Timeless: Series Premiere Review

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Timeless, from Supernatural creator Eric Kripke and The Shield creator Shawn Ryan, is a big, broad adventure series that, unfortunately, feels more or less designed to play it safe. Time travel is all over the TV right now -- from CW's Legends of Tomorrow and Syfy's 12 Monkeys to Hulu's recent 11.22.63 miniseries to ABC's upcoming Time After Time (and, in a way, the CW's upcoming Frequency) -- so it's evident that it can hold an audience and be a viable gimmick for serialized TV, but you're not going to see anything new here. Not based on this first episode.

Timeless isn't going to break the mold. It has its specific time travel rules in place (you can't ever travel back to any time or place you once existed, which prevents our heroes from simply going back to take another try at the weekly mission if they botch it) and the ramifications for failure are what you might expect. The past changing causes the present to change. It's all very rudimentary from a sci-fi perspective.

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Marvel's Luke Cage: Episode 10 Review

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Full spoilers for Marvel's Luke Cage continue below.

Things get real personal in Marvel's Luke Cage's 10th episode, which answers some big questions and offers some compelling twists late in the season. While the confirmation that Diamondback is in fact Luke's brother will have the biggest effect on the show, the most interesting was the fact Reva had been deceiving Luke the entire time they were together.

Contrasting his earlier flashback episode with her video diary entry was a smart way to progress that relationship. Luke's love for Reva -- and his later reaction to her death -- was such a major plot point in Jessica Jones that seeing him finally be able to move past it here, and not just because of time but because he got better context for who she is, is really rewarding. Though the show now seems to be moving toward a romance between Claire and Luke (yes, I know it's from the comics but it does seem like a little much all things considered), it's nice to finally have a period at the end of the Reva and Luke story.

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Colossal Review

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Spanish director Nacho Vigalondo’s best films take genre tropes and subvert them in wholly original and unexpected ways. Timecrimes gave time travel a darkly sexual through-line, while Extraterrestrial turned a tale of alien invasion into an intimate three-hander. And Colossal might be his most audacious celluloid mash-up yet, taking the beats of a romantic comedy-drama and combining them with a crazy kaiju movie.

Anne Hathaway plays Gloria, an unemployed thirtysomething whose nights involve drinking herself into oblivion, and days revolve around the hangover that follows. Her boyfriend Tim (Dan Stevens) has had enough, and so breaks up with her, kicking Gloria out of his apartment in the process.

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Luke Cage: Season 1 Review in Progress

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Hi everyone, we're still busy binging the first season of Marvel's Luke Cage on Netflix, so our full season review is yet to come. In the meantime, you can keep up with our episodic reviews as they're completed.

Since everyone watches at their own speed, please refrain from posting spoilers on this article. Instead, have episode-specific conversations in the comments sections of the respective episode links below. In the meantime, we'll be rushing to the finish line along with you, so stay tuned for our thoughts on the full season at this same url!

Luke Cage: Episode 1 - "Moment of Truth" Review - COMPLETED

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Marvel's Luke Cage: Episode 3 Review

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Full spoilers for the third episode of Marvel's Luke Cage continue below.

Luke's got a lot of muscle and a lot of brains, but he does lack of subtlety. The third episode of Marvel's Luke Cage saw him take down Cottonmouth and Black Mariah's money stash in the main base of the New Harlem Renaissance, thus losing Cornell a lot of cash and connecting Mariah Dillard's name to the criminal dealings. It was an interesting choice to have Luke both decide to target Cottonmouth's "queen" in the same episode he succeeded, but it seems like it was just a way to set up a bigger war to come.

Marvel's Luke Cage is still early in Season 1, so it makes sense that showrunner Cheo Coker would ease viewers into the action. There were some intense shootouts in the first couple of episodes, but his takedown of Cottonmouth's Fort Knox was by far the biggest action sequence to date. What's compelling about Luke as a superhero is the fact he doesn't need guns or weapons or even the shield he used to defeat his enemies; he also doesn't need to kill anyone, as Misty Knight marveled. Throughout this sequence, all I could think about was how Coker told IGN in an interview that he'd never tire of seeing a bulletproof black man, and how that adds deeper meaning to seeing Luke fairly calmly walk, uninjured, through a hail of bullets.

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Marvel's Luke Cage: Episode 5 Review

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World War III is beginning in Harlem, and Luke Cage is here to be the savior of the people.

Full spoilers for Marvel's Luke Cage's fifth episode continues below.

Finally, we're getting to the good stuff. All of the best parts of Marvel's Luke Cage came together in its fifth episode, as Luke stood up as a hero and fought for the sake of Harlem. Like Daredevil was about saving Hell's Kitchen, so Luke Cage is simply about Luke standing up for the people of Harlem. Here, there's no confusing the two sides of this battle. Luke and Cornell Stokes are not only aware of one another, but the people of Hell's Kitchen are aware that there are two sides to this fight.

The bulk of this episode featured Cottonmouth trying to turn the people against Luke, and within an episode our hero was -- seemingly -- able to win them over. Luke's big coming out party at the end of the last episode let the people of Harlem now know to come to him when they have an issue. Cottonmouth's big plan was to send them all running to him and have him disappoint them, which didn't work out quite the way he planned.

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Marvel's Luke Cage: Episode 13 Review

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Hi binge-watchers, you're already at the finale! Well, you beat me there. I'll be updating this page with my review as soon as I've had a chance to write it. If you'd like to discuss this episodes (spoilers and all!) please do so in the comments below.

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Marvel's Luke Cage: Episode 12 Review

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Hi binge-watchers, I'll be updating this page with my review as soon as I've had a chance to write it. If you'd like to discuss this episodes (spoilers and all!) please do so in the comments below.

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Marvel's Luke Cage: "Now You're Mine" Review

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Hi binge-watchers, I'll be updating this page with my review as soon as I've had a chance to write it. If you'd like to discuss this episodes (spoilers and all!) please do so in the comments below.

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Marvel's Luke Cage: Episode 9 Review

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Hi binge-watchers, I'll be updating this page with my review as soon as I've had a chance to write it. If you'd like to discuss this episodes (spoilers and all!) please do so in the comments below.

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Marvel's Luke Cage: Episode 8 Review

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Hi binge-watchers, I'll be updating this page with my review as soon as I've had a chance to write it. If you'd like to discuss this episodes (spoilers and all!) please do so in the comments below.

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Marvel's Luke Cage: Episode 7 Review

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It's bad news across all quadrants in Harlem as Marvel's Luke Cage delivers the best episode of the series so far.

Full spoilers for Luke Cage's sixth episode continue below.

So I was a little wrong and a lot right about the way Luke Cage would handle its villains. Cottonmouth's incarceration lasted about as long as it took to load up a new episode of the Netflix show, proving that Luke's big win lacked a lot of punch. But much like episode 4 (my second favorite of the season so far) offered an inside look into the origin of Luke Cage, episode 7 gave us a deeper understanding of why Cornell and Mariah are who they are.

One of my favorite elements of the show that I plan to get into deeper in the full season review is showrunner Cheo Coker's use of music. We frequently catch up with Cottonmouth as he's vetting performers for his club, and more often than not those sequences are intercut with big action. Instead of just being the soundtrack of the show, the music is part of its DNA, just like we find out it's a part of Cornell's. He should have gone to Juilliard; he has the soul of a musician, not a killer. It's been bugging me throughout the season how ineffective Cottonmouth has been as a big bad despite all his bluster, and finally we find out definitively that it's because he really isn't cut out for this type of work.

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Marvel's Luke Cage: Episode 6 Review

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Everything comes to a tidy conclusion in Luke Cage's sixth episode, or so it seems. Maybe this is meant to be the binge-break -- take a nap, all you people who have stayed up all night watching! -- or maybe the lack of a cliffhanger is simply a way of easing out of one act of Luke's journey and into another, but whatever the circumstance, everything's coming up Cage in "Suckas Need Bodyguards."

Full spoilers for Marvel's Luke Cage continue below.

Luke Cage set out to arrest Cottonmouth, and he did exactly that less than halfway through Season 1. When we entered this season, it seemed like Cornell Stokes would be Luke's primary antagonist, even with the breadcrumbs scattered about Diamondback. But he's been so consistently ineffective, it seems like he must just be an opening act for whoever the real threat to Harlem is going to be. (RIP, Scarfe.) Will it be Diamondback? Or could it be that Mariah is going to finally step from the shadows and continue Mama Mabel's legacy?

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Marvel's Luke Cage: Episode 2 Review

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Full spoilers for Luke Cage's second episode continue below.

After a slow start easing viewers into the Harlem-set world of Netflix's third standalone Marvel series, Luke Cage is picking up speed thanks to an untimely death and a rightfully angry titular character. Pop's death seems to be what is going to be kicking off Luke's journey to bulletproof heroism.

The bookended scenes with Luke standing outside of Mariah Dillard's New Harlem Renaissance headquarters with one of her goons' guns pointed to his head are the most impactful work showrunner Cheo Coker has done in the series' first two episodes. From the use of the N-word to Luke no longer hiding his bullet proof nature, this marked a much-needed turning point for the series.

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Marvel's Luke Cage: "Step in the Arena" Review

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Are you ready for some flashbacks? Because Luke Cage's origin story was finally told in the fourth episode of Marvel's Luke Cage.

Full spoilers for Marvel's Luke Cage's fourth episode continue below.

Luke Cage... or should we say Carl Lucas? Netflix and Marvel went back to the early days of Luke's incarceration in Seagate Prison, before he changed his name to protect his identity. That alone answers the big question of why Shades doesn't recognize this person he was in prison with -- and, of course, the fact that Luke has lost that pretty insane fake beard. (Sorry, Mike Colter.)

The bulk of the fourth episode was flashbacks to Luke's time at Seagate, setting up how he became the man he is in the present. More important than just establishing how he knew Shades, the flashbacks deepened our understanding of Luke's relationship with his late wife Reva and how the two of them fell in love.

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A Monster Calls Review

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A Monster Calls screened at Fantastic Fest and hits screens in early 2017.

A boy is visited by a monster at precisely 12.07am. That monster informs the boy that he will tell him three stories. And once he has finished the third, the boy will then reciprocate by telling his own story, one that will apparently reveal a great truth

That’s the plot at the heart of J.S. Bayona’s adaptation of Patrick Ness’s bestselling novel, but A Monster Calls is about much more than that, the film a deeply affecting rumination on grief, alienation, loss, and love.

Connor O’Malley is the child in question, a boy who is “too old to be a kid, too young to be a man.” And his every waking hour is filled with misery, Connor bullied at school, then coming home to a mother being destroyed by cancer.

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Ash vs Evil Dead: Season 2 Premiere Review

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Ash vs. Evil Dead: Season 2 premieres on Starz on Sunday, October 2nd, but thanks to some other-worldly shenanigans, the Season 2 premiere, "Home," live streamed on IGN's Facebook page and can be still seen by clicking here. Therefore, this is a full-spoiler review of the episode. You've been warned.

"Alright, you naked a***holes!"

As expected, the shaky truce Bruce Campbell's Ash made with Lucy Lawless' Ruby at the end of Season 1 didn't hold and here we now, kicking off Season 2 and getting back into the wonderfully gooey and gory mess of Evil Dead again. It looks like Ash will have to cut his "fun police" gig in Jacksonville short so he can return to doing what he does best - obliterating deadites and splattering their insides all over the place!

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Masterminds Review

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One of the single funniest scenes in Jared Hess' Masterminds features Ken Marino attempting to breathe through his nose so as to not hurt the quality of the audio from the wire he's wearing for the FBI. The result is something akin to a whistle every time he takes a breath. It is a beautiful and wholly unintended reference to this week's Presidential Debate, Donald Trump's sniffling, and the resultant discussion.

Of course, while Masterminds is based on a true story, it isn't based on the debate, and the scene with Marino was assuredly filmed long before the debate occurred. The moment is funny by accident while the rest of Masterminds seems unfunny almost on purpose.

The tale stars Zach Galifianakis as David Ghantt, an armored truck driver, with a fiancée, Jandice (Kate McKinnon). David is convinced via a faked, by her, amorous connection with former co-worker, Kelly Campbell (Kristen Wiig), to help her and thief, Steve Chambers (Owen Wilson), rob the armored truck company. After getting away with $17 million dollars, David is then betrayed by them, not that he's smart enough to realize that Kelly has been lying to him all along.

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Mr. Robot: Season 2 Review

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Note: This review contains full spoilers for Mr. Robot: Season 2 in the latter half, but you'll find a spoiler warning when those kick in.

Sam Esmail's Mr. Robot continued to be one of the most unique experiences on TV this year, though perhaps dragged down a bit by overindulging in layers of cerebral trickery.

When a series arrives on the scene that contains an offbeat tone and narrator -- be it Dexter or Twin Peaks (hey, Cooper sort of narrated his exploits) or what have you -- there are a couple of paths it can take. One road leads to a show hitting quickly, creating a "lighting in a bottle" effect that fizzles by Season 2 when the original hook fades and things start meandering. That was Twin Peaks. Then there's the chance the show can grow repetitive and defiantly outstay its welcome - or at least go past a point or story that felt like it could be the show's natural end. That's Dexter.

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Long Way North Review

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Note: Long Way North premiered on the west coast at 2016's COLCOA French Film Festival. It opens in theaters in Los Angeles, New York and select major markets on September 30. Shout! Factory Films will distribute the picture in U.S. theaters this October.

Director Rémi Chayé's Long Way North may not be as showy or intricate as a Pixar movie, but its deceptive simplicity is part of what makes it so great. In addition to featuring a wonderful art style, the French-Danish film takes place in the 19th-century Arctic, which automatically sets it apart from most other animated features. It also includes heart-pounding thrills, high stakes and genuine emotion, which culminate in one utterly charming story.

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Orange Season Review

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Warning: Full spoilers for Orange follow.

There’s a scene towards the end of Orange that stuck with me. Suwa initially blows off a night of hanging out on New Year’s Eve because he knows that if he were to go, he would feel inclined to tell Naho, his best friend Kakeru’s love interest, about how he feels about her. How he really feels. Up to this point in the anime, we know that Suwa shouldn’t do that—it would endanger their plan up until then. But as shows go, he ends up sprinting there and discovers a weeping, very-much alone Naho. He comforts her. Except in this timeline, he leaves out the bit about being in love with her. It’s heartbreaking, knowing how things would turn out if he confessed his own feelings (a relationship, marriage, and eventually a child), but he knows it’s the right thing to do. Kakeru’s happiness is the priority.

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Saga #38 Review

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Not all characters make it. It's a sad fact known to any book lucky enough to go on for any sizable run, and it's one already well known to Saga and it's fans. With chapter #38, Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples bid adieu to a long-running player, in turn opening the door for new and encroaching dangers.

The fact that the issue opens in downright hilarious fashion should have been the first sign that things were about to go wrong, but such is the way of Saga. It builds you up, it tears you down, rinse and repeat. And in some ways, that cyclical sense is emblematic of Vaughan's approach to arc building in general. Hazel and her family have encountered quite the motley collection of displaced spacefarers up to this point, making their latest hangers-on none too surprising. What is engaging about this chapter isn't how much Marko, Alana and Hazel have changed, but rather how much they've stayed the same. Despite everything they've been through, family is still paramount in their minds, and with each new arc their definition, and number, of family grows. That's not to say that they haven't evolved over time - Hazel, for better or worse, continues to come into her own - but rather that their circumstances haven't changed their values.

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Frostbite #1 Review

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The ice age cometh, again, in Vertigo’s latest series, its chilling calamity brought forth by creators Joshua Williamson and Jason Shawn Alexander. Frostbite #1 is a familiar tale that makes good use of well-worn tropes. Its clear narrative and well-constructed characters make for a strong initial debut.

Williamson, somehow avoiding the bevy of ice-related puns at his disposal, does an excellent job of crafting a gripping narrative at the start. His opener is fast and moody, working in strong contrast to the frigid setting it’s framed in. That building sense of momentum carries on to the introduction of the book’s leads, Williamson using solid dialogue and situational circumstance as a way of establishing his lived in world. This proves especially important, as once the story gets going and the presumed focus is introduced, the world and its terrors begins to feel rather familiar. Such is the risk one takes with a genre tale, and to his credit Williamson appears well aware of the expected tropes, putting his own spin on many. It’s easy to tick off the book’s imaginary checkboxes – a dying planet, a mysterious cure, an unlikely hero in position to save humanity – but even for all its familiarity, there’s still enough to this first issue that stands apart.

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South Park: "The Damned" Review

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Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.

South Park has transitioned to a more serialized approach to storytelling over the last few years, which has generally worked to the show’s benefit. That said, these first few installments of Season 20 have me wondering if Trey Parker and Matt Stone are pushing their newfound love of continuity a little too far. “The Damned” certainly did a better job of juggling its numerous plot threads than “Member Berries” did two weeks ago. However, with so much emphasis on plot continuity, it’s beginning to feel like these episodes have no individual identity.

This season continues to cast a wide net in terms of what it spoofs. This week delivered the next chapter in the ongoing saga of Skankhunt42, the fallout of Cartman’s forced exit from social media, the rumblings of war in troll-averse Denmark, more tomfoolery in the US Presidential election and the return of those alluring Member Berries. Again, generally “The Damned did a better job than “Member Berries” of tying all these threads together. There’s now a clearer sense of how all of this is meant to fit together. Leave it to Randy to sum it up succinctly and eloquently - “Everything sucks.”

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What Did You Think of Tonight's American Horror Story?

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The review for American Horror Story: Roanoke's third episode is on the way. In the meantime, let us know what you thought...

Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association (TCA). Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at http://ift.tt/2aJ67FB.

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Yo-kai Watch 2 Fleshy Souls/Bony Spirits Review

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Yo-kai Watch returns with a Pokemon-style set of dual sequels and one journey that aims to deepen the series’ lore while retaining its quirky charms. And while Fleshy Souls and Bony Spirits certainly succeed in that regard, they reuse both the same boring battle system and they both open with an unnecessary retread of the first Yo-kai Watch’s plot. Though this sequel certainly adds plenty to the overall experience, it never really takes any steps to fix the gameplay issues that hampered its predecessor.

Splitting the sequel into two games with only minor differences (like unique Yo-kai to collect in each version) reflects a civil war going on in the world of the Yo-kai. Unfortunately, though the opening foreshadows that battle with an argument over doughnuts — yes, pastries are the crux of the conflict — the actual fight doesn’t kick off until late in the 17-hour main campaign. Even then, the battle is over so quickly it made me question why the two factions were deserving of the title spots.

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Lethal Weapon: Episode Two Review

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Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.

Though the series will most assuredly move away from Riggs' grief eventually, the manic cop was no less disturbed and dangerous this week as news of the potential sale of his Texas homestead drove him to drinking and brawling. Which, in turn, drove Murtaugh to wonder if he could survive being this guy's partner for more than one case.

The "case of the week" element in "Surf N Turf" didn't matter all that much -- though there was a pregnant woman at the center of it who helped Riggs invest emotionally -- as this chapter was more about exploring how Murtaugh and Riggs move forward, after causing over a million dollars in damage, as partners and friends. Also, was Riggs even psychologically capable of being a cop?

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Tarzan on the Planet of the Apes #1 Review

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In hindsight, merging the Tarzan and Planet of the Apes franchises is such an obvious idea it's surprising it hasn't happened before now. But at least Dark Horse is doing right by this particular crossover. Tarzan on the Planet of the Apes offers a clever fusion of the two universes, one that avoids the usual comic book crossover cliches.

This crossover isn't another case where one character falls through a portal and winds up in another universe. There's no obligatory opening chapter where two heroes fight before realizing they have a common enemy. Clearly, writers Tim Seeley and David F. Walker put a lot of thought into how Tarzan's world should intersect with the Planet of the Apes. The method they arrive at is to paint this tale as a sort of alternate universe sequel to 1970's Beneath the Planet of the Apes. What if, instead of traveling back to the 1970's, as they did in Escape From the Planet of the Apes, Cornelius and Zira arrived at the turn of the century? What if they happened across an abandoned baby in the jungle and raised him as their own son?

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Deepwater Horizon Review

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Those who go to see Deepwater Horizon for a thoughtful examination of what took place on the deep-water drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico in April of 2010 will be sorely disappointed. Although undeniably light on explanation, the latest collaboration between Mark Wahlberg and director Peter Berg, who worked together on Lone Survivor, excels when it comes to depicting the devastation caused on the rig.

The true star of this movie is indeed said devastation, which is seen through the eyes of the rig's crew. Those front and center include the chief electronics technician on board, Mike Williams (Wahlberg); the man in charge of the crew, Jimmy Harrell (Kurt Russell); rig worker Andrea Fleytas (Gina Rodriguez); and BP representative Donald Vidrine (John Malkovich).

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Suicide Squad #3 Review

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Suicide Squad is a good comic, but there's a constant, nagging sense that it could be better if it were structured differently. The decision to break the main storyline into small chunks and fill out the second half of each issue with backup tales isn't doing the new series any favors right now. Even with the twice-monthly shipping schedule, this book is moving too slowly for its own good.

It doesn't help that the backup in issue #3 is the weakest of the bunch so far. Writer Rob Williams teams up with artist Philip Tan (previously seen on the Suicide Squad Rebirth one-shot) for a closer look at Katana's past. Tan impresses with his versatility, delivering a much cleaner and more sentimental style than his last Suicide Squad outing. That's enhanced by the warm, sentimental colors of Elmer Santos. But this story does little more than have Amanda Waller read Tatsu's life story aloud. It brings nothing new to the table and fails to mine that origin story for its full dramatic weight.

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Star Wars #23 Review

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Much has been said about the plot similarities between The Force Awakens and the original Star Wars. But one element that really set the new film apart from its Original Trilogy predecessors was its stronger, more overt sense of humor. From the moment Poe Dameron greeted Kylo Ren with, "So, who talks first? You talk first?", it was clear that Lucasfilm is taking a page from the Marvel Cinematic Universe playbook. And if Star Wars #23 is any indication, we may start seeing more humor in the comics, as well. It's a good thing humor is one of writer Jason Aaron's specialties.

As poorly executed as the cover is, it actually is a fair representation of the events within. Aaron and artist Jorge Molina pick up with Han, Luke, Leia and the rest as they try to get their pilfered Star Destroyer back into working shape and carry out their larger mission. The stakes are certainly high, with the threat of Sergeant Kreel and his SCAR Troopers looming large. Yet Aaron and Molina balance out that danger with a healthy dose of humor. Much of the humor comes from the perpetually bickering Han and Leia, who literally race each other across the ship to see who deserves to be captain. I can see where some readers might find this material too silly for its own good, but Aaron isn't simply being goofy for the sake of it. There's only so much he can do to explore their blossoming (but unacknowledged) romance given the timeline of this series. Aaron writes Han and Leia as immature schoolchildren because behaving that way allows them to ignore their mutual attraction.

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Raw Review

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Raw was reviewed at Fantastic Fest, and doesn't yet have a release date.

Raw is an audacious feature debut from writer-director Julia Ducournau, one that takes the coming of age template, and gives it a bloody, flesh-eating twist. It’s also a film that’s apparently caused audience members to faint at early festival screenings. Yet while the scenes of cannibalism are brutal and the violence at times extreme, Raw never feels gratuitous or exploitative.

Justine (Garrance Marillier) is a staunch vegetarian who, when proceedings commence, is being packed off to vet school. But there’s something foreboding about the facility she’s to study at, the school next to both the hospital and morgue.

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Graphic Novel Review: Wonder Woman - The True Amazon

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We've seen a number of revisionist takes on Wonder Woman's origin story in recent years, whether it's the digital-first series The Legend of Wonder Woman, Greg Rucka and Nicola Scott's flashback storyline "Year One," or Grant Morrison and Yanick Paquette's graphic novel Wonder Woman: Earth One. At this point, you might think that there's no new spin left to put on such a familiar, well-trodden tale. But with Wonder Woman: The True Amazon, writer/artist Jill Thompson proves how wrong that assumption is.

In many ways, Thompson doesn't dramatically rock the boat with this graphic novel. Many of the basics are in place as she explores the early history of the Amazons (their wars with men, their flight to Paradise Island) and the birth of Diana Prince. However, there are two major and crucial changes here. The first is that Steve Trevor is completely absent from the narrative. He makes no appearance in the story and doesn't factor into Diana's eventual decision to venture into the world of men. That plays into the other, even more significant alternation to the mythos. Thompson breaks from tradition by portraying Wonder Woman as a heavily flawed character.

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Captain America: Steve Rogers #5 Review

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You really have to hand it to writer Nick Spencer for being able to cram at least one new, Internet-breaking twist into each issue of Captain America: Steve Rogers. Clearly, not all readers are happy with the direction Spencer is taking the character, bit they're definitely talking about it. It would be one thing if shock value were all this new series had to offer, but Spencer is using those twists to shape an especially dramatic and unpredictable new chapter in Cap's career.

Unlike issue #4, Captain America: Steve Rogers #5 is very much tied to the events of Civil War II. After reading so many Civil War II tie-ins with loose connections to the main event, it's a treat to see a book that's able to weave in and out of those events. Spencer is able to add more context to Steve's role in that conflict, showcasing familiar moments in sometimes dramatic new contexts. You could make a strong case for this issue offering the darkest developments yet in Steve's new Hydra career. Seeing the hero brought so low never loses its dramatic weight, and the question of just how he'll be able to dig himself out of this hole is one of the book's driving forces.

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Agents of SHIELD: "Meet the New Boss" Review

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Ghost Rider continues to make a convincing transition into the world of Marvel's Agents of SHIELD as the various mysteries in Season 4 begin to come together.

Full spoilers for Agents of SHIELD episode "Meet the New Boss" continue below.

Robbie Reyes was easily the best part of SHIELD's Season 4 premiere, which leaned into the darkness allowed by the show's new time slot. Agents of SHIELD settled into the darker tone more comfortably in the second episode of the season, which brought together various key plotlines -- the spirit haunting people from the premiere and the mysterious origins of Ghost Rider's abilities -- and already is showing how those are forming one main thread.

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Destiny: Rise of Iron Review

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In a lot of ways, Destiny: Rise of Iron is more of the same. When it does the Destiny formula well, it’s polished with challenging combat and plenty for a veteran Guardian to do. A lot of the time, though, it falls into the same trap Destiny’s always been susceptible to and turns into a seemingly endless, repetitive grind. It often feels empty, even with a challenging and satisfying raid dangling as a big incentive.

The new two-or-so-hour campaign is emblematic of how Rise of Iron as a whole stacks up. It definitely brings more of what I already like about Destiny, like taking on waves of spongy enemies in a series of fights that are all about your positioning in the area, but it does little to improve upon Destiny’s strengths or fix its problems. The difficulty mostly comes from a mysterious, virus-like nanotechnology called SIVA enhancing the power of the Fallen, which obviously makes them harder to kill. The campaign relies heavily on the buffed Fallen to be challenging rather than doing anything we haven’t seen from Destiny before.

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Deus Ex Mankind Divided: System Rift Review

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System Rift takes characters and places from different parts of the Deus Ex universe and connects them in a neat, interesting way. It even hints at some potentially ambitious new directions for the series to explore. But while it’s substantially larger in size than the first episodic add-on, Desperate Measures, it doesn’t provide enough space for the new connections it makes to truly breathe and develope.

System Rift starts in a new hub area within Prague, and continues on into a super-high-security satellite installation of the Palisade Bank known as Blade 1. You could blaze through it all in just under two hours if you really wanted to, but like the rest of Mankind Divided, you’d be missing out.

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Denial Review

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Based on the true story of historian Deborah Lipstadt, and the book she wrote about the incident, the new film Denial is an at times deeply unsettling movie about both the power and limitation of facts. Directed by Mick Jackson and featuring Rachel Weisz as Lipstadt, it is as much a triumph of storytelling as it is a repudiation of hatred.

From the moment it opens, Jackson's film unsettles the audience, with Lipstadt asking a group of students how they would go about proving the Holocaust occurred; that Jewish people were murdered on a grand scale. There is, she reminds her students, no photographic evidence. It is a moment that instantly startles those watching – could she be suggesting that it didn't happen; how would we defend our own certainty of its occurrence?

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The Handmaiden Review

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It’s raining. A group of soldiers jog by a small cluster of women huddling under a thin awning, each holding a baby. 1930s colonial Korea, currently under Japanese occupation, looks anything but pleasant. We meet Sook-hee, a seemingly innocent young girl who hands the baby she’s been holding to another set of arms, grabs her suitcase, and heads out into the storm towards a car waiting up the street. Our sympathies are immediately with her as it can only be assumed that her new role as a handmaiden to Lady Hideko, a wealthy Japanese woman, is one that takes Sook-hee away from her home and family. But as the rest of the movie will prove, none of the characters are as they seem.

A film told in three parts, each chapter revealing bits and pieces of the lives of both women, Park Chan-wook’s latest movie The Handmaiden is the story of three people trying to escape the oppressive system they were born into. Lady Hideko, beautifully acted by Kim Min-hee, has been given a confining life of security and isolation. Under the control of her aging uncle, Kouzuki, who she is also engaged to marry, Lady Hideko’s only job is to perform nightly readings from ancient Japanese books to a group of her uncle’s friends. Opposite her is Sook-hee, played fantastically by first-time actor Kim Tae-ri, who has the freedom to speak her mind but lacks the luxury she’s always wanted. Their connection is linked to The Count, a Korean man who has managed to fool the Japanese into believing he’s one of them, but The Count is looking for more than acceptance. It’s The Count who provides these women with an opportunity to escape. But as Sook-hee and Lady Hideko spend their days together, the two women find themselves overcome by unexpected emotions and unable to fulfill their original plans.

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Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice Review

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Sonic games have often struggled with providing the speed and excitement implied by the series’ namesake hedgehog while also accommodating meaningful and rewarding exploration, but Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice admirably accomplishes both goals in old-school 2D-platformer fashion. You can blaze through, but at almost any moment you’re free to veer off and indulge your curiosity by discovering hidden challenges and collectibles.

You never know when a quick reaction will be necessary. You may be called upon to target a foe, swing over an expanse, or use your fire and ice powers to clear a barrier at a second’s notice. Occasionally that speed works against you when unseen dangers come barreling in from offscreen a little too quickly to have a hope of avoiding them without knowing what’s coming, but this is rare, and Fire and Ice helps compensate with generous checkpoints. Sonic’s life-preserving ring system also works in your favor in these moments, instantaneously repositioning you at a point just before the trouble spot that caused a hit.

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Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children Review

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Though director Tim Burton's obscure interests have long provided audiences with entertaining nightmarish tales of monsters, ghosts, and all things imagination, his films in more recent years have been somewhat hit or miss. Dark Shadows, Frankenweenie, and Alice and Wonderland carry the same elements he’s always worked with, but for some reason those stories didn’t hold the same strength of his previous works. Burton’s latest film, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, is yet another prime example.

Based on Ransom Rigg’s 2011 debut novel, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children tells the story of Jacob, a 16-year-old misfit struggling to make sense of life after the death of his grandfather. When Jacob’s therapist, Dr. Golan, convinces his parents to let him go to Wales to learn more about his grandfather, and gain the closure he won’t be able to find in Florida, he uncovers more than he intended to find. This newfound information takes Jacob on a time-traveling, magical journey that will changes his life forever.

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Gotham: "Burn the Witch" Review

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Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.

Two episodes into Gotham's third season and Gordon's still not a cop! Thank goodness. Like I wrote back in my review of the premiere, I hope this break from the GCPD last a good while because, as it's been well established, he's lousy at law enforcement.

He's a hell of a good friend though, I'll give him that, because this week, for the sake of saving Harvey he gave up his chance at a million bucks AND he recklessly incited a riot that got both citizens and Indian Hill mutants killed. Yup, that was his plan to help Fish escape. He asked Penguin to turn the angry villagers on the cops and storm the building (which also put cops lives in danger too) so he could lead her out the back and turn her over to Penguin...

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Arrival Review

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Arrival screened at Fantastic Fest and hits screens worldwide in early November.

Arrival is an alien invasion movie for grown-ups; one that’s lacking in action, explosions and all-out war, but heavy on tension, drama, and raw emotion. It’s serious sci-fi that tackles weighty subjects in a way that’s wholly gripping, hugely entertaining, and grounded by a powerhouse performance from Amy Adams.

She plays Louise Banks, a linguistics expert who is teaching class when the aliens arrive. They appear in 12 ships, hovering over 12 locations, seemingly picked at random. Every 18 hours a door opens at the base of each craft, allowing us humans in. Trouble is, once inside, we can’t understand their whale-like rumbles.

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Son of Zorn: Episode Two Review

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The fun of Son of Zorn continues to show itself as Zorn tries to form a fatherly bond with his son. While Zorn remains a character who can be hard to like, watching his world -- inspired by fantasy pulled straight out of '80s cartoons -- intersect with the familiar, often bland representation of our own is what makes the new FOX series special.

Spoilers for Son of Zorn's second episode and official premiere, "Defender of Teen Love," continue below.

Watching Zorn use the Stone of Sight to try to resolve Alangulon's (Johnny Pemberton) dating issues in "Defender of Teen Love" kept making me wonder if this is similar to what Adult Swim's standout series Rick and Morty might look like as a slightly more grounded live action series. Zorn is hardly a likable guy, and oftentimes his humor can fall flat, like when he ruined Alan's chances at picking up Nancy (Ellen Wong) by making out with himself and pushing his behind against the garage window.

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Family Guy: Season 15 Premiere Review

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Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.

The opening moments of "The Boys in the Band" didn't exactly fill me with hope for Family Guy's 15th season. That initial cutaway gag, with Willy Wonka making inappropriate overtures to young Charlie Bucket, is exactly the sort of cheap, shock-driven humor this show relies on far too often. Luckily, that gag wasn't indicative of the episode's overall quality. Typically lousy cutaway humor aside,  "The Boys in the Band" turned out to be a pretty enjoyable start to the new season.

Like so many episodes before it, this one hinged heavily on the Stewie/Brian dynamic. The pairing worked in this case because the characterization was a little less extreme than it's tended to be in recent seasons. Less "Stewie making nonstop homosexual passes at Brian" and "Brian being a pompous know-it-all" and more of the two simply hanging out and hatching a new scheme together. It definitely helped that this latest scheme involved forming a Wiggles-esque band called "Red Shirt, Blue Shirt" and going on tour. Musical numbers are often where Family Guy stands out the most. One of the reasons the Season 14 finale, "Road to India," was so disappointing was the lack of musical numbers that are usually so prominent in the "Road to..." episodes. "The Boys in the Band," whether intentional or not, felt like an apology for that episode.

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The Strain: "Madness" Review

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Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.

Pacing has always been one of The Strain’s more recurring problems. The show rarely moves as speedily as it should, prone as it is to getting caught up in pointless subplots and losing track of the ongoing war against the Master. Early on, it seemed as though Season 3, despite its reduced episode count, would be no better than its predecessors in that regard. But these past few episodes have made some great strides. And "Madness" in particular managed to provide this season with a welcome jolt of momentum.

The most immediate and noteworthy change this week involved the leap forward in time. For most shows, seeing the narrative skip ahead 14 days isn’t especially remarkable. But the entire Strain saga has unfolded over the course of a few weeks, so those 14 days are far from insignificant. The opening narration and montage made that clear enough. When you want to convey the gravity of a viral outbreak becoming a true pandemic, David Bradley’s gravelly voice is a wonderful tool to have.

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Fear the Walking Dead: "Date of Death" Review

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Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.

Regaining its focus, even for what was primarily a flashback chapter, Fear the Walking Dead delivered a powerful, family-oriented episode that took us back to the week Travis and Chris spent on that farm following the violent ending of "Do Not Disturb."

To the show's credit, Chris was not redeemed. Travis wasn't able to talk him out of joining that crew of badlands douchebags, nor did Travis have to sacrifice his own life, somehow, to show Chris the error of his ways. Travis found himself on the outside of this one, with no way making his way back into his son's life despite his best efforts.

As I mentioned back in my review for "Do Not Disturb," this storyline is finally utilizing Travis in an effective way. Previously, his "good guy" ways held the series down due to his failure to commit to action. The family was on the run and desperate, so his apprehension to do what was necessary sometimes was frustrating. But here, with no real immanent threat, and when juxtaposed with the douche crew, Travis could shine.

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The Simpsons: Season 28 Premiere Review

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Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.

The Simpsons' 27th season season reminded us that the show can still entertain and even find find moments of greatness this far removed from its golden age. However, that was only after kicking off the season with a particularly weak and unsatisfying premiere. Maybe it's going to become an annual tradition to start off poorly and work up from there? At this point I'm hoping that'll be the case. "Monty Burns' Fleeing Circus" wasn't as offensively bad at last year's "Every Man's Dream," but it did feature this long-running animated sitcom as its most bland and uninspired.

As is too often the case with this series, "Monty Burns' Fleeing Circus" took a solid initial premise and failed to do anything memorable with it. In this case, the town of Springfield faced its greatest catastrophe since it was trapped underneath a giant dome for a few months. A poorly conceived replacement for the iconic Lard Lad statue resulted in the town's complete and utter destruction. How do Springfield's citizens respond to this crisis? Can the town rise from the ashes? The answer, as it turned out, is that Mister Burns was there to flip a switch and immediately return life to normal. So instead of an episode focused on a post-apocalyptic Springfield or the construction of an all-new, all-different Springfield, we got a silly little story about Mr. Burns staging a vaudeville variety show as his repayment for bailing out the town.

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Van Helsing: Series Premiere Review

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Syfy updates the Dracula myth with its new series Van Helsing, coming from The Wicker Man and Hell on Wheels' Neil LaBute. Inspired by Zenescope's Van Helsing graphic novel series, the TV show follows a woman named Vanessa Helsing (True Blood's Kelly Overton) who is the daughter of Dracula's famous foe, Abraham Van Helsing, and seems to be the key to stopping a vampire apocalypse.

Based on the first two episodes, which will air back-to-back when the series premieres on September 23rd, this is a show that sits well alongside the likes of 12 Monkeys, Z Nation and Wynonna Earp, without breaking any new ground. This is much more the apocalypse through the lens of vampires versus vampires set on the background of the apocalypse. Van Helsing picks up in Seattle in 2019, where an unconscious Vanessa is being protected in an abandoned and booby-trapped hospital by a marine named Axel (Jonathan Scarfe). A series of events lead to her resurrection and the reveal that there's something about her that makes her incredibly important to the human vs. vampire war.

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No Kitten Around: Finding Molly Is Great

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Initially released as a series of web comics through female-centric publisher Emet Comics, Finding Molly: An Adventure in Catsitting follows the titular Molly as she navigates the personal and professional mine fields that await most twenty-somethings post-graduation. Once billed as a rising star in the art world, Molly has hit a bit of a rut. While her friends are off living the bohemian art life she always dreamed of, Molly is unemployed and unmotivated, stuck living at home with her ever cheerful mother, marriage pushing father and mewing puff ball, Pishi. With options low and self respect dipping even lower, Molly grudgingly accepts a request for a cat sitter, setting off an endearing, if fortuitous, adventure of meows, muses, and self discovery.

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