The 9th of December saw the 2021 annual Game Awards being held in L.A. The awards show celebrates the gaming industry as well as revealing world premieres of upcoming games. However, this year’s show also had a film trailer to showcase, and one that’s been highly anticipated since 2020: Sonic the Hedgehog.
After the film’s backlash concerning the design of Sonic himself, and the resulting corrections, ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ made over $319.7 million worldwide. It became one of the biggest video game films of all time, so, a sequel would soon be in the works, especially considering the end credit scene with Tails.
‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’ follows Sonic as he settles into his new world with his human friend Tom (James Marsden – Hairspray, Enchanted). But villains will always return and, this time, Dr Robotnik (Jim Carrey– The Mask, Liar Liar) has brought in a new enemy to help him out: Knuckles!
After the first appearance of Tails, fans were hoping Knuckles would make an appearance on the big screen. And he looks amazing! Not only is the red Echidna completely accurate to his gaming design, but his powers look visually fantastic. Plus, he’s voiced by Idris Elba (The Suicide Squad), an actor who I love. His brief voice acting in the trailer fits perfectly with the character, so I look forward to his voice performance in the film.
The trailer also reveals a Chaos Emerald, a staple in the Sonic franchise. And, thankfully, the film’s version is a floating Emerald, reflecting their look in the games. I’m glad the sequel has chosen to portray the characters and items exactly as they appear in the source material instead of opting for a more realistic approach.
Unsurprisingly, I can’t wait for ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’. Not only is the sequel accepting the ridiculousness of the source material, but it looks like a lot of fun. Knuckles looks fantastic too, and Idris Elba has the perfect voice for the character. Sonic was a film franchise that was expected to fail, but I’m glad it’s become a success. Hopefully the sequel carries that same success when it comes to cinemas next year.
One subgenre I love is the time travel subgenre. Not only is it an interesting subject to base a film around, but it can be executed in various genres, whether it’s sci-fi, comedy or even horror. And, even then, that aspect can be unique each time because of the way time travel can be explained and adjusted for that film’s plot. For example, ‘Avengers: Endgame’ and ‘Back To The Future’ focus on time travel, but are completely different films not just in genre but execution too. And ‘Mandao Returns’ is yet another unique approach to the subgenre.
Jay Mandao is back, this time to try and stop the murder of a B-Movie star through time travel. However, the more he messes with time, the worse his world becomes. Christmas is not going to be so joyful for him this year!
This film essentially, in part, answers the question ‘what if Jay and Silent Bob were able to time travel at will?’ While this is a sequel, and some background knowledge might be required for the opening scene, ‘Mandao Returns’ is an enjoyable and surreal ride that I want more of.
The three leads, Cousin Andy (Sean Liang), Jackson (Sean McBride) and Jay Mandao (Writer Scott Dunn) return in this sequel, and their friendship and dialogue were the best aspects of the film. They carry the film throughout its 65-minute runtime, so making them likable was important and, gladly, they are likable and charming. The dialogue is very well written and does a great job at showing the audience that these three characters have a history and an eventful friendship. While the personal highlight would have to be Cousin Andy, who’s money making scheme at fortune telling goes hilariously wrong in the first fifteen minutes, the other leads all shine in their own way and stand out amongst each other. Jackson is the naïve and innocent one, while Jay is more confident and can astral project (travel into the spirit world), a power that was introduced in the previous film.
From the second the film starts, it’s clear that this is a low budget film, however the money is put to good use here, especially when it comes to its cinematography and effects. The execution of the astral projecting is another aspect that is very enjoyable. Black and white imagery, as well as dutch tilts, are used to differentiate between the worlds, creating surreal sequences. Even the ‘Stargate’-esque effects that are used as transitions look great. While these won’t be effects replicating that of a Marvel movie, the effects look fantastic and reflect the tone and narrative that the film is going for.
The acting is a little awkward at times, however this can’t be written as a criticism. ‘Mandao Returns’ feels like it’s trying to reach fans of ‘Jay and Silent Bob’ and the films of Kevin Smith. So, while this style of acting wouldn’t have worked in other comedies, it fits very comfortably here and even embraces the awkwardness. It’s aware of what style and tone it is, and dives headfirst into that, which is something that should be respected; it’s not trying to be something it isn’t.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXi0a0ZjwRM
If there were any critique to be made, it’s that I wish ‘Mandao Returns’ had been longer, just so I could stay in the world for a much longer amount of time. This type of critique is personally rare; usually I find a lot of films will overstay their welcome, but ‘Mandao Returns’ does the opposite. This is mostly due to the lead characters, and their charming and natural dialogue; their long-term friendship is convincing from the moment the film starts.
‘Mandao Returns’ is a silly, but charming, film about time travel, spirits and three friends trying to fix the timeline. It’s happy to embrace the films of Kevin Smith and does so perfectly through its humour and dialogue. Furthermore, the cinematography and effects are a nice touch that help emphasis the surrealness of the plot. Plus, the strongest aspect of the film are the three leads who effortlessly carry the film’s runtime on their shoulders. Positively ‘Mandao Returns’ is too short of a film; I wanted to spend more time with these characters and the antics they get up to. So, hopefully a third entry in this franchise could happen? Only time will tell.
Spiderman: Across The Spider-Verse (Part One) – Trailer Talk
After last week’s Trailer Talk, it seemed that Sony saw an opportunity in continuing the Spider-Man trend. Earlier this year, Sony had announced that a sequel to the highly successful animated film ‘Spiderman: Into The Spiderverse’ would be web-slinging into cinemas next year. And, on the 4th December, a first look trailer was released.
‘Spiderman: Into The Spiderverse’ was a film that I saw in cinemas numerous times, something that is personally rare. It was such a unique-looking film in terms of its animation, as well as finally serving as a big screen introduction to my favourite Spiderman, Miles Morales. And the quality in animation only improves in the new trailer. The familiar style of the first movie returns but is also mixed in with a style that looks like it was peeled right out of a painting, giving the new entry a gorgeous look. If there’s an animated film that Sony have done right so far, it’s the ‘Spiderverse’ films.
Whether the rest of the alternative Spidermen will return remains to be seen, but Spider Gwen reappears in this trailer, as well as Spiderman 2099, a character that was teased in an end credits scene of the last film. And, if that wasn’t enough, the trailer ends with an announcement that ‘Across The Spiderverse’ is the first part of a two parter!
‘Spiderman: Into The Spiderverse’ very quickly became one of my favourite animated films, so it’s fair to say I am really excited for ‘Across The Spiderverse: Part One’. I can’t wait to see the unique animation style again, as well as Miles Morales and the rest of the cast.
Spiderman: Across The Spider-Verse (Part One) – Trailer Talk
While it could be argued that the Netflix show ‘Stranger Things’ brought a boom in 80’s media nostalgia over the last few years, it seems that nostalgia for the 90’s has started to come around. Disney live action remakes, ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’ and the ‘Friends’ reunion all made an appearance this year, and it seems that the 90’s nostalgia is here to stay with the announcement of a ‘Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ reboot series.
‘Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ was a show that starred Will Smith and ran from 1990-1996. It follows Will as he moves in with his aunt and uncle after some trouble he gets into. The reboot looks to focus on that very trouble and what lead to Will moving to Bel-Air.
The reboot series originally started out as a fan concept, depicting a much grittier and serious telling of Will’s younger days. And, while that does sound interesting, it should’ve stayed as a fan concept. The original series was enjoyable because it was a cheesy sitcom that fully embraced its cheesiness and hilarity. Despite the trailer only being a minute long, it’s already painted a pointless picture that potentially tarnishes the original show.
While I will always be interested in fan concepts, this is one that I am not a fan of. The trailer is so far removed from its source material in terms of tone that it doesn’t deserve to be in the same franchise as the 90’s sitcom. Plus, did fans really need to know why Will was forced to move in with his aunt and uncle in Bel Air?
Smell you later ‘Bel Air’; this is a show that will definitely be avoided.
With exactly a month left until the film’s release, Marvel Studios released the second trailer for the next, highly anticipated, Spiderman entry ‘Spiderman: No Way Home’ last week.
‘Spiderman: No Way Home’ follows Peter Parker after the events of the previous entry. After his true identity is exposed, he calls upon Doctor Strange to help him reverse that day. However, the spell goes wrong, opening the multiverse and bringing familiar villains into this world.
The second trailer essentially acts as a confirmation of classic film characters returning. Willem Dafoe and Alfred Molina return as the 2001/2002 incarnation of Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus. Furthermore, the Sandman from Sam Raimi’s ‘Spiderman 3’ will also feature, as well as The Lizard and Electro from the ‘Amazing Spiderman’ films that were released from 2012-2014. There’s also a glimpse at what might be the Green Goblin from ‘Amazing Spiderman 2’, however this particular version has not been confirmed yet.
While Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield have not made an appearance in the marketing, despite rumours of their appearance, it’s amazing to see the return of the villains from the previous films. As someone who grew up with Sam Raimi’s trilogy, Willem Dafoe and Alfred Molina in their original costumes is an incredible sight. Before the Sony/Marvel deal, the images in this trailer would’ve been completely impossible so it’s amazing to see the live action multiverse fully come to life and display its potential.
But this entry does indicate a darker tone, as Doctor Strange says: these villains all die trying to beat Spiderman. So, the implication is that Spiderman will either have to help them get back to their own universe or end their lives prematurely. And, because this Peter Parker is less mature than the previous versions, his attitude towards this decision will be a little different.
And, if all this wasn’t enough, the trailer ends with reality breaking and potentially more universes colliding with this one, with no way of stopping it! So, does this mean that even more Spiderman characters will show up?
Overall, it is looking to be an amazing and exciting entry in the franchise, as well as a nostalgic one for fans of the previous Spiderman franchises.
