If you’ve been waiting for the R-rated Snyder cuts of Rebel Moon, they’re finally here. Fans looking for other genre fare not obsessed with wheat, can also check out the streaming debut of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, the new Batman: Caped Crusader animated series, and more!
SERIES
Batman: Caped Crusader S1
1 August 2024 – Prime Video
Batman and animation have a long and storied relationship, most notably with Bruce Timm’s masterpiece Batman: The Animated Series franchise. And now Timm is back with some new cartoon greatness for the Dark Knight, this time teaming up with none-other than The Batman writer/director Matt Reeves and fan-favourite filmmaker JJ Abrams for Batman: Caped Crusader! And it looks amazing! Midnight Mass star Hamish Linklater voices Batman/Bruce Wayne, and he’s supported by star-studded cast that includes Christina Ricci, Jamie Chung, Diedrich Bader, Minnie Driver, Mckenna Grace, Eric Morgan Stuart, Michelle C. Bonilla, Krystal Joy Brown, John DiMaggio, Paul Scheer, Reid Scott, Tom Kenny, Jason Watkins, Gary Anthony Williams, Dan Donohue, David Krumholtz, Haley Joel Osment and Toby Stephens. Most importantly for me though is this that this new series has a very overt noir-inspired 1940s vibe to it, complete with Tommy-gun wielding mobsters and very grounded gadgets and vehicles. It’s the perfect era for Batman (same era as his original comic book appearance) and early reviews for the 10-episode first season are already praising it as one of the best. I can’t wait to check it out!
The Umbrella Academy S4
8 August 2024 – Netflix
I must admit that I can’t really write much about what to expect in the upcoming fourth and final season of The Umbrella Academy, as it’s been quite a while since I last watched it. Netflix’s kooky comic book adaptation may not be as front and centre in the pop culture zeitgeist as it was on first release five years ago, but it’s consistently received strong critical reception and Emmy Award nominations since then. And now it’s time to wrap it all up. As the official blurb states, “six years after the reset, the powerless Hargreeves clan faces a secret society and learns that the greatest threat to the universe… may be themselves.”
MOVIES
Rebel Moon: Director’s Cut – Part 1 & 2
2 August 2024 – Netflix
There’s a part of me that’s very angry with Netflix and filmmaker Zack Snyder for the ridiculous release strategy employed for Rebel Moon. We were already given a laughably PG-13 cut of Snyder’s two-part slow-motion wheat harvesting fetish film sci-fi epic, and now – much like the filmmaker did with Watchmen, Batman v Superman, and Justice League – we get the extended R-rated directors cut of both films dropping this coming Friday. But have a look at the Red Band trailer above for Rebel Moon – Chapter One: Chalice of Blood and Rebel Moon – Chapter Two: Curse of Forgiveness, and you’ll notice that this isn’t just the inclusion of some bloody action and sex scenes. There are whole sequences here that seem to add much-needed character depth and worldbuilding, the lack of which left the original cuts of these films as blundering, undercooked messes. And that means that unlike those aforementioned films which were limited by conventional runtimes and bigger franchise considerations, Netflix and Snyder intentionally gave us an inferior product just so that they could release it again later. So yes, there’s a part of me angry at them. And the other part is angry at myself because I know I’m going to watch this.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
2 August 2024 – Disney+
As I mentioned in my 7.5/10 review, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is not as good Matt Reeves’ previous franchise trilogy. But let’s be honest: What is? Maze Runner director Wes Ball and his cast acquit themselves very well though in this 300-years-later sequel that is the planned launchpad of a new trilogy of Apes movies. The VFX is still jaw-dropping, the thematic work hefty, and the action is enlivening, even if a bit of the character work (most notably for new lead Noa) is not as good as the superlative job Reeves did with former lead Caesar. Most notably though, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes throws out some intriguing premises by the end. And now, if you missed all this in cinema, you can watch it all unfold at home.
Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie
2 August 2024 – Netflix
For the younger folk (or just the young at heart), Netflix is debuting the new Spongebob Squarepants movie. This time around though, the focus is not on the popular Nickelodeon cartoon character but rather on Sandy Cheeks, his thrill-seeking squirrel friend who live under the ocean in a diving suit. In Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie, the eponymous Sandy, Spongebob, and all the other denizens of Bikini Bottom find their world literally turned upside down as they are suddenly scooped up out of the ocean and forced to go on a cross-country adventure to Texas to save their home.
Evil Dead Rise
5 August 2024 – Showmax
And this one is most definitely not for the younger folk (or the young/meek at heart). Evil Dead Rise is the fifth entry in Sam Raimi’s acclaimed horror franchise, but unlike 2013’s Evil Dead though, which was a remake of the original (well, kinda), this is a standalone entry that fits in the larger timeline created in Raimi’s original classic trilogy. And it’s really good! Boasting huge acclaim from both fans and critics, I’ve been eagerly awaiting this film to get a local streaming release since it never made it to South African cinemas last year. Written and directed by Lee Cronin (who was handpicked by Raimi for this project), Evil Dead Rises stars Lily Sullivan and Alyssa Sutherland as two estranged sisters trying to survive and save their family from an attack of deadites on their apartment block after they encounter a sinister book that longtime fans will definitely recognize.
VOD RENTALS/PURCHASES
The following movies have recently become available for digital purchase/rental:
IF
Purchase: Apple TV – R170
Rental: Apple TV – R45
Ryan Reynold is currently dominating the movie world with the very R-rated Deadpool & Wolverine. However, if you’re looking for something from him that’s much less filled with the foulest language, gratuitous violence, and boyband dance choreography, then IF has you covered. And that’s IF not “if”, as it’s also short for Imaginary Friends, the concept at the centre of this fantasy comedy film. The film is actually written, produced, and directed by John Krasinski, another funnyman-to-action-hero like Reynolds, and it follows Cailey Fleming’s Bea, a twelve-year-old girl who, after a traumatic personal experience, discovers that she has the ability to see everybody’s imaginary friends that got left behind when those people outgrew them. When she meets Cal (Reynolds), a man who possesses the same ability, it sets her on a wildly magical adventure. And now you can join them from the comfort of your lounge as IF has made it’s VOD rental debut.