Film Review: Captain America Sees Red

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Captain America: Brave New World is the latest film added to Marvel Studio’s list of mildly entertaining cinematic experiences in a still over-saturated superhero market. It is a little better than I had heard but not by much.

There are five credited screenwriters for this, including the director, Julius Ornah. The other collaborators are Rob Edwards, Malcolm Spellman, Dalan Mussan, and Peter Glanz.

Anthony Mackie has succeeded Chris Evans as the new Captain America. His superhero moniker in the previous MCU films was the Falcon. Now, he is the new Captain America since the previous one, Steve Rogers, went back in time to be with his lost love and bequeathed his shield to Sam Wilson. Anyway, other cast members include Harrison Ford as now-President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Tim Blake Nelson, and Giancarlo Esposito.

Nelson reprises his role from The Incredible Hulk film of 2008, which was Dr. Samuel Sterns, a super-intelligent villain who was grievously wronged by Ross for many years.

An old friend of Wilson’s is brainwashed into attempting to assassinate the president. A treaty with Japan falls into peril as they negotiate the handling of a new element known as adamantium. Ross had invited Wilson to a summit at the White House, wanting to discuss the chances of rebuilding the Avengers. The assassination attempt sparks an investigation that leads Captain America to an enemy who was kept in secret. Ross also has to fight off a frightening transformation triggered by his ingestion of gamma radiation. The new Captain America will have quite a fight on his hands to protect his country and the world from enemies within his own government.

Mackie is actually a talented actor and does his best with this role, but I didn’t find his character to be all that interesting. His angst about replacing the previous Captain America is somewhat predictable. He performs his fight scenes quite well. He seems to have trained quite hard to make some of those moves seem so effortless. My lack of enthusiasm for this portrayal has more to do with the writing than Mackie’s casting.

Harrison Ford predictably does a solid job as Thaddeus Ross, a role he took over from the late William Hurt. The previously mentioned frightening transformation is in the trailer, so I am not spoiling much by saying that he becomes the Red Hulk, which is pretty well realized with the assistance of CGI and whatever other special effects gizmos are involved.

I guess I was also distracted by the realization that it took five screenwriters to cobble this thing together. Parts of it did feel a little tacked together.

The film manages to avoid being completely terrible. There are some interesting moments peppered throughout.

Sterns was kind of an interesting adversary with a legitimate beef. Of course, the problem is that he was willing to tolerate a lot of collateral damage for his understandable desire for revenge. Nelson was quite effectively creepy at times. It was nice to see some previously dangling threads from The Incredible Hulk get tied off.

The fight scenes were well done, but Marvel films tend to be consistently effective in that arena.

Overall, the film has some good points such as casting and a semi-interesting plot, but the editing, some of the dialogue, and a rather underwhelming cameo are a little too clumsy for me to forgive.

Doctor Who Audio Review: Puccini, Iceland, And The Mara

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Deadly Strangers is the latest Doctor Who audio boxset from Big Finish Productions to feature the always welcome return of Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor, and the three stories contained within are eclectic and engaging. The director is Ken Bentley. Jaye Griffiths and India Fisher accompany the Time Lord as Lady Audacity Montague and Charlotte Pollard, respectively. The guest cast in each story are predicably well-chosen. As usual, I will proceed with a few brief comments on each story.

Matthew Jacobs gets things rolling with Puccini and the Doctor. Tim McInnerny portrays the celebrated musician Giacomo Puccini, who wrote the famous opera, Madama Butterfly. The Doctor is not alone in being an extraterrestrial interested in the arts created by humanity. A mysterious and beautiful woman named Tura will change the lives and forms of those who are unable to answer her riddles. What is meant to be a mere visit to appreciate beautiful music and meet one of the minds who create it turns into another attempt by the TARDIS crew to protect the Earth from another dangerous alien presence.

McGann has lost none of his energy in his performance as the Doctor. Jaye Griffiths proves to be a welcome addition to this team. Charlotte is forced to grapple with some intense feelings for the Doctor. Both of the current companions perform wonderfully in their roles. Audacity is certainly one of the better recent creations from Big Finish.

The ploy itself is pretty interesting because Princess Tura, portrayed by Tania Rodrigues, turns out to be quite as malevolent as she first seems. Jacobs takes his audience on a pretty compelling and complicated examination of love.

It’s an interesting story that creates a nice blend of fantasy and a glimpse of history and culture. Not a bad start here.

Women’s Day Off by Lisa McMullen brings the Doctor, Charley, and Audacity to Iceland, 1975 where the women are on strike, but a young girl is terrified of her own powers that she cannot quite control.

Once again, another alien visitor is trying to get home, but he has an important component to find, and the girl known as Kyla may know something about that.

Molly Harris and George Watkins are included in the guest cast and prove to be quite effective, which is the usual result for Big Finish casting.

The title of this set is a little perplexing since the alien visitor once again turns out to be a likeable fellow. It is a bit of a departure that no one wants to actually conquer the Earth and subjugate everyone, however McMullen does make this suspenseful regardless.

The women’s strike in Iceland is an actual historical event but not a well-known one, so it was nice to receive a little nugget of knowledge I didn’t have before.

It’s a pretty good episode that is well-performed even if the stakes are relatively low for a Doctor Who tale.

Finally, a dangerous interloper appears in The Gloaming by Lauren Mooney and Stewart Pringle which completes this set. Gloaming is a luxury sleep clinic which orbits a dead world and contains rich Sleepers in suspended animation. A dark presence the Doctor has encountered before has entered their dreams of the Sleepers and threatens to take over the Time Lord’s friends. The Mara has escaped from the dark places of the inside once again.

This was a strong finish for this set. The Mara is a delightfully mischievous and deadly opponent for the Doctor, and it was great to have it back. Hopefully, the Mara are used sparingly because the rarity of their appearances makes their delicious malevolence a treat.

The final episode is my favorite, but the whole set really works well. Audacity is a recent addition to the gallery of companions, and she has grown on me quite a bit. Audacity Montague is an aristocrat from the Regency era of England, and Griffiths seems to have the perfect voice for someone of that origin.

Paul McGann is as effusive and charming as ever as the Doctor. Charlotte Pollard is one of the early Big Finish companions, and India Fisher still easily finds that voice after two decades of playing her.

Big Finish has another jewel with this one. Three pretty solid stories with a formidable TARDIS team make Deadly Strangers one of the better ones to start off the 2025 releases.

Doctor Who Audio Review: The Early Days Of Exile

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Doctor Who and the Brain Drain is a Doctor Who audio drama from Big Finish Productions with great performances but a bit too long of a running time for the plot. Nicholas Briggs serves as director and co-writer alongside Richard James while Tim Treloar returns as his version of the Third Doctor as originally played by the late Jon Pertwee. Daisy Ashford portrays Liz Shaw, who was originally performed by her mother, Caroline John. John Culshaw once again fills in for the late Nicholas Courtney as Brigadier Alastair Lethbridge-Stewart.

The talented guest cast is comprised of Mark Elstob, Susan Harrison, Rosalyn Lendor, Glen McReady, Callum Pardoe, and Milo Ratter.

This story begins soon after the Doctor is forced to regenerate by the Time Lords and sent to earth in exile where he joins forces with UNIT alongside his old friend, the Brigadier. He has yet to obtain his antique car he had named Bessie. The Master has yet to make his first appearance.

The Doctor, Liz and the Brigadier attend a symposium that introduces a new revolutionary treatment for memory loss and dementia, however there are also peculiar reports of sightings of mythical creatures around the site in Scotland. The Doctor suspects a malevolent alien influence at the heart of the mystery. The supposed miracle cure appears to be anything but. The Doctor disappears, and Liz and the Brigadier have to conduct their own investigations.

There seems to be an enemy who knows the Doctor, but he has yet to meet them.

This was an effort to recreate the seven-part episodes that were prevalent in the program’s seventh season which introduced the Third Doctor. The problem is that even in Doctor Who, those serials can feel a bit of a drag.

Treloar’s version of this Doctor is still quite compelling. Culshaw and Ashford also do well with their roles, which they have taken over from previous actors.

I also liked that the Doctor was absent for a couple of episodes, giving Liz and the Brigadier a chance to shine a bit as they proceed with their search for answers. I enjoyed how the Doctor re-entered the fray toward the climax of the story which seems to draw inspiration from The Hound of the Baskervilles when Sherlock Holmes is also left out of much of that story.

The story’s exploration of dementia is handled with some appropriate sensitivity in spite of the science fiction elements. It does demonstrate the heartache experienced by family members and caregivers of those afflicted effectively without slowing the pace of the story much. Other aspects slow the story down but not that.

There are some flaws that have more to do with the bloated length of the story, but it’s still pretty good. I just wish that Big Finish did more to represent the era without feeling like it needs to copy every aspect. I mean, it’s okay to have shorter stories.

This particular release is pretty good, but I don’t know that it’s the most shining example of the talent available to the company.

I don’t really like to quibble too much about a new Third Doctor adventure from Big Finish. This story is better than what the title would indicate. Pertwee’s era did have a few clunkers when it came to titles, but this is still a more than adequate release in many ways and certainly worth the time it takes for a listen.

Book Review: The Thursday Murder Club Reconvenes

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman is an amusing and effective second outing for the retirees Cooper Chase who have formed the Thursday Murder Club.

Elizabeth’s ex-husband emerges from her mysterious past on the run after being accused of stealing diamonds. Ibraham gets mugged. Ron and Joyce are there to lend their support as these two troubling events are the precursor to more murder and duplicity. The Thursday Murder Club, who meet once a week to discuss unsolved cases, get a crack at their second active case.

Elizabeth’s past kicks off the latest caper. Her charming, roguish ex-husband has turned up asking for her help to protect him from an irate mobster who believes him to have stolen a lot of diamonds worth an obscene amount of riches. The club’s police officer allies are after a vexing drug dealer, and an awkward romantic relationship is brewing.

Ibraham is understandably shaken by his attack, but he is still able to be of some help even if he is hesitant to leave the safety of his apartment.

Three bodies have turned up which galvanizes the club into searching for the purloined diamonds as a clever killer lurks within the retirement village.

Osman does another fine job of undermining any expectations or prejudices when it comes to the elderly. The four friends remain as quick-witted as ever. The friendship and support they offer each other is rather charming, even if they express some mild exasperation.

The reader gets a better idea of how efficient Elizabeth likely was in her prior occupation as a spy. The banter between her and Joyce often gets quite hilarious.

Ibraham is a former psychologist, so it’s interesting to find him struggling with fears and insecurities that were likely afflicting many of patients.

Elizabeth being a former spy does open up some interesting doors when it comes to plot. A series like this does lend itself to predictability, but Osman effectively avoids that criticism by delving into Elizabeth’s past a bit.

Osman has created a rather distinctive, charming series in which he challenges preconceptions of the elderly. This group of old people would be fun to hang out with.

In spite of the loads of humor throughout the novel, Osman does explore the tendency for many to underestimate older people who may still quite a bit of grit left in them. The friendship between the four main characters is at times a bit moving as well as amusing.

The case itself turns out to be pretty cleverly plotted with some pretty good twists. Elizabeth at some point realizes that the solution is simpler than she first thought. Although she is basically the leader of the club, all of the members get to shine a bit.

The strange choice of having some of the chapters presented as diary entries written by Joyce adds to the quirkiness of the series. It does work that the whole novel isn’t written entirely from her perspective, but the occasional account from her sort of adds to the charm.

Osman continues a rather implausible yet fun, so I am looking forward to catching up with the Thursday Murder Club when another case is added to the agenda.

Robert Galbraith is going to reveal a bit more of Cormoran Strike’s past in Career of Evil.

Book Review: Holmes, Marple & Poe Investigations Is Open For Business

~ Peter Kanelis ~ 1 Comment

James Patterson kicks off what appears to be a new series with a promising thriller entitled Holmes, Marple & Poe. Brian Sitts shares the writing credit as well. Although, this could mean that Sitts actually wrote it under Patterson’s banner. Anyway, the novel contains kind of a fun plot and characters that were rather intriguing as well as implausible.

Brennan Holmes, Margaret Marple, and Auguste Poe have emerged from some murky pasts and unite to form a high-class private investigation agency. Each member shares some familiar characteristics with their famous namesakes. Brennan Holmes has a similar scientific approach to Sherlock’s; however, he also has a very keen sense of smell that is often useful as well as overwhelming. Margaret Marple is considerably younger than Jane Marple, but she is able to encourage a bit of underestimation much like the famous spinster sleuth. Auguste Poe does have a vice that ended up killing his namesake, who isn’t a fictional character. He is also very knowledgeable about weapons and is very find of beautiful women, but he has demons that have yet to be laid to rest. There are a variety of cases that converge on the agency, including an apparent kidnapping and art heist. They also come across a perplexing serial murder case.

A NYPD detective starts her own investigation into the agency and finds the partners as enigmatic as the cases themselves.

I had some fun reading this one, probably because I am a sucker for most anything referencing Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie. I am not a necessarily a Poe fan, but I appreciate the cultural impact he had on the literary landscape.

I enjoyed how Patterson and Sitts weave the stories around each other, and the reader gets to see how the trio copes with different cases. They trade off who takes the lead on each case, which is kind of cool. The sleekness of the operation as a whole is somewhat too fanciful to buy into, but I suspect that’s par for the course for a Patterson novel. It wasn’t so outlandish that I found it exasperating. I have not read many of Patterson’s works, and I am not likely to be one of his most rabid readers. I also am not really swearing him off, and I will likely dip back into his catalogue occasionally.

Patterson writes very short chapters. This one has 118 chapters stuffed into 359 pages. I am not a fan of these absurdly short chapters. I also don’t like really long chapter. I guess I just want a chapter length just right, whatever that would look like.

In spite of these minor annoyances, I still enjoyed the novel and will likely revisit this particular trio.

I enjoyed the introduction to this trio well enough, but the required suspension of disbelief was almost too demanding.

There were some pretty good plot twists throughout the story. Even though this is not exactly to be considered highbrow literature, I was impressed with the imagination displayed by the authors here.

This book seems to be a love letter of long-time mystery readers, and I wouldn’t mind another one.

The Thursday Murder Club catches another case in Richard Osman’s The Man Who Died Twice, so it seems like a good time to revisit Coopers Chase.

Book Review: Merging With Murder

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Robert B. Parker’s Broken Trust is a pretty solid continuation of the Senser series by Mike Lupica, who recently took over the range after Ace Atkins has moved on from his contribution to the series.

It’s hard to believe that Parker has been gone for about fifteen years, but his most popular series has endured with the talents of Atkins, and now Lupica brings Boston private eye Spenser further into the 21st century with his usual posse of allies and long-time girlfriend, Susan Silverman. Spenser’s sense of justice, accompanied with his wry witticisms, is a reassuring anchor in an ever-changing, complex world, even in the realm of crime fiction.

Spenser is initially hired to discover why a very wealthy tech mogul has started behaving erratically. His wife insists that Andrew Crain is a loving husband, however he has become prone to sudden outbursts of temper and becoming sullen and withdrawn. Crain controls a large tech company on the verge of what could be a lucrative business merger. The wife is a friend of Susan’s so Spenser decides to take the case. Spenser gets even more determined to find answers when his client is murdered. The matter turns even stranger when an employee of Crain’s company apparently commits an inexplicable suicide. Spenser rubs elbows and trades punches with people who operate in a world of high stakes and global fame. Fortunately, he has some help from long-time ally, Hawk, who is always willing to bring his wit and plenty of firepower to back him up.

The main plot is suitably engaging and has a fair bit of twists. I am not sure if previous novels had Spenser probe the murder of his own client. Some of it was pretty predictable with the presence of menacing henchmen and gangsters lurking around the corner. Spenser also has to fend off a couple of direct attacks with his quick fists and pointed wisecracks. Some of the motivations behind these dark deeds turn out tom be rather surprising.

Whatever Lupica’s deviations from how the original author would have presented this tale seem to be subtle enough where I can still consider this part of the canon. Although in real life, Spenser would have been nearing ninety or something is he wasn’t a fictional character.

Parker’s style of writing is pretty straightforward and is likely easy to emulate. Sometimes, Spenser’s observations and verbal jabs seem rather repetitive, but the types of cases that land on his doorstep still provide some variety and amusement. Spenser isn’t a guy who is easily rattled and still comes across as someone you would want in your corner should trouble arise, if only for the small matter that he is a fictional hero.

Lupica has been writing in various fields for a long time and seems to be an excellent choice by the Parker estate to bring new conundrums to Spenser’s office. Even if the original creator is no longer able to carry Spenser forward himself, it is nice to know that the Boston gumshoe still has some adventures to share.

James Patterson’s popularity in crime fiction has continued to remain steadfast, yet I have read very little of his works. I decided to give him another go with Holmes, Marple, & Poe, which is co-written by Brian Sitts.

Film Review: A Little Love And War Come For Marvin

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Love Hurts is an action-comedy film with a talented cast but a very dubious plot. It took three screenwriters in the shape of Matthew Murray, David Leitch, and Luke Passmore to disappoint this movie watcher. Jonathan Eusebio is a director I have not heard of, and this film isn’t likely to help him much. Ke Huy Quan is in the lead as a successful realtor with a killer past. Other cast members include Ariana DeBose, Daniel Wu, Lio Tipton, and Sean Astin.

Marvin Gable is a very successful real estate agent who has embraced his new life after leaving behind his former criminal associations. He used to work for his brother, a crime lord, who has decided to send some heavy hitters to see if Marvin has heard from a former love, Rose, who he was supposed to kill. There is some missing money being sought. Rose does turn up and needs Marvin to dust off his lethal skills that he has shelved for a while. All sorts of strange assassins converge on the reunited couple, and Marvin is faced with having to lose his new life that he has grown to love.

The basic plot is not that bad. I sort of liked the casting of Quan in this role, however he does not quite pull off the menace when Marvin revers to his former persona. Marvin is described as a “beautiful monster” by his brother. Although the fight scenes are kind of fun, and Quan is able to sell it adequately, I am not sure I could buy that the implied ferocity described by the brother.

Ariana DeBose is quite a find. She is beautiful and seems to have a pretty good sense of comic timing when needed. She really sells the mischievous streak in Rose quite convincingly.

The problem with the film is an incoherent plot. The villains just become a bit too cartoonish. I understand that this was supposed to be a comedic venture, but the jokes just don’t land.

I do think that Ke Huy Quan deserves another chance in a lead role. He is kind of the best thing about this film, but the script didn’t help him shine that much.

The story had some loose threads, and it isn’t clear as to what decisions Marvin made about his future at the end of the chaotic chase.

There are a few bright spots in the film, but the experience as a whole was a bit more of a letdown than even I was expecting.

Book Review: Murder Of The Coldest Kind

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Snow is an unfortunately predictable murder mystery written by John Banville. The story takes place in Ireland during the year of 1957. A young detective named St. John Strafford is the protagonist investigating a gruesome murder of a Catholic priest.

Detective Inspector Strafford is understandably perturbed by the murder and mutilation of a priest in a manor owned by the influential Osborne family. The case takes an even stranger turn when his deputy disappears. Strafford is told that the priest was popular in the community, but some very dark secrets are unearthed, and the victim may not be as virtuous as one would hope.

It’s an interesting setting. I have an automatic affection for stories that take place in Ireland. I just had a hard time staying interested in the plot, and Strafford doesn’t really draw me in. He seems kind of boring, honestly.

The motive for the murder is something would easily expect considering that it’s a Catholic priest who is the target. He was castrated, so it’s not hard to guess why the killer took that extra step.

Banville does have a nice prose style. He isn’t a terrible writer, but this particular novel may have just been the wrong one to introduce me to him.

My efforts to read new authors sometimes misfires, and Banville just didn’t do it for me.

Time to move to an old favorite of mine in the world of fictional detectives with Robert B. Parker’s Broken Trust, which is actually written by Mike Lupica, who has continued the Spenser series since Mr. Parker has been deceased for some time now.

Doctor Who Audio Review: The Doctor And Stephen Taylor Reunite For One More Escape

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

The Living Darkness is a new Doctor Who audio play from Big Finish Productions and has a really moving reunion between the First Doctor and Steven Taylor. This play was written by Jacqueline Rayner and directed by Helen Goldwyn. Stephen Noonan reprises his efforts to emulate William Hartnell’s portrayal of the First Doctor and is really getting better at it. Peter Purves returns as former companion and ruler of another world, Steven Taylor. He is quite a bit older than when he traveled with the Doctor, and Purves puts in an awesome performance.’ Lauren Cornelius turns up later in the play as Dodo Chaplet, originally portrayed by Jackie Lane in the television series back in the 1960’s/

Other guest actors include Jack Ayres, Trevor Littledale, Dido Miles, and Helen Phillips. As usual, everyone does a stellar job with their roles.

Steven Taylor was once the ruler of a planet where he had been left by the TARDIS. He had a family and is still grieving the death of one of his daughters. He is around the century mark in terms of his age, but he has remained relatively fit and is as sharp-witted as ever. He had thought that his adventures had ended when he parted company with the Doctor and Dodo, however he has regained conscious aboard the spaceship that seems to be some type of prison transport. He has met other unwilling passengers and is investigating whatever terrors lie within the dark corridors when a familiar old man arrives introducing himself as the Doctor. The ship crashes on a planet where the most violent criminals are also sent. Someone or something has taken Steven and the Doctor out of time and placed them in a grueling fight for survival.

I had a little trouble following this story, but the presence and performance of Peter Purves was too compelling for me to mind that much. It’s not a bad story, and Rayner is a long-time writer for the franchise with some real talent and love for the series. It’s actually not a bad epic, and I will enjoy listening to it again in the not-too-distant future. Stephen Noonan continues to improve his portrayal of the First Doctor. He is getting closer to imitating Hartnell’s particular verbal inflections. Of course, the best William Hartnell is always going to be William Hartnell, but I appreciate Noonan’s efforts. Noonan actually sounds very different when using his normal voice, so his impersonation of Hartnell is quite impressive. I am always open to more First Doctor stories.

I can respect that Purves has really changed very little vocally even though he is well into his eighties. I also liked that just because Steven is even older than that, he sounded anything but frail and soft. Steven still retained that tenacious, bulldog tendency that was so prevalent when he was introduced into the series over fifty years.

This is one of those times when the performances really help when the plot is a little soft. The plot is actually pretty good here, and there is some interesting character development occurring throughout the story.

When Steven and the Doctor really recognize each other as genuine, it is actually rather moving. Purves still sounds great in these releases, and I hope he has several more left to do.

I was not sure about Noonan when he first started out in this role, but his interpretation of the First Doctor has grown on me. It is noted in the cast interviews how much work and research he puts in, and it really shows here.

2025 seems to be off to a great start with this release, and I hope more First Doctor stories are in the can.

Film Review: AIA Just Wants To Help

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Afraid is a science fiction horror film that almost is the epitome of mediocre filmmaking. Chris Weitz wrote and directed this movie which stars John Cho, Katherine Waterston, Havana Rose Liu, and Keith Carradine among others.

The story centers on a perfectly respectable, charming family who are talked into testing a new artificial intelligence device designed to help households run more efficiently. AIA is the name of this computer on the verge of something resembling a psychotic break or something. It starts off, predictably, as being a blessing, but something more manipulative and dangerous starts to emerge. The patriarch, played by Cho, works for the computer engineering company testing the program. Also, two people wearing unusual masks start stalking the family as well. AIA may be of some help, but the family may have to pay a steep price to keep it on their side.

Cho and Waterston are pretty good as the well-meaning couple. The performances are almost enough to forgive the predictable plot. Havana Rose Liu, who voices the computer, alternates between soothing and chilling quite effectively. The cast was well selected. The problem is that the script just wasn’t that interesting. The family characterizations weren’t all that creative. We have seen these parents and kids before. I just had a hard time caring what happened to them.

The movie just felt like a place holder on the movie schedule. Crazy computers have just been a little overused in the past several decades, and this one just doesn’t stand out.

It’s just another forgettable movie that doesn’t quite the reach the level of being flat-out terrible, but it hovers pretty close to that black hole.