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Pokémon Master Journeys Part 3 (Netflix): Ash has completed his journey to become the Grand Master and the fights that are in this part of the season are among some of the best in the show’s history. The visuals are astounding and the battles have a kinetic energy to them that makes them engaging to the viewer. There is also an added level of suspense, which is impressive considering it is basically known going into it how things are going to end and this send-off feels like a way to honor the show’s history while tying into the more modern aspects of the lore.
Harley Quinn Season 4 Episode 6 (Max): The reveal of Joker as Nightwing’s killer is a great twist for the show going forward because of how he has been operating in the seasons before this one. Contrasting that with Harley’s turn toward the side of the heroes will set up an interesting conflict as the season goes on. The evolution of Ivy as a character in this season, as she grows in her role as the head of the Legion of Doom, is also interesting as she moves along in her villainous career, even as she operates from a shadow that Lex is actively casting.
My Adventures With Superman Season 1 Episode 8 (Adult Swim/Max): This might be the best episode of the series because it grapples with two of the biggest issues that plague Superman in the modern era. His development of super hearing and his ability to hear everything bad happening in the world while he is unable to save everyone is a perfect approach to who Superman is as a character. This is juxtaposed with the fact that he is unapologetically a good person and that quality is so rare in this world that the military is inherently distrustful of him because they’re assuming he’s working an angle of some sort. When people criticized Man of Steel for doing a version of Superman unlike the comics, the supporters said that this is just a Superman who lives in a world that is close to reality and this show is proof that Superman does not have to be a callus, cold, and unfeeling god to be realistic, he can still be the boy scout he has always been in the comics and still have modern cynicism work in the story in a meaningful way.
Puppy Love (Amazon Freevee): This is nowhere near the best romantic comedy ever made, but there are a few moments in the film that work well enough. Grant Gustin (Max) and Lucy Hale (Nicole) have good chemistry when the movie allows them to showcase it and there’s a scene-stealing sequence toward the beginning where Max and his friend are trying to find out if his dog is pregnant. On the other hand, Max’s portrayal of his social anxiety only ever shows up when the plot demands it, which feels lazy, and the relationship between Max and Nicole only ever works out because it is a movie and they do need to end up together by the third act.
This Week In Theaters:
Gran Turismo: After a few weeks of preview screenings in an effort to generate positive press for the movie in a world where the actors cannot do press, Gran Turismo finally hits theaters this weekend. The movie is serviceable, has a few interesting moments, and is a fairly solid racing movie with a lot of PlayStation easter eggs. For a full review, click here.
Last Week At The Box Office:
Blue Beetle: $25.4 Million
Barbie: $21.5 Million
Oppenheimer: $10.6 Million
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem: $8.4 Million
Strays: $8.3 Million
Programming Notes:
This week’s big programming note is that for whatever reason (and after releasing an official release date infographic reflecting the original release dates), Lucasfilm/Disney has decided to move Ahsoka
from the usual 3 AM on Wednesday morning release to 9 PM EST on Tuesday.
