YouTube, superheroes and minions

Seth Barker- Editor-in-Chief

The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act

The conclusion to “The Amazing Digital Circus” is here, with the finale being released in theaters prior to its premiere on YouTube or Netflix. “The Amazing Digital Circus” features characters Pomni, Jax, Kinger, Ragatha, Zooble and Gangle trapped in a digital landscape after putting a headset on. The gang go on adventures set up by the AI ringleader Caine and his companion Bubble. Over time, Caine’s adventures begin wearing down the psyche of the residents, causing them to “abstract.” Caine tries his best to give the residents what they want, but can’t understand what they mean by wanting an exit, since he is an AI. This causes a divide between the residents and Caine. Now the cast must work behind Caine’s back to find a way to exit this program and return to their normal lives.

This is a rather odd case as while the series is concluded well enough, there isn’t much of a cause for why it is in theaters. The theatrical cut begins with a message telling the audience to not spoil the ending until the ninth episode is released on YouTube. It is followed by a recap of episodes 1-7, then episodes 8 and 9 are shown in their entirety. While episode 9 is new content for the theatrical release, episode 8 had already been released on YouTube at the time. There is a clear cut within the film between episodes 8 and 9, showing further how questionable the decision was to release this in cinemas.

Why is there a recap at the beginning? To inform casual audiences who did not see any of the prior episodes on YouTube? Why are episodes 8 and 9 not recut in a way that flows into each other? It comes off disjointed and separate instead, reminding audiences how this is not a film, but a collection of episodes. Why was this released in theaters then? Due to the mass popularity of the series beginning upon

the release of the first episode and building more of a dedicated fanbase as new episodes released, Glitch Productions realized the profitability of a theatrical release of the finale to build excitement, in old fans and new fans, while generating extra income. While it was not worth the cinematic experience, “The Amazing Digital Circus” is a good series showcasing the creativity of those on the fringes of the entertainment industry.

Supergirl

After the well received kick-off to the new DCU, led by James Gunn, that was 2025’s “Superman,” 2026 brought us “Supergirl.” Starring Milly Alcock as the titular character, this film looks up into the worlds existing beyond earth, as Supergirl travels across planets and unravels the story of Krypton’s destruction.

The film does not stand out against other superhero or science fiction films, though. The villain is a generic evil-tobe-evil type, with characters such as Lobo added in to bring in audiences. The different locations on planets are just locations from Earth; rather, they feel like in space with aliens. The ships and alien species that appear throughout the film do not feel creatively inspired, but rehashes of what has been done in other franchises.

Supergirl herself suffers from the modern writing flaws of superheroes, having her wise-cracking constantly while in battle until the final fight for her “lock-in” moment, complete with a final suit moment when she finally dons the Supergirl suit.

Overall, there is no part of the story or characters that feel that important enough for this to be a must-watch film, instead falling among the ever-growing pile of forgettable superhero films.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Spider-Man continues to be the Marvel money maker, with the new film breaking numerous box office records, cementing Tom Holland as a beloved portrayal of the character. However, does the film’s quality warrant the money made?

“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” continues Holland’s iteration of the web slinger, as Peter Parker lives the past four years as only Spider-Man, facing the consequences of the spell that concluded “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” Spider-Man’s suit is terrific in the film, perfectly showing a bright and comic accurate suit that fans have been begging for. The slight imperfections and wrinkles in the suit as he moves ground it into a realistic suit that would be worn by someone in Parker’s situation.

The inclusion of other marvel heroes within the film help it feel like a comic book, with other heroes being able to pop in and out, similar in execution to last year’s “Superman,” having the additional heroes not make the film feel like a team film, instead allowing the main character to take center stage and the other heroes to be in the background, popping in and out and helping the main hero in their story. A major highlight of the film is the dynamic between Spider-Man and the Punisher, allowing for some fun banter between the characters that didn’t feel done a thousand times and becoming worn out throughout the film.

The villain of the film is disappointing, with the decision to sideline several Spider-Man foes featured to cameos within a montage and the main villain being taken from elsewhere. Spider-Man in the comics has a large and noteworthy villain lineup, so to spend the villain spot of one of his films on none of them feels like a waste. Especially to introduce new villains to the screen and show a new and compelling interpretation of one of them. This is not to say that the story told and the villain used was not done well, but that it might have been able to occur elsewhere. Perhaps Spider-Man fans will get their wish in the future, as with the success of the film, Spider-Man will more than likely be seeing a new film before long.

Minions and Monsters

The third film in the Minions trilogy and seventh entry into the Despicable Me franchise, “Minions and Monsters” provides a fun story of the Minions in Hollywood in the 1920s. While the film does not provide a beautiful message or innovative storytelling, the story that is told has more fun to it than anticipated. The film did not feel like it had to draw on so many worn out bits from the Minion’s catalogue, but instead had new comedy to tell through the Minions.

The highlight of the film was the first third of the film, providing some of the best comedic moments and also serving as a love letter to old cinema. It featured references to many iconic films, such as Charlie Chaplin’s “Modern Times” and a cameo from Star Wars creator George Lucas. “Minions and Monsters” stands out as a prequel film not worried about connecting into the story of the rest of the franchise, but having fun with side adventures.

SETH BARKER