adaptation

Movie Night [National Anime Day]: Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals

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15 April has been designated National Anime Day to celebrate the stylistic genre, which achieved mainstream success thanks to animators like Osamu Tezuka.

Released: 21 March 1994 to 21 July 1994
Directors: Rintaro, Naoto Kanda, and Tomohiko Ohkuda
Distributor: Madhouse
Budget: Unknown
Stars: Matt K. Miller, Sherry Lynn, John DeMita, Kate T. Vogt, Michael Sorich, Julia Fletcher, and Barbara Goodson

The Plot:
200 years after Final Fantasy V (Square, 1992), the malevolent Ra Devil (Sorich) arrives from the Black Moon and seeks the four elemental Crystals and only a quartet of unlikely heroes – headstrong Prettz (Miller), timid Linaly (Lynn), bumbling Valkus (DeMita), and mischievous Rouge (Vogt) – can stop him.

The Background:
In the mid-1980s, developer Square entered the Japanese videogame industry with simple role-playing games (RPGs), racers, and platformers for the Nintendo Famicom but, fearing low sales, forbade Hironobu Sakaguchi from developing a more complex RPG. That all changed with the success of Dragon Warrior (Chunsoft, 1986), prompting Square to reconsider their stance. Thus, Sakaguchi formed a small team to develop what he saw as his last chance at success in the industry. Of course, Final Fantasy (Square, 1987) was a huge hit that not only popularised the genre, but led to a slew of sequels and spin-offs over the following years. By 1994. the series spanned five games (with a sixth, arguably one of the greatest entries, due that same year). Final Fantasy V was a big hit upon release, despite not receiving an English translation, and Square sought to capitalise (and expand beyond videogames) by partnering with NTT Publishing on an original video animation (OVA) based on the title. The first direct sequel to a Final Fantasy game, Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals was originally released in Japan across four episodes on VHS before being dubbed into English and released in two volumes some three years later. At the time, the OVA was warmly received and praised for its visually engaging mixture of action and adventure. While some have criticised it as a poor adaptation and for its more comedic aspects, Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals became notorious for its scarcity. The OVA has never been re-released on any other media and is essentially lost to time, known only to a handful of die hard Final Fantasy and anime fans.

The Review:
200 years ago, the Warriors of Light (or “Valiant Ones”, as they’re referred to here) defeated the mad ambitions of Exdeath (dubbed “Exodus” here) to use the four elemental Crystals of Planet R to plunge all life into an everlasting void of darkness. Since then, Bartz Klauser (here called “Batz”), Lenna Tycoon, Galuf and Krile Baldesion, and Faris Scherwiz have passed into legend, with only Batz leaving behind a legacy in his descendants, the elderly Hassam (John Hostetter) and his brave but timid daughter, Linaly. Hassam operates alongside an unnamed Blue Mage (Unknown) as a spiritual advisor to Queen Lenna (Goodson), monarch of Tycoon, who learn from the wind itself of an oncoming danger. Despite his age, Hassam is adamant about journeying to the Wind Temple to investigate, determined to live up to the standard set by his ancestor. When Linaly offers to go in his place, the two reach a compromise to travel together, but Hassam refuses to allow boisterous Prettz to tag along as Linaly’s “bodyguard”. Believing the hot-headed youth would desecrate the sacred Wind Temple (and suspecting that Prettz just wants to impress Linaly), Hassam refuses to divulge their destination or let him on their boat, despite Linaly having a soft spot for the boy. Undeterred, Prettz follows on his bitchin’, steampunk-esque motorcycle, ultimately saving them from a gigantic, insectile desert monster when his nodachi proves more effective than the gaunt, featherless Chocobo Linaly summons. Despite severing the creature’s head with one dramatic slash, Prettz fails to impress Hassam who, too injured and exhausted to continue, insists that Linaly continue by herself. With Hassam returning to their village to rest and offering spiritual guidance to his granddaughter through a mystical talisman, Prettz continues to follow Linaly, whom he has an obvious crush on. Though she steadfastly refuses his offer for a ride since she wants to honour her grandfather’s wishes to go alone, Linaly soon changes her mind when threatened by a massive airship. Piloted by treasure-hungry pirate Rouge and her all-female crew, the pirates accost them, looking to steal their bike and possessions. Although Prettz manages to elude the pirates using his riding skills and one of his trademark spiked bombs, he makes an enemy of Rouge, who vows to hunt him down and make him pay for the humiliation.

Prettz insists on accompanying Linaly and gets mixed up with a magical Crystal.

While taking refuge in a forest, Linaly reveals the true nature of her quest to Prettz and uses her talisman (and telepathic advice from Hassam) to guide them to the Wind Temple, leading them to a raging sandstorm which Prettz rushes head-first into while Linaly allows her faith to guide her. Upon reaching the Wind Temple, however, they find the shrine out of reach. Hitting upon an idea, Prettz doubles back and forces Rouge and her crew to pilot her airship into the temple valley, threatening to blow them all sky-high unless they agree. Begrudgingly, Rouge agrees and, despite her annoyance and doubts that her ship will even fit through the canyon, successfully brings Prettz to the temple’s entrance…where he finds Linaly waiting! While he was off being a show-off, Linaly investigated the area and solved the puzzle to open the way to the Wind Temple and she ventures inside with Prettz while Rouge is distracted by an incoming airship. Braving the temple’s interior, the duo locate the Crystal, which, upon contact, bombards Linaly with visions of the past and a malevolent figure and the spirits of the long-dead Valiant Ones crying for aid. Overwhelmed by the barrage, both Prettz and Linaly are powerless to keep the Wind Crystal from entering her body, where it glows ominously from her perky little butt (leading to much raunchy leering throughout the OVA). Desperate to help his friend, Prettz races from the Wind Temple, reasoning that the Blue Mage would be able to help her, only to be confronted by Valkus, the heavyset commander of the Iron Wings, the same airship that caught Rouge’s attention. Having learned that the other three elemental Crystals have been stolen and their nations have descended into chaos, Valkus and his crew flew to the Wind Temple to secure and protect the remaining Crystal. Naturally, Valkus believes Prettz and Linaly to be thieves and fires on the two when they not only refuse to return the Crystal but when Prettz also pushes his disrespectful attitude too far. Despite the Iron Wings’ bombardment and Valkus shooting at the two with his pistol, the duo topple Valkus and attempt to escape. After being grazed by one of Valkus’ shots, however, Prettz flies into a rage, only to have his sword blocked by the commander’s bare hands and the hostilities between the group ended when Rouge (who had been eavesdropping the entire time) knocks them all unconscious with gas and kidnaps them, lusting after the mysterious Crystal she heard them talking about.

The lovelorn Valkus is locked up with the duo and learns of the impended threat from Mid.

Elated to have captured not only the kids who humiliated her so badly but also the captain of the Iron Wings, Rouge spirits her quarry to her personal island and threatens them with torture. Defiant to the end, Prettz scoffs at her threats, maintaining his insolent attitude even when Rouge subjects him to a tickle machine. When Rouge threatens to snap Linaly’s neck with her whip, Prettz attacks in a fury, only to receive a beating that renders him unconscious. The three are thrown into a cell while Rouge ponders her next strategy. Though Prettz desperately tries to break out, he receives little help from Valkus, who finds himself confused by his attraction to Rouge. While Valkus’s crew frantically search for their lost commander, following sporadic energy spikes emitted by the Wind Crystal, the prisoners are stunned when the Crystal suddenly emerges from Linaly’s chest, and the spirit of Mid Previa (Fletcher) appears before them. The grandson of Cid, an ally of the Valiant Ones, Mid’s restless spirit ignores Prettz’s insolence and drops a bunch of exposition on the captives. Sometime after defeating Exodus, Mid was heartbroken when his beloved grandfather died, taking all his secrets of the Crystals with him since he’d come to realise it was foolish to meddle with their divine power. While mourning at Cid’s grave, Mid was suddenly attacked by the same dark figure that’s been haunting Linaly’s dreams and barking orders at his robotic subordinate throughout the OVA. This demonic being, later identified as Ra Devil, desecrated Cid’s grave, stealing his brain to absorb the old man’s knowledge, and murdered Mid simply for witnessing the act. Unable to rest, Mid pleads with Linaly to keep the Crystal safe within her and reveals that the three of them (and Rouge) have been chosen by the Wind Crystal to be the new Valiant Ones destined to save Planet R from destruction. Despite Prettz’s scepticism and continued hostility towards Mid because of their shared feelings for Linaly, the group soon set aside their differences when Rouge takes Linaly to forcibly remove the Crystal from her. Thanks to spurring Valkus on with promises that he can see Rouge again if they escape, Prettz finally breaks free from the cell and is forced to follow Mid’s lead.

The rag-tag Valiant Ones must awaken a dragon to confront Ra Devil on the Black Moon.

Although Rouge implied that she would surgically remove the Crystal, Prettz is stunned to find the pirate queen serving his friend laxatives! After fighting past Rouge’s guards, Prettz rescues Linaly and reunites with his bike, thanks to Mid, discovering a massive cavern filled with explosives. When their escape threatens to turn violent, Valkus intervenes to try and make peace, only for Ra Devil’s Deathgyunos forces to attack. Prettz lures the alien creatures away, claiming that he possesses the Wind Crystal and allowing the others to flee to the Iron Wings. Prettz leads the creatures to the cavern of explosives and sets off a massive explosion that leaves Rouge’s island in flames, distraught at the sight, Rouge is offered some comfort by the blushing Valkus and Linaly is overjoyed to see Prettz inexplicably survived the explosion despite being at the heart of it. Reunited on the Iron Wings, Rouge is initially outraged when Valkus is forced to put her in chains to appease his loyal crew. However, she’s soon freed per a decree from Queen Lenna, whom the group meets in person upon reaching Castle Tycoon. Queen Lenna echoes much of Mid’s earlier exposition, explaining that the rag-tag group are the last hope for the world, which will be torn apart if Ra Devil acquires the last Crystal and absorbs their powers. Although Mid confirms the villain’s threat, the group remains sceptical: Linaly doesn’t believe she’s special, Prettz refuses to believe he’s been chosen by an inanimate object, and Rouge scoffs at the idea of a pirate like her being crucial to saving the world. Only Valkus accepts his destiny and the challenge of confronting Ra Devil on his base, the Black Moon, though the others are soon coerced into helping when Queen Lenna promises Rouge a treasure trove of riches and Prettz volunteers to protect Linaly, who quietly accepts her calling to save the world. However, to reach the Black Moon, the group must first venture into the depths of Castle Tycoon to awaken their guardian deity, the flying dragon (or “Hyriuu”). While Valkus and Rouge fend off the attacking Deathgyunos forces, Prettz, Linaly, and Mid head into the catacombs beneath the palace, fending off Ra Devil’s soldiers and taking a plunge through the clouds to a hidden stone shrine to the dragon. Prettz is dismayed to find the creature is represented only by murals and a tiny, flightless lizard (though Linaly is instantly enamoured by the cute little dragon). However, when Ra Devil appears in the chamber and kidnaps Linaly, shrugging off Prettz’s attack and terrifying Mid, Prettz finds himself astride the legendary dragon when it undergoes a dramatic transformation into a titanic winged deity ready to spirit the group to the Black Moon.

The Nitty-Gritty:
Although I haven’t played Final Fantasy V yet, Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals is no less enjoyable both as an adaptation/continuation of the game and as an anime. Setting it 200 years after the videogame is a good way to tell a brand-new story with some original characters, though I do wonder if this may alienate or disappoint fans of the game, who only get to see familiar characters returning as spirits. The visual, action, and humour are all far more reminiscent of Dragon Ball (1986 to 1989), focusing more on touches of lewd humour (mainly with everyone staring at Linaly’s glowing butt) and a fantasy land that’s less medieval and more disparate. I’d wager some of the locations will be familiar to fans of the videogame, especially Castle Tycoon and the Black Moon, and the OVA does a decent job of recreating a few of Final Fantasy’s gameplay mechanics. The group engage in random battles, for example; Linaly is a summoner (albeit not a very accomplished one); Queen Lenna is advised by a Blue Mage; and elements of the iconic Final Fantasy theme are sprinkled throughout the soundtrack. Airships are also few prominent and Linaly’s shown to be able to summon Chocobos. They don’t resemble the cute, furry beasts from the games, but this is attributed to Linaly not having fully realised her power. Each of the new Valiant Ones also has a “class” just like in the classic games, with Prettz being a swordsman, Linaly a mage, Valkus a marksman, and Rogue basically being a thief. Finally, there’s the obvious plot point of them safeguarding magical Crystals (specifically the Wind Crystal), which are so powerful and integral to Planet R that their absence causes nations to fall into ruin. Indeed, Queen Leena warns that simply protecting the Wind Crystal isn’t enough and that the world will end if the other three aren’t recovered, much less if their powers and corrupted by Ra Devil.

The OVA is bolstered by some fun action and amusing moments between the heroes.

Ra Devil is an indistinct and vague threat who spends the first three parts of the OVA barking orders from his Black Moon base and resembling little more than a shadowy, vaguely cybernetic/demonic figure. When he appears before Mid and Linaly, he cuts an intimidating if generic and stoic figure, conveying his menace through desecrating Cid’s grave, murdering Mid, and kidnapping Linaly. Rather than being Exdeath Exodus reborn, Ra Devil is a seemingly alien threat who leaves the heavy lifting to his Deathgyunos soldiers, a nigh-endless swarm of demonic creatures who have the numbers advantage but are routinely cut down by Prettz and Valkus. There’s some enjoyable anime action in this OVA, especially when Prettz blasts about on his motorcycle or busts out his sword (something that, sadly, doesn’t happen all that often). The airships are suitably impressive, being immaculately detailed, and I enjoyed the mixture of action and comedy in most action scenes. Rouge’s “torture” turning out to be tickling and prune juice was amusing, as was Mid constantly winding Prettz up by comparing him to a dog and being immune to his physical reprimands. Although the attraction between Prettz and Linaly isn’t dwelled on all that much and is mainly conveyed through his willingness to endure any hardship to protect her, I enjoyed Valkus’ adoration of Rouge, which left the big man a blushing mess whenever the sultry pirate was around. The mismatched Valiant Ones make for quite the odd partnership; they’re often plagued by doubts or bickering between each other rather than battling Ra Devil’s forces. While only Valkus and Mid (and, to a degree, Linaly) understand the true scope of Ra Devil’s threat, even Rouge is convinced to help save the planet when she’s presented with riches. Prettz may be a sceptic and have an unruly demeanour, but he’s loyal to Linaly almost to a fault, volunteering for dangerous missions without truly understanding what he’s up against and taking on foes and even natural disasters with only his moxie and bombs to back him up. Though he knows when to flee a confrontation, Prettz is quick to join a fight if insulted or if Linaly is in danger and impresses with his defiant spirit. This contrasts with Linaly’s more subdued characterisation and leads to some fun interactions between him and his rag-tag cohorts.

Ultimately Linaly bests the God-like Deathgyunos, saves the world, and honours her ancestors.

Despite none of their airships being protected against the vacuum of space, the flying dragon hauls Valkus and Rouge’s crafts into the void, leaving Rouge and her crew stunned to discover Planet R is round rather than flat. Upon spotting the Black Moon, Mid is dismayed to find that Ra Devil’s plot is already underway. After wandering the universe in search of the ultimate power, the half-crippled demonic entity built an ominous base on the Black Moon and hooked the three Crystals up to an elaborate machine. With Linaly in place alongside Cid’s severed brain, Ra Devil begins siphoning the Crystals’ energy to channel the cosmic power of the universe into his very being! While his minions cry out in joy as Ra Devil slowly absorbs the power and knowledge of the universe, a lightning bolt causes our heroes to crash to the Black Moon’s surface, which is both hospitable and strewn with debris. After ordering her crew to repair the damage and nurse the dragon back to health, Rouge joins Prettz, Valkus, and Mid in tracking Linaly using her talisman (which Prettz retrieved in the dragon’s chamber) and Cid’s desperate pleas. When Ra Devil completes his transformation into Deathgyunos, the “God of Oblivion” (a titanic Eldritch abomination of organs and metal), Valkus and Rouge return to their airships to counterattack his forces, leading to Valkus flying into a rage when Rogue is wounded and his ship to be destroyed in an ultimately futile attempt to bring the behemoth down. Although Prettz rescues Linaly, he’s attacked by her thanks to Deathgyunos’ influence and it’s only through Mid’s intervention that the girl is brought to her senses. After Valkus’s men retrieve the other three Crystals and Mid reunites with his grandfather’s brain, Mid stalls Deathgyunos’ advance to allow his newfound friends to escape. Undeterred and seemingly unkillable, Deathgyunos continues, relentless in its desire for complete obliteration and torturing Prettz after the Wind Crystal joins with him. Though Valkus destroys the abomination’s hand, Linaly’s left to confront the creature alone when it subdues her friends with its energy blasts. Summoning a flock of Chocobos, Linaly rips Deathgyunos to shreds, leaving it vulnerable to Prettz’s final sword slash. Victorious, the newly formed Valiant Ones bid a fond farewell to Mid, who crosses over to be with his grandfather and friends, before returning home. Linaly relates their adventure to Hassam, who reacts with awe and pride, and the OVA ends to show Vulkus joining Rouge’s pirates to be with his sultry queen.

The Summary:
It’s a shame that Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals isn’t more readily available. The best you can hope for are poor transfers on video streaming sites or maybe a battered VHS copy. It really should be more widely available and I’ve never understood why it isn’t, especially as Final Fantasy and anime fans would probably lap it up. This is a really fun OVA with a lot of amusing moments and memorable characters. I really liked how hot-headed and brazen Prettz was, how he treated everyone except Linaly with such a smart-mouthed disdain and how he impressed with his defiant, never-say-die attitude. He charges into situations without thinking, full of piss and vinegar, and never betrays his friends, no matter the situation. Linaly was probably my least favourite character since she’s so sombre and laid back. Though I enjoyed the relationship between her and Prettz, I would’ve liked to see more of her struggling with her ancestry. Valkus and Rouge were also great; I loved how the big, bossy oaf was left a blushing schoolboy whenever Rouge sauntered about and how mischievous and roguish the pirate queen was. Mid also proved an enjoyable foil for Prettz, even if he’s mostly there for exposition and as a link to Final Fantasy V. Again, I suspect the large gap between the game and the OVA may be disappointing to fans of Final Fantasy V as it may as well have just been a standalone Final Fantasy story since it’s so far removed from Final Fantasy V. I suspect the biggest issue from this is with Ra Devil, a painfully generic threat compared to Exdeath, though he at least visually makes up for it by transforming into a nigh-unstoppable Lovecraftian monstrosity at the end. I would’ve liked to see more from Ra Devil, perhaps have him physically interact with the heroes a bit more, and maybe create a link between him and Exdeath based on their shared desire for destruction. Similarly, while I enjoyed that much of the conflict came from the mismatched Valiant Ones learning to co-operate, it would’ve been nice to see a few more action scenes to show off the gorgeous animation. Otherwise, Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals is a lot of fun and has a lot to offer. It’s definitely worth seeking out and petitioning for an official release for, if only to drag it out of obscurity so I can stop thinking of it as a “hidden gem”.

My Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Great Stuff

Have you ever seen Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals? Were you disappointed that it was set 200 years after Final Fantasy V or did you enjoy the new characters? Which of the new Valiant Ones was your favourite and what did you think to their interactions? Did you like Ra Devil and how do you think he compares to Exdeath? Would you like to see the OVA be more widely available or do you think it deserves to be forgotten? What was your introduction to anime and how are you celebrating National Anime Day today? Whatever your thoughts on Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals, or anime in general, feel free to share them in the comments, support me on Ko-Fi, and go check out my other anime and Final Fantasy content.

Mini Game Corner: Aliens: Dark Descent (Xbox Series X)

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Released: 20 June 2023
Developer: Tindalos Interactive
Also Available For: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S

A Brief Background:
The Alien franchise (Various, 1979 to present) has had a long and complex history with videogame adaptations over the years. The films have been adapted into everything from primitive pixelated messes to crossover titles, survival/horror experiences, and first-person shooters. We even got a real-time strategy title back in 2003, one that garnered a lukewarm reaction from critics. While it may be surprising that Tindalos Interactive chose this genre for their adaptation of Aliens (Cameron, 1986), there was precedent for this given their success in the genre with Battlefleet Gothic: Armada (2016). While there isn’t much information about the game’s development available online, I can tell you that Aliens: Dark Descent was received rather favourably and that critics praised the foreboding atmosphere and immersive gameplay while criticising its performance and the unwieldy nature of certain control options.

My Progression:
Aliens: Dark Descent is a real-time tactics games that borrows many visual cues, dialogue, and audio from Aliens. Played from a top-down, isometric perspective, the game has players control a squad of four Colonial Marines and take on various missions on Lethe, a planet they’re stuck on following a Xenomorph outbreak on an orbiting Weyland-Yutani space station. Initially, you learn some of the basics by controlling a single character, Deputy Administrator Maeko Hayes, who’s responsible for them being stranded on Lethe. While nowhere near as capable as the Marines, controlling Hayes teaches you the basics of character and camera movement, the interactions you’ll need to progress, and the importance of stealth in later missions. She also tours the downed USS Otago between missions, promoting Marines, assigning Physicians to heal injured troops, and deploying missions across Lethe. When on a mission, you press X to have your Marines move to a point on the environment. You can also double tap X to have them run, though they’re inexplicably unable to shoot and run at the same time. Y allows them to interact with the environment, activating consoles, calling lifts, extracting samples from downed Xenomorphs, and repairing sentry guns or healing teammates. You can also hold Y or press in the right stick to activate a flashlight, which is super useful for exploring the game’s dark, ominous areas. A confirms your menu selections, B cancels them, and the Xbox’s ‘View’ button opens a full-sized map (though I found the smaller mini map, with built-in motion tracker, more useful). From the map screen, you can select any security cameras you’ve activated, see primary and secondary objectives, and call the M540 Armoured Reconnaissance Carrier (ARC) for some heavy ordnance support or to extract your team. The Left Trigger allows a grapnel function, though I never utilised this so I can’t comment on it, and you can focus on your team leader or reload your weapons by using the directional pad.

Assemble a team of Marines to investigate and exterminate the Alien infestation.

Your squad will automatically open fire on any nearby targets or if manually directed by your inputs. They don’t have infinite ammo, however, so you must loot corpses and crates to boost your stock, though your inventory is limited. You can select a Marine with Y to apply first aid or give them a booster to calm their nerves as your troops will grew more and more anxious as you engage in combat. The Right Trigger opens the “Skill Menu”, allowing you to utilise additional weapons (such as a shotgun spread, suppressive fire, a flamethrower, and a grenade launcher) at the cost of “Command Points”. Command Points regenerate over time, but you can fully restock them, calm down your squad, and manually save the game by welding shut doors in enclosed spaces to create a “Shelter”. This can only be done as long as you have “Tools” points and will not refill their health, unfortunately, but it gives you a chance to catch your breath. Each Marine has a personality trait that affects their gameplay; they may be cowardly, or quick to panic, or clumsy. These negatively impact their performance, reducing accuracy, increasing the chances of exhaustion, and lessening their attack power. Even if your Marines survive their mission, they are left traumatised by several afflictions. While some are cured by a Physician, others escalate, especially as you pass days to give them time to recuperate. You can level-up and Promote your Marines, however, adding additional buffs such as increasing their armour or their build/health speed. You also spend points in the workshop purchasing new weapons, such as the Smart Gun and mines, and accessories like the sentry guns and tactical analysis, which can be lifesavers out in the field. While you can heal, save, and often carry downed Marines to safety, any you lose are gone forever and memorialised on the USS Otago, forcing you to strategize and make smart use of your resources and surroundings to keep them healthy and alive.

Alien hoards will wipe out or traumatise your squad if you’re not careful.

This adds a level of tension and dread to Aliens: Dark Descent that’s exacerbated not just by the foreboding visuals and obscured map but also the game out-right warning you of its difficulty. You can adjust the game’s difficulty settings and the enemy intelligence before starting a campaign, though the standard settings were challenging enough for me. Lethe is crawling with Xenomorphs who scurry about on walls and ceilings and burst from pipes and the shadows. Aliens swipe with their claws and tails, attack with their little mouths, spit and bleed acid, and abduct your Marines and non-playable characters (NPCs) to be cocooned elsewhere. You’ll occasionally free these victims, though most die from a Chestburster, and encounter numerous Alien eggs and Facehuggers, which must be dispatched before they impregnate your troops. Even bog standard Xenomorph drones can take a lot of firepower to put down, especially if your squad is weak, injured, or panicked. Your best bet is to either use cover or stay back, laying down suppressive fire or deploying sentry guns in a kill box to thin out the Aliens. While they usually attack in small groups, their aggressiveness will increase, they will actively hunt you, large swarms spawn in for a short time, and their numbers and aggression only increase the more days you waste recuperating. Eventually, you’ll encounter a larger Alien variant, a “Charger”, that…well, charges at you like a rhino. Though big and cumbersome, the first encounter in the slaughterhouse isn’t too bad as long as you stay back and rest your troops, but they spelled disaster for my repeated excursions into the mine. An Alien nest is found here, with cocooned scientists and eggs everywhere, and sheltering a gigantic Xenomorph Queen. Ironically, this battle was easier than exploring the mines! I laid down suppressive fire, unloaded with the grenade launcher and flamethrower, and placed a sentry gun or two and she went down on my second try, though I think the strength of my squad had a lot to do with that as I had to extract and heal up to even reach her lair. It seems like you’ll also battle malfunctioning synthetics as well; this happened once during my playthrough so I imagine they, and other Aliens, crop up later in the game.

A tactical retreat to heal and regroup is often necessary to win the day.

Aliens: Dark Descent certainly looks the part. The perspective obviously makes the game far less detailed than FPS or third-person Alien titles, but the environments are all ripped right out of Aliens and I loved how all the tech and readouts aligned with what we saw in the first two films. Character models are very basic, however, often disappearing into the dark environments and not featuring much variety unless your troops are limping from wounds. They express themselves more through dialogue, shamelessly stealing the best lines from Aliens and commenting on every situation, and through the many pre-rendered cutscenes. Hayes’ time on the USS Otago recalls similar third-person sections from Aliens: Fireteam Elite (Cold Iron Studios, 2021) and sees her meeting new recruits, prioritising her troops, and being assigned side missions by other NPCs. If you choose not to deploy your squad, the infestation increases and your troops suffer; oddly, demanding they rest causes them to become exhausted, which was very strange. Passing the time often gives you the option to undertake offscreen missions for additional resources, though at the cost of a deployment, meaning you have to weigh the pros and cons of obtaining additional bonuses versus increasing the Alien resistance. Eventually, I got into a routine of deploying, accomplishing a mission or two, and fleeing Lethe with more of my squad, meaning the bulk of my gameplay was focused on repetition, trial and error, and revisiting the same locations with a bit more experience. It took everything I had just to clear the first mission, which took a good few hours, which tells me that Aliens: Dark Descent has a lot of play time in it, likely focused on grinding and exploration to nab all those hidden Achievements, though it’s possible those better versed in this genre of game may have better luck than I did during my frustrating play time.

When I first started Aliens: Dark Descent, I was expecting a game akin to the Command & Conquer games (Various, 1995 to present) I dabbled in as a kid. This turned out to not be entirely true as it’s much more focused on stealth and action rather than building bases and such, though the Shelter mechanic masquerades as a base, I suppose. This genre of game isn’t really one I’ve had that much experience with; it seems more geared to mobile players or fans of “roguelike” titles, and therefore was quite a chore and a challenge to play. I was hoping for a mission-based title where you strategically place troops and build forces to hold off the Xenomorphs, and instead was beaten over the head with a moody, difficult, and often tedious gameplay experience. The visual fidelity to the first two movies is amazing; the atmosphere is perfectly foreboding and the dread of every encounter, however minor, definitely echoes the dire straits faced by the Marines in Cameron’s sci-fi classic. Aliens: Dark Descent can be very unforgiving, though; even if you take the time to heal and prepare, the odds are always against you. Just one Xenomorph can wipe out your squad, especially if they are injured or fresh-faced recruits, and it’s very easy for the tide to turn against you, even if you set up a well-armed kill box and farm nearby resources. I can see that Aliens: Dark Descent is going to demand a lot of my time as the first mission took me most of an afternoon to get through, meaning it’s a game I will likely revisit in the same manner I played: “short, sharp bursts” to whittle away at each objective, no doubt to be wiped out by some unforeseen new Alien variant. But maybe I just suck. Maybe you had a better strategy. Maybe you found all the data pads and creamed this game. If so, tell me about it in the comments, tell me your favourite Alien game, and check out my other Alien content.

Movie Night [PokéMonth]: Pokémon Heroes: Latios and Latias

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Upon the release of Pokémon: Blue Version and Pokémon: Red Version (Game Freak, 1996), a new craze swept through playgrounds. An entire generation grew up with Pokémon, as clever marketing saw it become a massively lucrative and popular multimedia powerhouse. Accordingly, February 27th is recognised as “National Pokémon Day”, which I expanded to an entire month of Pokémon this February.

Released: 13 July 2002
Director: Kunihiko Yuyama
Distributor: Toho
Budget: Unknown
Stars: Veronica Taylor, Megan Hollingshead, Lisa Ortiz, Megumi Hayashibara, and Tara Sands

The Plot:
Ash Ketchum (Taylor) and his friends visit the beautiful Alto Mare and befriend its protectors, Latias and Latios (Hayashibara), just as the city is targeted by two formidable thieves, Annie (Hollingshead) and Oakley (Ortiz).

The Background:
Pokémon (Nintendo/Creatures/Game Freak, 1995 to present) became an instant phenomenon once it came over from Japan. It dominated playgrounds as kids played the videogames, collected the trading cards, and tuned in to the still-ongoing anime series (1997 to present). So successful was this multimedia marketing strategy that it led to the aptly-titled Pokémon: The First Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back (Yuyama, 1998), a box office success that kicked off a slew of feature films. Despite earning less than the first film, Pokémon the Movie 2000: The Power of One (ibid, 1999) still made over $130 million against a $30 million budget; however, while Pokémon 3: The Movie: Spell of the Unown (ibid, 2000) had a far smaller budget, its $68.5 million box office made it the least successful Pokémon movie. When Miramax took over international distribution, the fourth movie, Pokémon 4Ever (Yuyama, 2001), went straight to video and garnered largely negative reviews. Still, its limited theatrical brought in around $40.8 million and a fifth movie followed in select theatres the following year. For Pokémon Heroes, Kunihiko Yuyama was inspired by Venice, Italy though the film was also met by negative reviews. Largely dismissed and slated for its unimaginative plot, Pokémon Heroes has surprisingly developed a small following over the years and was even referenced later in the anime’s life, and feature-length Pokémon films continued to be produced regardless.

The Review:
By the time of Pokémon Heroes, the Pokémon movies had well and truly established a formula and were sticking with it. After a brief introduction to “The World of Pokémon”, we find Ash and his friends – his trusted companion, Pikachu (Ikue Ōtani), and former Gym Leaders Misty (Rachael Lillis) and Brock (Eric Stuart) – visiting the distinctly Venice-inspired Alto Mare. Ash is primarily there to take part in the annual water race, where he’s rocketed through the narrow canals by Totodile (Kayzie Rogers) and competes against Misty (oddly wearing a lifejacket despite her status as a Water Pokémon expert) and other locals while Brock cheers on from the sidelines. It’s all fun and games and gives us a sweeping overview of the city, bolstered by some questionable CGI sequences, until Ash catches the eye of a mysterious, invisible Pokémon later revealed to by the smitten Latias. Though she tries to aid him in the race, Ash ends up being dragged away from the course and the race is ultimately won (by a gnat’s wing) by Misty. While taking a gondola tour of Alto Mare courtesy of former race winner Ross (Michael Sinterniklaas), Ash and the others learn that Latias and Latios are revered as the city’s enigmatic protectors and their image adorns statues and medals across the town, which is kept peaceful thanks to their presence. While Misty and Brock get ice cream, Pikachu is sidetracked by a nearby fountain and encounters a local girl who acts strangely around Ash. Although he shrugs off the encounter, Ash jumps to her defence when he later finds her being accosted by Annie and Oakley and their Espeon (Kayzie Rogers) and Ariados (Unknown). Ash also later races after her through the laneways and into a secluded spot hidden deep within the city. It’s here that Ash and Pikachu meet Bianca (Sands), a girl who looks exactly like the girl he’s been chasing, and her grandfather, Lorenzo (Wayne Grayson), and, crucially, the city’s legendary protectors. After being set upon by the overprotective Latias, cooler heads soon prevail and Ash is stunned to learn that the Eon duo can not only turn invisible but also assume human form. Since Latias and Bianca are best friends, the Pokémon likes to take her form and delights in playing with Ash, with the two soaring through the skies of their secret garden before long.

Ash is stunned when a strange girl turns out to be a Legendary Pokémon in disguise!

Ash learns the history of Alto Mare from Lorenzo, who relates how the city was once terrorized by an Aerodactyl (Unknown) and a Kabutops (Eric Stuart) before a Latios came to town and drowned the two beneath a torrent of water, giving his life to protect the inhabitants. Latias left behind its two babies, Latias and Latios, whom Lorenzo practically raised, and the “Soul Dew”, a glowing orb said to contain Latios’s spirit. The Soul Dew also powers an ancient machine, the Defense Mechanism of Alto Mare (DMA), a powerful amalgamation of ancient and modern technology that can both protect and destroy the city. Lorenzo and Bianca have dedicated themselves to keeping the Soul Dew, the Eon duo, and Alto Mare’s secret from falling into the wrong hands, a secret that Ash promises to guard to keep his newfound friends from harm. Ash also experiences the Eon duo’s other unique ability, “sight sharing”; using his psychic powers, Latios can share what he sees with his sister, who then projects it to those they trust, allowing for a unique and awesome view of the world. With the night drawing in, Ash leaves a sad Latias and her brother to their hidey-hole and heads back to his friends alongside Bianca, who’s stunned to learn that Latias was being pursued by Annie and Oakley. The duo, celebrated agents of the nefarious Team Rocket, are in town specifically to investigate its local legends but even they are stunned to learn of the DMA and the Soul Dew. Unlike the bungling Jessie (Rachael Lillis), James (Eric Stuart), and Meowth (Maddie Blaustein) – who pratfall their way through the feature as background players – Annie and Oakley are capable and formidable antagonists. Equipped with hi-tech gear like drones, zip wires, and even binoculars that let them see through Latias’s disguise, they run rings around the Rocket Trio and even manage to capture Latios. While the two weren’t affiliated with Team Rocket in the original version of the film, the dub positions them as two more far more competent members of the organisation. Their depiction as sisters delighting in mischief and mayhem directly parallels the Eon duo, where Latios takes a more protective and mature stance compared to his more curious and child-like sister.   

Annie and Oakley are far more capable and formidable agents of Team Rocket.

Alto Mare provides one of the more visually interesting locations for the Pokémon features thus far. Made up of stone buildings, bridges, and canals, the city certainly stands out, though it does little to make itself unique from its real-world inspiration beyond the Pokémon aesthetic. The city mixes traditional architecture with near-magical modern technology, one with a decidedly steampunk styling and represented by the DMA, a machine apparently capable of controlling water and enforcing a lockdown by sprouting impassable barriers and gates around the city. There’s a lot of history in Alto Mare, which was terrorised by prehistoric Pokémon and maintains its serenity thanks to Latias and Latios, a peace thrown into chaos when Annie and Oakley steal the Soul Dew, capture Latios, and activate the DMA. Oakley eagerly takes the controls of the ancient machine and immediately becomes obsessed by the near-limitless power it offers, believing she could conquer the entire world with its ridiculously vague abilities. The DMA allows Oakley to bring Aerodactyl and Kabutops back to life and order them to seek out Latias, cage the inhabitants behind magical barriers, and conjure tidal waves and even hurricanes. With her brother imprisoned and the city under siege, Latias races to Ash for help and he reveals his new friend to Misty and Brock, who end up trapped behind Oakley’s barriers, leaving the city’s fate in Ash’s hands. Ash is particularly aggrieved by Aerodactyl and forced to once again race through the city’s canals courtesy of Latias and a water chariot. Quite how Ash survives such an ordeal is beyond me, but Latias is a great help with her supersonic speed and psychic powers. While she’s younger and far weaker than her brother, Latias is capable of powerful feats when stressed or her friends are in danger, though using these abilities exhausts her. Her abilities are also volatile and potentially dangerous; when she shields Ash from harm, Latias accidentally deals critical damage to the DMA and causes it to go haywire. While Oakley’s brought to her senses, the entire city is threatened by the machine’s wild nature, forcing Latias and Latios to follow in their father’s footsteps and defend the town and its inhabitants.

The Nitty-Gritty:
The stakes are decidedly low in Pokémon Heroes, somewhat akin to the stakes in Pokémon 3. Annie, Oakley, and the DMA threaten Alto Mare first and foremost and, though Oakley boasts that the machine could allow her to control the entire world, there’s little evidence to suggest this is true. Like all good Team Rocket agents, Annie and Oakley’s main aim is pleasing their master, Giovanni (Ed Paul), and profiting from the city’s secrets. Unlike the bungling Rocket Trio, Annie and Oakley largely succeed in their goals; while Annie simply covets the beautiful Soul Dew, the two capture Latios and torment him with their electrified ring cage. Oakley then takes the pilot’s seat in the DMA and threatens to flood the town, even almost drowning Ash and Pikachu at one point before Latias intervenes. Pokémon Heroes is one of the few feature-length Pokémon productions to present Legendary Pokémon who cannot communicate, either verbally or through their psychic powers. Latias and Latios are powerful Psychic-Type Pokémon and Latias can assume human form, but neither communicate through words and instead use squeals, squeaks, and body language. It works really well and is a nice change of pace from the usually loquacious Legendary Pokémon and the dynamic between the two is unique, with Latios being the overprotective older brother and Latias being a shy, smitten child trying to make new friends. This does, however, lead to a strange relationship between her and Ash where she visibly blushes in his presence and seems to have a crush on him. Largely, this is presented as her need to make friends and play rather than hiding away, but it seemingly goes a step further in the finale when Latias appears to take Bianca’s form once more and gingerly peck Ash on the cheek (much to Brock’s dismay).

When the DMA goes out of control, Latios sacrifices himself to save the city and his new friends.

With Aerodactyl and Kabutops running wild and the city on lockdown, Ash desperately races to the museum alongside Latias to end the threat to the city. There, he and Latias push themselves to injury trying to free Latios, only for Latias to finally break her brother’s cage, at great strain to herself, and damage to DMA in the process. While Oakley was seemingly ready to lay waste to the entire city anyway, the DMA rages out of control without even her tentative influence, threatening to swamp the city with a destructive tidal wave after the Soul Dew is shattered. The waters recede and rear up in a massive tsunami and the Eon duo are left with no choice but to face it head-on, just as their father did years prior. As before, the threat is dispelled and the city is saved, but at great cost. Already injured from Annie and Oakley’s torture, the strain of dispersing the tsunami costs Latios his life and he bids an emotional farewell to his sister before turning into a beam of light. As the waters rush in and the city’s inhabitants are freed, Ash and the others take a gondola out to sea to look for the Eon duo and find only an exhausted and heartbroken Latias. However, they all receive one final gift as Latios’s disembodied spirit shares his sight with them one last time, allowing them to view the world from afar; his soul also crystallises into a new Soul Dew. A sombre and thankful Lorenzo and Biana place the new Soul Dew back in the secret garden and Ash and his friends say their final goodbyes as they leave to continue their journey across Johto. As they leave, they’re surprised by a strangely quiet Biana, who gifts Ash with a sketch of him and Pikachu and a kiss on the cheek, with it left ambiguous whether it was Bianca or Latias that flagged them down. The three then spot Latias proudly flying through the sky alongside the spirit of her brother and father, while the finale further reveals that Lorenzo is hard at work repairing the DMA and Annie and Oakley have been apprehended and imprisoned for their crimes.

The Summary:
Pokémon Heroes is a strange entry in the long-running franchise, one between generations and seemingly afraid to commit to focusing entirely on Hoenn as the anime wasn’t quite there yet. It’s a bit of a shame as we don’t get any new Pokémon featured here other than the titular Latias and Latios; even Annie and Oakley simply use Johto Pokémon rather than teasing use with more from the third-generation games. Latias and Latios are the highlights of the film, deviating from many of the other featured by being incapable of communicating beyond noises, but I feel their potential was squandered somewhat. I think more could’ve been made from Latias’s ability to change forms; like, why not have both assume human form and perhaps be unruly, cheeky teenagers who must learn to live up to their father’s legacy? Or perhaps more could’ve been made of Latias assuming Bianca’s visage, like her getting into trouble in town or the two being raised as sisters. Instead, it’s just an excuse for a lot of forced whimsy; Ash and friends must giggle and exclaim “Cool!” at things that really aren’t that impressive. Sure, Alto Mare is beautiful and visually unique but it’s grating seeing Ash and the others so enthusiastic about local traditions and such. I’m not saying they should disrespect them or anything; just act a bit more normal and leave the awe for things that deserve it, like the high-octane canal race. I quite liked Annie and Oakley, and their juxtaposition with Jessie and James and the Eon duo, but they weren’t really all that different from Domino/Agent 009 (Kerry Williams) and the Iron Masked Marauder (Dan Green) in that they were more capable and threatening agents of Team Rocket. In fact, one has to wonder why the film didn’t just re-use Butch (Eric Stuart) and Cassidy (Megan Hollingshead), though the answer is simply that them being associated with Team Rocket was a dub addition. Still, I liked Oakley’s descent into madness once she piloted the DMA, but it’s weird that this machine can do so much without any real explanation. It would’ve been nice to see the evil Pokémon it resurrects being something a bit more formidable, like Armaldo and Salamence, or to at least factor into the finale to up the ante a bit. The emotional gut punch of Latios’s sacrifice lands well, but it’s not enough to save the film, which meanders through a very predictable formula and offers very little not seen in the last two movies.

My Rating:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Pretty Good

Are you a fan of Pokémon Heroes? What did you think to Alto Mare and its Venetian aesthetic? Did you like the relationship between Latias and Latios? Do you think the film squandered the potential of the form change gimmick? What did you think to Annie and Oakley? Were you disappointed by the lack of third-generation Pokémon? Which Pokémon game, generation, and creature is your favourite and why? How did you celebrate National Pokémon Day this year? Whatever your thoughts, drop them in the comments below and go check out my other Pokémon content.

Movie Night: Captain America: Brave New World

Dr. K2 Comments

Released: 14 February 2025
Director: Julius Onah
Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Budget: $180 million
Stars: Anthony Mackie, Harrison Ford, Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Giancarlo Esposito, and Tim Blake Nelson

The Plot:
Now shouldering the mantle of Captain America, Sam Wilson (Mackie) navigates a political minefield after an assassination attempt against President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (Ford) threatens to spark world war!

The Background:
After some initial resistance, the United States finally joined the War against the “Axis powers” of Germany, Japan, and Italy in 1939. With patriotism running high in America, Joe Simon and the legendary Jack Kirby created Captain Steve Rogers/Captain America and his kid sidekick, James Buchanan Barnes/Bucky to encourage readers to support the war effort. Cap saw a resurgence when he joined the Avengers and has long found a home outside the comics, featuring in cartoons, serials, a botched big-screen debut, and three critically lauded entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). After Steve Rogers (and actor Chris Evans) retired from the role, MCU head honcho Kevin Feige sought to expand the MCU with Disney+ shows, with one pitch being a “buddy comedy” series focused on the dysfunctional friendship between Sam Wilson and James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes/The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan). Echoing the comic books, where Sam took up the Cap mantle, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Skogland, 2021) was universally praised for its depiction of racism and the dynamic between the two leads. This success directly led to the production of a fourth Captain America movie, initially titled New World Order, that sought to be a more grounded political thriller. This was soon offset by the casting of Harrison Ford, who replaced the late William Hurt and was thrust into the spotlight when the film’s marketing heavily relied upon his transformation into the Red Hulk as much as commenting on real-world politics. Reshoots saw the plot shuffled round and some characters be excised, with Giancarlo Esposito given additional screentime as a trade off and placing more emphasis on the conspiracy sub-plot. Captain America: Brave New World grossed over $370 million worldwide, but was met with somewhat negative reviews that criticised the political narrative, especially in the face of real-world events. The narrative and characterisations were also called into question, with critics being divided over the visual effects, though Mackie remained hopeful for future solo ventures for the character.

The Review:
Captain America: Brave New World depicts the United States as a country in turmoil. Following the many strange, destructive, and harrowing events of the previous MCU films, the nation is more divided and afraid than ever. Thus, former “Hulk Hunter” and decorated military General Thaddeus Ross completes his evolution from Senator to President of the United States after running a successful campaign based on one, unlikely word: together. Though Ross captures the majority vote with his promises to unite Americans and repair the relationship between the American government and the country’s various costumed defenders, some still question Ross’s newfound appreciation for the Avengers and his push for unity considering his historically short fuse and previous aggression in upholding the Sokovia Accords. None are more aware of Ross’s shortcomings than Sam Wilson, the former Falcon who now operates independent of the government (yet still in a military capacity) as Captain America. Sam’s wariness of Ross’s promises is echoed by aged veteran Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), the prototype super soldier who spent thirty years locked away and being experimented on and who is reluctant for Sam to work with the government. However, Ross is eager to build bridges not just with Sam, but the entire world, especially as scientists from across the globe have discovered a rare and particularly versatile mineral (dubbed “Adamantium”) on “Celestial Island”, the remains of a titanic Celestial that tried to emerge from the Earth. The staggering potential of Adamantium is enough to have Ross set aside personal grudges and encourage the world’s governments to co-ordinate their mining efforts. He makes significant headway with this after Captain America and his enthusiastic, hacker partner, First Lieutenant Joaquin Torres/The Falcon (Ramirez), recover a stolen sample of Adamantium from Seth Voelker/Sidewinder (Esposito), an expert marksman and enigmatic leader of the Serpent Society, a group of mercenaries working for the mysterious “Buyer” to upset the political climate.

Amidst a political minefield, Sam discovers a plot to discredit the President and spark worldwide conflict.

Celebrated for their heroics, Sam and Joaquin are invited to attend Ross’s special presentation on Adamantium at the White House and, eager to coax the distrustful Isaiah out of his shell, Sam invites him along. However, during Ross’s speech, Isaiah and a handful of other attendees suddenly open fire on the President, with Isaiah appearing little more than a confused old man after Sam talks him into custody. Angered by these events, Ross rescinds his offer for Sam to rebuild the Avengers and orders him not to investigate, instead handing the task to his personal security advisor, former Black Widow Ruth Bat-Seraph (Haas). Naturally, Sam disobeys this order and works with Joaquin to review security footage of the attack, learning that Isaiah and the others were compelled through a form of mind control. Sam’s investigation sees him cross paths with and apprehend Sidewinder, whose phone leads him and Joaquin to a military black site, where they find Gamma-mutated biologist Doctor Samuel Sterns (Nelson) has been held captive for over a decade. Gifted an upgraded suit by the Wakandan people, Sam is more than capable as Captain America thanks to his Vibranium wings protecting him, absorbing the impact of any attack and redirecting it as kinetic blasts. Sam has the same skills he showcased as the Falcon (skills he’s extremely protective of as he hesitates to share them with Joaquin) but has vastly improved his skill with a shield. Unlike Steve Rogers, however, Sam doesn’t have the benefit of the super soldier serum, though his suit helps dull any injuries he does receive and a pep talk from Bucky allays Sam’s doubts about his abilities after Joaquin is injured defusing a conflict between American and Japanese forces. In a nice change of pace, Sam is seemingly universally accepted in his new role; the military respect and admire him, jeopardising their careers to aid him after Ross demands he and Joaquin be apprehended. Sam’s also as charismatic and confident as Steve, easily befriending those around him and championing world peace and cooler heads over violence. Far from a naïve optimist, Sam plays his cards close to his chest and gives Ross the benefit of the doubt, but becomes determined to investigate the complex deception at work after Isaiah is imprisoned and faces the death penalty.

Sterns manipulates events to brainwash assassins and push Ross to breaking point!

Obviously, it’s a shame that William Hurt never got to complete his story as Thunderbolt Ross but, if you’re going to recast an actor, who better than Harrison Ford to pick up the slack? Shaving his trademark moustache and campaigning on a platform of unity, Ross is desperate to convince the world that he’s a changed man. However, while he’s convinced the majority of Americans, Sam and the others remain skeptical and his estranged daughter, Doctor Betty Ross (Liv Tyler) refuses to take his calls. Eager to void conflict, Ross is adamant about pushing forward a treaty to share the Adamantium, but soon finds his temper tested after he’s shot at and accused of shady dealings by the equally sceptical Japanese prime minister, Ozaki (Takehiro Hira). Although Ross genuinely wants Sam onboard and the rebuild the Avengers to atone for his previous aggressive ways, he burns bridges with Sam over Isaiah and quickly mobilises the Navy to secure Celestial Island, his stress only compounded by Sterns’ influence and his reliance on mysterious pills. It turns out the Sam’s right to be suspicious of Ross as he worsened Sterns’ condition and used his superhuman intellect to manipulate his way to the White House, then incurred the hyper-intelligent doctor’s wrath by refusing to free him. This sees Sterns concoct an elaborate plan to discredit Ross using mind control triggers, which easily turns the President’s secret service into his unwitting soldiers and sees him escape custody. Sterns’ scheme also extends to hiring Sidewinder and kick-starting the plot, which tips the world to the brink of war and sees Sam and Joaquin desperately rushing to calm tenses between the world’s superpowers once they uncover this plot. Determined to keep his dealings with Sterns from leaking, Ross surreptitiously tries to tie up loose ends, unwittingly turning the petite Ruth’s loyalties towards Sam after she discovers evidence that Isaiah and the others weren’t in control of their actions. Though Ross was saved from certain death from a heart condition thanks to Sterns’ research, he’s been unknowingly digesting Gamma-laced pills for years, which make him quick to anger and susceptible to Sterns’ mind control, resulting in Ross transforming into a crimson-hued Hulk before a terrified press conference and forcing Sam to test his mettle in the most dangerous way possible.

The Nitty-Gritty:
Captain America: Brave New World certainly gives itself a lot of balls to juggle. It finally addresses what happened to that gigantic Celestial and lays an interesting foundation for the MCU’s version of the X-Men, finally ties up the loose end of Samuel Sterns, presenting him as an embittered puppet master looking to publicly disgrace President Ross, teases Bucky’s new life as a Congressman, and continues Sam’s evolution as Captain America. Thanks to Sam having worked through many of his doubts and insecurities in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Sam has fully embraced his new role here, only questioning his ability after Joaquin gets hurt. Even then, Bucky offers him some advice that gets him back on track and, while I think it’d be totally believable that a man as good as Sam could handle the super soldier serum, Sam’s perfectly capable without it thanks to his skill as the Falcon. In fact, Sam may be a little too good as he shrugs off wounds and performs nigh-superhuman feats during fights, though the film makes an effort to show him visibly exhausted from the effort. His status as a “normal” man doing the right thing contributes to the respect he earns from his peers; even Ross has a begrudging respect for Sam, even if it’s strained as the film progresses. I’m glad that Brave New World didn’t waste time questioning Sam’s ability or showing undue negativity towards him. Instead, he kicks ass as Captain America and showcases his stubborn determination as he works to clear his friend’s name, even if it goes against what the President thinks or wants. It was a shame, however, that Giancarlo Esposito was essentially wasted here. He gets a couple of action scenes and steals the show with his usual silky-smooth cool, and is presumably being set up for more later down the line, but his role got a lot of hype prior to the film so I couldn’t help but be disappointed by how small his role was in the end.

Despite some predictable elements, the film was an action-packed political thriller.

Instead, most of the film’s marketing was focused on the Red Hulk and his fight against Captain America. On the one hand, I understand this as you want to capture people’s attention and get people in the cinema to see how Sam can stand against such a creature, but it was a touch misleading since the Red Hulk doesn’t appear until the finale. Instead, most of the film is an action thriller following Sam and Joaquin as they work to uncover who’s behind Isaiah’s mind control. There’s nothing wrong with this and it makes for a decent adventure, but it’s pretty obvious that Isaiah and the others were triggered by lights and music, something we’ve seen in the MCU before (and which Sam even notes), so it’s weird that Ross was so quick to condemn Isaiah. Of course, a significant sub-plot regarding the President is his trustworthiness and it’s clear he’s hiding a lot, leading to an emotional showdown between him and Sam where Ross reveals how close he came to death and how poorly he treated Sterns. Once Sam confronts Sterns and he escapes, it’s pretty clear what’s gone down, but the key parties (Sam and Ross) remain clueless. There’s even a moment where Sterns callously murders Sam’s ally, Dennis Dunphy (William Mark McCullough), to keep him from revealing the truth of Ross’s pills to Sam…only for Sterns to relate that information to Sam shortly afterwards. While some have picked about Brave New World’s CGI and reshoots, I had a great time with the action sequences. Sam looks amazing in his new suit, which is a vast improvement over his last one, and is a whirling dervish as Captain America, cutting through the air, blasting along with his jetpack, slicing up foes with his wings, and tossing his shield in ways that would make his predecessor proud. Sam’s Wakandan enhancements make up for his lack of superhuman strength, though Sam remains vulnerable, sporting wounds and exhaustion, and yet being strong enough to turn to his allies for help and to take the high road during conflicts. Joaquin made for a fun counterpart to Sam; he’s equally talented as the Falcon and a tech whiz, but overly enthusiastic and too eager to prove himself to his hero at times. They work well together on equal terms and I enjoyed their high-speed action sequences, with Sam even proving his worth without the suit and emphasising disarming and subduing his foes rather than blindly blundering in.

Cap ultimately overcomes the odds and brings a measure of peace to the misguided President.

With Ruth on-side and Sam and Joaquin having discovered Sterns is mind controlling targets with light and sound triggers, Cap and Falcon barely quell a conflict between the US and Japan. Though Joaquin is severely wounded when defending Celestial Island, Sterns’ plot is ultimately scuppered and Ross’s treaty regains traction, leading Sterns with no choice but to surrender himself, arrogantly believing that Ross’s true nature cannot be suppressed. Indeed, when addressing the press outside the White House, Sterns’ pills and the stress of the whole situation (and the Sterns’ testimony to the media) see Ross lose control of his emotions. Thus, he painfully and forcibly transforms into the Red Hulk, a mindless and enraged giant who immediately goes on a rampage. Despite being hopelessly outmatched, Captain America flies into battle with the Red Hulk, barely protected by his Vibranium wings and destroying most of the White House. Remembering Ross’s wish to take his daughter to the city’s cherry blossom trees, Captain America has Ruth get the crowd to safety and leads the Red Hulk to the garden, only for the creature’s rage to boil out of control. Badly hurt and with his suit damaged, Captain America charges his remaining wing with the Red Hulk’s unbridled strength and delivers a concussive blast that momentarily puts the beast down. When the Red Hulk returns for more, Sam takes a major gamble and appeals to Ross’s humanity, finally calming the troubled President down and ending the threat. Realising the extent of his actions, Ross relinquishes his post and allows himself to be incarcerated at the Raft, where he finally reconciles with Betty. Ross and Sam part with a mutual respect and Sam’s delighted to see Joaquin on the road to recovery, especially as he’s decided to rebuild the Avengers after all, though Sam’s left rattled when the imprisoned Sterns mocks him and delivers a vague, suitably ominous warning about future threats from other worlds…

The Summary:
Captain America: Brave New World faced an uphill battle, for many reasons. Despite Sam being Captain America in the comics for years, the idea of someone else taking up the mantle is always going to irk some, especially a very vocal and toxic minority of bigots. However, Anthony Mackie takes to the role admirably, exuding a cool confidence that sees him command the screen and throw the shield with admirable gusto. I loved how Sam was presented as a friend to all, talking to people in their native language, saluting the military, and sticking to his guns, even if it means going against the President of the United States. He’s a natural leader and an efficient fighter, even without the super soldier serum, and attacks the conspiracy at work with a stubborn determinism that showcases the strength of will and loyalty that make him the right choice to be Captain America. Harrison Ford was equally captivating in the film. It’s awful that William Hurt died before he could see this arc through, but Ford really threw himself into the whole MCU circus and brought his all to this role, being gruff, commanding, and pained as the script dictated. I definitely felt like Ross was genuinely trying to make amends for his past, but he had too many skeletons in the closet, had made too many enemies, and ultimately was faced with forces beyond his control, leading to his Hulk-out. The Red Hulk looked fantastic, exuding rage and danger and delivering by far the best and most impressive CGI rendition of a Hulk yet. While it was misleading to base so much of the marketing around the character, I can see why they did it and the sequence absolutely delivered, more than making up for the wasting of Giancarlo Esposito. I was also thrilled to see Tim Blake Nelson return and deliver a suitably hammy, menacing version of the Leader, finally paying off one of the MCU’s most notorious plot threads. While the plot felt a little predictable and bare bones at times, the action and performances and nice balance of drama and comedy made up for it and resulted in a solid first solo effort for the new Captain America, who I hope to see have a prominent role as an aspirational leader in the MCU for years to come.

My Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Great Stuff

Did you enjoy Captain America: Brave New World? What did you think Anthony Mackie’s first big-screen solo outing as the character and Sam’s status as a more human version of the Avenger? Did you enjoy Harrison Ford’s performance and Ross’s attempts to turn over a new leaf? Were you satisfied with the way the film tied up loose ends regarding Sterns and the Celestial? Do you think it was misleading to put so much focus on the Red Hulk or did you enjoy his eventual appearance? Where do you want to see Captain America go next in the MCU? Whatever you think about Captain America: Brave New World, or Captain America in general, drop a comment down below, support me on Ko-Fi, and go check out my other Captain America content.

Screen Time & Knuckles: Knuckles

Dr. K2 Comments

With the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (SEGA Technical Institute, 1994) in February 1994, gamers were introduced to Knuckles the Echidna. This mischievous, dreadlocked antagonist was created by Takashi Yuda and is my favourite of Sonic’s supporting cast so I dedicated every Sunday to Rad Red!

Air Date: 26 April 2024
Network: Paramount+
Stars: Idris Elba, Adam Pally, Rory McCann, Scott Mescudi, Ellie Taylor, and Cary Elwes

The Background:
As one of the main players in the aggressive Console War between Nintendo and SEGA, Sonic has seen his fair share of adaptations over the years, starring in multiple comic books and cartoons, but various legal and creative issues kept Sonic from the big screen (beyond an awesome original video animation (OVA)). However, once Paramount Pictures acquired the franchise rights, it produced a surprising critical and commercial hit. Sonic the Hedgehog’s (Fowler, 2020) success was followed by an equally successful sequel, one that not only incorporated more elements from the videogames but also cast Idris Elba as Knuckles the Echidna. Having also featured prominently in comic books and some cartoons, Knuckles was pegged for a spin-off live-action/CGI hybrid series during Sonic 2’s development. Elba reprised his role and the producers approached the series with the same care and attention as they would a big screen venture. Set between Sonic 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Fowler, 2024), the series was pitched as a buddy comedy in the same vein as the first movie. The various visual effects studios thus strived to recreate the same quality of CGI effects seen in the movies (though a hilarious Knuckles puppet was incorporated on-set to give the actors room to improvise). All six episodes dropped the same day on Paramount+ and Knuckles became both the most watched Paramount+ original series and kids/family title ever at the time. Knuckles was met with largely positive reviews as critics enjoyed the fun atmosphere and thrilling action, though it was noted to be derivative of the first movie and lacking in creativity. While a second series hasn’t officially been discussed, Idris Elba and Sonic 3 co-star Keanu Reeves did express interest in doing a team-up series in the future.

The Plot:
Having relocated to Earth, Knuckles embarks on a journey of self-discovery after agreeing to train dim-witted Deputy Sheriff Wade Whipple (Pally) to be an echidna warrior, only to run afoul of an aggressive mercenary (McCann) seeking to steal his power.

The Review:
After being duped by the megalomaniacal Doctor Ivo Robotnik (Jim Carrey), Knuckles, the last of the warrior-like echidna race, joined forces with Sonic the Hedgehog (Ben Schwartz) and Miles “Tails” Prower (Colleen O’Shaughnessey) to defeat the mad scientist and safeguard the all-powerful Master Emerald. In the aftermath, Knuckles chose to stay on Earth and formed a bond with the two akin to a brotherhood, with all three staying at the Wachowski residence in Green Hills, Montana. However, while Sonic and Tails enjoy simply relaxing and enjoying the beauty and comforts afforded by Earth, Knuckles is restless and constantly in search of his next glorious battle. Already somewhat naïve and proud, Knuckles struggles with Earth customs and takes almost everything at face value; when workmen come to renovate the Wachowski home, Knuckles attacks, thinking they’re intruders. Similarly, when Sonic advises him to “make himself at home”, Knuckles constructs an iron throne and sets up a combat arena to test the family dog, Ozzie (Unknown), against his mortal enemy, the mailman (Brian Yansen). This proves a step too far for family matriarch Maddie (Tika Sumpter), who grounds Knuckles and leaves him questioning his place in this new world. While enduring his exile in the attic, Knuckles pleads with the ancient echidna spirits to show him the way and is visited by the spirit of Chief Pachacamac (Christopher Lloyd), here portrayed not as a wise echidna leader rather than an arrogant and destructive warmonger. Pachacamac directs Knuckles to train a protégé in the ways of their warrior tribe so that the echidna race can live on, if only in spirit, and points him towards Wade Whipple, the bumbling Deputy Sherrif who recently lost his place on his local bowling team and is struggling with his sense of self-worth. What follows is, honestly, very much a retread of the first Sonic movie (a buddy comedy/road trip where the two main characters learn the value of friendship and their self-worth while battling a madman with a penchant for mechs), but presented with such whimsical, light-hearted fun that I couldn’t help but chuckle throughout.

Knuckles embarks on a quest to train Wade as an echidna warrior and pass on his life skills.

Thanks to its six-episode format, Knuckles delves much deeper into the titular echidna’s character and past. Stated to be the last of his kind and having lived much of his life alone, bouncing between worlds with his cache of Golden Rings, Knuckles isn’t used to having his feet on the ground and constantly tests his incredible strength and warrior skills in both obstacle courses and self-imposed missions. Although he’s initially sceptical, Knuckles takes training Wade very seriously and constantly gives him pointers on how to improve his confidence and be a better warrior, even if Wade’s ultimate goal is to capture a bowling championship in Reno, Nevada. Knuckles even feeds Wade lines when Wade confronts his superstar father, “Pistol” Pete Whipple (Elwes). However, while Knuckles boasts super strength, the ability to glide and dig, and can easily fight his way out of most situations, Wade is far less capable, relying more on dim-witted luck and slapstick buffoonery in combat situations. Thus, he’s easily apprehended by dramatic bounty hunter (and captain of Wade’s bowling team) Jack Sinclair (Julian Barratt). However, while held captive in Sinclair’s electrified cage in “The Flames of Disaster” (Taccone, 2024), Wade endures an incredibly amusing “low-budget rock opera”, courtesy of Pachacamac and some elaborate pantomime costumes, which delves into Knuckles’ tragic backstory. When Giant Owls eradicated the echidna tribe and left young Knuckles alone after killing his father (Andy Heath), Knuckles embarked on a perilous quest to confront what appears to be Iblis and harness the “Flames of Disaster”, a fighting spirit that engulfs his massive fists in flames. Despite rejecting Sonic’s notion that he’s found a home and a family, Knuckles is fiercely loyal to his friends and goes out of his way to help Wade whenever he gets into a bind. This devotion goes both ways, however, as, when Knuckles is captured by renegade Guardian Units of Nations (G.U.N.) agents Mason (Mescudi) and Willoughby (Taylor), Wade resolves to rescue his friend despite being hopelessly outmatched by their superior weaponry. As is his way, Wade envisions a fantasy where he concocts an elaborate rescue attempt only to fumble with his fireworks and to work the duo’s quill-empowered mech glove, barely surviving when Mason attacks him and only succeeding by pure luck. However, in keeping with his optimistic nature, Wade sees even a flawed victory as a win, a philosophy that wins over the proud echidna.

Bumbling Wade must overcome his insecurities and family troubles to seize personal glory.

There are a couple of unavoidable downsides to Knuckles and the first one is that the show is primarily more focused on Wade’s growth into a more confident character. Troubled by abandonment issues and constantly clashing with his loud-mouthed sister, Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) agent Wanda (Patterson), Wade struggles with his self-worth since he constantly seems to be making a mess of things. Fully aware that his estranged father will be bowling in Reno, Wade hopes to not only prove his worth as a bowler but to reconcile with his father, who’s initially warm and reciprocal to these feelings but soon proves be every bit the arrogant and self-centred “schmuck” that Wade’s mother, Wendy (Stockard Channing) describes him as. Wade’s much closer to his mother, who welcomes Knuckles into her home in “The Shabbat Dinner” (Trost, 2024) and connects with his troubles due to her Jewish heritage. It’s through spending time with “Mother Whipple” and connecting with Wade’s childhood memories that Knuckles becomes more invested in their shared quest and Wade’s desire to be accepted by his father, a goal he’s doomed to fail since Pete willing sells not only Wade but his wife and daughter out to Mason and Willoughby simply to capture his twenty-eighth bowling championship. While Wade may not be much of a warrior, physically, he makes up for it with an enthusiastic gusto and an overactive imagination. Fully aware of his flaws, Wade vows that he’d never abandon his loved ones like his father and proves true to his word in “What Happens in Reno, Stays in Reno” (Banker, 2024) as he tricks Mason and Willoughby into thinking he’s betrayed Knuckles but is, in fact, in constant communication with his friend. Pachacamac’s vision quest also gives Wade the fortitude to overcome Sinclair, humbling his former best friend and relieving him of his coat, bike, and an all-too-familiar cowboy hat that Wade gifts to Knuckles for helping him realise his true worth.

These three are poor substitutes for Dr. Robotnik but they do their part, such as it is.

Another area where Knuckles somewhat disappoints is the villains. Since Dr. Robotnik is presumed dead, we’re mainly left following Mason and Willoughby, two disgruntled G.U.N. agents who have been secretly selling the alien’s quills and G.U.N.’s technology to another former G.U.N. castoff, “The Buyer”. A former underground fighter with a deep love for his mother, Mason relishes the chance to go toe-to-toe with Knuckles and mostly treats Wade as an afterthought, a miscalculation that costs him each time and ultimately ends with him and Willougby being banished to places unknown through the Golden Rings. Frequently exasperated by her partner’s theatrical nature, Willoughby is more concerned with delivering on their promises to the Buyer since she has no desire to be punished by G.U.N. or killed by the mercenary for their failures. The two go to any lengths, including easily threatening Pete and holding Wendy and Wanda hostage to coerce Wade into delivering Knuckles but, despite their formidable weapons and mech harnesses, the two are about as effective as Team Rocket. As for the Buyer, he’s said to have been a former engineer who built weapons and technology for G.U.N. before they started working with Dr. Robotnik. After Dr. Robotnik went bananas, G.U.N. scrubbed any ties to the madman, including the Buyer, who was left scratching and clawing a living on the black market. Thanks to Mason and Willoughby providing him with quills from the aliens, the Buyer has pieced together some formidable tech, resulting in weapons that give even a regular human a fighting chance against Knuckles. Thus, the Buyer’s deep desire is to match his finest creation against the proud echidna warrior. He realises this dream in the series finale, attacking Knuckles with a bizarre, tentacled mech just as Wade out-bowls and humiliates his father. Similar to the finale of the first Sonic movie, Knuckles is initially overwhelmed by the Buyer’s mech and drained of his power, leaving Wade to step up with the madman’s own technology and deliver an impassioned speech about friendship and fighting spirit. This reignites Knuckles, allowing him to wield the Flames of Disaster once more, and sees him and Wade defeat the Buyer and claim the bowling trophy as a team.

Knuckles and Wade’s journey sees them find their purpose against tragedy and heartbreak.

I say these are two “issues” with Knuckles only because Mason, Willoughby, and the Buyer are poor substitutes for Dr. Robotnik and Agent Stone (Lee Majdoub). It might’ve been better to have Agent Stone take the spotlight and sell the quills and the doctor’s tech to Mason and Willoughby. They then could’ve piloted a refurbished mech from the first movie in the finale and taken centre stage as the primary threat, with the rest of the Buyer’s screen time and limited characterisation being absorbed by the far more interesting and enjoyable Sinclair. These are minor issues, to be fair, since the main purpose of Knuckles is to tell an enjoyable side adventure for the titular echidna. The villains are secondary and are treated as such, being external obstacles for both to overcome just as they overcome their insecurities or reluctance to settle down. Knuckles retains the same high-quality of digital effects for its alien characters and fight scenes, with Sonic and Tails popping up in cameo roles and a beautifully designed version of Pachacamac adding additional comedy and wisdom to the show. For the most part, the narrative is heavily borrowed from the first movie but incorporates a father/son dynamic to the main plot that allows it to stand out. Wade’s relationship with his family is complicated; while he may get on well with his mother, Wendy still despairs of his lack of enthusiasm for Jewish traditions and his constant bickering with Wanda. Wendy is deeply concerned when she sees Wade and Pete building bridges, warning that his theatrical father cares only for the spotlight and is a natural deceiver. Wade disregards this since he’s desperate to reconnect with his father, which only strengthens Wade’s loyalty to Knuckles when Pete betrays him. While Knuckles is loyal to his friends, it’s more out of obligation since he swore an oath; he doesn’t feel at home in Green Hills and isn’t used to being in one place. He’s glad for the chance to pass on some of his warrior knowledge and to learn more about Earth, constantly baffled by our customs but curious about subjects like the Jewish faith. The journey ultimately sees Knuckles learn that he has a new home and a stable family (two, in fact, since he’s equally adopted by the Whipples), things he cares for so deeply that he taps into the Flames of Disaster, a power boost too strong for even the Buyer’s heavily armed mech.

The Summary:
I’d heard conflicting reports about Knuckles that mostly criticised it for being too focused on Wade and too derivative of the first movie. It’s true that Knuckles starts strong with the first episode, “The Warrior” (Fowler, 2024), in which we get a cool training sequence in Knuckles’ obstacle course and appearances by Sonic and Tails, but I think it carried this momentum through really well in subsequent episodes. It helps that I’m a big fan of the character and Idris Elba’s portrayal, and that Knuckles is only six episodes long, so it breezes by. I think harkening back to the first movie for some of the narrative and thematic beats was a good idea. Sonic the Hedgehog had some flaws, for sure, but it did a surprisingly good job of reinventing the character for his big-screen debut and who doesn’t love a buddy comedy/road trip? Knuckles is bolstered by some fun needle drops and an adorable opening paper craft animation, and some fun references for franchise fans. When re-enacting Knuckles’ childhood in a comically ill-fitting costume, Wade races through hills and loops, collecting Golden Rings and even bashing Badniks, to say nothing of Knuckles recontextualising one of the series’ most atrocious videogames and bestowing the Flames of Disaster to Knuckles to make him even more unique. Of course, the most obvious Easter Egg is Knuckles’ hat, styled exactly like his OVA counterpart’s, alongside deep cut, obscure references such as Knuckles being partial to grapes. Sure, it would’ve been nice to see Rouge the Bat, Agent Stone, or maybe even Fang the Hunter take the place of the three villains but I didn’t have much of an issue with Mason, Willoughby, and the Buyer since they fulfilled the functions requires of them by the script and added a decent amount of personality to their roles when they could. Sinclair’s overly dramatic delivery trumped them all, for sure, however, which is why I would’ve liked to see Julian Barratt get more screentime.

An enjoyable show with some fun Easter Eggs, action, and amusing performances.

While I’m not the biggest fan of Wade’s, he acquits himself well here. He’s a flamboyant and comically bungling character, often lost in fantasy or getting in over his head and suffering pratfalls as a consequence, but he’s got a hell of a heart and never backs down from a challenge even when he’s severely outmatched. I liked that him and Knuckles got along and never fell out; the twist that Wade and Knuckles had their earpieces in was a great way to avoid a cliché falling out and resolution after the conclusion of “Reno, Baby” (Banker, 2024). Knuckles seems genuinely invested in Wade right from the start and even more so after bonding with his mother, and Wade gives his all to try and make Knuckles proud, even if he sometimes misses the point or falls on his ass. None of the episodes felt like filler, which was a relief, though I naturally favoured any scenes with Knuckles in since he’s such an adorable little nitwit at times. Each episode had a decent balance of action, drama, comedy, and pathos, with the human characters mostly offering wry commentary when things go amiss (such as Mason being embarrassed when his mother calls mid-fight) and Knuckles struggling to understand simple concepts like CDs, fast food, and not smashing baddies through walls. Knuckles absolutely continues the momentum from the movies, giving the titular echidna a chance to mirror Sonic’s own journey to acclimatise to his new world and giving him a purpose to help him settle. Given his tragic backstory, it’d be easy for Knuckles to be a sullen, brooding loner but he’s more looking for action, glory, and to bring honour to his tribe, both his long-dead civilisation and his newfound family. While the series is obviously catered more towards a younger audience, I’m okay with that as the action was thrilling and the performances were strong throughout. Cary Elwes shined with his pompous, theatrical character and I thought the running commentary throughout the bowling tournament was terrific. In the end, I was pleasantly surprised by Knuckles as I was expecting a more uneven viewing experience but it was a blast to watch and kept me entertained throughout, so I’d highly recommend it if you’re a fan of the movies.

My Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Great Stuff

Did you enjoy Knuckles? What did you think to the Flames of Disaster being repurposed into an ability of his? Were you disappointed that it borrowed so heavily from the first Sonic movie or did you enjoy the buddy comedy format? What did you think the the antagonists, specifically the Buyer? Which of Sonic’s supporting cast would you like to see get a similar spin-off series? How did you celebrate Knuckles this month? Whatever you thought about Knuckles, comment below, drop me some love on Ko-Fi, and go check out my other Knuckles content!

Back Issues & Knuckles: Total Chaotix

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With the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (SEGA Technical Institute, 1994) in February 1994, gamers were introduced to Knuckles the Echidna. This mischievous, dreadlocked antagonist was created by Takashi Yuda and is my favourite of Sonic’s supporting cast so I’ve been dedicating every Sunday to Rad Red!

Story Title: “Total Chaotix” (Part 1 to 6)
Published: 27 May 1995 (cover-dated: 9 June 1995) to 5 August 1995 (cover-dated: 18 August 1995)
Writer: Nigel Kitching
Artist: Richard Elson

The Background:
After finally knocking Nintendo from the top of the videogame industry, SEGA almost immediately transformed Sonic’s popularity into mainstream success with an influx of ancillary merchandise, mainly cartoons and comic books. Six months or so after Archie Comics published their first Sonic miniseries, United Kingdom publisher Fleetway Editions Limited published “Britain’s Official SEGA Comic”, Sonic the Comic (StC), a fortnightly comic book I collected diligently until its unfortunate end. Largely taking its lore from the now defunct Mobius/Doctor Ovi Kintobor storyline that originated outside of Japan, StC portrayed Sonic as a mean-spirited leader of the rebellious Freedom Fighters. Like the Archie comics, StC included some loose adaptations that recontextualised the videogames to fit its noticeably different lore. After his introduction in a multi-part story loosely based on Sonic 3, Knuckles immediately graduated to his own back-up stories that, after tying up loose ends from his debuted, eventually expanded on Knuckles’s vague backstory. His second solo feature, however, would be this loose adaptation of Knuckles’ Chaotix (SEGA, 1995), a bizarre and obscure title released solely for SEGA’s doomed 32X peripheral, which dramatically reinterpreted the titular Chaotix Crew for StC’s purposes.

The Review:
“Total Chaotix” begins immediately after (or, at least, not long after) Sonic and Knuckles finally rid the Floating Island of Doctor Ivo Robotnik’s forces, bring down his Death Egg space station, and return the all-powerful Master Emerald to the island’s hot-headed guardian. Thus, Knuckles is in high spirits at the start of the story as, for the first time in centauries, the seven Chaos Emeralds and their gigantic master are fully powered, increasing them in size, keeping the Floating Island high in the sky, and protecting the island with an energy barrier to deter unwanted visitors. Speaking of which, Knuckles takes a Zoom Tube to check in on his new guests in the Mushroom Hill Zone. Realising that Dr. Robotnik would turn his wrath on the Emerald Hill Zone inhabitants, Sonic arranged a deal with Knuckles to shelter the Emerald Hill folk on the Floating Island in return for the Master Emerald. While Knuckles isn’t exactly happy with this arrangement since he prefers to live in solitude, he honours the agreement and hopes his new guests won’t bother him. While investigating the damage done to the Floating Island by the Death Egg’s powerful eye lasers, Knuckles is shocked to discover an old echidna relic: a stone ring whose ancient writing apparently reveals it to be a gateway to a “dream country”. Before Knuckles can properly examine the artefact, a portal suddenly opens and sucks him through, depositing the naïve guardian in the Special Zone. Bombarded by the bizarre dimension’s kaleidoscope of colours and surreal imagery, Knuckles realises he mistranslated the stone and prepares for a rough ride since the Special Zone is almost impossible to escape from. At that moment, Knuckles is confronted by the Omni-Viewer, a sentient television screen who watches over the Special Zone and allows for transport to and from the dimension. While the Omni-Viewer is an ally of Sonic’s and was once forced to do Dr. Robotnik’s bidding, his intelligence is massively out of date and he still believes Knuckles is the dictator’s partner. Thus, he ignores Knuckles’ pleas and teleports in the “Guardians of the Special Zone”, the Chaotix (Vector the Crocodile, Mighty the Armadillo, Espio the Chameleon, Charmy Bee (referred to as “Charmee”), and Nack the Weasel) to deal with the perceived threat.

Knuckles runs afoul of the Chaotix and discovers a Metallix plot in the Special Zone.

On Vector’s order, the group’s muscle, Mighty, leaps in to land the first blow, leaving him plummeting into the void when Knuckles glides to safety. Luckily, the peppy “Charmee” is on hand to rescue his cohort, who doesn’t care for the enthusiastic youngster’s commentary on his humiliation. While trying to escape the unreasonable group, Knuckles is blindsided by Espio’s camouflage ability. The chameleon then throttles Knuckles (!) and calls Nack for an assist, only for both to be shrugged off by the echidna’s superior strength. Vector then enters the fray and tries to snap his powerful jaws onto Knuckles’ head; however, Knuckles dodges and lands a solid uppercut to Vector’s chin, causing him to bite his tongue. The fracas is halted by the Omni-Viewer, who does a bit of research and finds that Knuckles is telling the truth. However, just as tensions are beginning to cool, “Charmee” notices some distortion appearing on the Omni-Viewer’s “face” and, to the horror of all, the warping solidifies to show not one, but two Metallixes forming within the Omni-Viewer! Despite recognising Sonic’s robotic doppelgänger from a precious encounter in Sky Sanctuary Zone, Knuckles is as powerless as Vector to keep the Omni-Viewer from being downloaded to a handheld device wielded by one of the Badniks. The Metallix then flee the scene, leaving the Omni-Viewer an empty void and giving the group no chance but to team up to rescue him, despite Nack’s suspicions that Knuckles is still working for Dr. Robotnik. When Vector mentions the ovoid dictator’s abandoned Egg Fortress base, the group makes haste on a rescue mission, unaware that the Metallixes are working under the command of a gigantic Emperor Metallix! Thanks to Mighty flying head-first at the Egg Fortress, the group’s infiltration doesn’t go as quietly as Knuckles wished, though it’s Rad Red who must keep Mighty and Espio from coming to blows when the short-tempered armadillo trips the base’s alarm. After “Charmee” warns of an incoming Metallix, the group squeeze into the base’s ventilation system. However, an errant kick from Nack compromises their position, forcing the wayward weasel to flee when they’re spotted by the Metallix.

Despite a double cross from Nack, Knuckles and the Chaotix defeat the Metallix…for now…

The Metallix attacks without mercy, blasting the group with its chest laser, easily sends them flying with a swing of its clawed arm, then buries them beneath debris by blasting the roof above. Although the Metallix believes it has killed its foes, Knuckles claws his way from the wreckage and flies into a rage. While the Metallix tanks his best shot and its speed throws Knuckles off-balance, Knuckles subdues the robot by hurling a girder through its chest. Though only a temporary reprieve, it’s enough for Nack to come out of hiding and for Mighty to muscle the debris off his team. With the damaged Metallix in hot pursuit and the Emperor Metallix’s plot to create a copy of the Omni-Viewer almost complete, Nack leads the team right into the “lion’s den” (as Vector puts it), betraying his team mates to the Emperor Metallix in return for “money, what else?” Although the Emperor Metallix thanks Nack for giving them the access codes to the Omni-Viewer, it immediately orders its Metallixes to attack him alongside his former allies, double-crossing the opportunistic weasel. Despite Nack busting out a hidden disruptor for just such a double-cross, he’s blasted by a Metallix. Still, Knuckles grabs the weapon and fires it, emitting what appears to be an electro-magnetic pulse that instantly disables the Emperor Metallix and its two minions. With the threat ended in surprisingly anti-climactic fashion, the Chaotix retrieve Nack and the Omni-Viewer and drop Knuckles back on the Floating Island. However, Knuckles can’t shake the feeling that there was something off about the Metallix and the Omni-Viewer finds he’s missing some memory banks from the ordeal. They’re right to be concerned by this for the story ends to show the Emperor Metallix and its brotherhood reactivating, having successfully feigned defeat, and that they now possess a corrupted version of the Omni-Viewer that will allow them to travel through time and space to realise their goal of world conquest!

The Summary:
As is often the case, “Total Chaotix” is bolstered by Richard Elson’s stirring and visually engaging art. Having him work on Knuckles’ early solo strips gave them an air of legitimacy not afforded to other back-up stories in StC and showed that they were just as important to the ongoing storylines (especially StC’s multi-part adaptation of Sonic 3 & Knuckles). Elson draws a fantastic Knuckles, capturing his toothy smirk and temperamental demeanour, and a wonderful Metallix. Unlike the Mecha-Metallix last seen in StC, these Metallix are a return to form, featuring that sleek, sexy aesthetic that’s become so iconic. Knowing how troublesome just one of these Badniks was makes seeing two quite the moment and the Metallix retain their menace by how fast and lethal they’re portrayed. They make mincemeat of the Chaotix, who get no chance to fight back and are nearly killed by just one Metallix. Even Knuckles struggles to go toe-to-toe with the doppelgänger since it’s built to match Sonic’s speed and even a girder to the chest doesn’t put the Metallix down, so seeing a whole army of the robotic doubles ends the story on one hell of a cliff-hanger! “Total Chaotix” also introduces the Davros-like Emperor Metallix, a gigantic robot hedgehog permanently sat in a massive throne and who’s modelled after Metal Sonic Kai (fitting, considering this is a loose adaptation of Knuckles’ Chaotix). Knuckles suspects that the Metallix have split from Dr. Robotnik and that’s revealed to be true. The Emperor Metallix no longer serves its rotund master and has instead commands a “brotherhood” of robotic Sonics to make its own bid for world conquest. Its scheme to facilitate this is to download a copy of the all-powerful Omni-Viewer, a scheme that works despite Knuckles’ best efforts and which ends the story on a cliff-hanger that’s not only picked up in a later Sonic story, but which lays the foundation for future appearances of the Metallix.

It’s nothing like the game but “Total Chaotix” sets up some big storylines for Sonic the Comic.

Naturally, the titular Chaotix make quite an impact in the story thanks, again, to Richard Elson’s artwork, which closely emulates the artwork seen in their debut title. It’s interesting seeing them reinterpreted as the “Guardians of the Special Zone” considering they had no stronger ties to the Special Stages than Sonic and the other characters, but it makes sense in the context given (the Metallix are based in the Special Zone and this story is about introducing their “brotherhood”). Each character gets a little time to showcase their personality but, with so many of them, they’re largely one-dimensional. Vector is the leader (his headphones and love of music don’t come into play here, or ever, as I recall); Mighty is the hot-tempered muscle; and “Charmee” is the annoying little kid who gets on all their nerves. Surprisingly, considering he gets second billing in Knuckles’ Chaotix and is now known as a stoic ninja, Espio is probably the least developed of the group. He turns invisible, which is cool, but doesn’t seem that different a personality from Mighty, with the two almost coming to blows at one point. If course, the odd man weasel out is Nack, who’s less of a disreputable treasure hunter and more of a self-serving sell-out. It’s implied that this group has been together for a while, so it makes me wonder how deep Nack’s infiltration went or if he just decided to betray the team in this story. I guess anyone who had played Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble (Aspect, 1994) would’ve seen this betrayal coming, but then nothing’s for sure in StC, which plays it fast and loose with fidelity. The Chaotix are seen to be a relatively competent group when faced with a reasonable threat like Knuckles but are ridiculously outclassed against a single Metallix and don’t showcase much of their abilities beyond the basics, which is a shame. Still, the art and the significance of this story in both the wider StC canon and the context of its ongoing Sonic 3 & Knuckles adaptation make “Total Chaotix” a decent story. The new characters add a lot, visually, to Sonic’s extended cast and I enjoyed the ominous nature of the Brotherhood of Metallix, even if the story barely has anything to do with Knuckles’ Chaotix.

My Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Great Stuff

Have you ever read “Total Chaotix”? What did you think to Fleetway’s version of the Chaotix and the reinterpretation of Nack as a traitor in their ranks? Were you happy to see the Metallix return? Would you have liked to see more elements from the videogame included in the story? Which of Fleetway’s Knuckles and/or Chaotix stories was your favourite and why? Are you celebrating Knuckles this month? Whatever you think about Sonic the Comic, and especially Knuckles and Chaotix, leave a comment down below and go show me some love on Ko-Fi.

Back Issues & Knuckles: StC & Knuckles 2

Dr. K3 Comments

With the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (SEGA Technical Institute, 1994) in February 1994, gamers were introduced to Knuckles the Echidna. This mischievous, dreadlocked antagonist was created by Takashi Yuda and is my favourite of Sonic’s supporting cast so I’m dedicating every Sunday to Rad Red!

Story Titles: “Mystery of the Sandopolis Zone” (Part 1 and 2), “Count Down to Disaster” (Part 1 and 2), and “Disaster!” (Part 1 to 3)
Published: 17 March 1995 to 9 June 1995
Writer: Nigel Kitching
Artist: Richard Elson

The Background:
After SEGA finally knocked Nintendo from the top of the videogame industry, the company almost immediately set about transforming Sonic’s popularity into mainstream success with a slew of ancillary merchandise, principally cartoons and comic books. Around six months after Archie Comics published their first Sonic stories, United Kingdom publisher Fleetway Editions Limited began their own series with “Britain’s Official SEGA Comic”, Sonic the Comic (StC), a fortnightly publication I collected diligently until its unfortunate end. Heavily influenced by the now defunct Mobius and Doctor Ovi Kintobor storyline that was popular outside of Japan, StC soon deviated from the source material, portraying Sonic the a mean-spirited leader of the rebellious Freedom Fighters, a group made up of both familiar characters and anthropomorphic characters adapted from the videogames. Like Archie Comics, StC featured some very loose adaptations of the videogames; these were often truncated or heavily altered to align with the comic’s noticeably different lore. Their introduction of Knuckles and their subsequent adaptation Sonic 3 was no different, though that multi-part arc did lead to the first of many solo ventures for the stubborn echidna. Many months later, StC’s creatives brought Sonic and Knuckles together as an unlikely and abrasive team in this loose adaptation of Sonic & Knuckles (SEGA Technical Institute, 1994).

The Review:
StC’s continuation of their Sonic 3 & Knuckles arc begins with Sonic and his sidekick, the perennial put down upon Miles “Tails” Prower, flying through the skies of Mobius to the Floating Island (as it was then known) in their biplane (which we now call the Tornado). Despite Tails’ worries, Sonic leaps off solo and lands in the arid desert of the Sandopolis Zone. He’s there to scope out some intel from his friend, fellow Freedom Fighter Porker Lewis, that maniacal despite Doctor Ivo Robotnik (who, at this point, currently dominates the entire planet) has secretly been repairing his ultimate weapon, the spherical Death Egg battle station, on the far side of the Floating Island. From the ancient ruins of Sandopolis Zone, Sonic spots the space station at the nearby Launch Base Zone but, before he can race to keep Dr. Robotnik from completing his repairs, he’s attacked by a particularly aggressive Sandworm Badnik. Caught off-guard, Sonic’s counterattack is interrupted by Knuckles, the pig-headed, super strong guardian of the Floating Island. The two immediately resume their rivalry, trading barbs with each other, and Knuckles clearly enjoys watching Sonic stubbornly refuse help. Of course, bashing Badniks is Sonic’s thing so he quickly trashes the Sandworm and the two realise that they’re there for the same reason since Knuckles is still cleaning up loose ends after he was tricked into helping Dr. Robotnik. Before they can reluctantly join forces to fight their common enemy, Captain Plunder and his Sky Pirates appear, angering Knuckles since he’s sick and tired of everyone and their mother showing up unannounced on his secluded island.

Sonic and Knuckles begrudgingly team up to intercept the Death Egg’s launch.

No strangers to each other, Sonic demands to know what the grim-faced walrus is doing there, and Captain Plunder eagerly reveals that he’s following an ancient treasure map, one he now realises led to the Floating Island since the mythical location has become common knowledge. With the aid of his newest crewman, known only as the Professor, Captain Plunder activates an ages-old control console and successfully raises the legendary Lost Pyramid of Sandopolis. The rag-tag group are immediately confronted by the pyramid’s guardian, a towering stone sentinel who easily reconstructs himself after being blasted with Sonic’s patented Spin Attack. Using his unparalleled knowledge of the island, Knuckles uses his head rather than his muscles and lures the guardian to some quicksand, subduing the titan just as the player would in the game. In the confusion, Captain Plunder and his cronies sneak into the cursed pyramid and discover a tomb full of riches, which they immediately pilfer. Naturally, Knuckles isn’t best pleased by this but, before he can stop the pirates, the tomb is plunged into darkness as the pyramid’s curse takes effect. Demonic ghosts chase them from the tomb, leaving them humiliated and penniless (though Captain Plunder spins a yarn of great danger and heroism to his crew). As for Sonic and Knuckles, they escape when Knuckles smashes a jar, flooding the room with sand and boosting them to a secret exit through a series of underground tunnels towards the live volcano that houses the looming Death Egg. When they reach the Lava Reef Zone, the duo is set upon by Dr. Robotnik’s rotund Eggrobos, which don’t just sport their master’s visage; Dr. Robotnik can see and hear everything through them. Sonic immediately attacks and is sceptical when Knuckles states he has a faster way to deal with them, though Rad Red comes through by smashing a nearby boulder and melting the hoard with a torrent of lava.

Though Super Sonic defeats Metallix, the Death Egg launches and prepares to fire.

Naturally (and correctly) surmising that Dr. Robotnik’s goal is the all-powerful Master Emerald, the gigantic jewel that keeps the Floating Island aloft, Knuckles leads Sonic to the Hidden Palace, where the Chaos Emeralds reside. Unfortunately, the Master Emerald is gone, dooming the island to drop into the ocean in mere hours. As for Dr. Robotnik, he’s already gloating about his supreme victory, not just because he’s close to the gem that will finally allow him to avenge himself upon the Emerald Hill Zone folk who so openly defy him, but also because an armour-clad, upgraded version of his ultimate creation, Metallix, is already drawing power from the Master Emerald. Sonic’s naturally shocked since the last time he tangled with Metallix, Sonic did a bit of time travel shenanigans to erase his metallic doppelgänger from history. The only explanation we get about how Metallix can still be around is a brief mention of a “brotherhood” of Badniks since exposition gives way to an all-out battle. Teleporting to the Sky Sanctuary Zone, the new Metallix proves its superiority by absorbing power from the Master Emerald and knocking Knuckles out. Despite Sonic trying to whip up a vortex to tear Metallix apart, he’s whacked by the Badnik’s extendable arm and socked into the air with a rushing uppercut. Unfortunately for Metallix, the shot sends Sonic flying towards the Master Emerald and, upon contact, the surge of Chaos energy transforms Sonic into his raging, demonic, invincible alter ego, Super Sonic. Super Sonic decapitates Metallix’s head with one blow and rips its remains apart in a mindless rage. Super Sonic then turns his wrath against Knuckles before the transformation wears off and Sonic regains his senses. Knuckles’ bruises are nothing compared to the sudden, dreadful realisation that the Master Emerald has been teleported away in the fracas. The two watch with horror as the mighty Death Egg finally launches, shaking what’s left of the Sky Sanctuary Zone apart with its vibrations.

An interior and external assault sees the Death Egg blasted from orbit once more.

Ecstatic at finally piloting his spherical space station once more, Dr. Robotnik sends a wave of Eggrobos after his foes. However, Knuckles begrudgingly carries them to safety by gliding on the turbulent winds. Sonic then pinballs off the Badniks to infiltrate the space station while Knuckles heads to a hidden chamber. Looking over some wizened scrolls, he activates an antiquated control console and literally pilots the Floating Island towards the Death Egg. Unlike the last time we saw Sonic explore the Death Egg, this rendition is gigantic, ominous, and filled with traps and Badniks. Sonic obliterates the Spikebonkers and then feigns surrender to enter  Dr. Robotnik’s main control room. There, he spots the Master Emerald and makes a beeline for it, desperate to remove the space station’s main power source before Dr. Robotnik can disintegrate the Emerald Hill Zone folk. Luckily, the Floating Island opens fire on the Death Egg using energy drawn from the very island. Enraged, Dr. Robotnik demands that his assistant, the long-suffering Grimer, turn the Death Egg’s main cannon on the Floating Island. However, the rotund dictator’s so caught up in his boastful gloating that Sonic knocks the Master Emerald free, disabling the Death Egg and leaving it wide open to Knuckles’ unrelenting barrage.

With Dr. Robotnik’s threat ended, Knuckles agrees to shelter Sonic’s friends on his secluded island.

Tumbling from the disintegrating space station, Sonic spots an Eggrobo snatching the Master Emerald. Thinking fast, Sonic swipes a laser blaster and destroys the Eggrobo, causing the Master Emerald to safely fall to the Floating Island. Sonic then saves himself by relieving another Eggrobo of its jetpack and riding it to safety, gloating as the exploding Death Egg falls from the sky. Upon spotting the Master Emerald, Sonic hefts it up (with no sign of Super Sonic this time around), determined to return it to the Emerald Chamber before the Floating Island crashes to the surface. Unfortunately, he’s taken by surprise when Dr. Robotnik fires upon a concussive laser blast from a gigantic suit of armour somewhat similar to the Giant Eggman Robo from the source material. Unlike that gruelling fight, where the mech boasted gigantic crushing fingers, fireball-sprouting nostrils, and a gigantic, Master Emerald-powered laser cannon, this suit’s primary attack is to try and crush Sonic with its fists. The desperation and high stakes see Sonic unleash aggressive Spin Attacks so savage that even Dr. Robotnik comments upon Sonic’s grim attitude. Still, Sonic is horrified when his final blow causes Dr. Robotnik to topple over the island’s edge. However, the maniacal dictator’s luck holds out as his damaged jet propulsion system means the fall isn’t fatal. Sonic’s equally as unimpressed to see Knuckles rushing up to him, too late to help with the battle and demanding the safe return of the Master Emerald. However, Sonic doesn’t hand over the gem that easily. Realising that Dr. Robotnik will never rest until he’s destroyed the Emerald Hill folk, Sonic agrees to return the Master Emerald in return for safe shelter for his friends. Thus, amidst the last vestiges of a downpour, the displaced Emerald Hill folk are safely hidden from Dr. Robotnik’s repercussions in the island’s Mushroom Hill Zone, high up in the sky. And good thing, too, since the injured Dr. Robotnik swears revenge against both Sonic and Knuckles.

The Summary:
StC was really at its peak around this time. This second round of Sonic 3 & Knuckles stories really ups the ante from Knuckles’ first introduction, which barely touched upon the gameplay mechanics, locations, and intricacies of the source material. To be fair, this was common in StC’s adaptations and subsequent stories did explore other aspects from the game, so basically Angel Island’s areas were incorporated into StC canon and formed the basis of plenty of other stories, short and long. But, at its core, the first arc was more concerned with the rivalry between Sonic and Knuckles, the fusion of the twelve Chaos Emeralds, and Dr. Robotnik’s attempt to attain Godhood. This second arc visits far more locations from the game and even incorporates mechanics seen in those areas, such as the pyramid from Sandopolis, the light gimmick and scary ghosts, and the crumbling Sky Sanctuary Zone. Every location and character is brought to life by the peerless Richard Elson, who brings a kinetic, visual power to every action. This is best evidenced in Sonic and Knuckles’ battle against Metallix, which conveys the speed and raw power of the Badnik like never before, instantly differentiating it from its predecessor and emphasising its threat. Things only escalate when Knuckles pilots the Floating Island and fires on the Death Egg, a unique plot thread obviously missing from the videogames but which adds further lore to the mysterious nature of the island, which holds secrets even Knuckles is just now discovering. While Super Sonic wasn’t much of a factor, his appearance was a welcome one and helped sell the threat of the Metallix, itself a lingering plot threat explored in later issues. I really liked that Sonic and Knuckles were teamed up this time around; Tails and the other Freedom Fighters were basically absent but it was a nice bookend to their previous meeting, where they fought against each other and begrudgingly teamed up in the finale.

Rivals Sonic and Knuckles team up against a common foe.

The two work surprisingly well together here. Perhaps because of their common enemy and the very real threat the Death Egg poses, there’s little bickering between the two. They’re largely on the same page, save for a few barbs here and there, and Sonic defers to Knuckles’ expertise regarding the island numerous times. Naturally, a spirited rivalry remains, with Sonic being the flashy showman who never admits when he’s wrong and Knuckles taking a more measured approach, utilising the environment or his know-how to quickly dispatch enemies and focus on the big picture. His primary concern is the safety of the Floating Island, which he feels has been defiled ever since Dr. Robotnik and Sonic arrived there. He just wants to clear out Dr. Robotnik’s influence and get things back to normal and is extremely intolerant of any intruders, even allies like Sonic. Unfortunately for Knuckles, he’s become part of a larger world, something even he acknowledges since he attacks the Death Egg not just for the Floating Island, but to safeguard the entire planet. Having previously experienced the Death Egg’s power before, Sonic knows all-too-well with the space station is capable of. Readers got a taste of this a few issues back when Dr. Robotnik ran a simulation that resulted in Sonic and Tails being vaporised, and the ever-present threat posed by the Death Egg clearly weighs heavily on Sonic’s mind. Sonic gives Badniks and Dr. Robotnik alike a taste of his smart mouth, but he knows what’s at stake and even welcomes transforming into Super Sonic if it means dispatching his metallic doppelgänger and safeguarding the Master Emerald. Consequently, Sonic defiantly battles a roomful of Spikebonkers, desperate to knock out the Master Emerald, only to despair when, for the first time in his life, he’s too slow to save his friends. It’s only because of Knuckles’ attack that Sonic dislodges the power source, and even Sonic must commend the echidna’s thinking (though, tellingly he, never expresses gratitude to his rival at any point in this arc).

Dr. Robotnik’ mad ambitions almost succeed but for the intervention of his worst enemies.

This focus on Sonic and Knuckles means there’s not much panel time for Dr. Robotnik. When we do see him, he’s raving about his need to acquire the Master Emerald, boasting about having acquired it, or anguished at having lost it. He constantly brags to Grimer about his superiority and the power of the Death Egg and relishes having a front row seat to witness the demise of his foes. Once the Death Egg launches, Dr. Robotnik is practically giddy with glee and immediately aims his ultimate weapon at the Emerald Hill Zone, ready to wipe the whole town and its inhabitants out. He’s aghast when Sonic and Knuckles destroy his beloved space station and finally takes matters into his own hands, piloting a mech suit far larger than the one seen in the last arc and taking the fight directly to Sonic. However, even Dr. Robotnik underestimates Sonic’s anger and determination; in the face of Sonic’s raw speed and power, the malevolent dictator is helpless, mech suit or not, and sent plummeting to a nasty landing, his dreams of all-out destruction quashed for now. By spreading the Sonic 3 & Knuckles story across intervening stories and giving the source material time to breath in this main arc, these issues tell one of the first great epics in StC’s run. The stakes were high and tangible: Dr. Robotnik wasn’t using magic gems to become a God or anything like that. He built the Death Egg just as he built Metallix and his Badniks, and it stands as the ultimate weapon of his vengeance upon those who defy him. Seeing Sonic and Knuckles properly team up, utilising their individual strengths in creative ways, was a blast and a taste of an ongoing begrudging alliance that would last until the comics were cancelled. Newcomers may be confused about Captain Plunder, Metallix, Super Sonic’s portrayal, and Dr. Robotnik’s vendetta against the Emerald Hill folk, but I’d still rate this as one of the best adaptations of Sonic 3 & Knuckles just because it takes the time to explore different locations from the games and provide a unique spin (pun intended) on some recognisable elements rather than simply taking the basics and weaving it into an all-new canon, as is usually the case.

My Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Great Stuff

Have you ever read Sonic the Comic’s second Sonic 3 & Knuckles arc? Did you enjoy seeing Sonic and Knuckles team up this time? What did you think to the use of locations and mechanics from the games? Were you surprised that Knuckles turned the Floating Island into a weapon? Which of StC’s videogame adaptations was your favourite? How are you celebrating the debut of Knuckles today? Please feel free to share your memories of StC and Sonic 3 & Knuckles below and go check out my other Sonic and Knuckles content.

Movie Night [PokéMonth]: Pokémon: Detective Pikachu

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Upon the release of Pokémon: Blue Version and Pokémon: Red Version (Game Freak, 1996), a new craze swept through playgrounds. An entire generation grew up with Pokémon, as clever marketing saw it become a massively lucrative and popular multimedia powerhouse. Accordingly, February 27th is recognised as “National Pokémon Day”, which I expanded to an entire month of Pokémon this February, which is even more fitting given that February 6th is the day that Mew gave birth to my favourite Pokémon, Mewtwo!

Released: 10 May 2019
Director: Rob Letterman
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Budget: $150 million
Stars: Justice Smith, Ryan Reynolds, Kathryn Newton, Bill Nighy, Suki Waterhouse, Ken Watanabe, and Rina Hoshino/Kotaro Watanabe

The Plot:
When his ace detective father goes missing, Tim Goodman (Smith) reluctantly teams up with his Pikachu partner (Reynolds) and aspiring report Lucy Stevens (Newton) to unravel the mystery.

The Background:
Pokémon is no stranger to the silver screen. The aptly-titled Pokémon: The First Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back (Yuyama, 1998) was a box office success that kick-started a slew of feature films, though development of a live-action venture didn’t gain momentum until 2016. Rather than adapt the incredibly popular and long-running anime series, director Rob Letterman pitched a story inspired by the well-received Detective Pikachu spin-off (Creatures, 2016) to incorporate a talking version of the franchise’s beloved mascot. Ryan Reynolds won out over names like Danny DeVito and Dwayne Johnson to land the titular role, providing both the voice and motion-capture for Pikachu. The Pokémon were brought to life through a combined effort by multiple visual effects studios, who opted for a photo-realistic aesthetic that saw the effects team closely studying the videogames, anime, and previous 3D representations of the pocket monsters. With an impressive worldwide box office of just over $450 million, Pokémon: Detective Pikachu broke the curse often associated with videogame adaptations and was the most successful film of its kind for a time. The reviews were largely positive, praising the surprisingly emotional narrative, Reynolds’ wise-cracking performance, and fan service on offer. Though some criticised the pacing and effects work, a sequel was announced just before the film’s release; however, as of this writing, it’s still very much in the developmental phase.

The Review:
Pokémon: Detective Pikachu takes place in Ryme City, a bustling, neon-drenched metropolis billed as a utopia for humans and Pokémon alike to live and work together in harmony. The city was built by billionaire tycoon and Pokémon advocate Howard Clifford (Nighy), a disabled visionary who poured his heart and soul into protecting Pokémon and fostering positive relations between them and humans. Much of this is related to the audience during Tim’s train ride to the city and in a format not unlike the “Welcome to the World of Pokémon” introductions included in many of the animated features, and is a fun way to show how Ryme City sets itself apart from other regions and locations. There, Pokémon battling is banned and people are discouraged from having PokéBalls. The relationship between humans and Pokémon is supposed to be more symbiotic and mutually beneficial, though that doesn’t stop everyone Tim meets asking where his “partner Pokémon” is. We’ve seen similar cities to this in the videogames and anime; indeed, the idea of humans working alongside Pokémon has been present since the first games. However, it’s presentation in this decidedly Blade Runner (Scott, 1982) inspired environment is not just to stuff in a load of Pokémon cameos but also to acclimatise viewers to the idea that, in this world, Pokémon are real and integrated into society. Still, the world of Pokémon: Detective Pikachu should be instantly recognisable to series fans and the film thankfully doesn’t bog down its run time with heavy handed exposition into its mechanics. This may be somewhat alienating to newcomers but it’s pretty clear from the title and the presentation who this film is aimed at, and I appreciate that it embraces the concept and plays it straight. It also has some tenuous ties to both the anime and the videogames: Mewtwo is said to have “escaped form the Kanto region” twenty years ago and Pikachu tearfully sings the anime’s original infectious theme song at one point, meaning the film can easily be seen as an extension of one or the other (or both, if you like). Layman viewers are tossed a bone in the main character, Tim, who is noticeably distinct from every other character he meets in that he doesn’t have a Pokémon partner and seemingly has no interest in the creatures.

Distraught Tim reluctantly partners with Pikachu to investigate his father’s death.

Again, this isn’t something new; the animated features often include characters either wary of or disinterested in Pokémon. Tim was an avid Pokémon fan as a kid; young Tim (Max Fincham) followed and participated in battles, collected the cards, and lived the Pokémon life. However, that all changed when his mother died; this drove a wedge between him and his father, who threw himself into work with the Ryme City Police Department, leaving Tim to be raised by his grandmother (Josette Simon) and grow up resenting both his father and the Pokémon he preferred to spend time with. Rather than growing up to be a Pokémon Trainer, Tim takes up a tedious job in insurance and has no interest in partnering with a Pokémon but ends up lumbered with his father’s cheeky Pikachu partner when he travels to Ryme City following his dad’s sudden death. Tim’s clearly shaken by his father’s demise and wrestling with conflicting emotions. He struggles to express himself when meeting with Harry’s friend, Lieutenant Hideo Yoshida (Watanabe), who relates that Harry always loved his son. This is little comfort to Tim, who’s clearly rattled at being denied the chance to get some closure and just wants to get home as quickly as possible. The deerstalker-garbed Pikachu completely upends that, however, since Tim can strangely understand the pint-sized detective. Tim initially reacts to this with shock and horror, believing he’s either going mad or has been adversely affected by a mysterious purple gas he discovers in Harry’s apartment. Even when he accepts that no one can understand Pikachu but him, Tim is reluctant to assist the Pokémon in figuring out what happened to his partner. Believing he lacks the same detective skills and expertise as his father, Tim repeatedly shuns Pikachu, who latches onto him out of desperation since he’s suffering from amnesia but feels it “in his jellies” that there’s more to Harry’s death than the media and the police want to admit. Pikachu’s insistence is infectious, and Tim reluctantly agrees to help with his investigation, aiding Pikachu by talking to humans for information while Pikachu interrogations Ryme City’s Pokémon. Though he’s uncomfortable carrying Pikachu on his shoulder and indulging his hairbrained theories, Tim proves a great asset when they question Harry’s informant, a Mr. Mime, leading to a hilarious moment where Tim threatens (through pantomime) to light the Pokémon on fire!

Aspiring journalist Lucy helps Tim and their investigation leads them to Clifford Howard.

Tim also provides Pikachu with the strongest lead in their muddled case when he’s accosted by aspiring reporter Lucy Stevens and her Psyduck (Michael Haigney). Struggling as an unpaid intern repeatedly ignored and chastised by her peers, Lucy is desperate to break a big story and senses that something’s amiss about Harry’s death. This is primarily because she has acquired several vials of the purple gas Harry was investigating, a strange substance known as “R” that temporarily drives any Pokémon that inhale it into a blind rage. Though he claims otherwise, Tim is clearly smitten by Lucy (and, honestly, I don’t blame him) and, while he doesn’t tell her the truth about Pikachu, he does review her notes and work with her to figure out what’s going on. Pikachu tries to help Tim flirt with and grow closer to Lucy, but despairs when Tim proves to be awkward around her and lack game. However, Lucy doesn’t seem to mind and finds the troubled young man charming, even when he’s stumbling over his words or making a fool of himself. While Yoshida believes Harry perished in a car crash, Clifford’s advanced holographic technology shows the detective survived and that both Mewtwo and Pikachu were at the scene, compounding the mystery further by naming his resentful son, Roger (Chris Geere), as the one behind the R. Thanks to Lucy’s digging, Tim learns of an abandoned research facility where Mewtwo was held against its will and harvested to synthesise R, and all signs point to the genetically engineered Pokémon turning its wrath on its captors and, by extension, Harry, who was contracted to capture it. Though this is clearly the big break Lucy has been looking for, she never abandons Tim in favour of getting her scoop like some fictional journalists. Indeed, they remain united throughout the film, working together to help each other, though Lucy continues to run into obstacles when she desperately tries to warn Ryme City’s inhabitants about the R gas in the final act.

Though suffering from amnesia, Pikachu is determined to solve the mystery of Harry’s disappearance.

Since he isn’t a detective, Tim’s at a loss about how to investigate his father’s death and even more helpless at uncovering proof that Harry survived. Thankfully, Pikachu is more than capable of carrying the bulk of the detective work. Though he’s suffering from amnesia, he’s no less determined to root through newspaper clippings, articles, photographs, and unturn any stone to find some kind of connection. Fuelled by caffeine and an insatiable lust for solving a good mystery, Pikachu tackles the investigation with gusto, chattering a mile a minute and standing up to any challenge. This bites him in the ass when he and Tim infiltrate an illegal underground Pokémon battle run by Sebastian (Omar Chaparro) and Pikachu’s forced to battle a voracious Charizard to get information from Sebastian, a sequence that showcases Tim has retained knowledge of Pokémon battles, but the amnesia has caused Pikachu to forget how to fight! Pikachu’s stunned to see he was at the scene of the crash and heartbroken when the Pokémon Comprehensive Laboratory (RCL) footage suggests that he betrayed Harry and led to his death/disappearance by freeing Mewtwo. Tim, Pikachu, Lucy, and Psyduck’s desperate escape from RCL sees them eluding not just a contingent of Greninja but also nearly crushed to death by giant Torterra masquerading as a forest, further results of the RCL’s horrific Pokémon experiments. Pikachu is gravely injured during the escape, which deeply upsets Tim. Despite him shunning Pikachu, and all Pokémon, he comes to connect with the adorable pint-sized detective and is devastated at losing him, both because he considers him a friend and partner and also because he’s the last link to a father he never knew. Luckily for them, some local Bulbasaur guide them to Mewtwo, who heals Pikachu and adds a touch more exposition to what really happened before being ensnared by Roger’s drones. However, this brief glimpse leaves Pikachu despondent and he wanders off, believing he’s a danger to everyone, only to stumble upon the crash site and realise it was the Greninja who attacked Harry’s car, not Mewtwo, and rush to help Tim confront the true mastermind behind the film’s events.

The Nitty-Gritty:
Given the movie’s title, it should be no surprise that Pokémon: Detective Pikachu is primarily a mystery story. There’s the obvious mystery surrounding Harry’s unexpected death, which evolves into a mystery about whether he survived or not, what happened to him after the fact, and what role Mewtwo and the Cliffords played in it all. Pikachu, Tim, and Lucy are united in investigating this conundrum, which intersects with all their lives: Lucy’s been investigating the R gas, which was found in Harry’s apartment and produced at RCL, with each step piecing more of the puzzle together for them. Along the way, they’re hounded by numerous obstacles: first, the R gas turns some Aipom rabid, showcasing how dangerous the gas can be, then Tim and Pikachu have to survive a battle with a similarly enraged Charizard, and finally they face persecution from Roger and his minions as they seek to recover Mewtwo and cover up their tracks. All the while, they’re shadowed by Clifford’s mysterious and unnerving bodyguard Ms. Norman (Suki Waterhouse), who turns out to be a Ditto in disguise, and forced to flee from every confrontation since Pikachu cannot remember how to fight and Psyduck’s powers are too unpredictable to be reliable. This means Pokémon: Detective Pikachu doesn’t have many traditional Pokémon battles or mechanics, a fact only exacerbated by Ryme City outlawing battles. Indeed, Sebastian’s arena is the closest thing we get to seeing Pokémon battles; the rest of the time, the characters are fending off or running from Pokémon driven into a frenzy by R. It’s an unusual approach but it seems to serve the narrative well. This isn’t the traditional story of an aspiring Pokémon Trainer earning badges and overcoming a nefarious team of criminals. It’s a young man desperately trying to figure out what happened to his estranged father in a colourful and chaotic world where Pokémon of all shapes and sizes exist.

Many Pokémon are brought to life but the effects often suffer as a result.

The idea of doing a live-action Pokémon movie had been doing the rounds for some time and many aspiring digital artists had tried to show how the concept would work on the likes of Deviantart, with these efforts being pretty close to the final result. Pokémon: Detective Pikachu is stuffed with all kinds of Pokémon, from Machamp and Snubble working with the police department, to firefighting Squirtles and various Flying-Type Pokémon soaring through the skies of Ryme City. Charmanders walk the streets, Jiggypuff (Rachael Lillis) sings karaoke, Greninja hunt our protagonists, and gigantic Torterra shift the very landscape and it’s all taken entirely in stride. There’s literally nothing unusual about these creatures wandering around as they like and the integration of Pokémon into human society is fun to see, though the CGI can be questionable at times. It’s obvious that most of the work went into bringing Pikachu to life; he’s the most detailed, expressive, and nuanced of all the film’s Pokémon. Everything from his little red cheeks, his glassy and vivid eyes, and the tufts of fur on his body are beautifully brought to life, and he interacts seamlessly with Tim at all times. The same isn’t true of most other Pokémon, unfortunately. While Gengar looks great rendered as a gaseous, leering spirit, Charizard, Machamp, and even Psyduck appear a bit too cartoony. This is largely because the filmmakers stick very closely to the Pokémon’s original designs, which is commendable and definitely brings them to life, but results in them sticking out against the more realistic backgrounds. It’s a bit like Who Framed Roger Rabbit (Zemeckis, 1988) but, whereas it made sense for the Toons to appear as living cartoons, it doesn’t quite work for these supposedly real creatures to appear so fake. I definitely think it works for the most part and I’m impressed that Pokémon: Detective Pikachu includes so many Pokémon and integrates them so well, but I do wonder if the effects might’ve been better served by focusing on a handful of Pokémon. Like, maybe if Ryme City were a little different and Pokémon are largely banned and Clifford was trying to change that, so you’d only see a few different types of Pokémon, freeing the animators to make them look as good as possible. It’s a minor thing, but a noticeable one, for sure.

Tim stops Clifford’s mad plot and Mewtwo finally reunites him with his father.

Sadly for me, the Pokémon who suffers the most from this is Mewtwo. Appearing sleek and eel-like, it lacks the armoured, menacing appearance it usually exudes, though it’s no less threatening in its actions. Once again captured and experimented on, Mewtwo flies into a rage and destroys its facility, but is unable to save Harry from the Greninja attack. However, his loyal Pikachu offered to house Harry’s consciousness until Tim could be brought to Mewtwo to reunite Harry with his recuperated body. These revelations all come after it’s revealed that Clifford’s Ditto has been posing as Roger all along (or, at least, for much of the film) and that Clifford was behind everything. Interestingly, Clifford’s goal isn’t world domination or power; it’s to transfer his consciousness out of his crippled body and into the most powerful Pokémon of all. Successfully possessing Mewtwo’s body, Clifford unleashes the R gas throughout Ryme City using a balloon parade, turning all Pokémon feral and leaving them susceptible to his Psychic powers. Again, this isn’t to control them, but rather to use Mewtwo’s hitherto-unknown ability to merge a human’s consciousness with a Pokémon to literally unite the two species in a forced harmony and allow humanity to “evolve” into a better form. While the mismatched Pikachu battles Mewtwo atop the balloons, having rediscovered his Electric-based attacks, Tim fends off Ms. Susan, who assumes various forms (including an unsettling masquerade of Lucy) and removes Clifford’s control device from his prone body, breaking his connection to Mewtwo. Sadly, Lucy isn’t much help during all this as she’s infused with her Psyduck while trying to get the panicked civilians to safety, but she’s charged by the real Roger to break the story after Mewtwo restores everyone to normal. This includes Pikachu and Harry, who returns to full health as Ryan Reynolds and is delighted when Tim decides to stick around and build bridges with his estranged father.

The Summary:
Pokémon: Detective Pikachu has a lot going for it. I really liked the design of Ryme City, how it mixed old and new technologies and East and West in its makeup and echoed the tech-noir design of Blade Runner to be both sleek and futuristic but also grimy and dangerous at the same time. I quite liked Tim’s character and his arc; it’s nothing especially ground-breaking but I think Justice Smith did a great job with the character’s emotions and charming awkwardness. I loved Kathryn Newton; she’s super cute and I liked that they didn’t have her simply be obsessed with her career and screw Tim over for her big break, though she does get a bit shafted in the finale. Ryan Reynolds was also great as the wise-cracking, coffee-obsessed Pikachu. Pikachu is as adorable as ever but given a fun edge through his snarky demeanour and obsession with cracking the case and figuring out what happened to his memories and his partner. It was a bit of a shame to not follow a more traditional Pokémon story and characters, but I think it works well for Pokémon’s first live-action outing. I feel the movie appealed to both long-term fans and newcomers by choosing this format and it help make the presence of these cartoonish creatures more acceptable by focusing on them as just an everyday part of life. Sadly, the effects can be a bit hit and miss; like I said, I think the filmmakers overreached a little by featuring a few too many Pokémon and the CGI does suffer at times as a result. Pokémon: Detective Pikachu also struggles a bit with its pacing; it seems to drag a little in the middle, making exciting sequences seem lifeless in the process, and I wonder if this could’ve been prevented by having Lucy be a Pokémon Trainer and thus injecting some traditional battles to keep the pace up. Still, it’s a fun and heart-warming film that appeals to kids and has some fun content for adults (mostly in Ryan Reynolds’ depiction of Pikachu), and it’s worth it just to see Bill Nighy go on a maniacal rant while possessing Mewtwo’s body!

My Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Great Stuff

Did you enjoy Pokémon: Detective Pikachu? What did you think to the depiction of Pokémon in a live-action aesthetic? Did you like the mystery surrounding Harry and Tim’s depiction as reluctant partner to Pikachu? What did you think to Ryan Reynolds’ portrayal of Pikachu? Were you disappointed that there weren’t more traditional Pokémon battles? What did you think to the CGI and was your favourite Pokémon included here? How are you celebrating National Pokémon Day this year? Whatever your thoughts, drop them in the comments below and be sure to check out my other Pokémon content.

Back Issues & Knuckles: Sonic the Hedgehog #13

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With the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (SEGA Technical Institute, 1994) on this day in 1994, gamers were introduced to Knuckles the Echidna. This mischievous, dreadlocked antagonist was created by Takashi Yuda and is my favourite of Sonic’s supporting cast so excuse me while I celebrate his debut today (every Sunday in February!)

Story Title: “This Island Hedgehog” (Part 1 and 2)
Published: 16 May 1994 (cover-dated: August 1994)
Writers: Mike Kanterovich and Ken Penders
Artist: Dave Manak

The Background:
When Sonic the Hedgehog made his dramatic videogame debut in 1991, he was an immediate hit thanks to SEGA’s aggressive marketing campaign seeing his debut title being bundled with the Mega Drive. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (SEGA Technical Institute, 1992) expanded his popularity and, suddenly, Sonic merchandise was suddenly everywhere! He was included not only in the Macy’s Day Parade, but in cartoons and numerous comic books. Following the initial four-part miniseries, which combined narrative elements of Sonic’s cartoon adventures, Archie Comics published what would become the longest-running videogame comic book of all time. In time, to better capitalise on Sonic’s continued popularity, Archie also produced various Sonic spin-off comics, with the Knuckles the Echidna sister series being the most prominent. Long before writers like Ken Penders lumbered Knuckles with a convoluted lore and launched a bitter lawsuit that forever changed Archie’s Sonic comics, Knuckles debuted in this issue as one of Archie’s many loose videogame adaptations.

The Review:
Sonic and his perennial kid sidekick, Miles “Tails” Prower, first encounter Knuckles, the last of the echidna race and guardian of what was then known as the Floating Island, completely by chance. While flying through the skies of Mobius in search of Doctor Ivo Robotnik’s “hovercraft”, the two stumble upon a mysterious island in the sky. Interestingly, unlike in Fleetway’s comics, the two have no knowledge of the Floating Island and can thus only speculate how it stays afloat, with Sonic guessing (correctly, it turns out) that it’s held aloft by one of the (many) Chaos Emeralds. As the two come in to land to investigate further, unaware that they’re being watched by a mysterious, spike-fisted individual, their biplane is knocked from the sky by a literal “unwelcome mat” and Tails is forced to air-lift the duo to the ground. With no choice but to investigate further to find some way back to Knothole Forest, Sonic and Tails venture into a close approximation of Angel Island Zone and are attacked by an “Assaulting Batter Blimp” (essentially the “Fire Breath” mech from Sonic the Hedgehog 3, but with a far less intimidating white paint job). Assaulted by the blimp’s flame bursts, Sonic is randomly shielded by “some sort of energy shield” (visually similar to his Insta-Shield ability, though Sonic seems unaware of how this happened) and forced to dive into the nearby water. Caught in an inescapable current and blasted past spikes and through crumbling walls in what I guess is supposed to be Hydrocity Zone (but which looks more like Labyrinth Zone), the duo find themselves blacking out from the strain and the force of the suction. They awaken in a dark room with their arms and legs bound and are stunned when they’re greeted by Knuckles, who steps from the shadows and introduces himself as the island’s guardian.

After Sonic and Tails prove their innocence, Knuckles joins them in fighting Dr. Robotnik.

Knuckles also reveals that he’s formed a friendship with Dr. Robotnik, who’s fed him lies about the two’s intentions to steal the island’s Chaos Emerald! Dr. Robotnik observes the events with glee alongside his long-suffering right-hand and nephew, Snively, and reveals that he’s misled the naïve echidna in order to steal the Chaos Emerald for himself to recharge his hovercraft. Having successfully duped Knuckles, Dr. Robotnik sits back and watches as the echidna’s riled up by Sonic and Tails’s defiant attitude. Still, Knuckles offers to give them ten minutes to get off the Floating Island before he hunts them down like wild dogs. While Sonic and Tails instead resolve to use the time limit to prove their innocence, Dr. Robotnik berates Knuckles for not finishing off the “jewel thieves” when he had the chance. Thus, Dr. Robotnik moves up his schedule and, after snatching the Chaos Emerald from his minion, Crabmeat, prepares to enact his dastardly plot. Angered that Sonic and Tails are still hanging around, Knuckles takes a short-cut to the Chaos Emerald and is horrified to find it’s been swiped from its simple stone pedestal. When Sonic and Tails arrive immediately after, Knuckles realise that he’s been duped and demands to be taken to Dr. Robotnik. The three arrive just as the semi-cybernetic dictator is preparing to take off and, after swiping the gem, reduce his SWATbot guards to scrap metal. However, Dr. Robotnik manages to elude them by powering up his hovercraft (how he does this without the Chaos Emerald is beyond me) and awkwardly escaping across the sea. To thank his newfound allies, Knuckles gathers the pieces of Sonic’s trashed plane so Sonic can reassemble it at super speed and then sees the two off, sure that it won’t be the last time their paths cross.

The Summary:
My first observation about this story is that the art is pretty atrocious. A lot of it was back then in the Archie comics as their artists opted for a more cartoony approach to these characters, one that emulated the cartoons that inspired them, yes, but which was also somewhat dumbed down and a far cry from SEGA’s official artwork. Most of this criticism is aimed towards Knuckles, who looks decidedly off-model here. Judging by the poses he strikes and the limited exploration of Sonic 3’s environments, I wouldn’t be surprised if the writers and artists only had access to limited materials to produce their story. It seems like they had footage or screenshots of Angel Island Zone (at least Act 1) and Hydrocity Zone and images of Knuckles, and that was it as this story explores even less of the Floating Island than in the Fleetway adaptation! As was the style at the time, “This Island Hedgehog” is seemingly more concerned with awful puns and pop culture references than emulating the source material. While the “unwelcome mat” was kind of funny, ““plane” crazy” was very cringe, Tails’s reaction when Sonic says they should “hit the drink” probably went over most kids’ heads, and “cute” references to Super Mario and the 1960s Batman television show just come across as corny. Sonic’s “energy shield” really bugged me since it appears out of sheer convenience to save him from being roasted, is never seen again, and never gets explained. Again, it’s like the writers just watched some footage of Sonic 3 and had no idea how the Insta-Shield works, making its inclusion even more egregious than how Fleetway handled it. Couple that with the Master Emerald and Hidden Palace Zone shrine being reduced to a simple, run-of-the-mill Chaos Emerald and a pile of rocks, and that Dr. Robotnik’s plot is to power up his hovercraft rather than the Death Egg, and you have a very poor representation of the source material, even by Archie’s standards!

More focused on bad art and worst puns, this story is a poor showing for Knuckles and Sonic 3.

I wish I could say that Knuckles, at least, comes off well, but it’s a bit of a mixed bag, to be honest. I liked that he was kept hidden, seen as merely a fist and speech bubbles for most of Part 1, and that he was shown to be responsible for the traps and pitfalls that deter Sonic and Tails. His reveal was somewhat dramatic, but a far cry from how he made an immediate impact in Sonic 3 and his impactful introduction to Sonic in Sonic the Comic. I will say, though, that I liked Knuckles’ more relaxed way of speaking (he often drops g’s from his words) and that he gave Sonic and Tails a fighting chance to leave the island, showing he has some pride and honour despite being duty-bound to protect his home. He’s still easily fooled by Dr. Robotnik (though we’re not seen how) and quick to assume Sonic and Tails are jewel thieves based on paltry evidence, but he’s also seen to be quite eloquent and intelligent rather than a meathead. However, in saying that, we don’t get to see any of Knuckles’ abilities here: he’s not seen gliding, digging, or climbing and never throws a punch. Sure, he and Sonic trash some SWATbots but the action is obscured by sound effects and dust, so there’s no indication of his physical strength…again, almost as though the writers only had promotional art to work from. Knuckles does part on far friendlier terms with Sonic and Tails than in most adaptations, however, but is a far cry from the character he should be. The story is also an extremely weak adaptation of Sonic 3, serving only to touch upon the most basic of elements and leave the door open for further adventures. Perhaps if Archie has spread the story out across a few issues, or dedicated this entire issue to Sonic dealing with Knuckles rather than wasting pages with a back-up story, things might’ve been different but, as is, this is probably the worst comic book adaptation of Sonic 3 I’ve ever read!

My Rating:

Rating: 1 out of 5.

Terrible

What did you think to Knuckles’ first appearance in Archie’s Sonic comics? Were you also disappointed by how poorly he and Sonic 3 were represented here? What did you think to Dr. Robotnik’s drastically reduced plot for the Chaos Emerald? Which of Archie’s Knuckles stories and/or characters was your favourite and why? Are you celebrating Knuckles’ debut this month? Whatever you think about Archie’s Sonic comics, and especially Knuckles, leave a comment down below and let me know, support me on Ko-Fi, and check out my other Knuckles content!

Movie Night [Sci-Fanuary]: Edge of Tomorrow

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January celebrates two notable dates in science-fiction history, “National Science Fiction Day” on January 2 and Arthur C. Clarke’s HAL 9000’s birthday on January 12. Accordingly, I’m dedicating January to celebrating sci-fi with an event I call “Sci-Fanuary”.

Released: 6 June 2014
Director: Doug Liman
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Budget: $178 million
Stars: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Noah Taylor, and Brendan Gleeson

The Plot:
When public affairs officer Major William Cage (Cruise) unexpectedly gains the ability to reset time after his death in battle against the aggressive alien “Mimics”, he teams up with the heroic Sergeant Rita Vrataski (Blunt) to defeat the invaders.

The Background:
In 2004, Hiroshi Sakurazaka and Yoshitoshi Abe collaborated on the spectacularly named “light novel” All You Need Is Kill, the story of soldier Keiji Kiriya, who’s caught in a time loop that allows him to improve his fighting skills against invading aliens. Nominated for the 2005 Seiun Awards, All You Need Is Kill caught the attention of producer Erwin Stoff, who optioned the rights to create a live-action adaptation. Despite being intimidated by the source material, writer Dante Harper produced a screenplay that was listed as one of the best unproduced works doing the rounds. After Brad Pitt declined the lead role, Tom Cruise joined the project, and the script underwent additional rewrites after he and Emily Blunt were cast, with writer Christopher McQuarrie and director Doug Liman struggling to produce a satisfactory ending. The cast and crew spent an unexpected three months filming the complex, action-heavy beach assault on a large soundstage surrounded by green screens. The UDF exosuits were designed by Oliver Scholl, Pierre Bohanna, and Kate Hawley and modelled after real-world exoskeletons and built as largely practical suits that bruised and battered the stars. In contrast, the Mimics were digital creatures courtesy of Sony Pictures Imageworks; the designers worked hard to make them an otherworldly mess of dangerous tentacles that had a tangible reality to their otherwise fantastical appearance. Despite a worldwide box office of just over $370 million and largely positive reviews that praised the direction and execution, and the time loop twist, Liman and Warner Bros. were left so disappointed by the film’s reception that they pushed to re-brand the film to the clever tag line, “Live. Die. Repeat”. Indeed, while some found the film tedious and strangely limited in its scope, Edge of Tomorrow is widely branded as an under-rated sci-fi romp. Though talks of a sequel have done the rounds since its release, it seems we’re more likely to get a TV spin-off than a direct follow-up any time soon.

The Review:
So, two caveats before we get into this film: one, I’ve never read All You Need Is Kill (though my fondness for this movie makes me want to sit down with it some day) and two…I absolutely cannot stand Tom Cruise. I don’t care how many of his own stunts he does or about his weird personal life; I’ve just never bought into him as an actor and find his characters very bland and unlikeable. Thankfully, Cage is written to be pretty unlikeable. A smarmy, confident, well-dressed spokesperson, he’s effectively become the face of the UDF’s counterattack against the Mimics, frequently appearing on television and in interviews to encourage viewers to join the military, hyping up the combat prowess of the armoured exosuits worn by their soldiers, and painting Vrataski (the so-called “Angel of Verdun”) as a heroic symbol. In Edge of Tomorrow, humanity was completely caught off-guard when a seemingly innocent meteor landed in Germany, only to spew out a legion of weird, tentacle-like aliens that swiftly overtook most of continental Europe. Because of their uncanny ability to seemingly anticipate their enemy’s actions, the aliens are dubbed “Mimics” (an odd name considering they don’t physically or strategically mimic anything about us) and, in the space of just five years, were seemingly set to destroy all human life. That was, until, the Battle of Verdun, where Vrataski scored a major victory, one which galvanised humanity to push towards total victory. Unfortunately for many of their troops, the UDF still employ trench warfare, literally dropping their soldiers into enemy territory and leading to mass slaughter in most cases, keeping humanity on the razor’s edge of extinction.

The time loop and brutal training transform the once-cowardly Cage into a battle-hardened soldier.

This, as much as anything else, is why Cage would rather be anywhere else but on the front line. A former advertising guru, he adapted his skills to promoting the war effort, receiving a complimentary military rank, and has successfully hidden his abject cowardice and combat inexperience behind his silver tongue. However, when he’s called to meet with grizzled veteran General Brigham (Gleeson), Cage is aghast to learn he’s been ordered to join the next push into Europe as a war correspondent. Desperate to avoid the danger, death, and bloodshed, he begs, bargains, and eventually tries to blackmail his way out of the assignment, only to be arrested, stripped of his rank, and branded a deserter (“Rail-roaded”, as he calls it) and dumped into the judgemental and unsympathetic care of Master Sergeant Farell’s (Paxton) J-Squad. Despite desperately trying to explain his situation, Cage is met by nothing but sarcasm, mockery, and aggression from his newfound peers and, before long, is strapped into an exosuit and violently dropped into battle with little to no combat training. The beachfront assault is not a battle, it’s a massacre. Cage’s entire battalion is killed and he comes face-to-face with a large, voracious Mimic, barely able to defend himself. Out of desperation, he blows the “Alpha” to pieces with a Claymore mine and is drenched in its caustic blood. He then suddenly finds himself waking up 24-hours earlier, being given the same impassioned speech by Farell, suffering the same abuse from J-Squad, and dying in battle once again, only to begin the day anew each time.

J-Squad are unimpressed by Cage’s attitude, inexperience, and increasing mania.

Confused and disorientated, Cage initially believes he’s suffering some kind of déjà vu or nightmare, or that he’s losing his mind. This latter explanation is what the other characters default to whenever he tries to warn them of the mission’s impending failure. No matter now many times he repeats Farell’s words or rattles off his knowledge of J-Squad – Griff (Kick Gurry), Kuntz (Dragomir Mrsic), Nance (Charlotte Riley), Skinner (Jonas Armstrong), Ford (Franz Drameh), Takeda (Masayoshi Haneda), and Kimmel (Tony Way) – they simply think he’s losing his mind. Eventually, during his many repeats of the same day, Cage’s knowledge of each increases; though this happens offscreen, we learn a bit more about each of them from his exposition as he tries to earn their trust. Ford, for example, is using his dead best friend’s name and sending his payment to his family. Mostly, Cage simply earns their ire; they’re annoyed at being saddled by him, his incompetence, and personally insulted by him being a deserter and they even attack him when his subsequent absences see them being punished by Farrel. Played by the late, great Bill Paxton with a delicious, scenery-chewing charisma, Farrel appears to be a man completely consumed by the fire and glory of war. However, unlike Brigham, Farrel isn’t all talk and bluster and eagerly joins his men in battle, relishing the taste of combat. Cage’s eventual combat prowess is more to do with memory, tough training, and a constant cycle of failure than him being mentored by J-Squad. They essentially leave him to fend for himself at the beginning, and are therefore stunned when he suddenly exhibits near-superhuman deftness and ability on the battlefield. Later, when he convinces them to heed his warnings, they’re shocked to learn how insurmountable the Mimic’s power is but readily follow him into a final assault on the Louvre Pyramid, giving their lives to his cause and even sacrificing themselves to cover his infiltration. However, as persuasive as Cage’s parlour tricks and knowledge are, they’re primarily convinced by him having the seal of approval of the near-mythical Vrataski, who backs Cage’s claims and emboldens their fighting spirit.

Constantly frustrated by Cage’s inexperience, Vrataski works hard to train him for combat.

Vrataski is a tough, no-nonsense soldier equally dubbed the “Full Metal Bitch”. Extremely adept with her exosuit, Vrataski also employs a massive, anime-styled sword (fashioned from a helicopter blade) and inspires awe in her fellow soldiers. However, Vrataski is also cold and stoic, rarely showing her emotions or letting them rule her actions, to the point where she’s largely impassive when her fellow soldiers die in battle. Behind this façade, she hides a deep pain at having watched so many of her loved ones die and failed to end the Mimic threat when she had the chance. When Cage unexpectedly saves her in battle thanks to his foresight, she orders him to find her when he wakes up and reveals that her victory at Verdun (and her entire reputation) is thanks to her also having previously acquired the Alpha’s time-manipulating blood. Working with Doctor Noah Carter (Taylor), Vrataski learned that the Alpha’s death triggers the gigantic “brain” of the Mimic hoard, the “Omega”, to reset the day, allowing the Mimics to counteract accordingly. The longer one has the power, the more the Mimics become aware of them and the closer the protagonists get to learning the Omega’s location. Vrataski therefore forces Cage to train again and again, executing him to restart the day whenever he’s incapacitated or killed, to turn him into her proxy. Vrataski is constantly exasperated by Cage’s inexperience, questions, and cowardice and delights in abusing him, barking orders and forcing him to step up and find a viable route off the beach to find the Omega. Similar to J-Squad, Cage eventually learns a bit about Vrataski and bonds with her, to the point where he becomes despondent at having watched her repeatedly die and their continued failures to make real headway.

The Mimics are an ugly, aggressive alien race that can somehow create time loops.

A bunch of veterans and barflies speculate on the reason the Mimics have come to Earth, but Edge of Tomorrow largely leaves the explanation vague. They’re described as a “perfect”, planet-conquering hive mind, a near-exhaustible army even without accounting for their time-bending powers. The actual creatures are somewhat generic; they’re perfectly monstrous and disturbingly Lovecraftian, but we never really get a decent look at them and they often resemble a blurry mishmash of nanobots rather than living beings. They’re often hiding, either under the sand, ground, or elsewhere, and burst up to strike, skewering prey with their tentacles, firing energy bolts, or manhandling soldiers with their superior speed and strength. Even the regular grunts are extremely durable, often tanking multiple shots or moving too fast to be hit, and it was only through blind luck that Cage killed the Alpha in the first place. The Mimics are controlled by the Omega, with the Alpha overseeing the invasion and signalling for a reset upon its death, with all the aliens retaining the knowledge of each day, as Cage does. The longer he has the power, the more aware of his presence they become; the infected begin to see visions of the Omega, something the big brain uses to lure the soldiers into a trap. Indeed, Dr. Carter suggests that the Omega allowed the victory at Verdun as part of a grander plan to wipe out humanity, making them an almost invincible force. So powerful is the threat of extinction that the UDF’s only thought is to counterattack with everything they have. At one point, Cage and Vrataski infiltrate Brigham’s office, using Cage’s foresight to finally convince him to hand over Dr. Carter’s experimental transponder to learn the Omega’s true location, only for Bingham to immediately order even Vrataski’s arrest and forcing the two to reset to simply steal it. Cage’s power is constantly at risk since he must die to reset the day; it cannot be passed on but can be lost via a blood transfusion, which is what cost Vrataski the power. This eventually strips the ability from Cage, forcing him and Vrataski to recruit J-Squad for one last, desperate mission to destroy the Omega in Paris.

The Nitty-Gritty:
At first glance, Edge of Tomorrow is simply another generic, sci-fi war film with many of the tropes you’d expect from the genre. You’ve got the gruff, uncompromising General; the tough, but somewhat fair, Drill Sergeant; and a squad of ground-level troops simply trying to defend their world. J-Squad are sadly one-dimensional, despite Cage spitting facts and exposition about them, but are at least visually distinct. Griff is constantly walking around in a pink bath robe, for example, Kuntz “doesn’t talk much”, and Kimmel literally goes into battle balls out. Though as thirsty for combat as their Master Sergeant and far better trained than Cage, J-Squad is as doomed to failure as every UDF campaign and we witness their hubris, downfall, and deaths numerous times as Cage lives, dies, and repeats his time loop over and over. Though they give him nothing but abuse, they show respect for and surprise regarding his combat prowess in different time loops when this cowardly, pathetic deserter is suddenly blasting around at speed and picking off Mimics with uncanny precision thanks to Vrataski’s brutal training. Vrataski is a loner by nature, training by herself in a mechanical simulator and fighting solo on the battlefield regardless of how many troops follow her. She often dies alone in battle as well and constantly keeps Cage at arm’s length, hiding injuries and insisting on pushing onwards even when he begs her to stop because she won’t make it. Her stubbornness is her greatest strength and she impresses this fighting spirit upon Cage, eventually transforming him into a more hardened soldier over who-knows-how-many time loops.

Cage’s repeated experiences improve his skills but burden him with knowledge.

As someone who dislikes Tom Cruise, I get a perverse pleasure out of seeing him die over and ever. He gets skewered, eaten, shot, and blown up multiple times throughout the film, suffering broken limbs, a shattered spine, and being crushed under vehicles. With each loop, he gets a little better, pushing further along the ill-fated beach assault and committing to memory the movements of the Mimics, exactly as a videogame player gets better through trial and error. We’re never given an exactly tally of how many times Cage relives the day, but he sometimes burns through days in quick succession, such as when he’s blindsided by threats or struggles with his combat training, much to his frustration. A series of montages show him failing time and again, but also his progression; once a lumbering liability who couldn’t disengage the safety on his weapons, he graduates to sprinting with an uncanny deftness and blasting Mimics with his shoulder cannons, saving those who despise him and pushing further into France. Much of Cage’s experiences aren’t shown to us, however. Edge of Tomorrow cleverly frames some of his and Vrataski’s excursions as his first experiences, only to reveal that he’s been at that same barn before and even learned to fly a helicopter. These sequences are all very gritty and realistic, with the beach assault resembling equally doomed real-life military campaigns and the UDF’s weaponry being surprisingly low-tech, save for the exosuits. These are surprisingly practical effects, with some CGI enhancements, and effectively make even a novice like Cage a super soldier, though we don’t see their full potential until Cage masters their functions. The Mimics, by comparison, are entirely CGI but they work well as an unknowable, monstrous “Other” for humanity to rally against, even if I find their design visually confusing. Cage eventually becomes burdened by knowledge; tortured by Vrataski’s repeated deaths and the virtual hopelessness of the situation, he deserts the campaign entirely at one point, only to be branded a coward. When he learns that the Omega is setting a trap for them to regain its power, Cage goes for the transponder to try and change the future, only to end up losing his powers and being given one last try to get the job done.

Stripped of his powers, Cage heads a final assault that results in the dawn of a new day.

Having been wounded and saved by a blood transfusion, Cage escapes military custody with Vrataski and the two enlist the help of J-Squad in defying orders and flying a night-time assault on the Louvre, the true location of the Omega. Essentially a suicide mission for all involved, this murkily shot mess of a sequence sees all of J-Squad heroically perish to cover their insertion into the iconic pyramid, leaving Cage and Vrataski the last survivors (ironically, Cage survives events in this sequence that would’ve surely reset his day previously). Cornered by the Alpha and realising victory will cost their lives, Vrataski finally expresses her regret and not getting the time to know Cage better, giving him an awkward kiss before sacrificing herself in the “fiery crucible” of combat against the Alpha, unaware that she and Cage have basically lived a lifetime by this point. Left alone with only a gun and a belt full of grenades and his harsh training, Cage plunges into the water’s beneath the Louvre to blow the Omega to kingdom come, only to be mortally wounded by the Alpha. However, he manages to pull the pins with his last act, destroying the Omega and earning himself another drenching in alien blood. This time, Cage awakens a few days earlier to find a strange energy pulse from the Louvre has mortally disabled all Mimics, effectively ending the threat overnight. He’s amazed to find J-Squad all alive and well, the war finally over, and himself restored to his previous life. Naturally, his first thought is to visit Vrataski, grinning like a moron when she greets him with her usual barking wit.

The Summary:
Edge of Tomorrow is a surprisingly good time. Like I say, I’m not a fan of Tom Cruise but he’s actually pretty enjoyable here. Seeing him play a slimy, cowardly, untrained soldier who gets repeatedly killed brought a lot of joy to me as a sycophant and I enjoyed watching him improve with every failure, getting more and more combat proficient and transforming into a soldier on par with Vrataski. This is masterfully conveyed not just through the physical representation of his abilities and proficiency with the exosuit (he demands additional rounds, forgoes his helmet, and show a veteran familiarity with its functions) but also in him assuming the same “thousand-yard stare” as Vrataski, becoming numb to the bloodshed and death over time. Yet, he retains a humanity that wasn’t immediately apparent thanks to his selfish nature. He genuinely wants to find a way to save everyone in his battalion and is frustrated to lose even a single one of them. Emily Blunt was stunning as Vrataski, embodying the stern, brutal efficiency of a battle-hardened soldier. I loved that she constantly pushed Cage, forcing him to think like her, and how she cooled over time to show a vulnerability beneath her façade. The Mimics were generic, but serviceable; they’re weird, bio-mechanical octopus things who want only conquest and human blood and that’s all you really need. The twist is their weird ability to control time, which is kind of swept under the rung and has a few logistical holes in it, but it makes them a unique and insurmountable foe. Character actors like Bill Paxton and Brendan Gleeson steal every scene there in and lend Edge of Tomorrow some legitimacy, and I liked the bleak, brutal nature of the combat (even if it was largely bloodless). In the end, I think Edge of Tomorrow is an under-rated alien invasion flick; there’s a lot to like here, especially with the time loop gimmick, and I always enjoy giving it a watch, even if it can be a bit generic visually.

My Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Great Stuff

Did you enjoy Edge of Tomorrow? If you’ve read All You Need Is Kill, how do you think the film works as an adaptation? What did you think to Tom Cruise’s performance? Did you also enjoy seeing him fail and die time and again and get a little better with each reset? What did you think to Emily Blunt and the depiction of the Mimics? Do you think the film needs a sequel? Is there a day in your life you’d like to relive over and over? Whatever your thoughts, drop them in the comments and go check out my other sci-fi content.