Blue beetle is a strong DCU contender + Ostrich burger, anyone?

📽 AT THE MOVIES-

Blue Beetle is a strong start for the new era of the DCU. We speak for everybody when we say that the superhero fatigue is real. Since the rise of the genre, we’ve gotten 32 movies from Marvel, and 20 from DC — a lot to keep up with. Luckily, Blue Beetle feels like a refreshing new start for the dark and gritty DCU. The director-writer duo, Ángel Manuel Soto and Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, bring depth, and some much-needed levity, to the somewhat monotonous seriousness of the media franchise.

It is ultimately a story of resilience and love. When Jaime Reyes (played by Xolo Maridueña of Cobra Kai fame), a recent graduate of Gotham University on a job hunt, gets wrapped up in matters way beyond his job description. He finds himself symbiotically attached to a piece of sentient biotechnology that turns him to an armor-plated superhero in the middle of a fight against a money-hungry warmonger (played by the acclaimed Susan Sarandon), and a fight to keep his family together.

While many of the plot points (and the jokes) are predictable and sometimes even cliché, the cast’s emotionally charged performances sell the movie in a way that wouldn’t have been possible if they weren’t as invested in the characters as they seem to be. The film also presents an intentionally not-so-subtle metaphor for American imperialism, both past and present. Its family-centric narrative is moving and sincere, fleshing out each of the family members, most surprisingly Jaime’s abuela (grandmother), and making the warmth of their love for each other palpable to, and almost inclusive of, the audience.

WHERE TO WATCH- You can find Blue Beetle in VOX Cinemas at City Center Almaza and Mall of Egypt, Galaxy Cinemas at Cairo Festival City, and Citystars cinemas.

Sound of Freedom is not for the faint of heart, especially if you’re a parent. Based on a true story, it follows Jim Caviezel as Tim Ballard, a Homeland Security agent who realizes that while his work does put individual child traffickers behind bars, it doesn’t necessarily save the children. He decides to take matters into his own hands: He quits his job — months before earning a pension — and focuses on saving the victims. Ballard founded Operation Underground Railroadand has been involved in operations that have rescued 4k victims and put 6.5k traffickers behind bars. The film focuses on the early days of its inception.

View the ideology presented in the movie with a grain of salt. There is a strong religious undercurrent throughout the film, owing to the production company’s values, which skew more conservative and therefore largely appeal to right-wing viewers. While the movie itself is devoid of conspiracy theory fodder, it has inadvertently fanned the flames that spread the idea that anyone left of right-wing turn a blind eye to — or worse, participate in — child trafficking. The moral bankruptcy of child trafficking is an objective truth regardless of where a person lies on the political spectrum, as is the horrifying fact that those involved may present as any kind of person, whether liberal or religious.

To review this film like any other Hollywood production would be misguided. The core of it is its message, but turning the events into a film rather than an investigative documentary feels uncouth. It is hardly the first movie to tackle themes of human trafficking, but it being based on true events brings a sobering solemnity that other films may not have touched upon. It does make an effort to not be graphic, perhaps tastefully so, to avoid the sensationalization of the topic. Nevertheless, this just presents a dilemma about how this issue can be portrayed effectively without exploiting the tragedy of child trafficking.

WHERE TO WATCH- You can watch Sound of Freedom at Sun City’s VIP Cinema and Golf City Cinema.

📚 FROM THE BOOKSTORE-

Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything about the World shows us why reading maps still matters. Awardwinning journalist Tim Marshall gathers 10 updated maps of critical parts of the world, breaking down their geographical margins, political strategies, and other factors that shaped the geography of this region or country. The maps include Russia, China, the USA, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Japan and Korea, Greenland and the Arctic. Marshall gets into various details, other than the physical barriers, such as the country’s climate, cultural regions, the impact of natural disasters and the accessibility of natural resources and its management. A children’s edition was also published in 2019 entitled “ Prisoners of Geography: Our World Explained in 12 Simple Maps.”

The United States of America, a country with a good location and peaceful neighbors, is how Marshall describes the US. His analysis begins with its history, location, neighbors, its possession of powerful arms, advanced security systems and its 50 states cohesiveness. He adds that the physical location of the US ensures high security due to the natural borders of the Pacific and Atlanitic oceans: Acting as natural barriers against any invasion from the East and West. The country’s proximity to its neighbors Canada and Mexico, both of which maintain positive diplomatic relations with the US, add a sense of stability and favorable conditions for trade and cooperation. Canada’s vastness and Mexico (to a lesser extent) represent an obstacle for any force willing to attack the US through them. Ironically, the US lax gun regulations makes normal civilians armed and ready to defend themselves if any invasion should occur. However, what he does miss is the Mexico-US border debacle and that guns are a double-edged weapon that sometimes fires back with millions of Americans losing lives due to weapons falling into the wrong hands.

WHERE TO FIND IT- You can find copies of the book at Diwan bookstore and you can order it from Amazon.

🍴 HOT AND FRESH OUT OF THE KITCHEN-

Ostrich sandwich, anyone? Red Goat is, in all likelihood, one of the very few places we know of that serve ostrich meat in the country. While the idea took some getting used to, we must admit being open to new culinary experiences did not disappoint.

Traditional sandwiches, but with ostrich meat. Located in Nasr City’s City Hub Child Park and New Cairo, the fast food place offers many sandwiches to choose from like the chilly ostrich, the brisket/ostrich sandwich mix and our personal favorite, the super cheesy Philly ostrich — a cousin, of sorts, of the good old Philly steak. While the meat has a very similar texture to beef, ostrich meat is said to be leaner, lighter and less cholesterol-inducing than other red meats. If you’re not very experimental with food, fret not, you can pick more traditional sandwiches as Red Goat also offers a variety of beef and chicken options.

💵 Per person: 200-250

🪑 Outdoor seating: Yes

🍺 Alcohol: No

🦽 Accessibility friendly: Yes