Entertainment
Supergirl Earns Rave Reviews, But The Movie Is Still Doomed
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Right now, there’s plenty of buzz for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the new Marvel movie swinging into theaters July 31. But you don’t have to wait that long to watch some superhero shenanigans on the big screen. Supergirl premieres on June 26, and fans are eagerly awaiting the latest film in James Gunn’s growing DCU. Still, skeptics can’t help but wonder if this film will be able to match the epic vibes of Superman (2025) or if DC’s latest girlpower blockbuster will be a dud like Wonder Woman 1984.
Warner Bros. certainly feels confident about the movie. So confident, in fact, that they lifted its social media embargo early, allowing critics and influencers who had watched the film to share their thoughts online. Thus far, the studio’s confidence seems justified: most of the reviewers have been absolutely raving about Supergirl. Unfortunately, that enthusiasm may not be able to save a film that seems doomed to a mediocre box office performance.
Rave Reviews
What are the early impressions of Supergirl looking like? According to Den of Geek, “Supergirl is the superhero movie I’ve missed: a straightforward, poignant story with lots of emotion, especially when we see Kara through little Ruthye’s eyes. Luckily, that’s every action scene. Milly Alcock absolutely owns the role and will change our idea of Supergirl forever.” This sentiment is echoed by Gizmodo, which noted that Supergirl “doesn’t quite have the resonance of Superman…it acts as both a perfect companion and follow-up to that movie with better characters and more complex relationships.” On top of that, “It’s also incredibly emotional, which makes the action hit even harder.”
The emphasis on emotion makes it sound like the movie is a fitting follow-up to Superman, which proudly wore its heart on its sleeve. Despite similar themes and action scenes, though, it sounds like Supergirl is going to have an identity of its very own. According to Mike Ryan, the movie “is not at all what I was expecting. I, too, assumed ‘superhero space movie with needle drops’ would have a similar tone to [Guardians of the Galaxy] or even Superman. Instead, it looks and plays more like a Mad Max movie, with dirty worlds, gross villains, and a self-destructive hero.”
Killer Performances, Mediocre Box Office
One thing that almost everyone agrees on is that Milly Alcock does an amazing job as Supergirl. The same can be said of Jason Momoa, who is receiving nearly unanimous praise for his portrayal of the charismatic antihero Lobo. While this is a star-making turn for Alcock, not everyone thinks the film is worthy of her talents. This includes Discussion Film, who said that, “the film around her takes far too long to step into gear and never quite matches her energy.” These minor critiques aside, though, it seems like Supergirl is going to be a film with mass market appeal.
Does that mean its box office is going to go up, up and away? Sadly, no. Right now, the movie is projected to earn between $45 to $55 million in its opening weekend. That’s not an extremely low amount, but it’s still much, much lower than Superman’s $125 million, which went on to earn $618 million worldwide. If Supergirl’s overall box office is correspondingly low, it could be bad news for the DCU. Deadline reports that the movie will need to make $315 million just to break even. Considering how disappointing the box office for Masters of the Universe and The Mandalorian and Grogu (both lighthearted sci-fi blockbusters, like Supergirl), the Woman of Steel’s feature film debut could be doomed.
Should Supergirl disappoint at the box office, Warner Bros. will have the cold comfort of knowing that it was very well-received by critics. These early impressions make the film sound like it will be an action-packed, emotional thrill ride that lets Milly Alcock and Jason Momoa really stretch their acting chops. With any luck, good word of mouth may (Obsession-style) drive the box office higher than anyone could estimate. Otherwise, though, this movie’s failure will be seen as a failure of the DCU as a whole, cementing Marvel as the dominant superhero cinematic universe, once and for all. We’ll find out together when Supergirl premieres on June 26.
Entertainment
Amazon hides its Prime Day sex toy deals — so I found the best alternatives
Best early Prime Day sex toy deals so far:
Prime Day is just a few days away (yes, Amazon bumped the official sale up to June this year), and it’s my pleasure, and journalistic duty, to give you the deets on where to find the best sex toy deals.
As I’ve noted in years past, buying sex toys on Amazon is a gamble. If you don’t know what to look for, you could end up with something that does more harm than good (think porous jelly materials or chemical-laden vibrators). On top of that, Amazon isn’t allowed to promote sex toys on Prime Day the way it does for TVs and air fryers, which means you have to dig to find the discounts.
Luckily, you have me to do the research for you. To be transparent, there aren’t a ton of early sex toy deals live on Amazon just yet, but I expect a lot more to drop when the official sale kicks off next week. Below, I’ve rounded up the best early discounts — including a few Amazon finds that are already marked down, the toys I’m betting will go on sale next week, and deals from outside brands running their own sales. Happy shopping!
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Mashable Trend Report
Best Amazon Prime Day sex toy deal so far
$29.99
at Amazon
$39.99
Save $10.00
Why we like it
A lot of the toys I usually hype up on Prime Day aren’t on sale yet (I’ve listed those below), but Tracy’s Dog is almost always marked down. It is one of my favorite sex toy brands for people who crave intense clitoral stimulation but aren’t willing to pay more than $50. This is one of the only times I feel confident saying you’ll get more bang for your buck.
Right now, you can get Tracy’s Dog OG Lick for $29.99 at Amazon (it’s basically just a newer version of the OG Sucking Vibrator, which I have and love). It’s only 13% off on the Tracy’s Dog website, so this is a good deal.
The OG Lick includes a remote and has seven licking modes and 10 vibration patterns. It’s also waterproof and super easy to use hands-free (I actually love using mine while I’m giving my partner head; it’s fun for everyone involved). Note: This is a “licking” vibrator; if you want suction, I recommend buying the OG Sucking Vibrator (which isn’t available on Amazon for some reason).
More early Prime Day deals hiding on Amazon
The toys I’m betting will go on sale next week
All the sex toy deals you can shop right now
Entertainment
Is Marvel Playing Us All With Fake Leaks?
By Chris Snellgrove
| Updated
It’s a pretty exciting time to be a Marvel fan. We’re getting some solid superhero television (like Daredevil: Born Again), and a new Spider-Man movie is around the corner. In December, Avengers: Doomsday will reunite Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. on the big screen in what is certain to be the biggest movie of the year. To make sure that their ambitious crossover classic has maximum impact with fans, Marvel has been doing its best to keep details about Doomsday and its plot under wraps. Unfortunately, trailers and footage for upcoming movies just keep leaking online.
Recently, a major trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day leaked online well before it was supposed to be officially released. Less than a week later, footage from Avengers: Doomsday found its way online. This is similar to an incident last December in which trailers for Doomsday kept leaking online before their theatrical debut. Leaks are a problem that has only been getting worse, leading many fans to ask why Marvel’s security has gotten so sloppy. However, I think the answer is simpler. Marvel is intentionally “leaking” footage as a way to build hype and defeat the greatest villain of them all: superhero fatigue.
Brand New Day, Same Old Leaks
The last week alone has been pretty terrible for Marvel when it comes to leaks. First, a major Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer got leaked that gave us early glimpses of major developments, including Gray Hulk and the fact that Sadie Sink is seemingly mind-controlling him, which may finally confirm that she’s playing Jean Grey. More recently, footage from Avengers: Doomsday leaked that shows Doctor Doom sending Sentinels to fight heroes from the Avengers, Thunderbolts, X-Men, and Fantastic Four. While this footage is soundless and wildly pixilated, it still seems to be giving away major details about one of the movie’s biggest fights.
Marvel has been having problems with leakers for a long time. In fact, a few years ago, they were taking legal action, trying to figure out which insiders were leaking summaries of then-upcoming films like Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Now, things have escalated to the point that we’re getting actual trailers and footage well before the studio wants us to see it. Why is this happening? It could just be that Marvel’s security has gotten really sloppy within a year of their two most-hyped films (Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday) releasing. However, it’s far likelier that these “leaks” are coming directly from Marvel.
Marvel’s Playing 4D Chess
Why the heck would Marvel start leaking its own footage after spending years trying to stop other leakers? The most obvious reason is, of course, free publicity. Marketing something like Avengers: Doomsday or Spider-Man: Brand New Day can be insanely expensive and ultimately cut into a movie’s bottom line. By leaking their own footage, Marvel doesn’t have to spend a dime; they just have to kick back and watch the rest of us effectively promote these upcoming films by sharing the leaks with our real-life friends, posting them online for our followers, and generally speculating to anyone who will listen about what the movie will be about.
The other big reason that Marvel would leak its own footage is to take control of the narrative. In recent years, there has been a glut of fake superhero trailers and footage created by AI. The creators share this footage online, hoping to gain clout by making you think it’s real. Meanwhile, Marvel has to spend plenty of time and money setting the record straight about these fakes. By releasing their own footage, they can get everyone to pay attention to the real deal while generating viral hype with cool scenes (like, say, Doctor Doom siccing a bunch of Sentinels on fan-favorite characters like Thor and Captain America).
Fake Leaks Are A Win/Win For Marvel
Marvel releasing its own footage via staged “leaks” also allows them to gauge audience reactions and, if needed, edit the film. For example, the Avengers: Doomsday footage leaked more than half a year before the movie comes out. If audiences really hate what they see, there’s time for the studio to make changes to the film through creative edits and, in the worst case, reshoots. Conversely, if audiences love what they see, Marvel knows exactly what to emphasize when marketing their most expensive blockbuster.
Obviously, there’s no way to prove this particular theory. Maybe footage keeps leaking because Marvel is filled with disgruntled employees, or maybe just employees who want to leave their own weird mark on the world. No matter what the cause, though, it seems like Marvel’s leak problem is just getting worse by the year. Will this make superhero fatigue worse and sink Avengers: Doomsday, or will it generate enough hype that Marvel laughs all the way to the bank? Without the Eye of Agomatto to help us out, we won’t know until Doomsday blasts into theaters on December 18.
Entertainment
The Jason Statham Sci-Fi Action Gem That Packs A Punch
By Charlene Badasie
| Published
Released in 2001, The One is a science fiction action film starring Jet Li and Jason Statham. Directed by James Wong from a script he co-wrote with Glen Morgan, the film explores a multiverse where alternate versions of the same person exist across countless parallel universes.
The story follows Gabriel Yulaw (Jet Li), a former police officer from an alternate universe who embarks on a mission to eliminate alternate versions of himself from various dimensions. Yulaw believes that by destroying his counterparts, he gains their strength and power, ultimately leading him to become The One. His pursuit of power sparks conflicts with law enforcement agencies across the multiverse.
Agent Harry Rodecker (Delroy Lindo) and his partner, Agent Evan Funsch (Jason Statham), are determined to stop Yulaw’s deadly spree, leading to a tense cat-and-mouse game spanning multiple universes. The One reaches its climax in a showdown between Yulaw and his final counterpart, Gabe Law, at the iconic Los Angeles Coliseum.
An Early Hidden Multiversal Gem
The One garnered mixed reviews from critics following its release. While Jet Li’s performance and the film’s adrenaline-pumping action sequences received praise, critics took issue with the plot’s lack of coherence and depth. However, the special effects were often highlighted as a strength, showcasing the filmmakers’ commitment to bringing the multiverse concept to life.
The One also achieved moderate financial success, grossing approximately $43 million in the United States and around $72 million worldwide. Despite its mixed critical reception, it remains an engaging sci-fi action film that showcases Jet Li’s talents while offering a unique take on parallel universes and the pursuit of ultimate power.
Jet Li and Jason Statham Reunite In The Expendables
Jet Li and Jason Statham would later collaborate again in the popular Expendables film series. This star-studded action franchise pays homage to classic 1980s and 1990s action movies by bringing together an ensemble cast of iconic action stars. Known for its over-the-top violence and witty one-liners, the series serves as both a tribute to the genre and a modern continuation of it.
Directed by Sylvester Stallone, The Expendables introduces viewers to a team of mercenaries led by Barney Ross (Stallone). The cast is a veritable who’s who of action stars, including Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke, Terry Crews, and more. Jet Li returned for The Expendables 2, while Statham remained a franchise mainstay through all four films, including 2023’s Expend4bles.
Since The One, Jason Statham has cemented himself as one of Hollywood’s most reliable action stars. His impressive catalog includes Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, the Transporter franchise, Crank, The Italian Job, Death Race, Spy, and the Fast & Furious film series. More recently, he has headlined films like The Beekeeper and A Working Man, continuing a career built on hard-hitting action and tough-guy charisma.
As of this writing, The One can be rented or purchased on-demand through YouTube, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, and Fandango at Home.
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