Martial arts legend and beloved cinematic icon Jackie Chan (Rush Hour and Police Story franchises) embarks on a family-friendly adventure in the action-comedy sequel, Panda Plan: The Magical Tribe (NOT RATED; 100 minutes). It's landing on digital, Blu-ray™, and DVD on August 11 from Well Go USA Entertainment. 

Picking up after the events of 2024’s Panda Plan, where Chan plays a fictionalized version of himself who takes on a horde of bad guys threatening a zoo, the sequel takes a more whimsical turn. Directed by Derek Hui (This is Not What I Expected) and written by Keyang Pan, the film introduces a primal twist when Jackie and his panda, Hu Hu, unwittingly stumble into a remote tribe. This quirky tribe, believing Hu Hu is a sacred spirit linked to their ancestral totem, imposes a series of hilariously strict customs upon him. With Hu Hu suddenly designated as the key to solving a long-standing crisis, Jackie finds himself tapping into a blend of wit and skill to navigate this wild new world.

Released in China back in February 2026, the film reeled in about $37.7 million in US dollars. While Panda Plan: The Magical Tribe isn’t without its flaws, it offers a more family-centric tone than its predecessor, leaning heavily into slapstick humor that seems engineered to tickle the funny bones of younger audiences, though adults might just roll their eyes.

Just looking at the box office numbers, it's clear that M3GAN 2.0 was a complete flop—raking in a paltry $39 million worldwide against a reported budget of $15 to $25 million. In comparison, the first film nearly reached the $182 million mark globally. However, despite whatever its earnings are from digital and physical media, it flopped hard. I still had a curious itch to see it, but not enough to shell out serious cash at theaters. Seriously, theater owners must rethink those outrageous ticket prices if they want moviegoers to return.

As for my journey with M3GAN ^[*] (2022), I came to it late—much like the awkward kid who shows up to the party after everyone has already left. I initially dismissed it; the trailers made it look downright silly. No matter how many people raved about it, I resisted. Then I was struck down by a nasty flu bug, found myself curled up in a recliner, wrapped in a blanket, with nothing to distract me. That’s when I stumbled upon the film streaming on Peacock. With nothing else to do, I clicked play. And what do you know? I actually loved it! No sugarcoating here—it's dumb and campy, and it features the emotionless charged performance of Allison Williams, and somehow, despite all that dreck, it entertained me in a wonderfully absurd way. So, despite the cacophony of negative buzz around the sequel, I still felt drawn to give it a chance, hoping for that same brand of mindless fun.

Now, onto M3GAN 2.0. Imagine this: an autonomous android, engineered to be the ultimate weapon, threatens M3GAN's beloved Cady. M3GAN persuades her creator, Gemma, to give her a shiny upgrade, transforming our beloved A.I. diva into an even deadlier force. Decked out with wild enhancements and her iconic attitude, M3GAN faces off against a wannabe techno-terror in a showdown that could have crowned the ultimate queen of mayhem.

Why do moviegoers flock to overpriced theaters to endure yet another lazy, plot-ridden dinosaur flick? It appears I’ve inadvertently provided my own answer—dinosaurs. Not the majestic, real dinosaurs of yore; those are long extinct and confined to the annals of history. What we have now is a parade of CGI monstrosities, rendered with the slickness of modern technology, but lacking the soul of artistic creativity. Yes, running to the big screen to witness that sounds utterly thrilling—at least, that’s the sound of my dripping sarcasm.

Personally, I find scant interest in the latest installment of the Jurassic franchise. Oh, forgive me for the slight oversight—it seems it has been rebranded as Jurassic World. Clever move, really—renaming a franchise is like putting a fresh coat of paint on an old, forgotten barn; it might look shiny, but it’s still just a rotting structure. The studio heads are milking every last dime from moviegoers' pockets for yet another mindless, clichéd popcorn flick, leaving our wallets decidedly lighter.

Now, let's pivot to the main event: Jurassic World Rebirth, the seventh entry in a franchise that arguably should have stopped at the original 1993 film. Remember when Spielberg opted against Michael Crichton’s original grim ending, opting instead to let the dino-games continue? True, Crichton’s The Lost World offered a second island, but considering how the cinematic industry has gone, it’s astounding it took them this long to exploit the franchise further.

I have a love-hate relationship with fictional series that continue long after the author's death. It's a contentious issue in the literary community—it sparks debates, deliberations, and, at times, outright fury. Whether the extension of a beloved series was part of the author's grand design or a last-minute decision made by their estate or publisher, fans react with passion. Personally, I fall into the camp that doesn’t mind as long as the new author or authors are given proper credit on the cover and it's not, cough, cough, ghostwritten. In my eyes, the utmost priority is that the story is well-crafted. Different writers have their own narratives and styles, but I want to see these new authors treat the source material with respect rather than mimicry.

Take, for example, the late Clive Cussler (1931-2020). His novels have continued to thrill fans even after his passing. And you know what? The new authors get their due credit right on the cover—although let’s be real, Clive’s name still dominates the page like a ship's captain who refuses to be overshadowed. The latest installment is The Iron Storm, written by Jack Du Brul, marking the 15th adventure in the Isaac Bell series that kicked off in 2007 with The Chase. It follows the relentless, no-nonsense private investigator Isaac Bell, who prowls the streets of early 20th-century America like a sleek cat on the hunt.