I’m an ’80s baby, raised on bad sitcoms and movies with heavy-handed messages (and great soundtracks). The idea of Blackness then was still shrouded in otherness: Most programs either sought seamless integration with some small Black aesthetic flairs, or played up those Black aesthetics for comedic impact. So many of those shows seemed to be…
After the dismal Captain America: Brave New World and the surprisingly endearing Thunderbolts*, Marvel Studios has released one of its trickiest flicks yet based on the historically difficult-to-adapt Fantastic Four. Fantastic Four: First Steps stars Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Joseph Quinn; and is written by Joshua Friedman, Eric Pearson, Jeff Kaplan and…
Three hundred years ago, metahumans emerged on Earth, ushering in a new age of gods and monsters. Three years ago, a hero named Superman emerged as the most powerful metahuman to date. Three minutes ago, Superman lost for the first time. With that opening crawl, a new era of DC films begins with Superman, starring…
Margot Waldman: When I started this series of reviews, I got something really pretty desperately wrong. I said that Russell T Davies had nothing to prove to me or to anyone else about Doctor Who. But I’ve realized that, no, he did. He had a big damn thing to prove because he had to prove…
It took us a bit to come to terms with our grief over the end of Andor, but here, at last, are 10 things we loved in Season 2 Episodes 10-12. Suiting Up The beginning of this three-episode arc and its conclusion both have parallel constructions, in that the arc opens with Luthen preparing to…
Armaan Babu: It’s the end of the world as we don’t know it. The Rani has swept in, and wasted little time in making and unmaking reality, ready to tear the world apart just to find whoever she’s looking for. It’s a hell of an episode, and the most I’ve enjoyed the series in a…
There’s no question that Disney is going a little too hard on live-action remakes. The fatigue is to the point that Snow White bombed incredibly hard. But Lilo & Stitch was already in the can, ready for Memorial Day audiences. I’ll say first, the original animated film is one of my favorites. It’s the last…
Armaan Babu: I skipped watching the Eurovision finale, but it appears that no matter where you hide, Eurovision will find you. This week, on Doctor Who, Eurovision plays out for over 3 trillion fans across the universe. Margot, are you one of those fans? Margot Waldman: So. Look. I have never watched Eurovision because Eurovision…
The penultimate arc of Andor delivers a trio of phenomenal episodes, as the second season gets its big set piece in the course of chronicling some key Star Wars moments. Here are 10 things we loved about “Messenger,” “Who Are You?” and “Welcome to the Rebellion.” 1. The Chosen One Andor isn’t a series (or…
Armaan Babu: If any story is told for long enough, you’re going to come to a part of it that tells you how important stories are. Writers can’t help themselves, and in their defense, they’re not wrong. Stories matter, and stories have power. Where critics like us come in is that we recognize that while…
After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap, an unconventional team of antiheroes must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts. Thunderbolts* is directed by Jake Schreier and stars Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Sebastian Stan, Russell Wyatt, Hannah John-Kamen and Lewis Pullman. NOTE:…
All eyes are on Ghorman, home of majestic twill, spiders and the Space French, as Andor‘s second season reaches its halfway point. Check out 10 things we loved in “Ever Been to Ghorman?” “I Have Friends Everywhere” and “What a Festive Evening.” 1. ‘Sacre Bleu!’ Modeling the Ghorman rebels on the French Resistance (and, to…
Margot Waldman: It’s a strange thing to have a “Doctor-lite” episode in a season as short as this one is – but then, we had one last year in “73 Yards,” another ripped-from-the-headlines political drama (I’m not the first reviewer to compare these two episodes, not by a long shot)! I thought “73 Yards” was…
Margot Waldman: On their quest to get back home to May 2025, the Doctor and Belinda make a slight detour 500,000 years in the future – and into what I think has been the strongest episode of the season so far. What do you think, Armaan? Armaan Babu: I’m behind you 100%. Well, behind-adjacent, as…
After far too long a wait, the second season of Andor is finally upon us! Just as the first season premiered with a three-episode release on Disney+, so too does season 2. But unlike season 1, the rest of this season will follow the same format, unfolding across four three-episode arcs. In these first three…