Christian Entertainment Reviews: ‘Agatha All Along,’ ‘Tulsa King’

Occult themes aren’t the only elements viewers will have to anticipate in Disney+ & Marvel’s “Agatha All Along.” There’s action, humor, and yes, even a little heart in the latest animated “Transformers” film, with Sylvester Stallone playing a man with a core conscience. But “Tulsa King” itself could get pretty… rocky.

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Agatha All Along – Series streaming on Disney+

It’s not often that the title of a show actually is a spoiler for a completely different show. But yes: In “WandaVision“It was Agatha all the time.

Back in 2021, when Disney+ audiences first entered the deceptively charming town of Westview, WandaVision also introduced us to Agnes, the nosy neighbor of domesticated Marvel superheroes Wanda Maximoff (aka the Scarlet Witch) and Vision (aka Vision). The series raced through sitcom history for nearly decade after decade before we discovered that the entire workings of Westview were set in motion by a grieving Wanda—trapping the town’s real-life residents in a surreal telescape of laugh tracks and modest domestic strife.

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The one element not under Wanda’s control? That’s Agnes—or “Agatha,” if you will—a witch who’s all too eager to discover the secret of Wanda’s power. The two spellcasters naturally get mixed up, and Wanda eventually strips Agatha of her powers, locks her in Westview, and blocks her memories. Agatha ends the series as Anges in earnest, unknowingly locked away in Wanda’s suburban prison forever.

But forever is a relative term in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And you can’t keep a good villain down.

(Editor’s note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for a review, so there’s always a chance you’ll spot an issue that we didn’t. If you see content that you think should be included in our review, please email us at letters@pluggedin.com or reach out to us on Facebook or Instagram and let us know the episode number, title, and season so we can review it.)

Read the rest of the review hereWatch the trailer here.

Transformers One – Now in Theaters

When you hear about a new Transformers movie, you probably immediately think of bombastic sets, top-notch CGI, and slam-bam action sequences. After all, that’s what the last seven live-action films tied to the Hasbro toy franchise have excelled at.

One area where those earlier pictures were a little wonky and clumsy, though, is the whole dramatic story side of things. You know, all that sensitive, human stuff. Big bots and ‘splosions rule the roost in this movie.

Well, the final film in the franchise, “Transformers One,” takes place, oh, about a billion years before the bots ever landed on Earth. There is not a single human in the entire animated story. And yet, it probably has the most “human” story of them all.

This story is about a couple of friends who get into trouble together, have the same problems together, fight together, laugh together, and become as close as brothers. Then they become stronger. And they can’t agree on how to deal with the evil they encounter. One wants empathy, the other destruction.

It’s a story we’ve seen before. (Think Professor X and Magneto in the “X-Men” films.) And it all adds up to the film’s human audience connecting with, and cheering for, the best outcome of the big bot fight.

There’s also not much to stop youngsters from enjoying their time on the planet Cybertron – especially when compared to the live-action film franchise, which has a lot of PG-13 issues. This animated PG origin story feels closer to the heart of the original ‘80s animated series – albeit with better animation and a deeper storyline.

That said, a touch of foul language here is a little disappointing. And there’s plenty of slam-bam-boom action, but nothing too dangerous or scary. (Betrayal and broken robots are the worst.) Still, by 2024 standards, the content concerns here should be fairly navigable for pre-teens and up.

Overall, “Transformers One” is a fun, fast-paced, and slightly humorous action film that families and, yes, even fanboys can enjoy equally.

Read the rest of the review hereWatch the trailer here.

Tulsa King – Series Streaming on Paramount+

Dwight Manfredi has spent the last 25 years in prison, taking the fall for a murder his Don committed to save the mob boss’ son, Chickie, from going to prison for “beating up” a guy Manfredi actually liked and who definitely didn’t deserve it.

Why Would Manfredi do that? Well, because he’s loyal. From the age of 17, all he wanted was to be a gangster. He’s married to life.

Unfortunately, the mafia thinks differently.

After his release, they abandon Manfredi, telling him that there is no place for him in the New York Mafia families. Instead, he is sent to Tulsa, Oklahoma to set up shop.

“I’ll give you a city!” says the Don.

But Manfredi doesn’t see it that way. For him it’s a banishment. And they’re going to regret writing him off.

You know, if you take away the foul language, violent tendencies, illegal activities and sexual encounters, Tulsa’s new “king” is actually a pretty nice guy. Manfredi doesn’t stand for sexual harassment, racism or gang activity (unless they’re mafia gangs).

But “Tulsa King” doesn’t diminish those nasty things.

Language is a heavy hitter here, with 25 uses of the f-word in the first episode alone. Manfredi beats up four different men within the first 48 hours of arriving in Tulsa. And at the end of Season 1, he and his crew take down a local biker gang, killing eight riders, including the leader (Manfredi shoved the man’s head into a bullhorn before shooting him in the face). And then, of course, there’s all the illegal activity Manfredi gets involved in as he tries to establish himself as Tulsa’s very own Don.

Manfredi says his time in prison wasn’t worth 25 seconds, let alone 25 years. Who would have thought the same could be said about this show?

(Editor’s note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for a review, so there’s always a chance you’ll spot an issue that we didn’t. If you see content that you think should be included in our review, please email us at letters@pluggedin.com or reach out to us on Facebook or Instagram and let us know the episode number, title, and season so we can review it.)

Read the rest of the review hereWatch the trailer here.

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Plugged in is a Focus on the family publication designed to shed light on the world of popular entertainment while giving families the essential tools they need to understand, navigate, and influence the culture in which they live. Through our reviews, articles, and discussions, we hope to stimulate intellectual thought, spiritual growth, and a desire to follow the command of Colossians 2:8: “See to it that no one captivates you through empty and deceptive philosophies, after human traditions and the elementary principles of this world rather than after Christ.”

Reviews written by Paul Asay, Bob HooseAnd Emily Tsaio.