We recommend: The best new movies and TV
Stan Lee: For decades now, Stan Lee has had a significant influence on pop culture. He created some of the most beloved comic book characters—Spiderman, the mighty Avengers, Iron Man etc. His legacy is rich and diverse. ‘Stan Lee’, explores the man behind the Marvel Universe. It is a documentary film that explores his history and some in-depth look at the behind-the-scenes work.
Reviews are good for this one. Variety calls it a “fan-service documentary” that is “very well-made, and watching it you’re confronted with a revelation: that the comic books that Lee began to create in 1961 didn’t just mark a seismic break with the comic books of the past.” Our take: We are big fans of Marvel comics and the cinematic universe. Stan Lee’s cameos were enjoyable, and will definitely watch this documentary to learn more about his life. The documentary came out yesterday on Disney+Hotstar.
The Flash: Fans of DC comics, now it is your turn! ‘The Flash’ has been in the making since 2015 and is based on the iconic Flashpoint event where Flash aka Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) travels to another timeline to prevent the death of his parents but ends up teaming up with two versions of Batman (Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton) and Supergirl (Sasha Calle) to prevent the multiverse from collapsing.
Reviews are not that great. The Guardian finds Miller’s performance “a gurning, smirking mess” but says: “There are some spectacular and surreal visions of the various iterations of DC superheroes and the final appearance from an almost forgotten version of Bruce Wayne gets a laugh.” Collider feels that “The Flash is most interesting when it's a character drama and not a superhero film.” Our take: The nostalgia factor is strong with this one and who would want to miss two legendary Batmans in a single frame? Catch ‘The Flash’ in the theatres now.
Jee Karda: Here is a quick Indian web-series binge option starring Tamannaah Bhatia and Suhail Nayyar. The plot is centred around a group of seven friends who are now 30-year olds. In a typical filmy fashion, the lead couple is getting married, forcing everyone to reevaluate and navigate their romantic lives, friendships and family while figuring out themselves and their ambitions.
Reviews are okay for this one. Hindustan Times says the show is a “part-relatable, part-passable watch”, especially crediting the cast and the music by Sachin-Jigar which “breathes life into the show.” NDTV puts it more simply: “Jee Karda isn't quite that bad, but it definitely could have done with more depth and acuity.” Our take: Although this genre is common in the web series space, we are keeping our hopes up for the relatable portrayal of urban friendships and relationships. All eight episodes of the show are available to stream on Amazon Prime.
Extraction 2: This Chris Hemsworth lead action-thriller is based on the graphic novel ‘Ciudad, by Ande Parks. The events of the first film ended on an ambiguous note about the fate of the protagonist Tyler Rak—the black-ops mercenary. The sequel starts off with confirming he did survive the mission but nothing much of the plot has been revealed except that he is now back to save his friends in Dhaka.
Reviews are as expected. CBR says “A basic story that works best when it embraces the full potential of its cast and filmmakers, Extraction 2 is like watching a live-action first-person shooter, for good and for ill.” Variety is not too impressed with the story but writes: “this sequel deals in clean-lined action and suspense, removing much of the excessive weight that bogged down the original.” Our take: Apart from the unfortunate white man’s perspective on South Asian countries, we really liked the first movie for its action sequences. We have the same expectations from the sequel which dropped on Netflix yesterday.
Here’s a new chapter…
The Bear Season 2: This series is set in a small Chicago family restaurant that took everyone by storm in its first season. The show follows Carmen “Carmy” Berzato, who is a fine dining chef that returns to take over the family restaurant after his brother dies. The latest season is about the makeover of this family restaurant and how they’re going to make this struggling business work.
Black Mirror Season 6: This sci-fi anthological series is back after four years. Every episode is a disturbing look into a future where we are grappling with new technologies. Charlie Brooker has promised this season to be more cinematic in scope, and even darker than the earlier ones. We can’t wait to see what is in store for one of our favourite sci-fi shows.
OUR PLANET II: We’re excited for part two of this David Attenborough-narrated documentary series. The focus of this season is on migration, while the prevailing effects of climate change and ecological degradation are noted throughout the four episodes.
