We’re heading into the final months of 2023 and it’s a different world to be sure due to the actors and writers’ strikes as there won’t be a broadcast season for the most part, unless you’re interested in game and variety shows. The streaming side offers us a bit more material that was in the hopper already so we’re definitely good other.
We’re moving into that fun transitional space with some shows ending and some new ones coming up fairly soon. Loki wraps up next week and this week ends Lower Decks for the season. We’ve got Monarch coming up and there are a few other things waiting in the wings that we’re going to be trying as well. We’re also coming up on the end of the Doom Patrol series and that has us in the feels.
First up, Kevin has a look at the new feature film The Tunnel of Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes. ““The Tunnel of Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes” was directed by Tomohisa Taguchi. He previously directed a couple of Persona movies (based on the popular video game series) and has also managed to direct a Digimon movie at the same time (why, these two movies might be playing in the same multiplex, making a double feature doable). Though it was harder to judge him as a director when he was working with franchises, in this case, he is adapting a light novel and doing so in a way that is his vision. He appears to have a gift for making big ideas digestible, and the direction is confident and not overstuffed. “The Tunnel of Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes” is a wonderful film that hints a new superstar director may be in the making, and hopefully he’ll waste no time showing up what more he can do in the future.
Check out the full review.
Next up this week we’ve got a look at the Disney+ series Loki with its sixth and final episode of the second season. Loki delivers in a huge way for me with this finale. While it basically splits in half with what it’s trying to do I found both sides of it to be engaging, from the frenetic attempts at trying to save everyone through means and trial-and-error and then to the ultimate sacrifice. The full ensemble is here for the most part from this season and some characters get small nods toward the end to hint at where they can go from here. But it’s very much an episode that focuses heavily on Loki himself while also making the TVA and what it is a big part of it. I loved the cast for this, the way things were woven across the season, and what it lays out for the future. If we never see Loki again that will be fine. But when we do see him again, it should be one of those big and important moments a few years down the line that helps to serve as the reboot into what’s next for the MCU in a post-Secret Wars world. This series delivered for me just as much and more than the first season and is the best of the Disney+ MCU series from head to toe in every department.
Check out our full episode review.
Next up this week we’ve got our look at the first episode of the eighth season of Shetland. The show is going through a change as the previous lead actor, Douglas Henshall, departed at the end of the last season. This one is bringing on a new lead with Ashley Jensen and they’re going with the approach of her being a DI for the Met and is found herself being sent back to Shetland after leaving it decades ago to track someone down. You know that it’ll draw her into staying eventually by the end of the season but the initial push is fun. She’s not happy to be here at all, she dislikes coming across people that knew her from her youth, and she really hates some of her family history that’s quickly creeping into the forefront. It’s fun to watch our existing main cast deal with her and the different ways they operate and some of how some of them like Tosh get called out for how they’re acting. It’s a lot of fun so far in the first episode I’ve seen and it’s just great to be back in this space as Shetland has a lot of visual appeal.
Movie reviews:
- The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes Review
- The Canterville Ghost
- Animation Is Film 2023: The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story
- Animation Is Film 2023: Phoenix: Reminiscence of Flower
- Animation Is Film 2023: The Concierge Review
- Animation Is Film 2023: The Boy and the Heron
- The Inventor
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Review
- Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Film Review
- Shazam! Fury of the Gods Review
- Justice League: Warworld Blu-ray Review
- The Little Mermaid
- The Boxtrolls Review
- Kubo and the Two-Strings Review
- Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania Review
- Kaguya-sama: Love Is War – The First Kiss That Never Ends Anime Movie Review
- Sword Art Online The Movie – Progressive- Scherzo of Deep Night Movie Review
- Mobile Suit Gundam Cucuruz Doan’s Island
- Missing Review
- The Whale Review
- Point of No Return Review
- Blonde Review
- Wendell & Wild
- Clerks III Review
- Luck Review
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
- Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko
- Hustle Review
- Top Gun: Maverick Review
- The Bob’s Burgers Movie Review
- Chip n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers Review
- Stu’s Show Review
- Star Trek: The Motion Picture – The Director’s Edition Review
- Bubble Anime Review
- Ryoma! The Prince of Tennis Anime Review
- Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Review
- Turning Red Review
- The Batman Review
- Belle Review
- Drive My Car Review
- The Power of the Dog Review
- Robin Robin Review
- BoxBallet Review
- Bestia Review
- Eternals Review
- Encanto Review
- 8-Bit Christmas Review
- Music Box: Jagged Review
- Ghostbusters: Afterlife Review
- Tick, Tick…BOOM! Review
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Review
- Free Guy Review
- My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission Review
- Dune (2021) Review
- Black Widow
- Jungle Cruise Review
- As the Village Sleeps Review
- Space Jam: A New Legacy Review
- A Quiet Place Part II Review
- Knots: A Forced Marriage Story Review
- School-Live! The Movie Blu-ray Review
- In the Heights Review
- Over the Moon Review
- Feeling Through Review
- Two Distant Strangers review
- Yes-People Review
- A Love Song for Latasha Review
- If Anything Happens I Love You Review
- Burrow Review
- Godzilla vs Kong
- Happy Happy Joy Joy: The Ren & Stimpy Story Review
- Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years Preview
- Raya and the Last Dragon Review
- The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run Review
- The Little Things Review
- In Other Words Review
- Earwig and the Witch Review
What did you watch this past week?
