By Dave B.

Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs (2018, currently on HBO) takes place 20 years from now in Megasaki, Japan. Dogs have contracted an extremely virulent disease and are exiled to Trash Island. Young Atari journeys to the island in search of his dog. Atari’s uncle, the mayor of Megasaki, sends his minions to hunt the boy down and return him to the mayoral estate. Atari, with the help of a pack of dogs, does his best to evade his pursuers and find his beloved companion.

By Dave B.

World of Tomorrow (2015) is a 17-minute animated short film by Don Hertzfeldt. In it, 4-year-old Emily is contacted by a clone of herself from 227 years in the future. This clone has been implanted with Emily’s memories (as is commonplace in the future, at least for those who are relatively well-off), so is basically future Emily. Future Emily then brings toddler Emily into the future and begins to tell her about what life is like there, including how she fell in love with a rock.

By Dave B.

Trevor Belmont, Alucard Tepes, and Sypha Belnades join forces to defeat Alucard’s father, Dracula, in the second season of Castlevania (Netflix). An expanded cast of vampire and human villains await them as they plot and execute and audacious plan to finally kill the vampire lord and his minions before humanity is wiped out. However, some of Dracula’s “loyal” servants have ambitions of their own that may leave even the best plans, on either side, in ruins.

By Dave B.

The much anticipated third season of The Seven Deadly Sins (Netflix)* is here with more powerful villains, a filled-out roster of heroes, and lots of resurrected friends and enemies. For those who aren’t familiar with the show, it chronicles the story of Captain Meliodas (Sin of Wrath) and his team of knights known as The Seven Deadly Sins. They’re charged with protecting the kingdom of Liones from all threats. Currently, those threats are in the form of the Demon King’s High Guard known as The Ten Commandments. The Commandments are more powerful than any adversary the Sins have ever faced, initially defeating them with ease. How will the Sins regroup and strike back against opponents who are not just strong, but wield demonic magics not seen for 3000 years?

By Dave B.

In The Hollow (Netflix), three teens wake up in a sealed room that contains only a typewriter. They have complete amnesia and as the room fills with toxic gas, they must work together using their wits and recently discovered superpowers to escape the room and find out who they are, what has happened to them, and why. As the 10 episode show progresses, the trio traverse diverse worlds in an epic quest to find their way back to unremembered homes. 

By Dave B.

​In The Dragon Prince (Netflix), the world stands on the brink of war. The continent of Xadia has been divided for 100 years, ever since humans invented Dark Magic that relies on the life force of magical creatures to function. The elves and the dragons, abhorred by this, banished all humans to the western half of the continent, thus limiting humanity’s access to more traditional celestial and terrestrial magic. In an effort to end their banishment, one of the human kingdoms launches an assault on the king of the dragons, killing him and his unborn son. The Dragon Prince’s story follows that human kingdom’s two young princes and an elven assassin as they embark on a perilous quest to prevent an apocalyptic war.

By Dave B.

In Next Gen (Netflix) the world is filled with robots. Nearly anything you can imagine, from the police to fences to toothbrushes, is an intelligent robot. The main character of the movie is Mai, a rebellious young teenage girl with a strong antipathy towards the roboticised existence that everyone lives in. While on a trip with her robot-obsessed mother to the corporate unveiling of the newest generation of Q-bots (a type of artificial personal companion), Mai encounters “Project 77”: a robot unlike any other. Eventually, Mai and Project 77 develop a very dysfunctional friendship, overcome assorted obstacles that estrange them, and face off against an existential threat to humanity. 

By Dave B.

​Disenchantment (Netflix), brought to us by The Simpsons creator Matt Groening, is an animated sitcom that takes place in the fantasy world of Dreamland (despite the setting and the cutesy names, this show is not for children). The heroine, Princess Bean, is a violent, lustful, foul-mouthed, alcoholic who is being forced into an arranged marriage by her father. In her attempt to escape the situation, she acquires two companions: Elfo the elf and Luci, her personal demon. Together, the three go on various debauched, alcohol-fueled adventures and  engage in various self-discoveries.

By Dave B.

​Final Space (TBS) is an animated sci-fi television show that follows the adventures of Gary, who has been held captive on an automated prison ship for nearly five years, basically for being a dumbass while trying to impress a female soldier, Quinn. During his last days of confinement, Gary becomes ensnared in a plot that could result in the destruction of the Earth, and perhaps, the universe. With friends and allies that he acquires along the way, Gary’s journey culminates in a climactic battle, with the fate of reality itself at stake.

By Dave B.

After a 14 year wait, Incredibles 2 (Disney/Pixar) has finally arrived.
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The sequel takes place shortly after the events in the first movie. Superheroes are illegal. The Incredible family is in dire financial straits. The world appears to have moved on from needing heroes to feel safe. As setups to movies go, all of this is pretty appealing. But there’s something amiss with this movie.