Lost in Space returns! Or is renewed, revamped, remade, something like that. After the original run of the show in the 60’s, and the 1998 movie starring a bunch of familiar faces, this new show breathes new life into an enduring classic, so let’s all get lost in space with our pals the Robinsons!
‘Swiss Family Robinson’ they sure ain’t. All the same familiar names are there: Maureen and John, the parental units; Judy and Penny and Will, their children. But each character has been upgraded and given a depth we honestly haven’t seen in those previous incarnations. Like with real life, we lay the blame and begin with the parents, John and Maureen Robinson.
Maureen (Molly Parker) I’ve taken to calling Mama Bear, and as the show goes on, it’s quite easy to see why. Poor beleaguered John (Toby Stephens) is a soldier, a very good one as it turns out, but because life on planet Earth is rapidly degrading, he has to go out and keep the peace more often than not, which means Maureen is left to run the household.
LOST IN SPACE
We see clearly in flashbacks in this first episode, that relations between Maureen and John are more than strained, they’re practically nonexistent. Of course Maureen is a scientist, but like any mother bear her main concern is for her children’s lives, so if anything threatens that, including but not limited to their own father, Mama Bear will not let anything stand in her way of remedying that quickly and brutally. One would think, given the military training John went through and his soldiering skills, that he would be the one to fear in the family – oh no, it’s the Mama Bear.
The children all have their own issues, as we clearly see from this very first episode. Judy (Taylor Russell) is already a credit to her families survival, brave and reckless and always wanting to prove herself to her mother, while Penny (Mina Sundwall) is struggling along, trying to decide who and what she wants to be inside the Robinsons.
LOST IN SPACE
And of course Will (Maxwell Jenkins), the smartest and youngest of the bunch, he wants to be a scientist too, but both his parents have their own ideas for what Will should be, and it isn’t until they get stuck on a strange planet together that these demands begin being presented.
So here we are, lost in space on a planet other than Earth, with the Jupiter 2 spaceship, as part of a fleet of other Jupiter spaceships. The Jupiter 2 crashed into the ice and just sank like a stone, and John’s demands that his children do their level best to help unearth (bad pun) the ship, which inevitably leads to two of his kids getting into serious trouble.
Judy went to save her little brother and of course got literally stuck, and though Will very smartly suggested using the surrounding environment to get Judy out, that idea leads to him and John getting separated. But that turns out to be the most fortuitous thing that could’ve happened, because despite leaving Will on his own to go and save his eldest daughter first, Will does fairly well on his own, thank you very much.
LOST IN SPACE
Or, mostly on his own. Will, the youngest and perhaps the bravest, and kindest for that matter, of the Robinsons, proves that friendly overtures really can be the one thing that saves humanity from destruction by, well, other species. The Robot, whom we were all missing from the Jupiter 2, has finally made its appearance, and hoo boy did he/it ever get an upgrade, like insanely so. Will Robinson, alone and frightened in a potentially hostile land, genuinely helped a stranger, and the Robot apparently comprehends enough to return that in kind. Remember that, for it will become vitally important.
Get yourself lost with the Robinsons on the brand new Lost in Space, on Netflix now!
If you were born in the ’80s, ’90s, or literally ANY decade after those, you know about Super Mario. A cultural phenomenon was brought to life on the big screen this last weekend. One that has not only stood the test of time but reinvented itself time and time again. This wasn’t even the first time it’s been made into a movie but, well, let’s be honest.. some of us choose not to acknowledge the LIVE action adaptation of the beloved game from 30 years ago.
It was pretty bad… But this was animation. ILLUMINATION animation at that. The Universal company that brought us Gru and his Minions, showed us the Secret Life of Pets, and gave us a reason to SING! Still, I had my reservations and even some concerns, especially when the casting was announced.
Eyebrows were raised. As big of stars as they were on paper, could they really deliver on voicing characters from a staple of our childhood? They did.
Chris Pratt and Charlie Day may not be Italian, and Jack Black may not be a King or Turtle creature from the Mushroom Kingdom, but they make the characters their own all while paying homage to the lore of a video game.
From the jump, the story reintroduces us to the brothers that just want to save Brooklyn one clogged sink at a time. We feel an instant connection and relate to these “underdogs of the plumbing world”. The movie is riddled with easter eggs, each of which tugs on the heartstrings of every generation of Mario fandom. And the soundtrack was beautifully put together to not only make us feel like we’re taking a walkthrough of the game but like an experience all its own with some familiar favorites thrown in.
Every word in the movie is pure eye candy for both those that are casual fans, and those analyzing every frame to see what they’ll catch next. Bowser’s ship, the Mushroom Kingdom, Kong’s arena, and the Rainbow Road.. They’re all meant to give us just enough of a “new” look at these amazing worlds, but stay true to how we remember them.
The movie itself moves along at the perfect pace. Although, if you don’t really know ANYTHING about the Super Mario Bros, you may have gotten a little lost and felt left behind in the green tunnel. But that’s ok! It’s an adventure of the imagination and a classic story of a boy that meets a girl and tries to save the world from a monster that wants to destroy it.
What’s funny is that you could easily say this is a story about two characters who couldn’t be more opposite if they tried, battling to win the heart of a princess. Who would’ve thought that the King of the Koopas was just trying to impress his crush?
And that song? Ohhh THAT song! It’s my new ringtone and deserves the Oscar for Best Original Song.
Back to the movie.
Universal and Illumination clearly understood the assignment. Is it missing some things or could things have been done differently or even better? Absolutely! We’re the worst critics of the things we hold nearest and dearest to our hearts. But if you’re up for going on a 90-minute adventure through amazing worlds, with awesome music, and characters that’ll make you smile and laugh, then this is the perfect movie to spring you into that warm summer feeling.
Plus there’s the whole part with karts and shells, and banana peels and oh my goodness how amazing was that?? It’s enough to make you want to stand up and cheer, then go home and destroy your friends and family on your favorite track haha.
The bottom line, it pays homage in all the right ways to the little guy with the mustache, while giving us something new and exciting. Take the kids and go see Super Mario Bros. You’ll be glad you did!
Justice League x RWBY: Superheroes & Hunters Opening Act Saturday, March 25 at 1:30 p.m. on North 200A. Talent confirmed so far to participate in the post-screening panel is Natalie Alyn Lind (Big Sky, The Goldbergs, Gotham) as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince and longtime RWBY cast member Lindsay Jones (Camp Camp) as Ruby, Kara Eberle ( RWBY: Ice Queendom) as Weiss, Arryn Zech (Detective Now Dead) as Blake and Barbara Dunkelman (Blood Fest) as Yang – along with Jeannie Tirado (Soul, Saints Row) as Green Lantern and Tru Valentino (The Rookie, The Cuphead Show!) as a cyborg. Also attending the panel will be producer/director Kerry Shawcross (series RWBY) and writer Meghan Fitzmartin (Supernatural, Justice Society: World War II).
Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment returns to WonderCon 2023 with the big screen debut from DC Animated Films: highlights this year include the world premieres of the highly anticipated Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham and Justice League x RWBY: Superheroes & Hunters Part One the weekend of March 24-26 in Anaheim, California. Both screenings will be followed by panel discussions with actors and creators. Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham premieres at The Arena on Friday, March 24 at 6 p.m. Tati Gabrielle (Kaleidoscope, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Uncharted) as Kai Li Cain, Christopher Gorham (The Lincoln Lawyer, Insatiable) as Oliver Queen, David Dastmalchian (Dune, Suicide Squad, Ant-Man) as Grendon, producer/co-director Sam Liu (The Death and the Return of Superman), co-director Christopher Berkeley (Young Justice) and screenwriter Jase Ricci (Teen Titans Go! and DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem Across the Multiverse).
Both films will have encore screenings in the Arena on Sunday, March 26. Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen, Part One will screen at 12:15pm, followed by Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham at 2:00pm
No Question Mark Box Here; Super Mario Delivers a 1-Up in Theaters
Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment returns to WonderCon 2023
Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Crunnchyroll presents ‘BOFURI: I don’t want to get hurt so I’ll max out my defense’: You’re not twinking!
‘Knock at the Cabin’: Puttin on your boogie shoes!
No Question Mark Box Here; Super Mario Delivers a 1-Up in Theaters
Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
An Askewed View Episode 7 Jay And Silent Bob Reboot
