With the release of the second part of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune there are now three live action adaptations of the story. In this episode we examine the Lynch, Harrison, and Villeneuve adaptations. We discuss what we like about each one and talk about the things that we felt do not work in each. We compare notes on the various portrayals of characters and debate what worked and what didn’t in terms of an adaptation and in terms of telling the narrative each version was trying to tell. We also get into production values, visual aesthetics, and musical choices. By the end we ensure that everyone responds to the question, “How You Dune?”
Due to time constraints there is no five-minute controversy this week.
This week Kevin; Jess; and newcomers, Nathan and Van, join the cast.
Show Notes:
Discord Link
Like what you heard? Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/42cast. You can also find us on X as @42cast, Instagram/Threads as 42cast, or Blue Sky as 42cast.bsky.social. We can also be found on Pandora, Amazon Music, Youtube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Please, leave us a review. Have a question for the Ultimate Answer? E-mail us at [email protected].
85 years ago, L. Frank Baum’s classic tale was adapted into the first film that used technicolor. That movie was The Wizard of Oz. In this episode we discuss that epic film. We talk about the acting, characters, and the sheer spectacle that must have left crowd’s awestruck. We discuss the themes of the source material and how well this film works as an adaptation. We get into the Disney sequel made over forty years later and how it’s such a departure from the MGM take. we also give our opinions on how Hollywood has used the Oz material ever since. 
It was a title so good that we had to use it twice. In this episode we take a deep dive on Invincible. It’s a coming of age story about Mark Grayson, a teenager who has to navigate attaining super powers, his father’s secret, and getting into college. We discuss the phenomenal story and what makes it so unique at a time when we have so much superhero content. We also talk about the phenomenal voice work and the great care that goes into selecting each and every voice. Along the way we navigate the comic origins of the series and frantically try to stay away from spoilers. Those of us who haven’t read the comic give our hopes for what we’ll see in the future. We also get into the art style, animation, and depictions of superhero action and whether it works for us. 
Marvel’s Runaways adapted a relatively unknown but also fairly recent comic book concept for the small screen. The story followed the children of super villains who ran away from their parents and become heroes. In this episode we take a look at the final season of the series. We discuss the plotlines and how well this final season wrapped up the plot of the series. We talk about the depiction of the world and whether or not this all takes place within the MCU. We also get into the characters both established and new, such as the villain, Morgan le Fay, played by Elizabeth Hurley. We also debate whether we’d like to see these characters again.
The 42cast is proud to welcome Captain Power himself, 
This episode is dedicated to the memory of Akira Toriyama, a brilliant creator responsible for the design of games like Sonic the Hedgehog and Dragon Quest (Dragon Warrior in the 80’s/90’s in the US) as well of course as the Dragon Ball manga. 
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was the last title to come out of the DCEU. Featuring Jason Momoa as Aquaman the movie was meant to focus on the sibling relationship between Aquaman and his brother Orm, played by Patrick Wilson. In this episode the cast discusses this film. They examine the plot and characters and discuss what they think worked and didn’t. They talk about the controversies surrounding members of the cast as well as any other factors that may have contributed to it performing less at the box office than its predecessor. They also get into a discussion about the new DCEU and Momoa’s likely placement there as Lobo. 
Star Trek: Picard was the second series in the new Star Trek line initially created by CBS: All Access and later continued by Paramount Plus. The series provided a bridge for fans who didn’t connect with Star Trek: Discovery by providing recognizable characters from the height of Trek popularity in the 90’s. While many fans appreciated this effort some did not appreciate the darker tone of that first season. A second season followed with a lighter tone but many plotting issues. In the third season, many Next Generation cast members as well as situations and characters from Deep Space Nine and Voyager were brought into the series to provide further touchstones to Star Trek series of the past. In this episode we discuss the third season of Star Trek: Picard. We discuss the new characters and the old and whether we appreciated the many call backs. We also talk about the plot, whether the Borg are overused, and what other legacy storylines could have been used for the hook this season. Along the way we opine on Star Trek: Legacy and what we’re like to see if that series ever comes to fruition. 
Legion was one of two TV series that Fox produced while owning the X-Men license. The story followed David Haller, the son of Professor Charles Xavier; his struggles with mental health; and his development as one of the most powerful mutants on the planet. The series was told from the point of view of this unreliable narrator which sometimes lead to strange visuals and editing choices. In this episode the cast discusses the third and final season that focused on time travel and the consequences of various characters’ actions. Along the way they talk about the various characters, what they think about the use of time travel in this season, mental health and how its depicted in the series, and whether or not this is a satisfying ending for the series. 
Willow was released in theaters in 1988. The film was George Lucas’ take on a fantasy epic. Unfortunately, it didn’t perform up to expectations in the box office, so a sequel film was never made. However, it did develop a cult following that spawned The Chronicles of the Shadow War novel series and a television series on Disney+. In this episode the cast discusses the film, the novels, and the Disney+ series. They talk about the elements within the plot, characters, performances, and production that made the movie great. Then, they get into the merits of the various spinoffs and what worked for those, what failed, and what they’d like to see happen in the Willow universe in the future. 
