It's pretty surreal seeing how much time has passed. It doesn't feel like it's been 12 months, and yet, it is. So while it's still some time before it becomes 2024, here's my personal highlights of this year.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Well, where does one begin with this film? Since it was announced audiences weren't sure what to think, but once the teaser debuted and later this trailer...many fears were laid to rest despite some not being on board with Chris Pratt's casting. But then once the film came out...everyone wanted to see it. And not only was it successful, but it was extraordinarily successful. To a degree that I don't think Illumination and Nintendo could have seen. And as someone who saw the 1993 film and enjoyed it for what that movie was, this film was something more. It was everything I had hoped for and more.
Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse
After the first Spider-Verse film - which was an amazing movie - how does one top it? By raising the bar higher. And this film is one that pushed the boundaries of cinematic storytelling in animation that few studios have done as of late. And audiences felt it when they saw it. From the cast of characters to the visuals - it is a masterpiece not to be missed.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch (Season 2)
After watching Season 1 of this show I can say that this show is more than a spin-off of Clone Wars. The story helps build on the mythos we already know as well as setting up a major confrontation to come in Season 3.
Star Wars: Ahsoka
After seeing a fan movement calling for Rosario's casting, and then seeing her in Mandalorian Season 2 and Book of Boba Fett, the apprentice of Anakin Skywalker finally gets her own series, with some characters from Star Wars Rebels coming along for the ride. It is a pretty good show, with the appearance of another character to help our favorite Togruta find her inner balance once more.
The Earth Saga Part IV: Remnants of Empire
My reading of Donald B McFarlane's space opera continues with our main character Joe Hunt and his team traveling through Alliance territory to find out more about the War of Succession and why it's been continuing more than it should. As they do more digging they find that the answers are quite familiar to what people from Earth's own history have done.
However, while this is going on, a colleague of Joe's named Dr. Keegan Beck is trying to manage human/alien relations until his friends/teammates come back. Unfortunately the story's antagonists known as The Coalition is preparing an invasion.
In all, it has been quite a year, and one that has been anything but dull. As to what next year may bring, who knows? But I am hopeful for the future.
So to everyone out there, have a Happy New Year!