Review: Doctor Who "Robot of Sherwood"

Doctor Who

"Robot of Sherwood"

This past weekends episode of Doctor Who finds the Doctor and Clara visiting a legend - Robin Hood, at the request of Clara. The Doctor, however, doesn't believe that the man known as Robin Hood even exists. Enter the conflict of this episode.

In this episode, the story arc about robots and the Promised Land continues and we learn a little more about the Doctor. Robin Hood seems to exist, as well as his Merry Men. Clara is head over heels at meeting the real Robin Hood, while the Doctor is more skeptical. Yes, the Doctor is always skeptical, but he seems more so in this season. He seems less likely to believe in the unbelievable and the fantastic, and dwells mostly on the logic and reality of a situation. Very different than past incarnations of the Time Lord.

While trying to figure out what kind of thing Robin Hood is, the Doctor gets into a battle of egos with Robin Hood. Who's the better man? Indeed, who is the better man? Who is the hero and who is the man who time will forget? egos aside, there is something strange in Sherwood. 

In the trademark shooting contest, not only does the Doctor get involved, but he helps reveal that the Sheriff has robot buddies that begin blasting the place up. These robots are not like Cybermen or the Clockwork robots from before - they are fast and have great aim. Well, great aim for any robot minion. 

These robots are preparing to blast-off from the planet very soon by using. However, with egos bruised and Clara now potentially in danger, the Doctor and Robin Hood realize they have much in common and eventually work together to destroy the Sheriff and his robot army. 

In the end, the Doctor and Robin Hood discuss the role of heroes. This is where information about the new Doctor is slowly being revealed. As Robin Hood now only exists in legend and as a inspiration for other heroes, perhaps the Doctor is the same. Maybe is power lies in the fact that he is mostly legend now. Is he a hero though? Only time will tell.

Final Thoughts:

A fine episode that seems to move the story arc along with robots and the Promised Land but also a small glimpse into the nature of the Doctor as hero. Is he one? Does he want to be one?

Profile: Kumonga

Name: Kumonga aka Spiga

First Appearance: Son of Godzilla

Kumonga is probably many peoples worst nightmare: a giant spider about 135 feet long and 18 feet high and weighing nearly 80,000 tons. The name Kumonga comes from the Japanese word for spiderクモ (kumo). Sporting black and yellow striped patterns, cold-blue eyes,  large fangs, and able to shoot super strong webbing from its mouth, Kumonga was a formidably enemy for Godzilla.

According to the journal of Dr. Matsumia, Kumonga was a type of very large spider to dwell in the jungle of Sogell Island. However, exposure to the radioactive storm of 1967 created by the UN's failed weather experiment mutated Kumonga into a 45-meter tall kaiju. The same weather experiment that created the Kamacuras. After killing one of the Kamacuras, Kumonga took on Godzilla himself and nearly killed him. But, thanks to the help of Manilla, Godzilla was able to severely burn Kumonga with their radioactive breath and chase the creature away. Kumonga participated in the final battle in Destroy All Monsters and helped Mothra entangle King Ghidorah in webbing. He also was taken over by the Xiliens in Final Wars and destroyed a trailer in the Arizona desert and fought Godzilla once again. Only to be swung around by his own webbing and soared into the distance, never to be seen again.

Spirited Away Power Discs

Chihiro brings us to the magical world of the spirits with the "Spirited Away" power discs. "The Abandoned Amusement Park" sky shows the spirit world at night with the towering clock and shops brightly glowly. The music would play "The Procession of the Spirits" from the Spirited Away soundtrack by Joe Hisaishi.

The spirit world is filled with wonder and awe as your journey takes you through the streets of the many shops and bath house in "Chihiro's Downtown Amusement" terrian disc colors your world. The water is clear and clean, bubbling out from the many frog fountains located around the park. The ground is a stone street where the spirits roam. The plants are the shop faces and lights that make the spirit world burn brilliantly in the night. The music would be "It's Hard Work" from the Spirited Away soundtrack.

Review: Doctor Who "Into the Dalek"

Doctor Who

"Into the Dalek"

The second adventure in season eight deals mostly with the most feared and hated of the Doctor's enemies, the Daleks. It also introduces a new character Danny Pink. But beyond that, it's a critical episode for understanding the new Doctor, who tries to come to terms with who he is - or perhaps who he wants to be.

Meet Rusty, the good Dalek. Or is he? This episode focuses most on the duality of life. Are things inherently evil or inherently good? And if so, can someone change from one to the other. Does being alive automatically subject you to the labels of good and evil? 

The Doctor, after rescuing a soldier from near death, ends up aboard a vessel that has a single Dalek in their care. A Dalek who wants to destroy all Daleks. The Doctor, ever skeptical, retrieves Clara to help him in this scenario. Can a Dalek be good. It turns out that this Dalek is suffering from an internal radiation leak, which in turn is allowing suppressed memories to surface. A particular memory, a star being born, allows Rusty to see that life is eternal and forever, therefore making the prime directive of the Daleks obsolete.

The Doctor and friends shrink and travel inside Rusty to fix this internal hemorrhage of sorts. They battle Dalek antibodies, little floating eyes that destroy whom ever they deem a threat. One of the people they destroy gives her life for the Doctor and ends up in heaven with the mysterious woman from the first episode. The story arc continues.

The Doctor however goes through another test. He attempts to remind Rusty, whom after being fixed returns to its murderous ways, about the star being born and all the beauty in the galaxy by directly linking his own memories with Rusty's. However, this plan doesn't quite work. Rusty sees beauty  in the Doctor's memories, but also hatred. Hatred of the Daleks. A mirror has been put in front of the Doctor and he does not like what he sees. 

Clara in this episode serves an important function. She shows the Doctor what he cannot see. She allows him to discover things about himself by just simply asking a question. In essence, she fulfills the part of the Doctor that appears to be missing. Making him a whole man. 

Final Thoughts:

I think it was a nice idea to allow a Dalek to be the mirror for the Doctor. It allowed him to see what he sometimes overlooks - that through the goodness and the light, there is also dark. 

Disney Infinity 2.0 Hiro and Baymax Video

It looks like Hiro and Baymax from Big Hero 6 are officially announced with the newest trailer from Disney Infnity 2.0. We also get our first look at Syndrome and a number of classic characters from 1.0 along with new terrain and skies. Check back for a detailed run-down of the trailer.

Robin the Frog

Name: Robin the Frog
First Seen: The Frog Prince (1971)

Robin the Frog is Kermit's nephew. A kind, gentle, and often overlooked member of the Muppet troupe. Literally overlooked, he's very tiny and this made for some great jokes on The Muppet Show as well as extremely touching moments. Robin, who was performed by the amazing, gifted, and incomparable Jerry Nelson, also had a wonderful singing voice and performed some great songs including, "Just One Person," one of Jim Henson's personal favorite songs, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," and the hit song (in the UK) "Halfway Down the Stairs."

Robin gets along with all the Muppets, but is usually seen hanging with Sweetums - the small and the mighty. They sing together, laugh together, and top the christmas tree together.

I personally think that Robin has some of his best moments in A Muppet Family Christmas. He gets to sing with his Uncle Kermit and meet the Fraggles! Not to mention, he looks great in that little red jacket.

Robin is probably best known to most folks as Tiny Tim from The Muppet Christmas Carol, which is probably one of his best performances. "Bless Us All" is a delightful song and Robin's innocence and  charm really wraps the song in a nice little bow.

Robin also got to star in a PS One game entitled Muppet Monster Adventure. His goal was to change the Muppets, who had been turned into monstrous versions of themselves, back to normal. It was a fun little game with another song for Robin.

Besides having some supporting roles in numerous Muppet productions, Robin disappeared for a little while. He appears in The Muppets for a few brief moments and has one critical line in Muppets Most Wanted. He is now performed by Matt Vogel.

Robin is a critical member of the Muppet family. He adds a nice balance to many of the characters, has some interesting relationships and problems, and is just so darn likable. I would love to see Robin come to to forefront more often.

Review: Doctor Who "Deep Breath"

Doctor Who

"Deep Breath"

On August 23, the new Doctor revealed himself to the world in the first episode of the 8th Season entitled "Deep Breath." An appropriate title, as much of the world was holding its collective breath until this day. "Who?" was the question we were all asking. Well, that and "why? what? costume? etc."

A giant T-Rex, as tall or taller than Big Ben, has appeared in London, brought by none other than the Doctor. When we first see the Doctor he acts a lot like what we have come to expect from the Eleventh - fast-talking, lots of great hand gestures, and an occasion flirt, in this case with a dinosaur. It's fun to see the new Doctor thrown right into the thick of it. After a quick resolution to the dinosaur, a meeting with Madame Vastra, Jenny, and Strax (whom the Doctor gives descriptive names), the Doctor faints. 

Without doing a play-by-play of the episode, we get to see the Doctor and his allies defeat an army of murdering cyborgs. But while this is happening, we spend some time getting to know the new Doctor.

I enjoyed the Doctors struggle. For the first time, we get to see him truly grasp with his, for lack of better words, humanity. He has an appearance that he doesn't understand, that Clara doesn't understand, and it creates an interesting situation. The Doctor has to come to terms with the idea that he has changed to a new form that perhaps he was not ready to deal with, a form that is old, with a frown and wrinkles, and eyebrows that tell a story of furrowing and rather than surprise or enjoyment. He is old, something the Doctor has not been for a long time. 

Clara has to come to terms with it, too. No one explained regeneration to her. She has a really hard time believing this is the Doctor, until a call from an old friend and some pushing from Madame Vastra.

I think the most interesting part of the whole episode was the finale. Seeing Clara and the Doctor in a new Tardis (which clearly reflects the new Doctor, dark and foreboding, somewhat menacing colors, and not too much shiny) having a discussion helped me understand the Doctor more than the whole episode.

The end also clearly sets-up another story-arc, this time having to do with heaven, the eventual fate of those the Doctor thwarts, and a mysterious woman who seems to run the place.

Final Thoughts:

It's too early to judge this new Doctor. Will he win our hearts sooner rather than later, that is yet to be told. But it seems like we'll see a darker Doctor who needs to deal with realities more often. Good luck, Peter Capaldi!