Dev Patel has come a long way from being the slumdog. Images from his feature directorial debut, Monkey Man, feature him standing menacingly in a suit or with an ominous mask of a monkey on and you see that the film is produced by Jordan Peele, so it gives the impression that it could be a new psychological horror movie. Then, the trailer shows Patel taking on opponents in a wrestling ring and plowing through bad guys like John Wick and Jackie Chan to the soundtrack of a bumpin’ Jay-Z tune. Immediately, heads turn at attention.

Patel’s Monkey Man has now premiered at SXSW, and the first reactions are in. Those in attendance at the unveiling have taken to social media and revealed that once the credits rolled and the lights came up, Patel received a standing ovation when taking the stage. @AnAntLife posted a video of a tearful Patel wiping away tears amid this overwhelming reaction and said, “A long and very deserved standing ovation for Dev Patel and #MonkeyMan y’all are gonna love this one!!!”

@kirkneverdied also posted that Patel received a “2 minute long standing ovation in a packed 1,200 person theater for #MonkeyMan #DevPatel #SXSW”

@myrcellasear showed her overwhelmed positive response to the film, saying, “I think I have never been as proud of a career trajectory as I am now of Dev Patel’s from Skins to #MonkeyMan. He has created a hard-hitting action masterpiece that in full of pulsating emotion throughout. Thank God it’s coming to theaters! #SXSW”

@LeosAMovieGuy raved about Monkey Man, saying, “MONKEY MAN: Every bit of this movie is earned. A powerful revenge story that goes through the gamut of action with powerful force. Dev Patel with a directing debut that rips. #AMovieGuySXSW#MonkeyMan”

@FrederickNuti calls Monkey Man one of the best action movies of our time and praises Patel’s direction as he says, “Monkey Man directed by Dev Patel is one of the best action movies of our time. His directorial debut and he absolutely executes it masterfully. Visceral and action packed with a new style unseen before! People are gonna absolutely love this! Talented as hell! #SXSW #MonkeyMan”

@JaredBuckendahl has a bit of criticism in how Patel has paced the story, but also raves about the film despite that flaw, “Dev Patel delivers a one-two punch with his directorial debut. A superb blend of meaning story, deep message, twisted comedy, kung fu homages & badass action (see image below). A bit uneven with its story pacing, but you cant deny the guy has a great future ahead #MonkeyMan #SXSW”

@ryanmcquade77 says Monkey Man is the first great film he would see in his time at SXSW, “After a couple of long days at #SXSW2024, MONKEY MAN is the first great film of the fest. With tons of top notch action sequences and plenty of heart, director/writer/star Dev Patel delivered something truly special! An absolute knockout of a directorial debut! #MonkeyMan”

The post Monkey Man: First reactions hit social media as the Dev Patel action movie premieres at SXSW appeared first on JoBlo.

For fans of tactics and strategy games, the recent release of Unicorn Overlord is a decadent treat. The latest from developer Vanillaware delivers large-scale battles full of varied and complex systems, requiring the player to constantly pay attention to the micro and macro of a fight. Within the large fantasy world…

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For fans of tactics and strategy games, the recent release of Unicorn Overlord is a decadent treat. The latest from developer Vanillaware delivers large-scale battles full of varied and complex systems, requiring the player to constantly pay attention to the micro and macro of a fight. Within the large fantasy world…

Read more…

PLOT: The fifth and final season will find Captain Burnham and the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery uncovering a mystery that will send them on an epic adventure across the galaxy to find an ancient power whose very existence has been deliberately hidden for centuries. But there are others on the hunt as well…dangerous foes who are desperate to claim the prize for themselves and will stop at nothing to get it.

REVIEW: Seven years after it relaunched the Star Trek brand, Discovery is coming to an end. In 2017, the first season of the series premiered on what was then known as CBS All Access with the first serialized narrative in the franchise’s six-decade history. While the first season took some time to warm up, the second introduced Anson Mount’s Christopher Pike and the eventual cast of the Enterprise-centric spin-off Strange New Worlds. Season three thrust Michael Burnham and her crew to the 32nd century while the fourth found solid footing in an era never before explored by any Trek series. Now, the fifth and final season of Star Trek: Discovery launches with another adventure to rescue the galaxy but with a more standalone, episodic approach. It is yet another reinvention for a series that sometimes struggled to know what type of tale it wanted to be. But, after almost a decade with these characters, it is a fitting send-off for the crew that rebooted Star Trek for a new generation.

While the fourth season had a looser vibe with the crew of Discovery settling into their new era, the fifth season picks up not long after with a similar plot premise to prior seasons of the series. Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) receives a “red directive” order from Doctor Kovich (David Cronenberg) which places her crew on a mission of the highest priority. Tasked with finding an item that holds the fate of the galaxy in its grasp, Burnham and the crew run up against criminals Moll (Eve Harlow) and L’ak (Elias Toufexis). As they chase each other across the cosmos, Discovery and the thieving duo trade back and forth as they hunt for clues scattered across the reaches of space. All of these hints and puzzles eventually lead to an ancient technology that could destroy all sentient life and directly connects to a season six episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. It is a fascinating callback, and a relatively obscure one, which will please long-time Trek fans while deepening the connection between this series and the vast interconnected mythos of the entire franchise.

With their mission underway, there are splits amongst those aboard Discovery as their tenure as a cohesive crew begins to come to an end. In the four episodes made available for this review (the season comprises ten total episodes), there is an air of finality to the proceedings. While not initially announced as the final season when it entered production, many characters make choices that will decide their future paths. Saru (Doug Jones) is contemplating leaving for a romantic relationship that began the prior season. Tilly (Mary Wiseman) has an offer to teach new cadets and Stamets (Anthony Rapp) faces the end of his spore drive technology and what it means for his legacy as a scientist. There are also new additions to the cast, notably Callum Keith Rennie as Captain Rayner. Rennie, a long-time character actor, is a gruff foil for Burnham who echoes the personality and demeanor of Jason Isaacs’ first-season character Gabriel Lorca. Rennie and Burnham become reluctant allies as they team up this season. Rennie’s presence as Rayner allows for some mild shake-up of the crew dynamic and instills the message again of how close this crew has gotten over their time working together.

Star Trek: Discovery relied on a heavily serialized story over the first four seasons, something that all three seasons of Picard emulated. Strange New Worlds took on a more standalone, episodic story structure which allowed the episodes to be viewable as individual hours as well as connected by an over-arching narrative. The final season of Discovery still has a main narrative that flows through the episodes, but the plots are much more contained and allow for each chapter to work as a story with a beginning, middle, and end while also contributing towards the closure coming at the end. Since this season did not start as the final entry, the early episodes feel like business as usual. Moll and L’ak are far from the menacing villains of prior seasons which does take away from some of the stakes in the story. Same for the contained episodes which do not feel as immediate as earlier seasons of the series. As much as I have enjoyed Discovery as a change of pace from other Star Trek entries, it continues to feel a bit repetitive in the notes it keeps hitting.

The final season brings back showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Michelle Paradise. While Kurtzman previously said there were multiple seasons of potential stories for Discovery, this final run comes as the era of streaming seems to be contracting. That may be because Kurtzman has no credits on any episodes this season while Paradise wrote the premiere and co-wrote the series finale with Kyle Jarrow. Veteran directors Lee Rose and Jonathan Frakes return from prior seasons while Olatunde Osunsanmi opens and closes the season as helmer. The special effects continue to be of the highest caliber and the familiarity of Discovery’s ship tends to play against its freshness. This season feels like a continuation of what has come before it rather than a reinvention. That is not to say that it is remotely bad, but it feels underwhelming as far as final seasons go. As just the fifth season of Star Trek: Discovery, these first four episodes have the energy and momentum of a show that knows itself and is coasting along. Had there been an announcement that the subsequent season would be the last, I may feel differently about this year of Star Trek: Discovery. My opinion may also change once I see how this narrative will wrap up.

Star Trek: Discovery is a series that struggled to know what it wanted to be over five seasons. From Bryan Fuller to Alex Kurtzman, the 23rd century to the 32nd, this series has been a mix of themes, tones, ideas, and storytelling approaches that worked more often than it did not. With Sonequa Martin-Green as a fascinating lead character and an ensemble cast as interesting as any ship in all of Star Trek, Discovery has earned its place in Gene Roddenberry’s ever-expanding franchise. There is nothing wrong with this season but it could have been so much more had Paramount given the series the chance to develop a final season naturally rather than tacking on an ending to an already in-flight run of episodes. Star Trek: Discovery ends with a season that is fun to watch but lacks the immediacy that a final season deserves. I will reserve final judgment until I have seen the second half of the season but I can say the first half is a fun partial refresh of a series that still seems to be unsure of what it wants to be.

Star Trek: Discovery premieres its final season with two episodes on April 4th on Paramount+.

Star Trek Discovery

GOOD

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The post Star Trek: Discovery The Final Season TV Review appeared first on JoBlo.

Kate Beckinsale has put her fans and followers into high alert, posting on Instagram this week honoring Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom. But what has caught our attention isn’t the tribute to her own mother but photos that show her in the hospital with tears in her eyes.

Here is the text Kate Beckinsale wrote in her original post: “Happy birthday and UK Mother’s Day this last week to my incredible mother. Thank you to those that love us and support us when it’s shit and try to make sure there are some bits that aren’t. And for looking after our dogs when we can’t, and lead us to remember happy things when we can’t. And turn up when we are sick and sit with us . . And send balloons and check in and pull us out of wells with love. Thank you for loving us, those who do ,and for the amazing, kindest Nick, and especially for my mother’s capacity for joy. It is so inspiring and beautiful .Happy everything mama. Your fight for joy despite also welcoming tears is the experience of watching a warrior up close .l love you x”.

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A post shared by Kate Beckinsale (@katebeckinsale)

What’s troubling to fans of Kate Beckingsale is that there is no context whatsoever for her hospital stay. That the post lacks details naturally caused a number of followers to ask about the images, which seem buried in the post since they didn’t begin until #6 in the Instagram roll. In a way it’s reminiscent of when Jamie Foxx was taken to the hospital last year over a “medical complication”: details were slim or non-existent, prompting baseless speculation. So why is Kate Beckinsale in the hospital? We don’t know at this point but we certainly wish her well in whatever she is currently going through.

Kate Beckinsale most recently starred in Charlie Day’s directorial debut Fool’s Paradise, which found her opposite a cast that included Day, Ken Jeong, Jason Sudeikis, Adrien Brody, Edie Falco, and more. She has also been voicing Queen Ayrenn in the Elder Scrolls series of games.

Send your positive vibes to Kate Beckinsale in the comments section below.

The post Kate Beckinsale worries fans after hospital selfie appeared first on JoBlo.

After the mega-success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, it’s no secret that Nintendo and Illumination are looking to maximize their partnership by adapting more classic Nintendo video game properties for the silver screen. To celebrate Mario Day, which was March 10th (get it? Mar10?), Shigeru Miyamoto, the character’s creator, and Illumination head Chris Meledandri, officially announced another film set in that universe, with an April 3rd, 2026 release date. But, with a Super Mario Bros Movie 2 finally happening, what other Nintendo properties might be getting a movie?

Closer to the release of The Super Mario Bros. Movie last year notorious scooper Daniel Richtman, who has a solid track record for sharing information that often pans out, said Nintendo and Illumination were working on various titles. In the original post linked to Richtman’s Patreon, he mentioned the team behind Mario was hard at work on adaptations of The Legend of Zelda, Luigi’s Mansion, Donkey Kong, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2.

Yet, in the months that followed, only two Nintendo film have been officially announced. One is the predicted Super Mario Bros. Movie 2, but the other isn’t from Illumination, nor is it animated. Indeed, the next Nintendo movie in production will be a long-awaited, live-action version of The Legend of Zelda, which is to be directed by Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes helmer Wes Ball. Given that Ball’s in the home stretch on Apes, don’t expect any major Zelda news before the summer, but the most recent buzz was that Ball was hoping to cast a 15-20-year-old unknown as Link. The film will also be much less comedic than Mario Bros, with Ball saying, he wants to make “this awesome fantasy-adventure movie that isn’t like Lord of the Rings, it’s its own thing. I’ve always said, I would love to see a live-action Miyazaki. That wonder and whimsy that he brings to things, I would love to see something like that.”

But what about animated Nintendo movies?

While Super Mario Bros. 2 was a no-brainer after the original banked over $1 billion at the worldwide box office, and an animated version of Zelda seems moot, adaptations of Luigi’s Mansion and Donkey Kong could be risky ventures (even though they are popular video games), even for a brand as legendary as Nintendo. Although Luigi is a fan-favourite character, his popularity is arguably less than that of his brother, Mario. Kids and adults enjoyed Luigi’s contribution to The Super Mario Bros. Movie, but he played a much smaller role than most characters in the film. Can the lanky plumber (as voiced by Charlie Day) carry a movie of his own? Speaking as someone who proudly places Luigi’s Mansion in his Top 5 Games of All Time list, I hope so!

Meanwhile, Donkey Kong is almost guaranteed to star in a new movie. DK stole the show for many people in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. With a bankable star already attached to the role (Seth Rogen), a Donkey Kong movie starring DK, Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong, and Cranky Kong could yield plenty of bananas at the box office. If Nintendo brings the Donkey Kong Country villain King K. Rool into the mix, we could be in for a grand jungle adventure.]

What do you think about Nintendo and Illumination teaming up for more movies based on Nintendo games? Sound off in the comments below.

The post The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2: what other Nintendo movies are in the works? appeared first on JoBlo.

It’s been forty years since the release of David Lynch’s Dune, and although the film is certainly a flawed adaptation of Frank Herbert’s iconic sci-fi novel, there’s something inherently fascinating about it. That fascination has led to the film growing a substantial cult following over the years, which obsesses over every little detail. After all these years, fans of Lynch’s Dune actually have something new to enjoy, thanks to a never-before-seen deleted scene which has been restored by the folks at Nerdist.

The Dune deleted scene centers around Harah (Molly Wryn), a Freman character who originally had a bigger role in the movie. The scene finds Harah explaining to Lady Jessica (Francesca Annis) why the young Alia (Alicia Witt) scares the other Freman. You can check it out in the video below, which includes an introduction from Wryn herself.

Wryn sent the deleted scene to Max Evry while he was working on his book, A Masterpiece In Disarray (David Lynch’s Dune – An Oral History). Nerdist editor Matt Caron then lovingly restored the scene from its VHS source, which will be included in ViaVision‘s upcoming Blu-ray release of the movie.

Although David Lynch’s movie received largely negative reviews at the time of its release, Denis Villeneuve’s adaptations have been critically acclaimed. Our own Chris Bumbray gave the recent Dune sequel a rave review. “In this day of assembly line blockbusters, it’s a miracle that director Denis Villeneuve has managed to get not one but two incredible, uncompromised epics like this through the studio system,” he wrote. “It works as a tentpole blockbuster, but Dune Part Two is also filmmaking at the highest level. It’s a real cinematic event everyone owes it to themselves to take in and hopefully won’t be forgotten come Oscar time. It’s a masterpiece.” You can check out the rest of Bumbray’s review right here.

Dune: Part Two will “explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a path of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.” The film is now playing in theaters, so be sure to let us know what you thought of it!

The post Check out a lovingly restored, long-lost deleted scene from David Lynch’s Dune appeared first on JoBlo.

When Al Pacino took the stage to present the Academy Award for Best Picture at the Oscars, some wondered if the actor had made a mistake when he jumped straight to announcing Oppenheimer as the winner. Typically, the presenter reads the title of each nominated movie, but Pacino has made a statement to clear the air, saying that he was just following what the producers wanted.

“There seems to be some controversy about my not mentioning every film by name last night before announcing the best picture award,” Pacino said in a statement. “I just want to be clear it was not my intention to omit them, rather a choice by the producers not to have them said again since they were highlighted individually throughout the ceremony.  I was honored to be a part of the evening and chose to follow the way they wished for this award to be presented.“

Pacino continued, “I realize being nominated is a huge milestone in one’s life and to not be fully recognized is offensive and hurtful. I say this as someone who profoundly relates with filmmakers, actors and producers so I deeply empathize with those who have been slighted by this oversight, and it’s why I felt it necessary to make this statement.“

Oscars producer Molly McNearney told Variety that the choice to have Al Pacino announce the winner in that fashion was because they were worried the show was running long. “It was a creative decision we made because we were very worried that the show was going to be long,” McNearney explained. “By the time you get to the end of the show, you’ve seen all ten best picture clip packages. People just want to hear who wins, and they’re pretty ready for the show to be over. At least that’s what we anticipated. So, we did not give him a clip package. We did not give him nominations to read. I apologize if our decision to not have to read through all those nominations put him in a tough spot.“

Pacino’s delivery did add to the confusion. “This is the time for the last award of the evening, and it’s my honor to present it,” he told the audience at the Oscars. “Ten wonderful films were nominated, but only one will take the award for Best Picture. And, uh, I have to go to the envelope for that, and I will. Here it comes. And my eyes see Oppenheimer. Yes. Yes.“

What did you think of the 2024 Oscars?

The post Al Pacino didn’t make a mistake presenting Best Picture at the Oscars; says that’s what the producers wanted appeared first on JoBlo.

Witnessing Paul Atreides summon and ride a sandworm was one of the biggest moments of Dune: Part Two, but some fans have been left wondering just how the hell the Freman get off the giant critters.

Dune: Part Two director Denis Villeneuve told IndieWire that he repeatedly gets questions regarding sandworm disembarkation and teased that he has thought of a solution. “I knew how. I found a way,” Villeneuve said. “It was not dramatically necessary in ‘Part Two’ to see someone get out of the worm, but I know how to do it. And I can’t wait to put that on screen.” However, the folks at Giant Freakin Robot did their homework and discovered that the answer can already be found in Frank Herbert’s Dune novels.

As seen in the sequel, the Freman use hooks, known as maker hooks, to attach themselves to the scales of the sandworm. As the hooks are rather irritating, this allows the riders to steer the massive creature by applying pressure in one direction or another. However, sandworms do get tired, and when this happens, the riders simply remove the hooks, which causes the worm to start to slow and lower itself into the sand, at which point the rider simply jumps off.

That may not be the most thrilling answer, but it is the simplest. Villeneuve may have something different in mind, and if he gets to make Dune: Messiah, perhaps we’ll finally get to see it.

Our own Chris Bumbray gave the Dune sequel a rave review. “In this day of assembly line blockbusters, it’s a miracle that director Denis Villeneuve has managed to get not one but two incredible, uncompromised epics like this through the studio system,” he wrote. “It works as a tentpole blockbuster, but Dune Part Two is also filmmaking at the highest level. It’s a real cinematic event everyone owes it to themselves to take in and hopefully won’t be forgotten come Oscar time. It’s a masterpiece.” You can check out the rest of Bumbray’s review right here.

Dune: Part Two will “explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a path of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.” The film is now playing in theaters, so be sure to let us know what you thought of it!

The post Dune: Part Two: How does Paul Atreides get off the sandworm? appeared first on JoBlo.

Just as I arrive in Yokohama, one of Rise of the Ronin’s three major cities, I hear a soft meowing in the distance. Spurred by what must be the cutest of cats, I sprint off in the direction of the mews when I encounter a dilapidated bandit camp. I kill everyone there, not just because the game’s swordplay is…

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