the show. They’ve overthrown Diego’s father and are overtaxing the peons. To fight the corruption, Diego then takes up the mantle up Zorro.

It’s a classic story that filmmakers can play with. You can add things like in the Antonio Banderas film did, or you can start from scratch and make your own film. But what you should never do is copy another film beat by beat, and that’s what the 1974 film almost did with the Tyrone Power classic. Even the Zorro theme is the same for crying out loud!

Granted, there are a few differences here and there. For instance, the conversation between the Alcalde and the rooster owner takes place in a garden rather than in his office, and Zorro is in full costume for the final confrontations with Capitan Esteban.  Also, Friar Felipe is thin, while in 1940 he was as big as a house. Diego’s love interest here is named Teresa instead of Lolita. However, the key scenes are the same from the 1940 film.

Perhaps the biggest change in the 1974 film is the lack of humor. The Tyrone Power film had several great one-liners and other moments that still make me laugh today. But 1974s “The Mark of Zorro” took itself too seriously I thought. Even the scenes that copy the earlier film don’t come off as funny this time.

Zorro’s 1974 costume is mostly all right I suppose, but the mask is way too big for Frank Langella. The mask calls so much attention to his lips I’m surprised no one in town noticed Zorro had the same mouth as Don Diego. Anyway,s Zorro spends a good chunk of the movie riding around, robbing the Quinteros, making things difficult for Mr. Rourke, and extinguishing candles with his sword just because he can.

After I finished watching Zorro ’74, I was left highly disappointed. This Zorro was a wasted opportunity to do something fresh with the character. But either the network or the filmmakers were too lazy to craft something new. Though I suppose if you hadn’t watched any Zorro film or tv show before this, you might enjoy Frank Langella’s take on the character.

For me though, the only part of this movie that I can honestly say I liked was that unlike in 1940, this time Captain Esteban got to see Zorro Unmasked. The fight between the two wasn’t epic, but it gave Ricardo Montalban what is arguably the best line of dialogue in the movie: “So… inside the peacock… we find a hawk.”

Even though I consider myself to be a big Zorro fan, I somehow wasn’t aware of this movie. Or if I was at one point, I completely erased it from my memory. Either way, this movie shocked me from beginning to end by how terrible it was. From what I understand, the movie also served as a backdoor pilot for a potential television series which never materialized.

Perhaps that’s why so much of the action is tame compared to the 1940 film, and why some of the actors look disinterested. The cast is talented, but this is not their best work. Perhaps if it had been an original story, things would have turned out better and I would not have spent the entire time comparing both films.

The Umbrella Academy Review

Possible spoilers ahead!!

Netflix’s “The Umbrella Academy” is based on the Eisner-winning comics by My Chemical Romance lead singer Gerard Way and Brazilian artist Gabriel Bá. Both the comics and the show takes dysfunctional family drama and mixes it with the world of superhero action thanks to a cool concept:

On October 1, 1989, 43 women around the world give birth simultaneously, despite none of them showing any sign of pregnancy until labor began. Seven of these children, Klaus (Robert Sheehan), Luther (Tom Hopper), Diego (David Castañeda), Allison (Emmy Raver-Lampman), Ben (Justin H. Min), Vanya (Ellen Page), and an unnamed Number Five (Aidan Gallagher), are adopted by eccentric billionaire Sir Reginald Hargreeves (Colm Feore).

The series then shifts to the funeral of the eccentric entrepreneur, years after the sibling team has broken up.  While it’s not immediately revealed what caused them to drift apart, it’s clear the siblings’ didn’t exactly care for their adopted father. This becomes clearer as the series goes on, but that’s just one issue the family has to deal with. When Number Five, (who’s been missing for over a decade), returns as his 13-year-old self, a new set of earth-shattering problems arise.

Wow, I did not expect “The Umbrella Academy” to blow me away the way it did. My wifey and I started watching on Friday night and ended up finishing the entire series by Saturday morning, it was that good. I knew a little about the concept, having read a couple of issues of the comic in early 2008. But to be honest, I didn’t remember too much about it.

That was probably a good thing though because the Netflix show kept surprising me over and over again with its mix of vigilantism, time travel, necromancy, and pop music. If that’s not enough craziness for you, the series also includes an anthropomorphized chimpanzee named Pogo (Adam Godley) and a malfunctioning robot matriarch named Grace (Jordan Claire Robbins), who the kids refer to as “Mom.”

Another cool thing about “The Umbrella Academy” is that the show doesn’t shy away from showing superpowers in action. Throughout the series, we get to see characters time-travel, teleport short distances, conjure up dead ghosts, increase in size, throw very accurate knives, and even plenty of hand to hand combat. All of the CGI looked great, and the way scenes are shot helped the overall product.

Something else “The Umbrella Academy” has plenty of is humor. Some of my favorite moments came courtesy of Klaus (Robert Sheehan). One sequence, in particular, features Klaus’ conversation with several of the victims of time traveling assassins Cha-Cha (Mary J. Blige) and Hazel (Cameron Britton). The scene was so funny, it left me with tears in my eyes.

Speaking of Cha-Cha, Mary J. Blige is phenomenal in the series. Her character is a workaholic who loves the killing aspect of it, but she also has some very funny moments. Blige was even great in the fight scenes and she more than held her own in this crazy super-powered world. I’d go as far as saying this might be the best work she’s done outside of music career.

Number five also delivered some great comedic scenes, and how could he not? A 58-year-old man stuck in his 13-year-old body is bound to bring up some issues. Not to mention his many years spent as a time-traveling assassin, who knows what other secrets Number Five is keeping to himself.

Played by an ever-so-serious Aidan Gallagher, Number Five quickly became my wife’s favorite character. Gallagher does a great job acting out the trope of the old man stuck in a kid’s body. My only question is why did he keep the school uniform on the entire time?

The humor isn’t limited to Cha-Cha and Number Five, each member of “The Umbrella Academy” gets a moment or two of lighthearted fun. I liked this because it made me care more about these people so that when something dramatic did happen, it had much more of an impact.

Also on the main cast, Tom Hopper plays Luther, Number One, who has a small head on a huge hulking body after a mission went bad. Luther is the leader of the seven, but he often questions whether he should have that role. I liked how Hopper played the character like a gentle giant, one who seeks out conflict, but someone who will defend his family when the situation calls for it.

One of my favorite subplots was Luther’s affection for Emmy Raver-Lampman’s Allison. Maybe I liked this plotline because Allison turned out to be my favorite character in the “Umbrella Academy.” The way I saw it, out of all seven, Allison had the most to lose if they failed on their mission. And I don’t know if it was intentional or not, but in some ways, she became the mom of the group looking out for the other. As for her affection with Luther, keep in mind they may be siblings, but technically they are not related.

Then there’s Ellen Page’s Vanya who lacks any powers, and her family is always there to remind her of it. For much of the 10 episodes, Vanya comes off looking pensive and sad while playing her violin. But Page delivers one of her best performances yet, giving Vanya multiple layers to play with.

Finally, there’s Diego. He is “The Umbrella Academy’s resident knife-wielding vigilante played by David Castañeda. He wants to be the leader of the group, but his temper and violent outburst made that impossible. However, despite his anger, Diego does seem to genuinely care about his siblings, even if he won’t admit it.

The main story of the season builds slowly, making ample use of flashbacks (and some flash forwards) to tell the main story. To my surprise, these flashbacks and forwards never got old because they turn out to be essential in their respective episodes. Plus it was cool to see the siblings when they were young and the hell their adoptive dad put each of them through.

Something else I loved about the show, was the clever use of music. Every episode seemed to have one of two breakout scenes set to music. There’s one scene in which all the siblings retreat to their own rooms after their father’s funeral, a record starts playing Tiffany’s “I Think We’re Alone Now” and everyone starts dancing to the music. It’s a simple scene, but a poignant moment nonetheless. One that shows viewers that despite their many quarrels, these extraordinary people are still family.

If I have one complained about the show it would be the character of Leonard Peabody (John Magaro). He plays Vanya’s love interest, and his character’s build up was so great, I was expecting big things towards the end of the season. But what ends up happening was somewhat unsatisfying.

But that’s a minor complaint. The fact is, the “The Umbrella Academy” was a joy to watch. In fact’ I’d say season one was better than some of the Netflix Marvel shows put together. Academy had something for everyone, super-heroics, music, time, travel, mannequins, donuts, bird watching, you name it. Whether you know the comic or now, “Umbrella Academy” is worth your time.

“The Umbrella Academy” score: A-

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