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FAST X: Let the Naysayers Have Their Opinions, We Still Have “Family”
Big and bombastic, Fast X is an over-the-top extravaganza of callbacks, absurd situations, and family… but what’s so wrong with that?
The latest installment of the Fast and Furious series has its detractors, even among our own Cinapse staff and long time Fast supporters, but this particular moviegoer and film writer remains a staunch and supportive member of the “Family”. In fact, it’s hard to believe that people taking issue with the film’s “vibe” or incongruences in tone were ever truly fans to begin with – unless they bailed somewhere around 4 or 5, where the series went from good (semi-serious action films) to great (over-the-top insanity). Fast X takes the madness we’ve come to expect and keeps it going, replacing going to space with Jason Momoa in eyeliner and outfits from the closet of Seth Rollins.
In what feels like a truly successful audition for a future role as The Joker, Jason Momoa as Dante is the most gleefully evil villain the series. It’s fair to say that his performance feels different than anything the series has done before, but it’s a logical progression within the framework of Fast world. In the framework presented in the latter entries of this franchise, a Joker-sequence sociopath is the much needed next step in the progression of enemies that face the Family and the Agency. In fact, a more standard villain with less on-screen charisma and a less over-the-top maniacal demeanor would have likely been a step backwards in a lot of ways. For the series to continue on its path, it has to keep getting bigger and more eccentric. Once a series “jumps the shark”, it has to continue to jump bigger and most ferocious sharks or it must be shut down. Momoa’s Dante is that bigger, more ferocious shark.
Beyond the fantastic villainous performance from Momoa, we’re treated to appearances from virtually every major character in the series. Callbacks to plot points of previous entries are also relatively abundant. Yes, it’s crowd service, for sure – but, in a film like this, it’s welcome. If you haven’t come to expect characters to be resurrected and references to other installments in the franchise by now, I’m not sure what you’ve been watching. The blend of these familiar elements with the new villain and a couple of fun twists creates a film that feels much more breezy and easy than it should as nearly two and a half hours.
One other fantastic highlight is the chemistry between Don and Letty’s son Brian (Leo Abelo Perry) and his uncle Jakob (John Cena). Leaning into his comedic timing and action chops, Cena’s Jakob is on point and highly entertaining from the moment he hits the screen. His chemistry in the scenes where he is partnered up with Brian, or Little B, is exceptional. Additional exploration of this relationship would have been welcome – but, as it stands, the buddy relationship of the two was captivating whenever the two were on screen.
If there’s one wet blanket in the film, it’s Vin Diesel. While he’s long become the least interesting character on screen – at least for the past few installments – he seems disinterested in a few scenes. Hints of later era Bruce Willis levels of investment in the performance feel like the most apt comparison. While Dom is the glue of the film series, he’s become one of the least exciting or memorable characters, yet this is the first time where it seemed like Diesel himself has realized this fact and doesn’t quite seem to be giving the performances his all.
Yet, even with Vin’s weak performance, the film works so well because Dom remains separate from the bulk of the cast (based on stories from the set, it seems that may be because few people actually enjoy working with him) and his scenes rarely overstay their welcome.
Everyone else truly plays their part and does so well. The team of Tej (Chris “Ludacris” Bridges), Roman (Tyrese Gibson), Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel), and Han (Sung Kang) are given a good amount of screen time and they work so well together. Encountering old and new faces, the group is focused on a central goal while on the run together. Their bickering and working together alike all makes for truly entertaining scenes. Along with them, we have other story threads involving Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), Mr. Nobody’s daughter Tess (Brie Larson), Cipher (Charlize Theron), new Agency leader Aimes (Alan Ritchson), and a few others. And, much like in previous films, the concurrent threads all find a way to come together in the end.
If you’re one of the detractors and you’re not on board… that’s okay. But as for me, I’m still Family and I can’t wait for the next (and final?) installment of the Fast series.
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THE LITTLE MERMAID: A More Nuanced Romance and a Breakout Performance by Halle Bailey
Disney The management regrets to inform you that Disney’s The Little Mermaid remake is actually pretty good.
Well, that’s a bit tongue in cheek, in truth I’m actually surprised and elated that the 1989 classic which kickstarted the “Disney Renaissance” has been given a respectful and delightful reimagining. Unfortunately this success continues to guarantee that we can settle in for more of Disney’s systematic cannibalization of their animated library.
Disney’s revisiting their animated classics as inspiration for live action films isn’t a new concept. In the 90s, enjoyable new takes on The Jungle Book and 101 Dalmatians were helmed by Stephen Sommers and Stephen Herek, respectively.
But starting with Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland in 2010, Disney fired up the remake machinery and started churning them out at an alarming pace with the bad ones outpacing the good, even with talented filmmakers like Guy Ritchie, Rob Zemeckis, and Jon Favreau attached. The threat of additional remakes looms heavily over classics and even recent films including Snow White, Lilo & Stitch, Hercules, Bambi, Robin Hood, and Moana. There’s a sense of naked greed and consumerism to it all.
In all this, The Little Mermaid feels like an outlier. It’s among the best films to come out of this particular cycle, which is to say that it is pretty great and actually brings a lot to the table, marrying the classic film with some new ideas.
Disney As before, the story, loosely based on the Hans Christian Andersen tale, concerns a mermaid (Halle Bailey) who falls in love with a human prince named Eric (Jonah Hauer-King), and pursues her heart’s desire against the counsel of her father (Javier Bardem). She’s aided by her friends Sebastian (Daveed Diggs), a crab, Scuttle (Awkwafina), a seagull, and Flounder (Jacob Tremblay), a fish of indeterminate species who is decidedly not a flounder. She strikes up a bargain with Ursula, the Sea Witch (Melissa McCarthy), to make her human for three days with which to try to win the Prince’s love. But she must do so without the ability to speak or sing; the cost is her voice.
The biggest win here – and it’s a huge one – is the casting of the lead. Halle Bailey is an absolute revelation and demonstrates huge talent as both an actress and singer. Her Ariel is imbued with girlish charm, elegant beauty, and an incredible voice. Ariel is an inherently difficult character to portray, not only because of the physicality of the film’s “underwater” settings, but because it’s a duality of extremes: from being powerfully vocal to rendered mute. In a neat twist, Ariel’s given an additional narrative capability here, as we can sometimes hear the song in her heart – even though she can’t express it out loud.
Similarly, Melissa McCarthy is – unsurprisingly – delightfully devilish as Ursula, the villainous Sea Witch.
The films excels particularly in fleshing out the relationship between Ariel and Eric. Rather than just being based on a simple mutual attraction, these are actually two people who find they have a lot in common and discover in each other a kindred spirit; someone who shares interests, aspirations, and even frustrations. Grimsby, Eric’s advisor, has a slightly expanded role as a more wise and sympathetic friend who now serves as more of a direct parallel to Ariel’s Sebastian. The film’s distinctly Caribbean locale also gives the tale a more specific flavor than the original’s undefined setting.
Disney The film is directed by Rob Marshall, who has already had a bit of a dry run on the concept. Marshall directed Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011), which has a major subplot about a human missionary and a captured mermaid falling in love. It’s the best aspect of that underrated sequel, and you can kind of see how he’s had these ideas swimming around in his head for the last decade and applied a thoughtful and engaging romance in his approach.
As the film feels stronger when it’s doing its own thing, so too is it weaker when it’s adhering closely to the original. Whenever the dialogue is recycled – which is frequently – it feels lacking and “wrong”. Perhaps this is to some extent familiarity bias, but you can’t just hand Buddy Hackett’s lines over to Awkwafina and expect the result to stack up. Similarly, Sebastian has a lot of recycled dialogue but spoken with a different cadence and inflection, which makes it feel out of place if you know the original film. That’s not to slight the actors in these examples, rather I think it would’ve been better to change up the dialogue to avoid the distraction of direct comparison.
Disney Generally speaking, this does also line up another point, which is that the animal sidekicks are a drag. As with The Lion King, the aesthetic for somewhat natural looking “live action” style animals really undercuts a lot of their character and warmth, opting instead for uncanny-valley designs that look kind of creepy rather than cuddly. Scuttle even sings (or raps) a terrible and out-of-place new song that should’ve been left on the cutting room floor.
But overall, I enjoyed the film. It feels like a more mature and nuanced version of the story, which makes it fitting for (now much older) fans of the original while also being a beacon for new ones.
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FAST X Finds the Fast Franchise Spinning Its Wheels
Images Provided by Universal The opening of Fast X follows a proud tradition in the Fast and Furious franchise: recontextualizing a previous scene with previously unknown information. This time, we return to the final moments of series highlight Fast Five, with it’s chilling bank vault heist through the streets of Rio. But now we see that film’s villain, cold and calculated Hernan Reyes, has a hitherto unknown son Dante (Jason Mamoa), one who he is attempting to pass along his criminal empire to. This transition is interrupted by the exhilarating final act, where Hernan is defeated and killed, and Dante is nearly killed.
That “nearly” does a lot of work there, as now ten years later, Dante arises from the ashes, looking like he hasn’t aged a day and ready to reap revenge on Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his vehicularly obsessed family of thieves-turned-crimefighters. Of course, that turnover all happened after Fast Five, which for all of its perfectly executed action is mostly a heist movie, where the good thieves take from the bad mob. Since then, Dom and his crew have become superspies, with an ever increasing cast of characters and gosh-wow supertech at their disposal. And they’ve even already battled another family member looking to avenge their family for perceived injustices.
If this seems like a lot to unpack, welcome to the current state of being Fast and/or Furious fan. Plenty have pointed out how the series, which started as “Point Break but with cars” and spun into…well, something else. Namely, it is Universal’s primary action franchise, an increasingly unhinged series of impossible car chases, impossible coincidences, and ever increasing set pieces. With promises that the series is racing towards it grand finale, the promise going into Fast X is that it will drift towards the end of the road, providing a satisfying and explosive finale.
In reality, the newest entry is the first time that the series has felt lost, running on fumes of past glories and never really having an identity to call its own. Even lesser entries before have had a sense of identity to them, and didn’t feel like either rehashes or, worse yet, chasing trends rather than establishing its own obtuse identity. For a series that has always taken unpredictable twists in terms of world building, Fast X is the first outing where they are retreading old ground, and openly showing an eye towards “franchise” work. The runaway freight train has become self aware, and there’s no turning back now.
It hasn’t been easy to get to this point however. Long time series director Justin Lin was originally assigned to helm this outing, but after citing creative difficulties stepping into producing and writing credit. He was replaced by Louis Leterrier, a director who is mostly noteworthy for flexibility to meet the demands of a project rather than a distinct style his own. The effect is a film that feels somewhat anonymous, save for some disorienting quick-cut action that hearkens back to Leterrier’s Eurocore action background. The most frustrating part is that Leterrier hired the same drone cinematography crew that helped created the breathtaking kinetic sweeps of Michael Bay’s latest, Ambulance, but cuts away from these drone footage too quickly to ever fully appreciate how groundbreaking their work is.
Perhaps the biggest departure for the film is Momoa, who is clearly going for a bigger and more boisterous villain than the film has ever had before. The Fast series has never really had a villain that matched the charisma of its heroes, mostly coming across as fairly anonymous in the face of the circumstances, essentially establishing obstacles and allowing the stars to smash through them. Momoa breaks that trajectory by going in the exact opposite direction, providing a performance overloaded with gestures and histrionics. In theory, this should be an exciting development, as the last attempt to create an overarching mega-villain for the franchise, Charlize Theron’s ill-defined cyber-terrorist Cypher, has been something of a wet blanket on the series since she first appeared two installments ago.
The end result however throws the whole film off balance. Momoa is clearly having fun being the preening, prancing bad guy, feeling like he stepped out of one of the Schumacher Batman films. But his energy is never matched by anyone else involved; the juxtaposition between his manic, campy preening and the stern silliness the rest of the franchise is defined by creates a constant tonal whiplash the film never quite gets a handle on.
Which is a shame, because there is plenty to like in the film. The action set pieces are just as kinetic and creative as usual, though they often feel like rehashes of previous installments. The film is centered around re-evaluating the events of Fast Five, which has the knock-on effect of reminding you of a better version of this formula, but also activating a certain dopamine recognition of how this machine hums. Most of the returning cast is game for what’s ask of them, especially Michelle Rodriguez and the comedy-relief team of Chris Bridges and Tyrese Gibson. At this point, their fast personas feel like reflexes, and they can slip into them just like a favorite beaten-in pair of sneakers. And Nathalie Emanuel and especially Sung Kang bring their brand of laid back, casual cool. Even Charlize Theron’s Cypher, who shows up as a reluctant partner to the Family when Dante dismantles her terrorist network, seems more in alignment with the series vibe finally.
The newcomers to the outing fair more unevenly. Perhaps the best of the lot is Alan Ritchson as Aimes, the bulking new head of the secretive “Agency”, the ill-defined spy organization the Family has worked for since Fast and Furious Six. Unlike his predecessor Mr. Nobody, Aimes doesn’t see the Family as an asset so much as a liability, and attempts to use the muscle of the Agency to bring them in. This casts him in the Luke Hobbs role to follow the Fast Five parallel, and while it’s not quite the star-making performance Dwayne Johnson found in that role, he is an able foil that utilizes his massive size effectively. Likewise Daniela Melchior fits into the familiar position of new potential Family member, as a Brazilian street racer with a connection to the events of Five herself. She is fine, if uninspiring.
And then there is Brie Larson, the daughter of Mr. Nobody who is internally trying to undermine Aimes’ authority. Larson is clearly game for this kind of thing, having done the huge ensemble action business over in the MCU. Here, Larson struggles to find her footing, and not just because of her character’s trademark studded shoes. Rather, she spits off dialogue with a stiltedness that suggests she was being rewritten on the fly. Which, given the behind the scene drama this series seems to generate, is likely true.
The end result is something that the Fast franchise has always avoided before: it comes across as both safe and familiar. For a series built on escalation and growth, built on the back of unexpected diversions, this is the first time that the series has felt like a retread, both metaphorically and literally returning to previous stomping grounds to craft a story that establishes the stakes for the final leg of the race by returning to some greatest hits. Without getting into spoilers, the film ends on an equally shocking and unconvincing cliffhanger, clearly an incomplete promise of more high octane action to come. But to get to the finish line, at least in a way that will honor all the oddity and heartfelt passionate that has gotten the series to this point, there is going to need be some refueling.
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88 Films: In The Line of Duty I-IV is a Fully Loaded Girls and Guns Extravaganza! [Unboxing Video + Review]
![88 Films: In The Line of Duty I-IV is a Fully Loaded Girls and Guns Extravaganza! [Unboxing Video + Review]](https://i0.wp.com/cinapse.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/in-the-line-of-duty.jpg?resize=1140%2C888&ssl=1)
The In the Line of Duty series which just hit blu-ray thanks to 88 Films, is a prime example of how films were framed back in the day as part of a series to take advantage of an IPs name recognition to sell it to the public. This was a pretty standard practice in Italian genre cinema, but how it’s done in this series is particularly baffling. See, the first two films, Royal Warriors and Yes Madam! Which star Michelle Yeoh weren’t sequels or had any connective tissue in actuality, and while the first film birthed the very popular “Girls with Guns” genre, the second was produced in a rapid succession to then take advantage of the copycats that were already starting to crop up. This was a genre that combined an empowered and usually kung-fu proficient female lead with lots of frantic and very dangerous fights and gun play. Like Jean-Luc Godard once said: “All you need to make a movie is a girl and a gun” and given this rather inexpensive formula, and the fact that Yes Madam! was the 21st-highest-grossing film of the year meant there was money and sequels to be made.
Corey Yuen’s 1985 Yes Madam! or literally translated “Royal Elder Sister”, feels like the most formulaic and fun of the four presented in the set. The film has Yeoh in her first starring vehicle playing Inspector Ng from Hong Kong, who is paired with Scottish investigator Carrie Morris (Cynthia Rothrock). The women are charged to find a microfilm that’s happened into the hands of some petty thieves, one of which is director Tsui Hark in a more comedic light than you’d probably expect. As you’d expect from the genre, the two women from separate worlds have to find a common ground and work together to track down the MacGuffin that continues to allude them. It’s that rapport between Yeoh and Rothrock and their take downs of the men that attempt to hinder their investigation that really makes this film shine however. While it doesn’t have much new to offer narrative-wise, the fights are simply jaw dropping and the film has a fantastic sense of humor.
One thing to keep in mind with said fights is this was a much different time. Safety was not quite as key or paramount as it is today on film sets, and especially in Hong Kong. The young Yeoh was just starting out. She had originally started out as a ballet dancer, and after getting hurt was discovered and studied martial arts and stunts under Jackie Chan – so she was more than happy to do her own. It’s something that’s highlighted by the clarity of the disc here, how often Michelle, or one of her costars really took a hit, both intentionally or accidentally in a stunt that would never happen today. It’s equally thrilling and terrifying to watch and also makes Yeoh’s triumphant awards season for Everything Everywhere All at Once feel even more earned, I mean when has Jessica Chastain ever had a kung-fu fight on a moving bulldozer or been strapped to the front of a moving car?
This danger doesn’t simply pertain to the fights either, as every stunt is clear as day, thanks to the immaculate transfers presented and all the more dangerous because you can see all the sharp edges.
Next up was David Chung’s 1986 Royal Warriors, which is clearly the MVP of the set. It’s a film that bleeds neon as it essentially takes the action from the first film, and continuously tries and succeeds at upping the ante. The 80s action fever dream has Yeoh now a completely unrelated character to the first film – but yet another kung-fu expert/cop who after foiling a hijacking and killing the terrorist responsible in the film’s opening, is then tasked with taking out the rest of the gang of terrorists who are also out for revenge for their fallen comrade. Here Michelle is paired with two male cops, one from Hong Kong and one from Japan, and after the Japanese cop’s family is taken out by the terrorists it’s an all out fight to the finish that involves everything from chainsaws to tanks. It somehow fuses the DNA of The Deer Hunter with Supercop in a film that is easily the peak of the series.
If you want to really scratch your head, in some line-ups this film is actually the first film and Yes Madam! is the follow up, one step farther is that these films were also known as the Police Assassins series in a completely different order in some countries. That said, Yeoh here is simply sublime in Royal Warriors. She’s obviously more confident in the action, and this is accompanied by an equally remarkable performance. While this entry does have some of the comedy of the first film, it primarily consists of Yeoh rebuking advances. The narrative here is really more fueled action and melodrama to keep the gnarly action set pieces coming. These set pieces are gorgeously captured by Ma Chun Wah and Derek Wan who nail that 80s aesthetic that is perfectly preserved here in HD.
Shortly after completing the film Yeoh would go on to marry Dickson Poon who founded D&B Films with Sammo Hung, the company which produced all the entries in this series. She would then “retire” from acting for a few years and that is when the series would change leads and also retroactively add the two films before it as the first and second entry.
Next up, we finally get the “In the Line of Duty” moniker with In the Line of Duty 3, as well as new lead in Cynthia Khan. She was another newcomer and her stage name was a combination of the series former stars Cynthia Rothrock and Michelle Khan (aka Yeoh). Cynthia was also another former dancer who was injured like Yeoh before pursuing acting. This entry focuses on a Japanese terrorist couple, who share a toxic dymanic most akin to Harley Quinn and the Joker. After robbing a jewelry fashion show (are these even a thing?), the pair flee to Hong Kong to trade their spoils for weapons for their cause. Double crosses are abound as kung fu expert and Detective Rachel Yeung (Khan) tries to track down the couple as the bodies begin to pile up around them. It’s a solid actioner, and Cynthia Khan is a promising addition to the series.
While this entry isn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination, its definitely the weakest link as Khan struggles to get her footing and keep the audience engaged.
Finally we have In the Line of Duty IV (1989) closing out the set. This brings back Khan in another disconnected two fisted fighter this time paired with with a very young Donnie Yen as her hot-headed partner, in a film directed by action maestro Yuen Woo-ping. Needless to say this film has some of the most frantic fight sequences in the set as Yen and Khan this time take on the CIA, when a Chinese harbor worker witnesses a murder by a high ranking US official. Yen just bleeds charisma onscreen, opposite a lead who is still struggling to find her way. It’s sad but easy to see why she basically faded into obscurity, while both Yen and Yeoh became international superstars. But the US angle is a weird one as our Hong Kong crimefighters head to the US in the search for justice and offer up a bit of an east versus west subtext. While the story is a bit convoluted for an action flick and takes a hot minute to get up to speed, once it gets going it mostly works and the fight sequences more than keep you engaged.
If I had to rank them it would be:
1. Yes Madam!
2. Royal Warriors
3. In the Line of Duty 4
4. And In the Line of Duty 3, respectfully.
The films are presented in on the set in HD, with each film getting its own Blu-ray disc paired with both Cantonese and English audio mixes of various channel configurations. The transfers presented are bright, with a good contrast and have appear to have had some DNR applied. Given these were likely little to no budget, the films look probably as good as they are probably going to on Blu-ray. As far as extras the set comes with a perfect bound book filled with essays and interviews, posters, double sided covers, and each film is paired with an exhaustive commentary by Hong Kong Film Expert Frank Djeng. The commentaries while super informative do some times repeat information from film to film. So if you mainline all 4 like I did, you’re likely to get the same info dump for the actor whenever he surfaces. I get that could be because each film can then stand on its own, but his approach sometimes feels a bit too rehearsed compared to the more reactionary and conversational commentaries where someone is reacting to the action on screen.
So is this set worth your money? The easy answer is yes. Not only are the films all pretty solid here, they hold up rather well on repeated viewings. That being the case, I really had a lot of fun not only watching these films for this review, but also re-watching for the commentaries! They were like their own little deep dive on each entry that left me with both a historical and a canonical context. The first two are classics and the second two, while not in the same league, are still a two-fisted HD blast. While the only thing missing is more from the female leads of both pairs of films, 88 Films does its best through the commentaries and included archival interview with Yeoh to attempt to shed some light wherever possible for fans. While I think alone these films are worth a purchase, the presentation here really sends it over the top with the extras, and the rather extravagant packaging.
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Yuen Woo Ping’s TIGER CAGE Trilogy on Blu-ray from Shout! Factory
For many in the west, Yuen Woo-ping gained sudden mainstream prominence with his action choreography work on The Matrix and its sequels, as well as a slew of high-profile early 2000s films like Kill Bill, Kung Fu Hustle, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon which capitalized on his new fame.
But the legendary filmmaker had been honing his craft as a director, action and stunt choreographer, fight advisor, and actor for decades, and his Matrix-sparked renaissance wasn’t even his first comeback.
In the late 70s he directed a slew of beloved martial arts classics, Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow, Drunken Master, and Magnificent Butcher. He continued making films in the early 80s, notably introducing the world to Donnie Yen, but these proved less impactful.
But with the Hong Kong action scene upended by John Woo’s heroic bloodshed films, which proved that modern urban action could be just as impactful and profitable as traditional kung fu fare, a reinvigorated Yuen Woo-ping slammed out a trio of action-packed police dramas for Dickson Poon and Sammo Hung’s production company, D&B Films.
Notably, though the three Tiger Cage films are thematically grouped as a trilogy, there’s no narrative connection or continuity between them, other than the thread of being stories about Hong Kong police. They can be watched independently or in any order. As with Leone’s Man with No Name or Rodriguez’s Mariachi trilogy, some actors even reappear as different characters (most notably Donnie Yen).
And yet, the three films are stylistically quite different from each other.
Tiger Cage (1988)
Things seem to be going pretty well for a successful anti-drug police unit, but in the aftermath of a high profile bust, they are threatened by retaliatory attacks, and a wary Police Inspector (Jacky Cheung) becomes suspicious of corruption and betrayal within their ranks. But when he voices his concerns, he’s framed as the next target.
The film’s tight, mean, and dramatic; it feels like anyone is expendable in service to the story. There’s lots of twists, dummies thrown off buildings (that might sound like a dig but I love it), and a surprisingly potent thread of reignited loyalty from the ashes of betrayal.
This is an absolutely star-studded affair with a huge cast of familiar actors. The primary cast also features Carol Cheng, Simon Yam, and Ng Mn-Tat (even if you you have a hard time placing that name, you probably know him as a recurring Stephen Chow sidekick). The support is also full of notables in both larger and smaller roles, including Donnie Yen, Wang Lung-Wei, and Fung Hak-On.
Tiger Cage 2 (1990)
While Tiger Cage feels pretty hardcore and serious, its followup is a lighter, if bullet riddled, romantic action-comedy.
Off-duty cop Dragon Yau (Donnie Yen) has nothing but spite for his (soon to be ex) wife’s divorce lawyer Mandy (Rosamund Kwan), who feels much the same way about him. But the two are paired up by wrong place/wrong time circumstances, first getting caught in the crossfire of a drug-money gun battle, and then placed at the scene of a murder, becoming the primary suspects.
No sooner are they arrested and handcuffed together than yet another attack ensues, forcing them to flee the crime scene and kicking off a brief Defiant Ones riff, not only fugitives from the law, but also hounded by the actual perpetrator, a vengeful crime boss who thinks they have his money-filled briefcase (Robin Shou).
Eventually joined by a third partner involved in the chase (David Wu), the pair become not only a trio but a love triangle as the two men both fall for Mandy and also try to plan for an ultimate confrontation against their pursuers, featuring some incredible fighting and most iconically a climactic sword battle. It’s the most fun and memorable of the three films, owing not only to the great action but the chemistry and likeability of its stars.
Tiger Cage 3 (1991)
The third film in the cycle is the most melodramatic and tragic, and of the three it’s the one that seems to be most impacted by the style and storytelling of the heroic bloodshed subgenre, with classical narrative elements that recall The Phantom of the Opera and The Count of Monte Cristo.
James, a jealous police detective (Kwok Leung Cheung), reluctantly allows his girlfriend Suki (Sharla Cheung), who is employed by a suspected criminal, to act as a spy for the department. With her intelligence and eye-catching beauty, Suki makes a great informant, easily distracting and manipulating men. Michael Wong also stars as James’ friend and coworker.
But things get too hot, Suki is kidnapped by one of her criminal suitors (Kam-kong Wong), and James is apparently killed in his rescue attempt. Devastated, Suki gives in to her captor.
Burned but alive, a rehabilitated James eventually resurfaces and takes up pursuit, wearing a mask to hide his mutilated face. But Suki now seems comfortably integrated with the criminal enterprise; is she in too deep and taken in by the wealth and power of being the boss’s girl, or still maintaining her cover?
It’s the most classically tragic and melodramatic of the three films, with many characters caught in the crossfire and meeting untimely demises, and no guarantee of a happy ending. There’s definitely a lot of action, including a rooftop brawl of a finale, but in this tale it does seem to take a back seat to the story.
It’s worth noting that the burn makeup effects are a little shoddy and obvious, frequently detaching from James’ face in a way that’s distracting, but this is a pretty small complaint in a largely emotive and engaging film.
The Package
Shout Factory’s Blu-ray edition of The Tiger Cage Collection packages all three films in a shared Blu-ray case housed in a slipbox. Each movie and its respective extras is housed on one of three discs.
Special Features and Extras – Tiger Cage
- Cantonese and English cuts of the film
- Audio commentary by critic & author David West
- “A Tiger’s Tale – Frank Djeng Discusses a Classic Action Trilogy”
- “An Apex Predator – Actor Vincent Lyn Remembers Tiger Cage”
- Theatrical Trailer (3:23)
- English Trailer (4:46)
Special Features and Extras – Tiger Cage 2
- Hong Kong and Malaysian cuts of the film
- Audio commentary by critic & author David West
- “Clawing a Living: Action Choreographer Bill Lui Reflects in Tiger Cage II” (30:06)
- “Hunting High and Low: Victor Fan on the Golden Age of Hong Kong Action” (18:31)
- Theatrical Trailer (4:00)
Special Features and Extras – Tiger Cage 3
- Audio commentary by critic & author David West
- “A New Wave of Violence: James Mudge on the Hong Kong Heroic Bloodshed Boom” (19:57)
- “Inventing an Icon – Critic Ricky Baker Discusses the Emergene of the Heroic Bloodshed Term (8:12)
- Theatrical Trailer (3:48)
- English Trailer (4:01)
A/V Out.
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Except where noted, all 16:9 screen images in this review are direct captures from the disc(s) in question with no editing applied, but may have compression or resizing inherent to file formats and online image rendering. All package photography was taken by the reviewer.
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RETURN TO THE 36th CHAMBER: Shawscope Vol. 2 – Roundtable Reviews
Arrow Video Cinapse is all about cinematic discovery. This Shawscope Volume 2 column is, therefore, a watch project for our team, and guests, to work through this phenomenal set from Arrow Video. These capsule reviews are designed to give glimpses of our thoughts as we discover these films for ourselves. Some are kung fu cinema experts, some less so; all are excited for the adventure.
The Hong Kong-based Shaw Brothers Studio cranked out a staggering number of feature films over its lifetime. With worldwide influence continuing to this very day, their contributions to cinema are myriad and undeniable. Arrow Video has curated a second volume of titles; an intentional way to wade into the deep waters of the Shaw Brothers. Beyond capsule reviews, our team also offers thoughts on the set curation and bonus features. Watch along with us, join us in the comments, or reach out on social media (linked below) if you’d like to submit your own
Ed Travis
A studio-mandated sequel to capitalize on the runaway success of Lau Kar Leung and Gordon Liu’s 36th Chamber Of Shaolin might not seem like ripe material for a great martial arts movie, but I’m here to tell you (much to my own surprise) that I adored Return and think it’s right up there among some of my favorite kung fu movies in these sets thus far. Gordon Liu is returning as an entirely different character; a fact that likely frustrated many contemporary viewers upon its release. But here he’s a bit of a righteous fool, masquerading AS San De, the fabled monk from the first film. Some oppressed workers at a dye mill enlist his help to conduct a ruse against their hard-nosed bosses who are squeezing them out of their earnings. When this plan ultimately backfires and Liu’s character feels deep remorse, he sets his mind to learning kung fu at the Shaolin Temple to once again seek justice against the ruling Manchus. But this time around our lovable and dishonest scamp of a character tries to learn everything by cheating his way around the temple and eventually the abbotts at the temple see the good heart at the center of this scamp of a man. So we get to see entirely different kinds of training, with the real Abbott San De saddling our lead with a whole host of non-traditional tasks and challenges. It’s a different kind of satisfaction seeing a less pure-hearted hero learn all the secrets of kung fu, but it leads to some brilliant set pieces, my favorite being “scaffolding kung fu”, in which our hero becomes a master at implementing pliant bamboo strips as first construction tools, and then weapons against his enemies. Sure, it’s a formula: Manchus are bad, learn kung fu, stick it to your oppressors. But the arc for this hero felt sincere and meaningful. He becomes a kung fu master without ever knowing it; never giving up on his con-man approach. It’s only when he’s forced to return home and fully admit to his friends and family that he has failed and flunked out at the temple that he’s able to realize that the Abbott had really been teaching him kung fu all along. It’s super satisfying to watch a newly humbled man whip ass with bamboo shoots, I guess. I quite adored Return To The 36th Chamber and felt the approach more than justified the cash grab origins of this less famous sequel.
Justin Harlan
There’s something rather familiar about learning martial arts through doing manual labor for us kids of the 80s. Seeing some of the roots of this type of training in film is a fun connection to Karate Kid, with the Abbott as a proto-Miyagi of sorts. Tonally different than 36th Chamber and disconnected even morseo in terms of story, this is maybe even more fun than the iconic first film. In fact, with the Karate Kid connection, embracing of the film’s more comedic tone, and an understanding that this film is mostly a sequel to the first in name only, it’s genuinely difficult to not appreciate this as one of the better entries in the Shaw catalog.
It seems best to approach this film as something completely detached from 36th Chamber. As such, it’s a pretty fantastic standalone film. While some previous intentionally comedic films in Shaw’s filmography don’t tickle my fancy, this one really does. The humor lands, the story is easy to follow, and the action sequences (albeit not among the best in Shaw’s history by any means) all work. Like the best entries from this and the previous Shaw collection, it’s entertaining from start to finish. And all said and done, that’s all I can ask from a Kung Fu film.
Oh! And lest I forget that ODB’s stellar debut album borrows its title from the title of this film… so for that I am forever grateful. Ooooh baby, I like it raw…
Dan Tabor
In terms of sequels, Return to the 36th Chamber is a lot like the Evil Dead 2 of kung fu films. It’s a more comedic reimaging of the preceding film that tells essentially the same story, just this time with an emphasis on dyeing clothes, roofing, and fighting with benches. The first time I saw this I was disappointed, sure. That first film is a near impossible act to follow. However, its odd approach has grown on me over the years. The premise has Gordon Liu now hamming it up and flexing his comedy chops as an imposter monk, who once again is trying to earn his way into the temple to learn Shaolin kung-fu. Only this time he is charged with erecting scaffolding around the temple for misleading the monks in an attempt to gain an audience with the abbot. Of course the absurdity lies in the fact that through this roof work he learns the kung fu he needs to save the jobs of the villagers and the day, but Liu is having so much fun it’s hard not to roll with it.
And We’re Out.
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Happy Mother’s Day, MILDRED PIERCE
“Get out, Veda. Get your things out of this house right now before I throw them out into the street and you with them. Get out before I kill you!”
A few months ago, I happened to come upon a used bookstore while on vacation in San Francisco. Being that those kinds of stores are catnip for me, I couldn’t help but dive into the many random titles I was sure to find. I left with two books; the first was a tie-in novel of The Partridge Family (don’t ask me why), and the other was a well-worn (but still in good condition) copy of James M. Cain’s novel, Mildred Pierce. It had been ages since I’d seen the film, and immediately plunged headfirst into the novel on the plane ride home.
Weeks later when I was assigned to review Criterion’s Blu-Ray release of Mildred Pierce, I knew fate was at play and that the date Mildred and I had was destined to continue. Watching the film, I was astonished at how well it held up. It wasn’t as if I was fearing that a movie I had enjoyed a decade-plus prior might have lost its spark as a result of the growing up I’d done since. Instead, what amazed me was how the movie, which had already been labeled a bona fide classic by the time I first watched it, felt more like one than ever before. This is partly due to director Michael Curtiz’s handling of the material and the way he magically weaves both a moving drama and a tantalizing film noir, bringing out some of the decade’s best moments from both genres.
But the ultimate reason that Mildred Pierce works is because of the character herself. Expertly and compellingly played by Joan Crawford (in a deservedly Oscar-winning performance), Mildred is everything a screen heroine should be: strong, vulnerable, determined, warm, and flawed. From the mind of author James M. Cain and distilled by screenwriter Ranald MacDougall, Curtiz, and especially Crawford, Mildred remains one of the best female characters ever to make her way onto the big screen.
I’ve always felt that Mildred Pierce is looked at as a story about a mother, first and foremost. This is understandable given how much of what happens throughout the film is a result of the relationship Mildred has with her oldest daughter, Veda (Ann Blyth). But Mildred is a woman above all else and watching her navigate the outside world after being unexpectedly thrust into it remains one of the movie’s most gripping elements. Alone after a divorce, Mildred relies on her resourcefulness and instincts for survival, which allow her to not only thrive but to become the kind of woman she never thought she could be. After climbing the ladder to become a successful restaurateur, Mildred finds herself enjoying the kind of power and privilege most women think isn’t in the realm of possibility for them. Our heroine is soft and feminine, but also driven and pragmatic. The beach scene with Monty (Zachary Scott) is a turning point in the film. It’s here where a swimsuit-wearing Mildred is confident enough to finally allow herself to enjoy the fruits of her labor and indulge in what she wants as a woman. However, as is the case with most women from films of this era, it’s a confidence and indulgence that will come with a price.
It seems appropriate that I’m writing this piece on Mother’s Day since there are few films as fitting for the holiday as Mildred Pierce. As I mentioned earlier, the movie will always be seen as the story of a mother and the great lengths she will go to for her daughter. Maybe this is because the Mildred that exists around Veda is almost the total opposite of the brave and independent woman we otherwise see. Anyone with any sense whatsoever can read Veda for who she is, a dangerous junior femme fatale whose ability to manipulate anyone she comes into contact with borders on the psychotic. Mildred however doesn’t want to see this side of Veda, or rather is so clouded by a mother’s love for her that she actually can’t see it. However, once Veda undergoes a scheme to swindle her wealthy admirer out of some money, Mildred can’t help but see her daughter for who she really is and still have love for her on the other side. But Veda is perhaps also Mildred’s greatest inspiration, fueling her to succeed so that she can give her child the life she wants her to have. It makes sense that the movie’s poetic ending sees Mildred make the ultimate choice and sacrifice she can for Veda, finally giving her what she really needs and leaving both her daughter and the film a broken shell of the woman she was before.
Rather than end this piece with even more praise for Mildred Pierce, I thought I’d instead talk about one of the disc’s extras, a feature-length documentary about Crawford herself. The film, titled Joan Crawford: The Ultimate Movie Star, was produced in 2002 by TCM and takes a deep look into the actress’s life, from her humble beginnings to one of the silver screen’s most iconic figures. But the documentary isn’t just a look back on some of her most popular roles and how she survived the industry. It’s a look at the complexities Crawford hid and how she battled them privately while remaining very much the movie star. Featuring commentary from past collaborators, lovers, and even her own daughter, Christina, Joan Crawford: The Ultimate Movie Star is perhaps the most definitive look at one of the most famous actresses of all time and an eerily fitting companion piece to what is perhaps the greatest film the actress ever made.
Mildred Pierce is now available on Blu-Ray and DVD from the Criterion Collection.
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Criterion Review: THE FISHER KING [4K-UHD]
![Criterion Review: THE FISHER KING [4K-UHD]](https://i0.wp.com/cinapse.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/0_RL9T99EaGysrxRDt.jpg?resize=640%2C360&ssl=1)
Terry Gillian’s modern day spin on Arthurian Legend
The legends of King Arthur has fueled big screen adventures for many decades. Beyond the familiar fare, some of the lesser known lore has also been mined for more unique tales, take The Green Knight for instance. Another tale set away from the round table and Merlin is The Fisher King, a fable of the last in a long line of English Kings, charged with protecting the land and guarding the Holy Grail. An injury renders him unable to walk or father a child, and as he is afflicted, so does the kingdom tied to him start to fail. He commits himself to the side of a stream, fishing until a “chosen one” who can heal him comes to his aid, a heroic figure who can save the king and in doing so, preserve the land and the Grail. A medieval adventure of flawed heroes and redemption, where myth collides with man. Something director Terry Gilliam (Jabberwocky, Time Bandits, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen) has previous experience with.
Set in 90s Manhattan, Jack Lucas (Jeff Bridges) is a former radio radio shock jock. Losing his job after some callous remarks on air led to a mass murder-suicide incident, he has been engulfed by guilt, depression, and drink. Reaching a new low, he contemplates suicide, and on that same fateful night, his path crosses with Parry (Robin Williams), a homeless man plagued by demons of his own, as well as an enduring belief that he is charged with finding the Holy Grail. A relic he believes to be secure in the possession of an architect on the Upper East Side. Haunted by a terrifying ‘Red Knight’, a spectre of legend, and one that hints at his traumatic past, Parry draws Jack into his world, forging a friendship, and uncovering their paths have connected long before their current journey together.
The script from Richard LaGravenese (The Last Five Years, The Bridges of Madison County) transplants medieval legend to modern day, with themes that still resonate. Dignity and legacy, heroics and healing. The trauma, guilt, and mental illness so intrinsic to the story, stem from a tragedy that seems even more prevalent today than it was back in the 90s,. It’s an incident that ties these men together on an emotional journey. Their mismatched nature conjures up some well needed humor to offset the darker tones, and two standout performances from the careers of Jeff Bridges and Robin Williams pull the film back from going too far into sentimentality. With his past endeavors, it’s clear why this epic-inspired story appealed to Gilliam, yet with it’s more grounded core, some of his wilder tendencies have been reigned in. Even so he brings a keen eye and flair to the film with evocative camera positioning, canted angles, and wide-lens shots. Narrative mood is well complemented by the cinematography of Roger Pratt, which heightens the sense of grandeur in these murky NY surrounds, as well as the pain and romanticism that comes from within this deeply human tale.
The Package
Criterion’s release features an all new 4K digital restoration, approved by director Terry Gilliam. The transfer marks a step-up in detail of image, opening up a greater range of color and contrast. The many murkier parts of New York have increased depth within the shadows, colors are strong but natural, the Red Knight notably pops wonderfully. The image is free of any artifacts, and presents a consistently high quality image throughout. It’s a superb transfer. Criterion’s release offers up one disc containing the 4K version of the film, while the other includes a Blu-ray version of the same restoration, along with a host of extra features.
- Audio commentary featuring Gilliam: A detailed recording from Gilliam, as he breaks down logistical aspects of the shoot, and his own personal views on the script, characters, and themes of the film. One of the better commentaries I’ve heard in a while in terms of depth and breadth of content
- Interviews with Gilliam, producer Lynda Obst, screenwriter Richard LaGravenese, and actors Jeff Bridges, Amanda Plummer, and Mercedes Ruehl: A detailed and open series of interviews that view the film pre and post production, including in the wake of its release and reception. Some really interesting context, notably in terms of the director’s vision and script jarring with the studio, and Gilliam’s reputation for on set issues and budget overruns
- Interviews with artists Keith Greco and Vincent Jefferds on the creation of the film’s Red Knight: The Tale of the Red Knight – the artists dig into the aesthetic choices and the technical problems
- The Tale of the Fisher King: Comprised of two new short featurettes that tackle the casting, production setup, approach to design, and the themes of the script
- Interview from 2006 with actor Robin Williams: A frank conversation with the actor, who shares his impressions of the script, the onset experiences, and his collaboration with bridges.
- Video essay featuring Bridges’s on-set photographs: Bridges is renowned for his photography, even while shooting a film. This feature compiles a selection of the shots taken during production, with some discussion by the actor
- Footage from 1991 of Bridges training as a radio personality with acting coach Stephen W. Bridgewater: Rehearsals and improv sessions as Bridges learns how to be a “shock jock”
- Deleted scenes, with audio commentary by Gilliam: Sourced from a workprint, but presented in a manner to ‘cut’ them into the final film. The commentary by Gilliam also adds context for their purpose and their excision. Six scenes all running around 2 to 3 minutes: Jack and Sondra’s Love Life, Lydia Dances (silent), Jack Locates Lydia, Beth, Jack’s New Girl, Jack Revisits Parry’s Friends, and Jack Hallucinates
- Costume tests:
- Trailers: 3 domestic, 2 international
- PLUS: An essay by critic Bilge Ebiri: In the enclosed liner notes booklet
- New Cover by LA2
The Bottom Line
The Fisher King is a beguiling effort, blending empathetic storytelling with modern-day myth. Gillian’s abstract tendencies tinge the more grounded humor and darkness of the film, while the pairing of Williams and Bridges anchors the whole piece. A poignant feature, one given a superb release by Criterion, matching the quality of its 4K presentation with a superb collection of extra features.
The Fisher King 4K-UHD is available via Criterion now
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ASSASSIN CLUB is a Hitman Battle Royale!
Assassin Club is an unfortunately titled actioner, that’s fortunately a great throw back to those direct to video titles that used big names to do one thing, deliver the two fisted goods, and this film most definitely does that. The latest by Camille Delamarre (Brick Mansions and The Transporter Refueled), stars Henry Golding (Crazy Rich Asians, G.I. JOE: SNAKE EYES) as a hit man with a heart of gold, you know the kind – he only kills “bad people”; who after falling in love is looking to retire. When he informs his handler/mentor (Sam Neill) of this, in true genre fashion, he’s notified he has one final job to complete before he can walk off into the sunset. This contract has him killing seven other assassins, all with a bounty of a million dollars per kill. The only problem is he quickly discovers his targets all have the same contract.
The pacing and tone feel a bit uneven at times as Henry Golding attempts double duty as action star and love interest, paired with the most annoying on-screen significant other since Fabienne in Pulp Fiction. While the film runs at nearly two hours, I can’t help but believe there’s a leaner, meaner sub 90 minute cut to he had here. Luckily the bullets and bloodshed more makes up for those shortcomings along with the rest of the cast who clearly understood the assignment, including the plenty smarmy Sam Neill and Noomi Rapace, who is the biggest surprise here – as the heavy. Rapace is just having a blast, chewing the scenery and eventually going full feral Nic Cage in the third act. She’s truly more than a match for our leading man who is forced to spend the finale fighting for his life and the film, trying not to lose either to Rapace.
Henry Golding as Morgan Gaines in the action/thriller film, ASSASSIN CLUB, a Paramount Global Content Distribution release. Courtesy of Paramount Global Content Distribution. The action set pieces surprisingly go bigger than expected, and really work as the glue to hold the rest of the shakier narrative pieces together. That said, Assassin Club is a pulpy actioner that eventually lives up to the movie you hoped it could be. It’s just the challenge of getting there, that might be too arduous for some. Golding proves he still has the action star chops in a movie that at times gives him too much to care about, opposite the maniacal Rapace who just wants to watch the world burn. It’s a deliciously chaotic and sometimes lopsided dynamic that mostly works, and at least is entertaining. With Assassin Club Delamarre delivers a solid watch that is essentially a hitman Battle Royale, which’ll keep you guessing just who of the seven will collect that 7 million, and how many times can Golding take off his shirt in slow motion.
ASSASSIN CLUB is Available to Buy on Digital May 16, 2023 and on DVD & Blu-ray June 6, 2023
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The JLA Goes Anime in Crossover Event JUSTICE LEAGUE X RWBY
Justice League X Ruby Part One is now available on Home Video from Warner Bros Entertainment.
Crossovers can be a lot of fun when they work, and a big letdown when they don’t. An ideal crossover would appeal to fans of both characters or properties in a way that helps them to complement each other, either taking advantage of a shared audience or expanding the audience in the process (Batman vs TMNT). A bad one can end up being a disservice to both (Teen Titans Go! See Space Jam!).
In DC’s latest animated film, members of the Justice League – Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Vixen, Cyborg, and Green lantern – disorientedly find themselves waking up in the world of the anime series RWBY. They are not only transported but fully integrated into this new universe: transformed into teenagers with stylized anime physiology and retooled powers that tap into “semblances”, per RWBY ground rules. Batman, as a more pronounced example, discovers that in this world he’s sprouted bat wings and can fly, as well as tap into a second sight similar to the “detective vision” of the Arkham series of video games.
Meanwhile the RWBY squad befriends the newcomers and tries to help them get their bearings, but the whole mystery is deeply concerning to everyone – and Team RWBY increasingly fears that something feels a little off.
Justice League X RWBY, which takes after a 2021-2022 crossover comic limited series, continues DC Animation’s expansive and fearless approach to covering all kinds of stories and styles. I watch and review a lot of these DC animated films, and am a big fan of what their teams of creators have done there, not content to merely focus on popular storylines and characters, but covering (and uncovering) a lot of the weird, vintage, and forgotten corners of DC’s breadth and history.
That could give a false impression that I like everything they do, especially with their run of great titles the last couple years, but this film was decidedly not for me.
Speaking personally I have no experience with RWBY, so for me this was an introduction. In that respect I came into it with an open mind, ready to welcome the premise and crossover format. I do appreciate some aspects. The RWBY character design is stellar, and seeing how the DC characters get retooled into anime form and function is a highlight. You can see that some thought and care was put into considering how these characters could not only be interpreted, but also how they might interact and react with this new environment. Superman and Ruby share a dynamic as the leaders of their respective teams. Batman finds that he loves having actual superpowers, and takes a real shine to the new world and what it might offer. Green Lantern struggles because her powers are normally external, channeled through her ring – but in this world, powers come from internal semblances.
But honestly I found it kind of an interminable watch. The 3-D rendered visual style looks overtly video gamey and that, perhaps more than anything else, took a lot of the wind out of the sails pretty quickly – though in action sequence it does look really kinetic and dynamic – a fair trade.
The storytelling often feels silly and slight. As an example, in one scene Green Lantern is concerned because she has lost her ring. The RWBY girls spotted it earlier and ask her if it had a weird symbol on it. It’s not even bad writing, really – this scene would read fine “on the page” – but it plays out absurdly on the screen: they’re looking right at her and asking this while she literally has three of the exact same insignia prominently displayed on her costume.
While this was pretty bad in my eyes, it’s also abundantly clear that I am not the target audience.
And that’s OK!
If I could highlight one big saving grace, my 8-year-old daughter absolutely loved it. She’s at an age where she enjoys DC’s youth-oriented shows like Teen Titans Go! and DC Super Hero Girls, and that’s probably the best lens with which to judge this PG-Rated crossover, a cute female-forward adventure which has an aesthetic that will appeal to the younger set, especially girls who will identify with its plucky heroines and in-your-face stylings.
The Package
Justice League x RWBY: Superheroes and Huntsmen Part One is now available on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and Digital versions, with the 4K Edition combo pack including both the standard Blu-ray and a digital Movies Anywhere code.
My copy of the 4K UHD Edition included a metallic slipcover. A “WB 100” sticker celebrating the studio’s centennial is affixed to the cover (but not integrated into the cover design as it is on some new and upcoming titles). This edition has its own spine design and is not part of the “DC Universe” mural motif that is used on many current “Tomorrowverse” titles.
Special Features and Extras
The disc includes two featurettes as well as a couple of Justice League TV episodes which echo the movie’s youthful themes. The extras are included on both the 4K and standard Blu-ray discs (a nice change from common practice).
Justice Comes to Remnant (7:35)
Creators and cast discusses the characters and world. This featurette is a little more focused on the RWBY side.
You Look Different: the Design of Justice League x RWBY (9:01)
The creative team describes translating the Justice League heroes, into the RWBY aesthetic and universe.
TV Episode – Justice League Unlimited: “Kid Stuff” (23:09)
An episode in which the Justice League members are turned into kids.
TV Episode – Justice League Action: “Plastic Man Saves the World” (11:14)
Batman and Superman scoff at wacky and immature Plastic Man when he shows up to fight Brainiac, but he proves his mettle in single-handedly taking down the villain.
A/V Out.
Get it at Amazon: https://amzn.to/42lwHMp
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