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”Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” and the second season debut of the third “Power” spin-off “Power Book IV: Force” are among the new television, movies, music and games headed to a device near you
Among the offerings worth your time as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists are the new musical game for the Nintendo Switch called Samba de Amigo: Party Central, the fine-dining satire “The Menu” being served on Hulu and a new album from the 20-member K-pop super group NCT.
— ”Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” Harrison Ford’s last outing as the adventure-seeking archaeologist, is finally available to watch at home via video-on-demand. This fifth installment might not be quite as great as “Raiders” or “The Last Crusade,” but it’s also more fun than many gave it credit for on its bumpy release this summer. Veteran director James Mangold took the helm from Steven Spielberg and does his best to capture all the things we love about Indy, including a possibly too-extended flashback featuring our hero de-aged to 45. It’s really not necessary because Ford, at 80, is firing on all levels — as funny, vibrant and game as he ever was. Plus there’s the added bonus of a great new character played by “Fleabag’s” Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
— It being the beginning of the month, Hulu has a lot of great new offerings coming on Friday, including the Coen brothers “Hail Caesar!” and “Raising Arizona,” Lars von Trier’s “Melancholia” and the always re-watchable “The Devil Wears Prada.” And on Sunday, Mark Mylod’s fine-dining satire “The Menu” arrives, too, with its terrific ensemble, including Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult, and sharp critiques of wealth and privilege. In his review, AP Film Writer Jake Coyle wrote that while it may be aimed at “somewhat low-hanging fruit,” that Mylod brings an icy, stylish flare in another kind of cleverly staged eat-the-rich comedy that — particularly thanks to the elite eye-rolling of Taylor-Joy and Fiennes’ anguished artist — is still a very tasty snack.”
— And if “Gran Turismo” has you feeling the need for more speed in your life, The Criterion Channel has the answer with a '70s Car Movies anthology pulling into your living room starting Friday. Among the offerings are Steven Spielberg’s 1971 nail-biter “Duel,” Lee H. Katzin’s Steve McQueen racing classic “Le Mans,” Michael Cimino’s Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges crime caper “Thunderbolt and Lightfoot” and the original “Gone in 60 Seconds.”
— They came from Sweden by way of outer space and now the explosive electropop duo Icona Pop return with their third full-length album and first in 10 years, “Club Romantech.” Members Aino Jawo and Caroline Hjelt made sure the wait was worth it. The release is stacked with post-hiatus cosmic pop, earworm hooks as addictive as the one in the Charli XCX -penned hit “I Love It” that put them on the map in 2012. That’s evidenced in their single with Galantis, “I want you” and the playful chorus “I want you/We don’t have to play these games, play theses games/ ’Cause I want you.” It pays to be direct.
— In their lead single and title track from their fourth full-length album, the 20-member K-pop super group NCT announce they’ve entered their “Golden Age.” Who could argue otherwise? The track, which serves as the LP’s closer and its thematic anchor, is an eclecticist’s dream: absurdist trap, glossy vocal harmonies, and an interpolation of some Beethoven — Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13, “Sonata Pathétique” II. Adagio cantabile — in one. And that’s not even the best part: all 20 members are heard on it, a rarity and feat in itself, which of course includes NCT’s famed subunits, NCT 127, NCT DREAM and WayV. No matter your bias, there’s a lot to love.
— “One Piece,” a new live-action fantasy series coming to Netflix has been adapted from a beloved Japanese manga and anime series. The graphic novels by Eiichiro Oda have sold more than 516 million copies across 103 volumes in 61 countries, making its success similar to the “Harry Potter” book series. The story follows a protagonist named Monkey D. Luffy who sails the ocean in search of treasure with his band of pirates. “One Piece” debuted Thursday on Netflix.
— The fantasy series “The Wheel of Time” returns to Prime Video for its second season on Friday. Rosamund Pike stars as Moiraine Damodred, a member of the Aes Sedai, a group of women with magical gifts. We meet Moiraine on a quest to find the Dragon, a long dead leader with the ability to save or destroy the world. “The Wheel of Time” is based on a 14-book series of the same name created by Robert Jordan. A third season has already been ordered.
— The third “Power” spin-off, “Power Book IV: Force,” debuts its second season on Starz on Friday. It centers around Joseph Sikora’s Tommy Egan character, a convicted drug dealer who leaves New York for Chicago to continue his criminal enterprise.
— This summer’s Final Fantasy XVI brought dramatic changes to the storied franchise — and made some of us a little nostalgic for the FFs of the 1990s. Canada’s Sabotage Studio aims to scratch that itch with Sea of Stars, its new retro-inspired adventure. Its pixelated, top-down graphics and turn-by-turn combat are designed to induce flashbacks in fans of old-school role-playing games. And then there’s its story: Two mages, the Children of the Solstice, team up with other do-gooders to stop an evil alchemist, The Fleshmancer, from destroying the world. It even has fishing and cooking minigames! You don’t need to travel back in time 30 years; this epic begins Tuesday on PlayStation 5/4, Xbox X/S/One, Nintendo Switch and PC.
— Speaking of old-school, Sega has decided it’s time to revive a long-dormant character from the ’90s: Amigo, the sombrero-wearing, maracas-shaking Brazilian monkey. He’s back in Samba de Amigo: Party Central, a new musical game for the Nintendo Switch. It turns the Switch’s palm-sized Joy-Con controllers into a pair of maracas, and your challenge is to shake them in rhythm to an assortment of dance hits. The 40-song soundtrack ranges from current stars like Ariana Grande and Carly Rae Jepsen to geezers like Culture Club and Gloria Gaynor, with more downloadable tunes on the way. Amigo is ready to bring the fiesta to your living room on Tuesday.
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Catch up on AP’s entertainment coverage here: https://apnews.com/entertainment.
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The story first published on Aug. 28, 2023. It was updated on Sept. 1, 2023, to reflect that the new “Indiana Jones” movie is the fifth installment in the series, not the fourth.