"YOU'LL LIKE HER WHEN SHE'S ANGRY" // A SERIES PREMIERE REVIEW OF "SHE-HULK: ATTORNEY AT LAW"

BY MATEO MORENO

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has gone a lot of different ways, and even for those who might complain that some of Phase 4 isn't their favorite (I'm not one of those people, but you know, some people have), you have to admire how their latest projects are swinging for the fences and really crafting different kinds of storytelling. From Sam Raimi being very "Sam Raimi" with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness to the horror thriller vibe of Moon Knight to its latest offering SHE-HULK: ATTORNEY AT LAW, they all feel VERY different. With She-Hulk, Marvel is taking on two new genres: the romantic comedy and the law procedural. Only one episode has dropped, but it's clear that this fast moving, sweet and fun new series is getting off on the right foot.

Tatiana Maslany (best known for playing 17 characters in Orphan Black) takes the lead of Jennifer Walters, a sweet and charming District Attorney. Her best friend and coworker Nikki Ramos (Ginger Gonzaga) is a paralegal and someone who always has her back, especially when sexist coworkers rear their ugly head. Almost immediately Nikki checks in with Jennifer as she's preparing for a closing argument and asks if she's gonna "Hulk out." Whoa, did we skip the origin story here?! Well, kinda, but only for a moment. Jennifer then turns to the camera, breaking the fourth wall just as she does in the comic books and tells us that yes, she's a Hulk and we should probably know how she came to be that way. We then spend most of the episode with Jennifer and her cousin Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) finding out how his mild mannered and sassy cousin ended up following in his big green footsteps.

The entire episode felt like a fresh, fun and self-aware set up to what looks to be a really entertaining series. Maslany is fantastic and perfectly cast as Jennifer Walters, and her chemistry with Mark Ruffalo (who is also charming as usual) is pitch perfect. Just like Deadpool, She-Hulk constantly breaks the fourth wall in the comics and by continuing that into the series, it gives the show a self aware and fresh feel. Director Jessica Gao also has some fun and nifty tricks here, like giving us a confused monster POV when Jennifer first changes and a fun almost sibling rivalry of who can "out Hulk who" as Jennifer trains to control her powers. We also get a bit of fun filler information regarding Hulk, see how he's able to revert back to Hulk and where he hid away during the blip to craft his "Smart Hulk" persona. Banner annoyingly quips at one point, "Smart Hulk. You don't get to pick the names." Which is a fun side comment that's clearly going to come back with Jennifer not being the one who chooses to be called "She-Hulk." And although there was plenty of griping about the unfinished CGI from the trailers, it looks good here, with a clear difference in how much work they put into the She-Hulk finished look.

What's interesting about Jennifer's transformation is that she's basically "Smart Hulk" right away and Bruce doesn't quite understand how. So we won't have to sit through any "Hulk smash" moments of dual personalities here. In fact (minor spoilers here), she sometimes practices law as She-Hulk and not Walters in the comics, so it'll be fun to see what they do here. The episode ends with a blink and you'll miss it intro to Jameela Jamil's Titania character, a character that everyone involved promises to be loads of ridiculous fun. It does feel like A LOT is crammed into a this first half-hour episode, but since this series (unlike Marvel's other offerings) will run 10 episodes in total, I have hope that it'll be giving plenty of time to establish the law world and personal life of Jennifer Walters and the super power beings that she will be forced to work alongside. I'm excited to see where this charming ride will take us.

GRADE: B+

BASED ON THE MARVEL COMIC CHARACTER CREATED BY Stan Lee and John Buscema SERIES CREATED BY Jessica Gao WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY Jessica Gao STARRING Tatiana Maslany, Mark Ruffalo, Ginger Gonzaga, Jameela Jamil. NOW STREAMING ON DISNEY PLUS.

LEGACY NOTES // A FILM REVIEW OF "CAS & DYLAN"

BY MATEO MORENO

A great road trip movie should take you on a journey. After all, they're on a journey so why shouldn't you be? For every great movie like Planes, Trains, and Automobiles or National Lampoon's Vacation, there's been multiple flops like Due Date or Wild Hogs. Jason Preistley (yes, THAT Jason Preistley from Beverly Hills 90210 fame) makes his directorial debut with yet another road trip comedy of errors, CAS & DYLAN. And although it often stays in neutral when it should be jetting forward, there are several moments that truly shine (mostly courtesy of a game Tatiana Maslany).

Richard Dreyfuss plays Dr. Cas Pepper (thankfully with only one or two Dr. Pepper jokes). At the beginning of the film he finds out that he has an inoperable brain tumor. He doesn't want to go through all of that pain alone so he makes the decision to kill himself. So he hit the road, jumping in his car with his dead dog (on ice, obviously) to find a final resting place for them both. Maslany (the talented lead of Orphan Black) plays Dylan Morgan, a free spirited, no nonsense type who Cas picks up and drops off at her home. He realizes after he leaves that she's left her notebook in his car. So he heads back to return it to her and accidentally runs down her angry boyfriend (as you do). Dylan jumps in Cas's car and they take off in a hurry. Dylan convinces him that they're now both going to be in deep trouble after killing her boyfriend so they hit the road and don't look back. Well, at least for a while.

Dylan is heading to Vancouver to meet up with a publishing house who's interested in her work. See, she fancies herself a writer, although she hasn't really written anything of note, but is convinced that this meeting with a Publisher will be her chance to break out of her ordinary life and shine. Cas at first can't stand her, asking her to not talk at all, but as you might have guessed, they both warm up to each other and Cas helps Dylan with her writing obstacles while Dylan helps Cas with his Suicide Note. Or as he likes to call it, "Legacy Note."

Priestly, who directs a script from Jessie Gabe, does an admiral job setting up this run of the mill story, wisely highlighting the dark patches from Gabe's script (the suicide storyline and the dead dog are non common and welcome additions). Gabe's script is perfectly enjoyable, not really saying anything truly original until the final act, which instead of building to a typical "I'll save you from your suicide" heads down a darker and more meaningful ending. Dreyfuss is solid as the cranky Cass Pepper, and adds a layer of warmth to his gradual connection to Dylan. However the movie's real charm is Dylan herself. Maslany steals every single scene with an arsenal of charm and a heartwarming smile. She's very much the opposite of the clone character’s she plays on TV and that's a good thing. Here she plays with a relatable character that you can't help but root for even as she lies her way into Cas's road trip. And she sells every bit of the finale, showing how much she's grown thankful that Cas came into her life.

Yes it's often cheesy and often predictable, but it's never annoyingly bad (cough... Due Date... cough). And as I've said earlier, the final act is well worth waiting around for. Cas & Dylan may not win an award for complete originality, but it has its heart in the right place. And a dead dog in the cooler.

MATEO'S GRADE: B

Written by Jessie Gabe Directed by Jason Priestley Starring Tatiana Maslany, Richard Dreyfuss

Now in select theatres and On Demand.

MATEO MORENO recently won a bet on who could hold their breath the longest underwater. He won the bet, having beat local loudmouth Jimmy "Thunderbird" Thomas with a record breaking "fourteen minutes." True, part of that time was him unconscious and the other part was him being revived, but he still counts it, and is now $20 richer. Take THAT Thunderbird! He currently lives in Brooklyn, New York.