"Glass Onion: Knives Out Mystery"

The first “Knives Out” had all knives firing.  A great murder mystery that is tightly plotted, dropping clues, concealing secrets, misdirecting with red herrings, teasing resolution, springing surprises, revealing lies, tying up loose ends, and cleverly wrapping up with a satisfying conclusion.  

Director Rian Johnson was wise to use a similar formula in the sequel, twisting the knife a bit differently mid-story and sprinkling more hysterical humor, but still end up hitting the bullseye.  Filmed during the heights of the pandemic in 2020, the global lockdown makes it into the “Glass Onion: Knives Out Mystery” and the remote island is an idyllically perfect setting.  

Southern detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig, “James Bond” series), is back with a murder mystery landing on his linen suit.  A distinct character among the rich and famous, he finds himself in a private island in Greece belonging to tech magnate Miles (Edward Norton, "The Illusionist") on a mysterious invitation for a murder mystery weekend getaway.  The high-tech island shows off the vainglorious Miles’ riches, glorious glass structures and sculptures, and not to be outdone by one historic art collection.  

The billionaire invites his close circle of friends and allies to solve a murder mystery play.  When one of the guests dies for real, everyone becomes a suspect.  The lights are out and everyone is trapped on the island.  To compound the confusion and paranoia, there’s also a question whether the victim is the intended target and if there’s another victim.  

The privileged guests are fashion icon Birdie (Kate Hudson) and her assistant Peg (Jessica Henwick), YouTube influencer Duke (Dave Bautista, “The Avengers”) and his girlfriend Whiskey (Madelyn Cline), stylish scientist Lionel (Leslie Odom Jr.), liberal politician Claire (Kathryn Hahn), and last but not least, Miles’ former business partner, Andi (Janelle Monae, “Hidden Figures”). 

Everyone’s surprised by Andi’s presence and why she’s still invited in the first place, considering Miles ruthlessly and legally cut her out of the company they co-founded together.  Soon we’ll have to take a double take, as there’s a lot more to incensed Andi than meets the puzzled eye.  

While Miles preaches that they are e true disruptors of the world, Andi stabs into the heart of his mendacious speech.  There’s a common thread among how everyone gets to the pinnacle of their careers and fames, and it’s not ingenuity.  Monae is particularly marvelous in her performance.  Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned and it’s not what you think it is.  The guests are forced to unmask and reveal who they really are, and decide what their breaking points are. 

The ingenuity here lies in the story construct.  There are multiple reasons why the film is called ‘Glass Onion.’  Halfway through Blanc cuts back and peels back the onion of a story layer by layer, but also noting that while an onion may look like complicated layers, the center hides in plain sight.  You will not see the revelation coming!  And when you think all hopes might be lost, something else comes out of the gate, exploding in a blaze of glory.  

“Glass Onion: Knives Out Mystery” takes translucent jabs at political, social, economic and entertainment elites in a polarized society, while delivering a masterful mystery and whodunit entertainment.  

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"The Menu"

Taste.  Savor.  Relish.

If you love food, or art in any form for that matter, this is a movie made for you. 

A dozen of exclusive guests are invited for the Hawthorne experience.  The Hawthorn is a world-class dining destination, under the helm of avant-garde, contempt-filled Chef Slowik (Ralph Fiennes, “Hail, Caesar!,” “Skyfall”), located on a private island where the multi-course meals cost $1,250 per head.  The island is self-sustaining and the meals are truly sea-and-farm to table.  

Guests are ferried into the island and get a tour led by the second-in-command, Elsa (Hong Chau), a standout with her deadpan delivery, starting with the shore, farm, forest, workers' living quarters, leading to an expansive dining room with an open kitchen.  Cleanly designed with floor-to-ceiling ocean view, polished with cool palettes, brightened up by the warmth of the fire from the kitchen.  

The workers live in the island and devote themselves to the Chef, his vision and servicing the one-percenters.  Their work is their lives.  Every day they wake up on the island to harvest, ferment, fish, slaughter, sear, broil, bake, poach, emulsify, liquify, gel, plate and serve, and return to their living quarters in the evenings.  The Chef cottage is separate from his crew, where no one can enter.  

The guests include a young couple, brown-nosed foodie Tyler (Nicholas Hoult, “X-Men” series) and out-of-place Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy), older wealthy couple Richard (Reed Birney) and Anne (Judith Light) with a secret, celebrity food critic Lillian (Janet McTeer) and her sycophantic editor Ted (Paul Adelstein), washed-up movie star (John Leguizamo) and his problematic assistant Felicity (Aimee Carerro), and big-headed tech bros, Bryce (Rob Yang), Dave (Mark St. Cyr) and Soren (Arturo Castro).  

The movie flows from one exquisite course to another, exemplifying haute cuisine where the gastronomic delights are expertly deconstructed, stunningly designed and immaculately plated on a variety of vessels, balancing textures, colors and flavors.  The meals, from appetizer to main courses to palate-cleansing and desert have a theme and tell a story.  The detailed descriptions of each course are both mouthwatering and hilarious.  

The amuse bouche may start light and refreshing, but as each course precisely progresses, tension is seared into the story, and the diners experience brain-fried moments and realize the theatrics are not just for entertainment.  Slices of secrets are dished out in inventive manners, backstories are told shockingly, consequences can be bloodily twisted, leading to a boiling point and blazing ending.  The guests soon find out there are reasons they score the coveted reservations that day and they're not there simply for the fancy meals.  Margot is a wild card, however, and her presence chars the Chef's meticulous master plan.  

Glazed by sharp dialogue, the no-way-out situations are bitingly funny.  The impeccably choreographed movements and sound editing are perfectly crisp.  “The Menu” skewers the high-end epicurean culture and serves up social commentary not only on class division, but also between working class service workers and their moneyed guests, disillusioned artists and their pretentious critics.  

The satire hits the high marks for originality, creativity, dark humor and horror factor.  A crafty feast for the eyes and devilishly delectable.

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"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever"

How do you make a “Black Panther” sequel without the Black Panther?  

That’s the one-billion dollar question faced by Marvel after the untimely death of Chadwick Boseman (“Avengers: Endgame” “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Captain America: Civil War”), who tragically passed away in 2020 and during the heights of the pandemic.  The charismatic star became world-famous and superhero role model for its dignified and noble portrayal of King TChalla and real-life representation of the marginalized.   

The opening scene pays a reverent and touching tribute to Boseman.  T’Challa’s offscreen death has a larger-than-life impact not only on his family and royal circle, but also to Wakandans.  The farewell scene where Wakandans dress and dance in all-white to mourn the loss and celebrate the life of its king, and when the belated king’s soul transcends to the skies, is very moving.  What makes this a teary-eyed moment is that we know it’s not a fake movie death.  

While Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) is coming to terms to her son’s death, Shuri (Letitia Wright), T’Challa’s little sister, takes his death particularly hard.  Shuri, a science and technology maven, carries a lot of guilt and anger for not being able to save her big brother’s life.  Her gut-wrenching reaction at the funeral procession is deeply felt.  Wright gives everything she has and it shows in her powerhouse performance throughout Shuri’s journey; loss, grief, rage, revenge, release and healing.  

With the death of its king and protector, even as a futuristic country, Wakanda is seen as vulnerable.  However, Queen Ramonda’s powerful dress-down of the United Nation audience, strongly portrayed by Bassett, is a majestic show of force that Wakanda remains unmistakably formidable.  As General Okoye (Danai Gurira) flies the spaceship home, it never gets old to see the aerial shot of futuristic Wakanda blending in with the expansive nature coming into view.  Bassett shows another powerful performance against Guirira scenes later.  

Talokans, the blue-skinned amphibious antagonists in the movie, are first seen coming out of the middle of the ocean when they shut down the vibranium-detection project by the CIA.  From the first sight, their appearance is striking and their ability to hypnotically lure people into the ocean is eerie.  

The vibranium-detection machine is created by MIT student-genius Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne), which could have easily been Tony Stark/Iron Man’s protégé.  Since vibranium is also found in the ocean outside of Wakanda, this makes Riri an attack target for King Namor (Tenoch Huerta), the leader of Talokans, as vibranium-mining would threaten the lives of his underwater empire.  

This makes Namor an excellent antagonist and less of a world-conqueror kind of a villain.  What makes Namor more compelling is also his backstory, how his existence came about and the history of the Talokan society.  Namor’s underwater birth was special and he’s also gifted with winged feet, which enables him to fly.  Talokans’ dress is just as distinct as Wakandans, and Namor’s impressive with an  elaborate headdress.  

Namor gives Queen Ramonda and Shuri two options, capture and hand Riri over, or having a war with Talokans and risk the demise of their nation. In a comedic scene, General Okoye and Shuri track down Riri in her campus, leading to a wild car chase and spear fight.

Meanwhile, Queen Ramonda finds Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) in Haiti, where she now works as a school teacher, and ask for her help on a crucial mission.  An unfortunate mishap causes the wrath of Namor and he comes after Wakanda, resulting in an unexpectedly tragic outcome.  The chain of events leads to the inevitable appearance of a new Black Panther, one that is still trying to find their footing, but emerges as the nation’s protector nonetheless.  

Much like “Black Panther,” ‘Wakanda Forever’s goes beyond the conventional good vs. evil superhero movie, it’s geopolitical drama and character-driven story.  The post-credit scene honors the past and breathes a new hope into the future, leaving a legacy.  

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is an emotional voyage and forever work of wonder.  

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"Ticket to Paradise"

Georgia (Julia Roberts, "Money Monster," Mirror Mirror,” Eat Pray Love") and David Cotton (George Clooney; “Hail, Caesar!," "The Monuments Men," “Ides of March”), have to team up when their daughter, Lily (Kaitlyn Dever) a lawyer-to-be, is going to marry a seaweed farmer, Gede (Maxime Bouttier), thousands of miles away from home, after only knowing him for about a month.  

Lily was on a last hurrah of a post-graduation vacation in Bali with her best friend (Billie Lourd) when she met and fell in love with Gede, effectively throwing her promising career at a prestigious law firm in Chicago and her life in the United States away.  Georgia and David, jaded and divorced nearly two decades ago, are convinced that Lily’s making the biggest mistake of her life and are going to end up like them. 

Georgia and David fly to Bali, pretend to be supportive of Lily’s decision, while working behind the scenes to break them apart.  During the scheming, Georgia and David trade barbs and glares, trying to one up each other.  At the same time, they are forced to spend time together and reminisce.  

The estranged former couple realize their spark may not have been extinguished permanently, even after all these years.  Georgia’s worshipping younger boyfriend (Lucas Bravo), who manages to tag along, adds a lot of comical shades.  It’s no spoiler that Lily finds out about what her parents are really doing there and it isn’t pretty.

Sounds like a simple plot?  It is.  It’s super low stake, and guess what?  It’s nice for a change.  No suspense, no thriller, no action, no superheroes, and this is coming from someone who loves those genres.  Being Indonesian-born and having been to Bali, the movie is naturally a bit more interesting to me since I speak and understand the Indonesian language when spoken by the characters. 

Bouttier and Dever are fine as a young couple, although I wish more time could be spent on them so we could see more about their glossed over love story.  The focus is on Roberts and Clooney though, and as predictable as the story goes, it makes sense from a movie perspective.  Roberts' return to romcom is as natural as her mega-million watts smile.  Clooney dials up the charm and it works like a charm.  The A-list stars work the scenes; whether acidic, sarcastic, comedic or melancholic moments. 

The beauty of “Ticket to Paradise” is spelled out in the title.  Queensland, Australia, doubles as Bali when the Indonesian island was entirely locked down during the beginning of the pandemic, is beyond stunning.

From the post-opening scene in an oceanfront wood bungalow and the view zooms out, revealing the surrounding lush tropical jungle, colorful flowers, clear turquoise waters and golden sandy beaches will caress your eyes and soothe your soul.  The local culture and traditions are enchanting and Lily feels warmly embraced by Gede’s large, extended families as one of their own. 

There’s none of the real-life complications in Bali and that’s a perfect escape ticket.  With some footage of Bali’s lovely panoramic vistas, most of the movie takes place in a luxury setting of a resort.  Sometimes all we need is fantasy, a breather from day-to-day life where you can just exhale. 

Charming and refreshing, “Ticket to Paradise” feels like being pleasantly transported into a postcard-perfect, paradise island vacation.  

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"Don't Worry Darling"

The Victory Project is everything to loved-up 1950s couple, Jack (Harry Styles) and Alice (Florence Pugh, “Black Widow”).  They live a victorious lifestyle in a resort-like community in the desert, with white houses situated on palm tree-lined streets, complete with pristine pool, shopping center and  trolley.  

The men leave for work every morning in their classic cars, to go work for the man, Frank (Chris Pine, “Wonder Woman” series, “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit,” “Unstoppable”), a cult-like leader who founded the project and community.  The vibrantly dressed women stay home to cook elaborate meals, clean and maintain their spotless houses, shop till they drop, relax by the pool, and take up ballet lessons from Frank’s wife, Shelley (Gemma Chan, “Eternals,” “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Captain Marvel”).  The residents often have glamorous soirees.  

The wives do not know what the husbands do, except that they work on developing some kind of progressive materials.  Dutifully supporting and taking care of their husbands, they feel privileged to be selected for the project and believe in the mission of changing the world.  They are forbidden to go into the middle of the desert, where the company headquarters is.   

Alice is friends and neighbors with Bunny (Olivia Wilde, “Tron: Legacy”), Peg (Kate Berlant) and Margaret, (KiKi Layne).  When Margaret ventures outside of their community into the desert, sees something she’s not supposed to and starts acting strange.  This leads to an unspeakable incident .  Then Alice begins to have fragments of vivid visions or hallucinations, and is losing a sense of time and space.  Hollow eggs, plane crash without wreckage, mirror image, glass wall closing in, dancing sequence.  They are entrancing but become overlong due to repeats.  

Alice starts questioning the reality she’s in, only to be gaslit by everyone.  While feeling trapped and paranoia sets in, curiosity gets the better of her and she starts digging.  She and Frank exchange words in a dramatic dinner that leaves everyone stunned. 

Pine is effectively chilling in a few scenes, although it feels like his role should have been expanded.  Styles’ role requires an actor with a stronger presence over style, especially paired with Pugh, who shares more chemistry with Pine in their limited, shared scenes.  Pugh vivaciously and vulnerably carries the film on her stylish back, brimming with fear and frenzy, defying her dreamy lifestyle, breaking down yet  mustering determination to break through. 

The majority of the movie is captivating, with sleek visuals and camera angles, threads of dread sewn in, underscored by strikingly terrifying score that continues the momentum until the last act.  It deals with control and perceived happiness.  The hasty exit is worrisome and leaves unanswered questions of the whys and hows.   

While the film may not be a victory and the storytelling could have been improved with a tighter script and an extra mile on the final act, don’t worry about the real-life drama; the film is still worth watching.

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"Fall"

Survival thriller is the safest way to vicariously experience impossible situations contained in a singular environment we likely won't experience or put ourselves in.  While suspension of disbelief is generally required, everything must come together to paint a dire picture that is plausible enough.  And that we would still root for the protagonists, even though they have made, more likely than not, sheer reckless choices that put themselves in such peril.  

Along the lines of "47 Meters Down" and "The Shallows," "Fall" does just that.  After witnessing the death of her husband during a rock-climbing expedition together, Becky (Grace Caroline Currey), an expert climber herself, continues to drown in sorrow and despair nearly a year later.

Her best friend, Hunter (Virginia Gardner), also a climber, persuades her to join her on a crazy stunt, climbing a 2,000-foot high (almost twice the height of the Eiffel Tower) communication tower located on a desolate desert area, to get her out of the funk.  This relic used to be the tallest structure in the United States.  

Hunter, a daredevil, is now active on social media and also more motivated to pull this off as a way to gain more popularity and monetize her Instagram.  Reluctant and anxiety-ridden, Becky agrees to join Hunter to help confront her fears and move on from her past.  Becky plans to scatter Dan's ashes from the top of the tower.  

For 1,800 feet, the ladders are inside the center of the tower.  The ladders for the remaining 200 feet are outside of the tower.  All the red flags are there as Becky and Hunter climb up the creaky tower.  Loose bolts and rusty ladders often shaken by whipping winds.  Each grip or step is felt, and a misstep could mean a grave injury, free fall or instant death.  

After the exhilaration of reaching the top of the tower and posing selfies, Becky and Hunter realize the danger they're in when the ladders break away and collapse.  They're stranded at terrifying height with no water, no food, no cell reception, no drone, no way to get down or reach anyone.  The bag with a bit of supplies is stuck atop of a dish antenna further down the tower after an incident.

The obstacles are aplenty.  Fatigue, falling asleep, starvation, dehydration, with vultures circling and hallucination sets in.  The duo must rely on their resourcefulness, resilience and will to survive to keep themselves alive, overcoming failed attempts and false hopes, and battling harsh elements.  

Becky and Hunter try out maneuvers; climbing, dropping, dangling and swinging.  They 'MacGvyer-ed' the minimal stuff they have, using various tricks to get a message to the ground for help.  Being stuck together with nothing else to do also reveals certain things and test their friendship.  

The acting and makeup match the state of fear and desperation and exposure to the elements of being trapped with no way out.  The scenes are filmed and executed exceptionally, from the closeups to wide angles and aerial shots of the needle tower and human silhouettes under the open skies, blistering sun and wind gust, high above the desert ground.  

The jump scares are par for the course.  One twist could be seen a mile away, but the other twist, even though I sensed something was off earlier, injects more of a surprisingly horror factor.  It’s unthinkably survival of the fittest.    

For the most part, the scenes are so believable the sensations felt real.  I constantly held my breath, had knots in my stomach, clenched my muscles, and had to look away from time to time.  The visceral reactions are more than "The Walk" movie, which I adored. 

Minimalist “Fall” rises up to the tension-filled challenge and unsettlingly succeeds.  

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Comic-Con 2022

For a blast from the past, check out past recaps here.

All I can say was it's about time... long overdue actually.  I can't tell you how surreal it was to be back at Comic-Con in person after three years.  

I didn't even care about the lack of movies and TV programming or that the COVID-19 vaccination or negative test verification process was messy.  Mask was enforced inside the convention.  2022 being my 17th year at Comic-Con, I felt like I had experienced it all, with all the highs and privileges, and I’m so incredibly grateful for those extraordinary experiences.  I was simply there this time to truly soak in the immersive ambiance and cherish the experience even more.  I was on a relaxed pace, arriving in the afternoons every day and nothing was a 'must' for me at this point.  Outside of press access for activations, unlike in years past, I didn’t attend any press event. 

I attended the “Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” (movie), “BRZRKR” (comic book), “National Treasure: Edge of History” (TV show) and “The Resort” (TV pilot) panels.  Surprisingly, two-third of my time was actually spent outdoor, doing people-watching, picture-taking and activations – specifically, “House of the Dragon” (TV show), “The Gray Man” (movie), “Severance” (TV show) and “Ghosts” (TV show).  

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Movies 

Stars present for "Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves" panel are Chris Pine, Rege Jean-Page, Michelle Rodriguez, Sophia Lillis and Hugh Grant.  Attendees saw some footage and trailer and had Q&A with the cast, producer and directors.  Nothing dark and grim here; a relic heist, the movie carries a cheeky tone and is more of an adventure comedy.  The video game adaptation is about a band of thieves and misfits, stealing the wrong thing for the wrong person, banding together, traveling across varied landscapes dotted with dragons, monsters and beasts, fighting in a gladiator-like arena, encountering and chatting with the undeads along the way.  

The cast bonded while filming in isolation during the pandemic.  Pine would like to bring the energy and excitement into the world.  Jean-Page likes the no-limit escapist fantasy.  Rodriguez gained 10 pounds of muscle for the role.  Grant joked that he used to be a 'Dungeon Master.'  The trailer is out and the Paramount Studios movie will unleash into theaters on March 3, 2023.  To cap the Comic-Con experience, the studio also put forth the Tavern Experience downtown where fans could come inside the movie-themed bar/nightclub, which is plastered with posters and props, and getting interactive experience and glowing cocktail drinks.

I stopped by the "BRZRKR" panel where Keanu Reeves was the star of the comic book series panel.  Reeves talked about a simple idea, a guy who could punch through chests, which brought BRZRKR to life.  But it’s not just brawl, there’s also heart in the immortal character.  The comic book is being adapted into a live action movie and Netflix series.  

Biggest news coming out movies are probably Marvel's phase 5 and 6, ending with another Avengers team up, "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty" and "Avengers: Secret Wars" slated for May 2, 2025 and November 7, 2025.  An emotional trailer of "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" also broke the internet last week.  And Dwayne Johnson made an electrifying entrance by showing up in "Black Adams" (October 21, 2022) costume.  Having seen The Rock rocking the entrance for "Hercules" years ago, he has that down to pat.  

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TVs

With no TV pilot showing on preview night, I was glad to catch “The Resort” screening and the panel that followed.  Stars Cristin Miloti, William Jackson Harper, Nina Bloomgarden, Luis Gerardo-Mendez, Gabriela Cartol were in attendance.  “The Resort” is a mutigenerational story taking place on a topical vacation getaway, with elements of mystery, romance, adventure and comedy.  An interracial couple arrives in Mexico for their 10th year wedding anniversary.  While they’re there to celebrate, it’s clear that their relationships have issues.  

Soon the couple is trailing clues on a mystery of missing tourists that disappeared 15 years ago.  Flashbacks showed a young man vacationing at an oceanfront resort there with his girlfriend and his parents.  He stumbled upon proof that his girlfriend was cheating on him. He was later found missing and dead, the day before a once-in-a-century hurricane swept through the area and destroyed the resort.  A girl, another tourist, also disappeared around the same time.  The show, described as a magic trip, has an intriguing factor to it and left me wanting to see more.  The show started streaming on Peacock TV on July 28, 2022.  

Disney+ “National Treasure: Edge of History” brought a panel for a quick preview and behind-the-scene, but mostly it was a banter session among the young cast (Lisette Olivera, Jake Austin Walker, Jordan Rodrigues, Zuri Reed, Antonio Cipriano, Lyndon Smith).  Nicholas Cage will not be reprising his role, but the show will add Catherine Zeta-Jones into the mix, playing a black market antique dealer.  The show follows an adventure of a DREAMer, on a study break from her citizenship test goes on a trip with her friends to uncover mystery surrounding her family history.  History and artifacts, treasure hunting and heist, and action mixed with romance promise a good time.  

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Activations

The hottest activation this year was “House of the Dragon.”  First, I visited the market stalls outside of the makeshift castle and interacted with the warriors before entering the castle.  The ambiance inside was a bit creepy, with mysterious sounds and glowing amber lights.  Along with a group of visitors, we walked through darkened rooms and halls and saw a massive dragon skull in the lair.  We went through the hatching of the dragon eggs ceremony, and everyone ended up in a spiky throne room for a photo op at the throne and exiting with a dragon egg stone pin.  “House of the Dragon,” the prequel of “Game of Thrones” will hatch on HBO Max on August 21, 2022.  

Netflix’s “The Gray Man” staged an action setup with a train crashing into a building.  Although the action was not nearly elaborate as Amazon Prime’s “Jack Ryan” activation and super quick, it was still pretty cool.  The premise is to test skills, strength and speed of spy recruits.  As a recruit, I went inside the crashed train, with blaring sound and smoke, pushing button, rope and lever to escape from the train. Afterwards, I went up the stairs and then sprinted across a metal bridge to get to a briefcase.  Once I saw the briefcase, I punched in a code to open it and placed the golden bronze coin pendant necklace I was given earlier on the circle inside the briefcase.  The circle lit up and I accomplished my mission.  The sprint was captured on video and a clip was e-mailed to each recruit.  “The Gray Man” is now streaming on Netflix, released on July 22, 2022.  

Apple TV+ brought in “Severance” and took me in with a group of ‘new hires’ through orientation.  We were each given a new name to sever our identity and have a new one for work.  We walked through a living room set with paintings and artifacts, the smile room where we saw pictures of numerous toothy smiles on the walls, the computer room where several visitors were chided for entering without permission, the wellness room where a new hire was sat down for a talk therapy, and an office with workstations.  It ended with all of us breaking into dancing and taking a group photo.  I heard another group went to the break room where a new hire was admonished for breaking protocol.  We received a bunch of souvenirs to take home; a tote bag, orientation book, badge, finger trap, pen and pin, as well a card with an access code for three months free of Apple TV+.  

CBS’ “Ghosts” took up a large chunk of Petco Park, with areas for archery, lounging and readings of crystal, palm and tarot for visitors.  I partook in the tarot reading and it was pretty interesting.  The reader shuffled the deck of cards and each guest picked a card and provided a quick reading based on the card.  I would have been interested in doing the palm and crystal reading had I not been rushing.  After shooting an arrow, I went to the photo op section where I sat down on a sofa with a bent arrow on my neck (with the arrow on one side of my neck and the other tip goes out on the other side).  The digitized result shows I was surrounded by “Ghosts” characters.  After each activity, I was provided with a “Ghosts” embroidered badge.  

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Among notable photo ops outside are Peacock’s and NBC’s hub by the Gaslamp Quarter, where people could take pictures under the “Quantum Leap” circles arch, sit on the "Vampire Academy" chair donning a robe, pose with a flipped umbrella to withstand the storm on the wall for the natural disaster “The End is Nye” show or relax against the backdrop of “The Resort” wall and greenery.   There’s also a nice seating area in front of “La Brea” clips playing on a big TV.  Marvel also came out with a photo op set in front of Doctor’s Strange’s sanctum sanctorum, complete with a wizard robe.  Those who did the photo op also received a card with a code for a free digital copy of the “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” movie.  

The movies and TV shows, comics and exhibits, panels and activations, and star-sightings are always amazing, but the entire experience makes up Comic-Con.  Seeing the wrapped buildings and trolleys, the mile-long lines under the hot sun, the sheer insanity of die-hard fans camping out overnight, the jam-packed trolleys and streets, the cheering star-struck crowds... Comic-Con was truly BACK in full force. These days, a sense of normalcy (the craziness is part of the experience and 'normal' by Comic-Con standards) is good for the soul.  It's awesome to see people out and about, happy and celebrating life!    

(double click to enlarge image)

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"Jurassic World Dominion"

Dinosaur-centric island theme park in “Jurassic World” brought back the sense of awe and wonder, although nothing would ever capture the magical feeling of seeing the first dinosaurs in “Jurassic Park” three decades ago.  

In “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” humans face moral consequences of whether we are now responsible for the continuation of the lives of these previously extinct creatures since we brought them back to life.  “Jurassic World: Dominion” is the fallout of this evolution.  

Have you ever wondered if dinosaurs live among us?  Not just on an isolated island, but in modern civilization.  This what makes 'Dominion' different from all the other installments.  It's a sight that you thought you'd never see.  All types of these prehistoric creatures are seen on skyscrapers, snowy plains, rocky canyons, open meadows, wooded forests, icy lakes and deep seas.  To manage containment, the government grants a worldwide contract to a biotech company, Biosyn Genetics.  Headed by a quirky head, Lewis Dodgson (Campbell Scott), Biosyn predictably turns out to be an evil outfit.  

‘Dominion' has two separate storylines, running concurrently.  The first one involves dinosaur  trainer Owen Grady (Chris Pratt, “The Avengers” series), former Jurassic World's business manager Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) and Maisie Lockwood (Isabella Sermon).  The second one reunites the main characters from the original “Jurassic Park,” world-renowned scientists Drs. Alan Grant (Sam Neill), Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) and Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum).  

Maisie now lives with Owen and Claire in a forest cabin, as their adopted daughter.  As revealed in 'Fallen Kingdom,' Maisie, a human clone, is special due to her scientifically engineered DNA, which makes her very much sought after to be studied.  Now a teenager, Maisie longs for freedom, which the isolated life couldn’t offer her.  When Maisie is inevitably kidnapped, Owen and Claire have to get her back.  In addition to Maisie, Blue, the velociraptor with a special connection to Owen, now has a baby, and the baby dinosaur is also captured.  

The rescue attempts take Owen and Claire on adventures around the globe, with the goal of getting into Biosyn island, the research facility where Maisie and Blue's baby are held.  The  underground black market, city street running and rooftop jumping make ‘Dominion’ more like  action movies, like the “Mission Impossible” kind, only with dinosaurs thrown in the mix. 

Standout scenes include killer raptors, programmed to kill, relentlessly pursuing our heroes, and a wild motorcycle chase leaping into the back of an open door of a cargo plane taxiing for takeoff.  The plane is piloted by good Samaritan, former Air Force pilot Kayla Watts (DeWanda Wise).  

Entering into Biosyn island's airspace and landing is far from a smooth ride, due to a concentration on dinosaurs roaming around, on land and in the air.  With monstrous creatures merely inches away, survival is often utterly sheer luck.  Even knowing the main characters would ultimately survive, they still do make hold-your-breath, jump-out-of your seat scenes.  

Alan, Ella and Ian end up on the Biosyn island on a different mission.  It has something to do with Biosyn's efforts in creating and disseminating mutant locusts to wipe out the world's food ecosystem.  It may be fan service, but it's good to see the old-timers back together.  They are likeable, and their interactions are heartwarming and bring humor into the movie.  

There are moments where you might question the actions of certain characters but this is one of those movies where it's more enjoyable when you don't poke into holes.  The last third of the movie resembles the traditional 'Jurassic' series, where all hell breaks loose and humans are once again trapped in an island, trying to survive and escape from voracious dinosaurs.  

'Dominion' introduces cool-looking new species with gnarly teeth, long sharp claws, regal feathers and majestic wings, with roaring predators ferociously fighting for supremacy.  Most memorable are clawed therizinosaurus, feathered pyroraptor and gigantic giganotosaurus.  

The separate storylines make 'Dominion' less cohesive, and the main attraction of the movie, dinosaurs are on the backburner sometimes.  It's also hard to believe how humans could co-exist or cities could be safe from destruction with these mostly fearsome creatures running around.  Some are clearly very dangerous, dominate and do not discriminate on what they attack, tear or eat into.

'Dominion' doesn't necessarily offer a solution in the unprecedented present day, which is arguably least satisfying, and it ends more on a philosophical note.  Still, there's plenty of fun to be had, particularly for fans of dinosaurs. 

Serving up familiar terrors and new thrills on a nostalgic platter, “Jurassic World Dominion” is a quintessential summer blockbuster.  

https://www.sdentertainer.com/movies/movie-review-jurassic-world-dominion/

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"Top Gun: Maverick"

A global pandemic and nearly three years since I saw Tom Cruise on stage at Comic-Con in 2019, and 36 years since the original “Top Gun,” Cruise's (“Mission Impossible” series, "Edge of Tomorrow," "Jack Reacher") return to the danger zone will take your breath away.  The last movie star of his kind, Cruise remains in cruise control of epic moviemaking.  Returning to work with director Joseph Kosinski (“Oblivion,” "Tron: Legacy"), and high on youthful charisma, endless energy and extraordinary dedication to his craft, “Top Gun: Maverick” is truly a Cruise movie and Maverick's journey.

More than three decades of service in the Navy, Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell has been stuck in a Captain mode, where he should have reached the rank of Admiral.  Despite of a long and distinguished career, it seems that Maverick has been escaping promotions by wanting to stay in the skies, where the prime actions are, and his boundary-busting behavior continues to stymie and dismay his superiors.  Now an avant-garde test pilot, the opening scene of him flying an experimental flight must be seen to be believed.  Another is a single most heartstopping solo sequence mid-movie; you'll know when you see it.  

At the request of Tom 'Iceman' Kazansky (Val Kilmer), Maverick is sent back to the flight school in San Diego, the same school he was trained in, to teach the next generation of fighter pilots.  They are preparing for a deadly mission into a mountainous terrain in enemy territory no living pilot has ever attempted.  It would not only require incredible technical skills and techniques, but also extreme level of fitness and physical endurance, impeccable timing and precision, unparalleled teamwork, peak confidence and a little bit of luck.  

While the two men differ much in temperaments and Iceman's career has had a legendary trajectory, it's apparent there's a lifetime of friendship and admiration between him and Maverick.  Val's return, in a real-life state that the actor is in due to his health condition, while very brief, is impactful.  The reunion between the former star rivals is misty-eyed touching. 

While Maverick's need for speed makes him the barrier-breaking pilot he's known for, a different side of him emerges.  He is wistful, reflecting on his younger years, and still carrying the guilt over his late co-pilot and best friend Nick “Goose” Bradshaw all those years ago.  He's also more careful, knowing full well that not only he has the lives of those young pilots on his hands, but also the life of aviator Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller, “Insurgent”), Goose's son.  Rooster is resentful and doesn't trust Maverick, whom he held responsible for his father's death and more.

Some of the other top trainees are Jake 'Hangman' Seresin (Glen Powell), Monica 'Phoenix' Barbaro (Natasha Trace), Robert 'Bob' Floyd (Lewis Pullman), Reuben 'Payback' Fitch (Jay Ellis), Mickey 'Fanboy” Garcia (Danny Ramirez), Javy 'Coyote' Machado (Greg Tarzan Davis).

Jennifer Connelly (“Winter's Tale”) is introduced as Maverick's on-and-off again flame, Penny Benjamin, the Admiral's daughter mentioned in passing in the original movie.  Successful and adventurous in her own right, she anchors and pushes Maverick the right way.  There's familiarity, comfort, old lovin' feelin' and tenderness between them.  

The emotional core of the story is the relationship dynamic between Maverick and Goose though; as expected, it's uneasy.  I wish we'd get to know more about the new pilots, but I knew there's no time.  The real stars of the movie are the fighter jets and the elite pilots who fly them.  

The aerial maneuvers and old-fashioned dogfights are a dazzling extravaganza across the wide open skies and seas, narrow canyons and snowy mountains.  These fighter jets steeply climb, dive, loop, roll, cut through, swerve and invert, taking along the actors for the fiery and glorious rides.  No CGI planes or fake cockpits here; the actors, who underwent a grueling survival training program, sat in the backseats flown by real Navy pilots demonstrating inhuman feats.  Their gravity-defying reactions pulling G-forces are also real, which makes the experience viscerally authentic with intensity.  

Watching the movie in a spacious Screen X theater mid-day on a weekday without crowd, the wraparound screens are especially immersive (see it on Screen X if possible!).  The last stretch of the movie is phenomenally exhilarating.  Surmounted by racing tension, the turn of events turns emotional, but when you'd think the movie might be flying one way and ends with a headwind, it spins into another direction and another.

It's nice to see my adopted hometown, San Diego and its sun-drenched coastlines, featured on the silver screen.  The iconic anthem, familiar “Top Gun” tune will elevate and bring back memories, and Lady Gaga's (“ A Star is Born”) “Hold My Hand” new soundtrack fits with the movie's theme.  

Family and friendship.  Bravado and bond.  Heroism and sacrifice.  Tremendously thrilling, dripping with nostalgic poignancy, “Top Gun: Maverick” is the ultimate love note to aviation and unifying, soaring blockbuster. 

https://www.sdentertainer.com/movies/movie-review-top-gun-maverick/

 

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"The Bad Guys"

Imagine “Ocean 11” meets “Mission Impossible” and “Fast and Furious” in a “Zootopia” style and you've got “The Bad Guys.”  

The Bad Guys are comprised of suave leader Mr. Wolf, safe-cracking Mr. Snake, tech wizard Ms. Tarantula, disguise master Mr. Shark and wild-charging Mr. Piranha.  They like being bad and proud of their accomplishments.  Despite of their successful heists and treasures, newly appointed Governor Foxington pities them and thinks that being bad is not nearly as brave as being good.  

When Governor Foxington announces an award to be bestowed at a town gala to the Good Samaritan of the year, Professor Marmalade, a mild-mannered guinea pig, the animal criminals are determined to steal the award.  Mr. Wolf catches the Governor's attention and charms his way through, while the rest of the crew do their part – setting traps, creating distractions, disguising themselves, security-hacking and sneaking into tight spots, with hysterical narrow-misses.  

It was during this event that Mr. Wolf accidentally finds himself doing a good deed and realizes that it makes him feel good.  The eye-opening experience distracts Mr. Wolf much that it gets the team caught at the gala.  

Do-gooder Professor Marmalade believes in second chances and that people are essentially good.  He wins Governor Foxington’s approval to potentially pardon the Bad Guys if he could coach and mentor the con artists and thieves and they’re able prove they can be good.  

Mr. Wolf has a hard time convincing his friends that there may be something worthwhile about turning a new leaf.  It creates discord within the team, so Mr. Wolf tells them that they're only pretending to be reformed model citizens, and when the chance to turn back into being bad arises, they would.

That chance arrives when Professor Marmalade's social experiment is deemed to be successful, as the town is celebrating the Bad Guys turning into the Good Guys.  Little did they know the seemingly Good Guys is planning another heist at a party in their name.  They're planning to rob the rare meteor that will be on display.  The meteor fell into and destroyed swaths of the city a year earlier and now it’s a prized artifact.    

This is where things go askew.  The Bad Guys may have personally been impacted by the feel-good feeling of being perceived as good and their newfound popularity.  The Bad Guys are framed for the missing meteor and the real villain works behind the shadow.  The twists keep on coming.  Identities are unmasked, new allies and enemies form and re-form, rolling into a crazy adventure after another.    

As crazy as the adventures turn out to be, the antics among friends, especially a running gag between Mr. Snake and Mr. Shark is not to be missed.  And there may be a human reason why some people, or in this case, anthropomorphic animals, may feel they have no choice but being bad.  As the saying goes, don't judge a book by its cover.   

“The Bad Guys” is adventurous, hilarious and twisty caper, tons of fun for all ages.  

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"Death on the Nile"

If you enjoyed “Murder on the Orient Express” and Agatha Christie's novels, you'll be swept away by the grandeur and intrigue of “Death on the Nile.”  

Kenneth Branagh (“Thor”) returns as legendary detective Hercule Poirot, now on a vacation in exotic Egypt.  Hercule runs into his friend from 'Orient Express,' Bouc (Tom Bateman) and his painter, meddlesome mother Euphemia (Annette Benning), who are there to attend a wedding party of an acquaintance at a palatial resort.  Bouc invites Hercule to the resort, where he meets the newlyweds and their party.  

The comely newlyweds are wealthy heiress Linette Ridgeway (Gal Gadot, “Wonder Woman”) and common man Simon Doyle (Armie Hammer, “The Man from U.N.C..L.E,” "The Social Network").  This is not the first time Hercule meets them, however.  Just six weeks ago, he attended a jazz performance at a fancy club in London where he first spotted another woman dancing sultrily with Simon.  That woman was not Linette; it's Jacqueline De Bellefort (Emma Mackey), a good friend of Linnette, and Simon's fiancee.  

Linette made a goddess-like entrance and caught up with Jacqueline.  A besotted Jacqueline told Linnette that she was engaged to Simon and needed help on the financial front.  Jacqueline asked Linnette to give Simon an office job.  Upon being introduced to Simon, Linnette was so taken by him and said yes.  Their eyes met, they danced away and couldn't part ever since, leaving Jacqueline heartbroken and seethed with envy.  

Stabbed with the pain of betrayal, Jacqueline stalks the couple at the resort and later shows up on the river cruise.  When the bride ends up dead, it's not as straightforward as the jilted Jacqueline being the prime suspect going for revenge, due to a circumstance that leaves it impossible for her to do the deed.  

That leaves the rest of the guests – in addition to the above – Louise Bourget (Rose Leslie), Linette's loyal maid; Salome Otterbourne (Sophie Okonedo), the same jazz singer who performed at the London club; Rosalie Otterbourne (Letitia Wright, “Black Panther,” “Avengers: Endgame”), Salome's niece and savvy business manager, as well as Lynette's friend from boarding school and Bouc's amore; Andrew Katchadourian (Ali Fazal), Linnette's distant cousin and business lawyer who may or may not have shady dealings; Lord Windlesham (Russell Brand), a patrician physician and forlorn former fiance of Linnette; Marie Van Schuyle (Jennifer Saunders), Linnette's godmother with a distaste for materialism and capitalism; and Bowers, Marie's longtime nurse (Dawn French).

Love runs deep.  So does possessiveness and obsession. The movie's running theme is love, various shades of love, and broaches on greed, class and racism.  We also get to know Hercule on a deeper level, his war past and long-buried sorrow.  The tragedy doesn't end with a single murder.  While Hercule's connecting the dots and reveal seem crammed in the penultimate and I had a sense of the whodunit prior, there are unexpectedly shocking scenes.  One twist turns into another, secrets are forced open, relationships are torn, lives are changed forever. 

If you love traveling the world, the spectacular scenery of the 'Nile' is undeniable.  The great pyramids and Rameses, riverside historical resort bordering the desert, luxury paddleboat steamer cruising down the Nile are awash in rosy-golden glow of daylight and sunset hues and moored under royal blue starry nights, with guests dressed in finery dance, dine on lobsters and drink champagne.  

If you love mysteries, you'll be in for an intriguing treat, keenly observing scenes, guessing on motives and putting together clues. There is no perfect crime.  

Murder mystery meets world travel and old glamor on “Death on the Nile."  Go see it on the biggest screen! 

https://www.sdentertainer.com/movies/movie-review-death-on-the-nile/

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2022 Most Anticipated Sci-Fi Movies

 As a sci-fi fan, I'm always on the lookout for sci-fi movies.  Check out the most anticipated sci-fi movies of 2022:

https://screenrant.com/sci-fi-movies-upcoming-2022-best/

Moonfall (February 4)

Everything Everywhere All At Once (March 25)

65 (April 29)

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (May 6)

Jurassic Word: Dominion (June 10)

Lightyear (June 17)

Don't Worry Darling (September 23)

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (October 7)

Avatar 2 (December 16)

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Superheroes Battle of 2022: Marvel vs DC

After 2021's box office dominations of "Black Widow," "Shang Chi and the Legends of the Ten Rings," "Eternals," and "Spider-Man: No Way Home," there's no sign of stopping the superheroes train.  2022 is stacked!  

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Warner Bros/DC:

The Batman (March 4)

Black Adam (July 29) 

The Flash (November 4)

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (December 16)

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Disney/Marvel:

Doctor's Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (May 6)

Thor: Love and Thunder (July 8)

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (November 11) 

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Who will win the superheroes battle of 2022?  Check out the article:

https://screenrant.com/marvel-versus-dc-movies-2022-releases/

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"Sing 2"

SO lavishly delightful and crazy funny!  The glitzy visuals, out-of-this world Vegas-like stage designs and productions, eye-popping colors, hanging-by-a-thread misadventures, situational humors, pop songs and musical numbers. There’s something to be said about believing in yourself, knowing your worth, going after your dreams and making things happen; now imagine these wrapped in an animated, mega musical riot.  A merry entertainment for the holidays; for the kids, the young at heart, the cynics, those who enjoy music or need an escape but can’t attend live shows…  You’ll sing along, tap your foot, hoot and holler, and laugh so hard!  Let it sing, let it sing, let it sing… 

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