Entertainment

The Sandman review: A dream adaptation

Dream a little dream

Published

August 22, 2022

Luigi Leonardo

That will not last. The Great Stories will always return to their original forms.

It’s one of the most enduring quotes from the Sandman’s 75-issue run. Talking to the immortal Hob Gadling in the 18^th century, Dream, the eponymous Sandman, comments on the transience of a new ending attached to Shakespeare’s King Lear written centuries past. It’s a testament to the endurance of stories despite the ravages of time.

In an age dominated by adaptations, The Sandman’s quote rings ever truer. The past few years have seen countless adapted titles dropped because of lackluster reception. The original forms, whether it be books or series made years past, have won time and time again. However, despite history weighing down against it, one adaptation has seemingly prevailed against Dream’s cautionary warning: The Sandman itself.

Enter the Dreaming

Premiering on Netflix, The Sandman adapts the first few story arcs from the original comic book run. The series stars Tom Sturridge as the titular character, complemented by a lively cast from television’s finest including Doctor Who’s Jenna Coleman as Johanna Constantine and Game of Thrones’ Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer. Plus, most critically, Neil Gaiman himself, the series’ author, is directly involved with the series, along with David S. Goyer.

The series itself is a long time coming. Since the original run ended, filmmakers and producers have sought to adapt the title for Hollywood. However, for all of 30 years, Gaiman rejected all efforts to create a Hollywood-friendly version of the popular series. Now, fresh from the success of the adaptations of American Gods and Good Omens, the acclaimed author is taking the reins himself to create the first good adaptation of Sandman. And why not? The title’s tales of inclusivity, responsibility, and story-making still ring true today.

A dream of me: a personal history

When I first read The Sandman, I was in high school. My sensibilities and interests were naturally different from what they are today. They were hardly mature enough to understand the intricacies of the series. In fact, my young mind was more interested in how Dream was an all-powerful protagonist capable of blowing his enemies away in a literal puff of sand. For me, Sandman was no different from Superman. Can you blame me? I was a teenager, after all.

While it’s fair to read the series in that way, The Sandman was so much more. More than a decade later, I reread the entire series, picking up hundreds of tidbits I missed my first go-around. I learned about the power of dreams on our reality and how dreams pervade regardless of culture or identity.

Now, if you’ve read The Sandman at any point in your life, you’ll understand how the series endured all these years as an essential fragment of the world’s literary oeuvre. If you haven’t read the series, however, you’ll still understand how things we’ve read or watched as children rarely look the same when we reread or rewatch them as adults.

The Sandman, as both a comic book and a television series, is no different.

A dream of change

A traditional comic book has around 20 to 30 pages from cover to cover. While the number is usually enough to tell a captivating story, it does have limitations. Stories and themes have to be summarized into small speech bubbles or boxes. In contrast, a television episode allows for more nuances: an actor’s expressions, additional dialogue, movement.

While the Netflix series maintains fidelity in adapting its source material, it also expands what was presented on the page. Instead of a static image of Dream brooding in captivity, you see the evolution of emotion from stoicism, hatred, to hope.

Further, you’ll see the evolution of Gaiman from an early-career author to an acclaimed one revisiting past works. When the series was first written, Neil Gaiman was a relatively fresh creator. As such, he was still exploring his literary voice. The early Sandman books reflect that, seesawing between different genres and tones. Now, decades after first writing the series, Gaiman has an opportunity to change and expand what he wrote before. The end result is magical.

For one, characters were made to be more inclusive. Instead of white men or women, iconic characters are played by characters who are Black, female, or both. For example, Kirby Howell-Baptiste and Gwendoline Christie slay as Death and Lucifer, respectively. Likewise, otherwise-detached stories are connected and expanded in new ways that make sense in the over-arching plot. It’s a change in fidelity, but one that is welcome in today’s ever-changing world. It expands Gaiman’s vision for a more inclusive reality in and out of dreams.

Netflix’s The Sandman is an evolution of both the book’s format and its themes. It pulls double duty, alluring both long-time readers and new visitors to the land of dreams. As such, you’ll find both readings — as a fantastical adventure and as a thematic exploration of humanity — in the television series.

Though Dream said that great stories will always return to their original forms, it’s time to evaluate what The Sandman’s original form is. Maybe this is what it was always meant to be. Maybe “original” doesn’t always mean the first one.

Should you watch The Sandman?

Absolutely.

If you’ve read the series before, you already know why. If not, The Sandman is a dark fantasy series. In essence, it’s a collection of stories spanning decades and centuries, loosely connected by the character called Dream and our own smaller dreams — to live forever, to be recognized for who we are, to be free, to just be. Just as the comic book had me turning the page endlessly, the Netflix series will have you clicking that Next Episode button until you reach the end.

Entertainment

X-Men ’97 returns to Disney+ for second season

Emmy-nominated series to continue mutant team’s story

Published

May 30, 2026

GadgetMatch

Marvel Animation’s Emmy-nominated X-Men ’97 is returning to Disney+ for a second season, starting July 1.

Along with this announcement, a trailer and poster have been made available. The first season of the animated series was one of the most-watched Disney+ originals, and a hit with fans and critics alike.

Season 2 continues with the heroic mutant team of X-Men, divided and thrown across different eras in time as they struggle to navigate their return home.

Meanwhile, back in the 1990s, suspicious foes and new strains of mutant intolerance are on the rise in the wake of the protagonists’ absence.

The second season will be comprised of nine episodes. The voice cast includes:

Ross Marquand as Professor X
Matthew Waterson as Magneto
Ray Chase as Cyclops
Jennifer Hale as Jean Grey
Alison Sealy-Smith as Storm
Cal Dodd as Wolverine
Lenore Zann as Rogue
George Buza as Beast

The series is executive produced by Brad Winderbaum, Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Dana Vasquez-Eberhardt, Julia Lewald, Eric Lewald, Larry Houston, and Beau DeMayo.

Jake Castorena serves as the supervising producer. Episodes were written by JB Ballard, Beau DeMayo, Bailey Moore, Antony Sellitti, Brian Ford Sullivan, and Mariah Wilson.

The episodic directors are Emmett Yonemura and Chase Conley.

Entertainment

Now Playing: The Mandalorian and Grogu

This is the way

Published

May 19, 2026

Rodneil Quiteles and Dawn Pangilinan

Image from StarWars.com

It’s been a while since a Star Wars movie made me walk out of a cinema feeling genuinely pumped. Not necessarily emotional nor mind-blown. And not even scrambling to re-evaluate the entire franchise. Just… pumped.

The Mandalorian and Grogu feels like a proper Star Wars blockbuster again. The kind built for crowded cinemas, loud reactions, and collective gasps during action sequences. More importantly, it feels approachable in a way the franchise hasn’t always managed to be lately.

As someone whose interest in Star Wars slowly waned after The Rise of Skywalker, this movie felt oddly refreshing.

I watched the film alongside occasional GadgetMatch contributor Dawn, whose relationship with Star Wars sits somewhere adjacent to mine. Familiar with the Skywalker Saga and select spin-offs, but not necessarily deep into every corner of the lore either. Not because it reinvented the wheel. Quite the opposite, actually. It understood exactly what kind of movie it wanted to be.

I came into the film fairly blind. No rewatches, just a little prep work, and no “required viewing” marathons beforehand. And somehow, none of that really mattered.

Even without context from multiple seasons of Disney+ shows, Din Djarin and Grogu’s bond clicks almost immediately. You don’t need a detailed explanation for why these two care deeply about each other. The movie trusts viewers enough to simply accept their connection and move forward.

Grogu also remains ABSOLUTELY THE CUTEST. No further notes.

Well, maybe one more note.

That little guy carries an absurd amount of emotional weight throughout the movie. Whether he’s unintentionally causing chaos, silently reacting to situations, or simply existing onscreen, he consistently draws laughs and reactions from the audience.

There’s one sequence in particular where Grogu takes care of Din that managed to get a few giggles. It’s a small moment, but one that perfectly captures why this duo works. They don’t feel manufactured. They just feel natural.

Safe storytelling done right

One thing we kept coming back to after the screening was how easy the movie was to watch. Not “easy” in a dismissive way. More accessible and comfortable.

It’s the kind of blockbuster that lets you settle into the experience without requiring homework beforehand.

One observation that stood out during our post-movie discussion was describing the film as a “palate cleanser spin-off.” Despite growing up with the Skywalker Saga and several Star Wars spin-offs herself, she appreciated how welcoming the film felt.

“It’s interesting enough to lure you back into the lore and fall back into love with the franchise,” she said.

That really captures the movie’s biggest strength.

The Mandalorian and Grogu doesn’t spend its runtime obsessing over lore density or trying to prove how important it is within the larger Star Wars timeline. Instead, it focuses on delivering a straightforward adventure with familiar emotional beats.

Sometimes, that traditional recipe is enough.

There are definitely moments where the story feels predictable. We found ourselves correctly guessing certain developments well before they happened. But surprisingly, that never hurt the experience.

If anything, the predictability made the movie feel oddly comforting.

The film knows when to slow down for tender scenes, when to ramp things up with explosive action, and when to simply let viewers breathe inside its world. There’s also very little visual fatigue throughout the runtime. The pacing stays clean and the movie rarely overstays its welcome.

One of my favorite sequences involved Rotta the Hutt in a gladiator-like setting that weirdly reminded me of Thor: Ragnarok. It was chaotic, funny, and surprisingly entertaining.

Also, I need it on record that I identified with Rotta look-wise.

That comparison was apparently questionable according to my companion for the screening.

A low-friction way back into Star Wars

More than anything else, The Mandalorian and Grogu reminded me why people fell in love with Star Wars in the first place.

Not through endless callbacks or franchise homework. But through companionship, adventure, and a healthy helping of heart.

Underneath all the sci-fi spectacle and action sequences is a story about choosing to care for people even when it might not be the smartest thing to do in the moment. Din and Grogu’s relationship may often get described online as father-and-son, but honestly, they felt more like disproportionately-sized bros constantly looking out for each other.

And somehow, that dynamic works incredibly well.

By the end of the movie, we arrived at almost the same conclusion. We wanted more.

Not necessarily because this was the greatest Star Wars story ever told. It isn’t trying to be. But it successfully reignited interest in a franchise that can sometimes feel daunting from the outside looking in.

One immediate effect of the movie was successfully convincing my co-viewer to finally start The Mandalorian Season 1 once schedules calm down a bit. In the meantime, Grogu doomscrolling on Instagram will apparently suffice.

Meanwhile, I’m suddenly considering diving back into Star Wars shows I skipped over the years. I might check out The Acolyte. Maybe Obi-Wan Kenobi. Maybe even tap into gaming with the adventures of Cal Kestis if time and workload permit.

That’s probably the biggest compliment I can give this movie. It made me want to care again.

For longtime fans, The Mandalorian and Grogu delivers good, clean Star Wars fun with heart and hype.

For newcomers, it offers a surprisingly low-friction entry point into a universe that can otherwise feel overwhelming.

That might be exactly what Star Wars needed right now.

Entertainment

This Is the Way to the Theater: What to Know Before ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’

Din Djarin and Grogu Primer

Published

May 12, 2026

Pio Garcia

The Mandalorian and Grogu Final Trailer Screenshot

Strap your Beskar tight and warm up the N-1 Starfighter. The galaxy’s favorite father-son duo is finally hitting the big screen! “The Mandalorian and Grogu” will officially trade the small screen for the cinema this coming May 22. The hype is stronger than a Jedi’s grip on a lightsaber. There’s plenty of ground to cover before the opening crawl starts, whether you’re a hardcore dweller of the Outer Rim or just someone who thinks Grogu is the cutest thing since Ewoks.

This isn’t just another mission; it’s a full-on cinematic event directed by Jon Favreau himself. We’ve rounded up five essential things you need to know before you head to the theater to make sure you aren’t more confused than a Stormtrooper in a hallway. From political shifts in the New Republic to some very surprising new faces, here is your ultimate primer for the next chapter of the Star Wars saga.

1. Brush Up on the “Mando-Verse” (Seasons 1–3)

Now is the time to binge if you haven’t seen the Disney+ series. The film is a direct continuation of Din Djarin’s journey from bounty hunter to adoptive father. You’ll want to remember that Season 3 ended with Din officially adopting Grogu and settling into a quiet life on Nevarro—at least until the New Republic came knocking. Think of this movie as “Season 4,” but with a massive theatrical budget and even shinier Beskar.

2. Don’t Skip “The Book of Boba Fett”

It’s the “homework” no one expected, but Episodes 5 and 6 of The Book of Boba Fett are essentially The Mandalorian Season 2.5. This is where Grogu makes the massive choice to leave Luke Skywalker’s training and return to his “Dad-alorian.” You’ll be very confused about why the little green guy is back in the cockpit instead of lifting rocks at a Jedi temple if you skip these episodes. Unfortunately, this is not a Jedi mind trick.

3. Meet the New Boss: Sigourney Weaver

Sci-fi royalty is officially entering the Star Wars universe! Sigourney Weaver joins the cast as Colonel Ward, a leader of the New Republic’s Adelphi Rangers. Since Din Djarin is now working as a “freelance” operative for the New Republic, she’s basically his high-stakes boss. Seeing the woman who faced down Xenomorphs take on the Imperial Remnant is the crossover we didn’t know we needed.

4. There’s a New Hutt in Town

Move over, Jabba! The Bear star Jeremy Allen White is voicing Rotta the Hutt, Jabba’s son (yes, the “Punky Muffin” from The Clone Wars movie). But don’t expect a cute baby slug; Rotta is now a gladiatorial threat who fights in the pits. If the rumors of him twirling twin hand-axes are true, Din and Grogu are going to have their hands full with this “Hutt-onis Creed.”

5. The Return of Fan Favorites

Keep your eyes peeled for Zeb Orrelios! The Lasat hero from Star Wars Rebels (voiced by Steve Blum) is making his big-screen debut after that brief live-action cameo in the series. With Dave Filoni co-writing, the film is packed with deep-cut references for “Filoni-verse” fans. Plus, rumors of a Martin Scorsese cameo as an Ardennian cook might just make this the most legendary Star Wars cast to date.

The Way is clear: catch up on your streaming, grab your popcorn (and maybe some blue milk), and get ready for a cinematic jump to lightspeed. “The Mandalorian and Grogu” is about to prove that while the galaxy is big, family is the greatest adventure of all. May the Force be with you!