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Another modern adaptation of classic fairy tales. Something like Ever after High. But because it's primarily an Italian project, they mainly work with European fairy tales, or rather European versions of global fairy tales, because from the beginning the distribution was intended as a typical Nickelodeon-style product. For me, by far the funniest character is Pinocchia, Collodi Pinocchio's granddaughter. And of course, with the Regal Academy logo, beautiful toys and clever fairy tale books were released.

The shared biography of Liesl Karlstadt (1892-1960) and Karl Valentin (1882-1948) naturally called for a film adaptation for a long time. The phenomenon of this comedic duo spans a long period, from 1911 until Valentin's death. Jo Baier approached this material with a commendable amount of respect and reverence, but he also remembered to include the human aspect and humor. The material would easily suffice for a standalone series, but even so, the TV film managed to capture all the important aspects. The performances by Johannes Herrschmann and Hannah Herzsprung are epochal, and the music by Konstantin Wecker is excellent. Personally, I most enjoyed the reconstruction of the filming of Der Firmling and Beim Nervenarzt.

Each of Barbie's sisters eventually got their own movie, and all of them turned out to be great. Moreover, they are always adapted to the ages of the sisters. Chelsea's movie, The Lost Birthday, is for preschoolers, Big Babysitting Adventure with Skipper is ideal for teens, and tweens can fully relate to Barbie & Stacie to the Rescue. Stacie has always been a rather ordinary character, but this time she finally got her own personality, which is definitely a plus.

A fairly good overview of the development of the My Little Pony phenomenon. Behind-the-scenes information from Hasbro is invaluable. There's also mention of today's Bronies, the adult fans of the series My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. In the 1980s, it was no longer possible to toughen up toys any further (G.I. Joe had its best years behind it) and at the same time, it wasn't possible to keep offering little girls only kitchens or their miniatures. So, it was the perfect time to combine the classic childhood fascination with horses, pastel aesthetics, and media output. Hasbro understood the necessity of stories, and the tradition of the MLP series was born.

Black Barbie is a significant topic in American culture. If you have an opinion or if Mattel's favorite toy is relevant to you in any way, it's good to see this documentary together with Tiny Shoulders. I am aware of the history of Barbie and Mattel, as well as of BLM; however, the intersection of these topics raised questions for me that I wanted to supplement through this documentary. Unfortunately, Lagueria Davis made a documentary that is more emotional than informational. She conducted interviews with key POC figures from Mattel's history, with current people addressing inclusion at Mattel, etc. The history of the doll itself is seemingly presented comprehensively, including a timeline with references to various significant events related to the production of dolls of dark complexion (both within and outside Mattel). Yet, no one explained to me why it's important to repaint the entire concept of Barbie to be black. Why isn't the whole rainbow inclusion enough, with countless dolls available featuring vitiligo, in wheelchairs, with prosthetic limbs or hearing aids, Afro-American, Latin American, freckled, blind, with Down syndrome, etc.? Certainly, the stereotypical image of a teen blonde who models and spends a lot of time at the beach is quite archaic today. But Barbie herself never exclusively lived in 1959 and evolved hand in hand with the development of American society. That's far more than any other toy line has ever done. The concept of Barbie's story stems from how other dolls gradually emerged and were attributed various roles. And POC have decided that it's necessary to change the meaning of "Barbie" from the name of a specific doll to some sort of portable universal title that can essentially denote anything. Dolls depicting adult and child figures, male and female, of all races and sizes - all are and will be Barbie. Barbie is obviously a state of mind, as evidenced by Mattel's strategy in recent years, labeling all its doll products as Barbie, even if they are just small boxes or accessory bags for Ken. Of course, no one wants children of any skin color, size, or potential disability to suffer from a lack of self-projection in the world of toys. But at the same time, I don't think today's world problems will be solved by families buying only black Barbies. Beauty lies in diversity. If children are to have any toys, let each one be different.

This is a genre within a genre. A courtroom drama between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. They met professionally during the filming of The Rum Diary (2011), were married from 2015-2017, and the rest is history. Depp's hardcore fans will never admit anything that could tarnish their image of him, their cult idol who has been with us for 4 decades. Heard has always been a small fish next to him, one of many of his partners, so no one expected that the potential breakup of their relationship could have such a bitter aftermath. But it happened, it's a separate topic, a whole series of documentaries are being made, books are coming out, and the tabloids have thoroughly enjoyed it, so I expect a feature film adaptation eventually. Because if Hollywood knows how to do anything, it's to exploit scandals to the core. It was like this 100 years ago in the Roscoe Arbuckle case, and nothing has changed.

Muhammad Ali (1942–2016) was the 16th heavyweight boxing world champion, but by his time, the original idea was already there, as Jack Dempsey first fulfilled it. The story of this champion is full of activism, racism, and politics. In his career, not even the black bomber Joe Louis was important anymore, but rather the endless strife to regain the title. Will Smith surpassed himself here, but considering the complexity of the whole life story, I must conclude that the resulting film is only a superficial work.

Rocky Marciano (1923-1969) was the son of Italian immigrants, shaped by the legendary boxing match between Louis and Schmeling in 1938. He became the 11th heavyweight boxing world champion shortly after defeating his childhood hero Louis and subsequently Joe Walcott. This film is great because it's not just about the classic formula of a poor kid becoming a champion; it tells the whole story of frustration from poverty, respect in a brutal sport where life was at stake even then, and most importantly, it portrays the fates of boxers who didn't fare well in their old age. Joe Louis had to step back after years of glory and returned to being just a poor black man; lightweight champion Lou Ambers also didn't end up well. Jon Favreau surprisingly delivers a great performance in the lead role. Moreover, thanks to him, it's confirmed how closely the stories of classic boxers and comic book superheroes resonate with each other.

The television biography of Jack Dempsey (1895-1983), the first World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, is as good as films like Ring of Passion about the fights between Schmeling and Louis, or the life story of Marion Davies in The Hearst and Davies Affair. These grand stories from pre-war popular culture were still vibrant then, setting the stage for cinematic retellings. Dempsey's story had it all. Raised by Mormons, he had a sports career, and married film actresses Estelle Taylor and Hannah Williams. He acted in movies, ran a restaurant, and wrote the memoir "Championship Fighting: Explosive Punching and Aggressive Defense, How to Fight Tough a DEMPSEY". Even during World War II, he didn't slack off. What more could you want? Treat Williams in the lead role? You got it.

The first three episodes of Armageddon were almost unbearable. The guest appearances of Ray Palmer from Legends of Tomorrow and Jefferson Pierce from Black Lightning had no energy. Fortunately, it all improved with the transition to the year 2031.