Netflix's adaptation of The Three Body Problem, originally a novel in Chinese by Liu Cixin, provides audiences with a fun, if flawed, hard science-fiction show. Created by D. B. Weiss and David Benioff of Game of Thrones fame, many actors from their previous series also are cast here alongside other sci-fi acting staples. The premise of the show is strong, but some of the character interactions and story arcs come across as quite saccharine or cheesy. We still recommend this show since the...

Nerd Legion returns to review the new FX television miniseries Shogun, which can be found streaming on Hulu. Based on James' Clavell's 1975 novel and previously filmed in 1980, the new version by creators Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo provides a spectacular period drama set in feudal Japan. The level of attention to detail in the sets, costumes, and historical accuracy lends the weight of authenticity and pomp befitting of a drama between feudal lords in the 1600s. While outside of Nerd...

Denis Villeneuve's Dune Part Two burst onto the screen in 2024 to an excellent reception, and Nerd Legion also gives plaudits to this wonderful film. Monte and DoA have an in-depth discussion on changes from the books, the success of streamlining the story for film, the wonderful casting, and fulfilling character arcs. While Dune Part One may have been a bit rushed and flawed, the second movie dives into the world of the Fremen and is a much more complete thematic exploration that takes time...

Netflix's live-action adaptation of the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender has drawn criticism from fans of the original, but still retains much of the magic and excellent world-building that made it great. The wonderous aesthetics and fantastical bending magic translate well into real-world action and the characters come to life with actors who are (mostly) well-cast. The addition of scenes from the Fire Nation shifts some of the character focus in this series and leaves some plot...

Blue Eye Samurai dropped on Netflix in 2023 and became one of our favorites shows of 2023, if not the best show on Nerd Legion thus far. While chock-full of tropes from Tarantino, Zatoichi, Kurosawa, Mulan, and more, the show takes its influences in bold and surprising new directions. Creative duo Michael Green and Amber Noizumi have created an animated masterpiece with a compelling main character in Mizu and an exemplary supporting cast. It's well worth anyone's time to watch this gorgeous...

Netflix released Zack Snyder's unique terrible Rebel Moon in 2023, and Monte and DoA are here to tell you exactly how bad it is. The film is derivative of a litany of other science-fiction and fantasy film as well as being a direct rip-off of Kurosawa's Seven Samurai. With almost no redeeming qualities, from lackluster world-building, boring characters, poor acting, and an insipid plot, you are well-warned to stay away.

DoA and MonteCristo review the first five episodes of the new AppleTV+ show set in the MonsterVerse, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. Starring Kurt Russell and his son Wyatt, who plays the younger version of Kurt, and set in both the modern day and in 1950's flashbacks, the show ultimately disappoints. Perplexingly, the show contains surprisingly few actual monsters and spends an exorbitant amount of time on the psychological woes of its boring characters. Furthermore, Monarch fails to even...

Scavengers Reign is quietly one of the best TV shows of 2023 and offers a totally unique science-fiction experiences set on the truly alien world of Vesta. Created by Joseph Bennett and Charles Huettner and based on an animated short they created for Cartoon Network, Max picked up the concept for a full run that certainly delivers a thrilling survival experience. With an art style clearly derived from the French artist Moebius, Scaverngers Reign focuses on an unforgiving ecosystem in which...

Nerd Legion wraps up the second half of Loki's season two, which certainly doesn't disappoint. Monte and DoA discuss the success of the show, particularly the strength of the core cast, the satisfying conclusion of the Loki character arc, and speculate about the future of the MCU. They also compare it to other MCU shows and ask: is Loki the best Marvel TV series to date?

DoA forces Monte to watch a forgotten kids' movie from 1993, the terrible and hilarious Surf Ninjas. Clearly attempting to capitalize on the martial arts craze arising from Karate Kid and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the film contains notable actors Leslie Nielsen and Rob Schneider in some of their most forgettable roles. Surf Ninjas attempts to shoehorn product placement for its own video game on the SEGA Game Gear portable video game system, using the novel approach of having the video...

Mike Flanagan's latest horror effort, The Fall of the House of Usher, has arrived on Netflix just in time for Halloween! Serving as a modernized tribute and anthology to the works of Edgar Allan Poe, it weaves together a variety of the author's short stories and poetry around a larger narrative of one family's responsibility for the American opioid epidemic. The series provides a variety of pulpy and fun moments, but struggles to contain a ham-fisted and overly preachy condemnation of...

Nerd Legion is back in the Marvel Cinematic Universe this week with the start of Loki Season 2, which, unlike the tragic Secret Invasion, appears to be well-crafted and entertaining. The three primary actors in this season, Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson, and Ke Huy Quan, all excel in their roles and create an atmosphere of banter and fun. The show uses clever visual queues to make the timelines easily comprehensible to the audience and abides by its own set of rules to create an air of mystery...

Ahsoka's first season wraps up with the reveal of Grand Admiral Thrawn, long-anticipated by fans of the Star Wars extended universe. Unfortunately, his characterization as a complete buffoon leaves Monte in shock, since he bears little resemblance to his portrayal in Timothy Zahn's novel. While the visuals and design of Ahsoka remain spectacular, the plot contains massive holes, deus ex machina writing, and non-sensical actions by the characters. DoA and Monte argue about whether anything...

Nerd Legions dives further into Ahsoka as the show fleshes out her character with the return of Anakin Skywalker and flashbacks to her past. The show includes incredibly impressive visuals, well-choreographed lightsaber battles, and an admirable commitment to the Star Wars aesthetic that impressed our hosts. While some rather glaring plot holes emerged and viewers are left contemplating Hera's arguably criminal parenting, Ahsoka's plot moves along at a reasonable clip and continues to deliver...

New Star Wars content arrives in the form of the first two episodes of Ahsoka, with Nerd Legion here to provide an initial impression and review as the Disney+ series kicks off. DoA and MonteCristo discuss where this show fits in the Star Wars universe, if its intention is to provide a retcon of the terrible sequel trilogy, the success of the show's aesthetic, and more. Even though some scenes felt a little too drawn out and the dialogue fell flat in parts, overall the show looks to set up a...

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds wraps up its second season this week with three strong episodes. The dreaded musical episode was actually executed well and in a manner consistent with the tone of the franchise and, even better, we were treated to the best episode of this show yet, Under the Cloak of War. The Gorn might be boring as an adversary with few original traits to make them stand out among science fiction antagonists, but we're hopeful that next season will close out their arc and...

Conceived by George Lucas and directed by Ron Howard in 1988, Willow has reached its 35th anniversary and Nerd Legion reviews this childhood classic. Upon release, it was a landmark in special effects and enchanted a generation with its simple plot and charming, feel-good story. Val Kilmer and Warwick Davis shine in their performances, even if the script doesn't give them much to work with. Ultimately, has the film aged well in the context of other fantasy movies or is it beloved purely from...

In spite of the compelling build-up for the Battle of Thanedd, the second half of Netflix's The Witcher Season 3 massively drops the ball in terms of pacing and execution to close out Henry Cavill's tenure on the show. The wizard conflict is massively rushed through one episode only to result in a plodding and boring character arc for Ciri as she wanders around a desert with an inexplicable unicorn. Meanwhile, Geralt lies around injured in a bed for Cavill's last moments in the series,...

Secret Invasion faceplants at the end of the series, not only ruining its own story arc, but creating unavoidable problems for the entire Marvel universe moving forward. How can they reconcile the power level of G'iah as she assumes the abilities of the Avengers and dozens of other superhuman beings? Monte and DoA discuss the numerous problems with the series and its disappointing finale before moving on to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. SNW continues to borrow from better Star Trek series,...

Monte and DoA tackle the first five episodes of The Witcher Season 3, which continues Geralt's saga as political intrigue builds among the mages and Ciri eludes her many pursuers. They touch on the success of the first two seasons of the Netflix show, criticizing the editing and pacing as hindering a fundamentally good story that is needlessly confusing for the viewer to follow. While the third season largely improves upon the the problems that plague The Witcher, it still suffers from...

This week, Nerd Legion returns to Marvel's Secret Invasion and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. While Secret Invasion drags on with ridiculous situations and boring action, there are a few good scenes and performances from Samuel L. Jackson and Don Cheadle buried in the muck. Monte and DoA discuss the issues with fatigue in the Marvel universe and a burdensome expectation to watch all Marvel content if viewers want to understand anything at all. Meanwhile, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds finally...

In the first episode of Nerd Legion to examine a feature film, Monte and DoA discuss their (mostly) fond impressions of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. They explain some of the historical details the movie build upon, including the Antikythera Mechanism, the life of Archimedes, the Lance of Longinus, and Nazi mysticism. While Dial of Destiny freely repeats many Indiana Jones tropes, including Nazi castles, supernatural artifacts, bringing melee weapons to gun fights, and loveable...

DoA and Monte return their attention to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds this week as they discuss whether the time-travel episode with Kirk was actually worse than season two's opener. These two episodes are chock-full of ridiculous moments, including an absurd court scene where a lawyer introduces a critical law at the end of a trial and La'an Noonien-Singh leaving a gun in Khan's childhood room. Marvel's new show, Secret Invasion, has kicked off, but does it live up to its lofty expectations...

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has resumed, so Monte and DoA discuss their impressions and review the first season as well as the disappointing start of season two. Is the show an adequate intro for Trek newbies, despite constantly pilfering plots from popular sci-fi? The guys bring up the ridiculous moments of season two episode one, including a drugged-up doctor fight and a hangover being a punishment for mutiny. The conversation continues around the show's parallels to other famous...

Nerd Legion is a weekly podcast exploring science fiction and fantasy TV shows and films as well as other aspects of nerd culture. Featuring long-time esports casting duo Erik "DoA" Lonnquist and Christopher "MonteCristo" Mykles, the show highlights their years of established synergy and banter to lend humor and insight into the latest pop culture trends.