Idris Elba saves the day
Makes up for miscast McConaughey in The Dark Tower
You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows, but these days, a guide through the seemingly endless flurry of pop culture offerings is just what we need.
With that in mind, here is what’s on the radar screen in TV, music and film for the coming week.
Imagine the last knight at an empty round table – armed with two guns instead of a sword. Meet the last Gunslinger, Roland (Idris Elba), a cross between an Arthurian knight, a Jedi and a cowboy — who just happens to live in a burnt-out, mystical Mad Maxian wasteland. Along with the help of a human boy from Manhattan, our champion Gunslinger engages in an epic battle with the Man in Black (Matthew McConaughey). They both seek control over the fate of The Dark Tower, a powerful, dangerous source of energy that holds the universe/reality together. At stake: Not only the Gunslinger’s world, but also our own.
This is the long-awaited adaptation of what critics (and the author himself ), see as Stephen King ’s true masterpiece. The only downside? McConaughey looks like a slickhaired ’80s bassist – not a mad Merlin or Faustian Devil. However, Elba, always larger than life, carries the weight of many worlds on his shoulders in every frame.
Ride on Gunslinger. Finally, a new fantasy franchise worth saddling up for. (Aug. 6, Space); (July 31, CBC) is meets a sport the world (not just North America), actually cares about.