Actress Jada Pinkett Smith (1971)

The Matrix Resurrections (2021), an American sci-fi action film, marks Lana Wachowski’s solo directorial debut in the franchise, without her sister Lilly. Bugs, a young woman, discovers that the Matrix is stuck in a loop of old code. She sets out to free Morpheus from the simulation with the help of a program that embodies him. The creator of the video game series The Matrix, Thomas Anderson, based it on his hazy memories as Neo. He frequently meets Tiffany (a character inspired by his past encounters with Trinity) at a coffee shop. To develop game characters, ...

Gotham (2014–2019) is an American superhero crime drama television series based on characters from the Batman comics published by DC Comics. Developed by Bruno Heller and produced by Warner Bros. Television, it originally aired on Fox from September 22, 2014 to April 25, 2019, for five seasons totaling 100 episodes. In the first season, GCPD Detective James Gordon teams up with his corrupt partner Harvey Bullock to solve various crimes in Gotham City, including the murder of Bruce Wayne’s parents. The city is also plagued by a gang war between crime families led by Carmine Falcone, Sal Maroni, and Fish ...

Madly Madagascar (2013) is a Valentine’s Day-inspired short film, released on January 29, 2013. All the familiar characters from the Madagascar film series make an appearance in this direct-to-DVD production. Set sometime between the franchise’s second and third films, it boasts an impressive lineup of voice actors, including Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, and Jada Pinkett Smith. Notably, Danny ...

Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (2012) is a comedy film from DreamWorks Animation SKG and PDI/DreamWorks, distributed by Paramount Pictures. The penguins and chimpanzees take off for Monte Carlo in a modified airplane. However, when they fail to return, Alex, Marty, Melman, Gloria, King Julien, Maurice, and Mort decide to track them down and bring them back to their home at the Central Park Zoo in New York City. They eventually locate them at the Monte Carlo Casino, but things quickly escalate as an argument erupts between Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria. In the chaos that follows, the animals manage to escape from Captain Chantel DuBois of Monaco’s ...

The Christmas special, Merry Madagascar (2009), was first aired on NBC on November 17, 2009. It features the beloved characters from the Madagascar film series and is set between the first and second movies. After two months have passed since their previous adventure, Alex, Marty, Melman, and Gloria attempt to return to New York City in a hot air balloon. However, their plans are foiled by the lemurs who mistake them for the “Marauding Red Night Goblin” that visits their island every year. This leads to a chaotic situation as the “Goblin” showers coals over the island. In an effort to stop it, Alex shoots it down and discovers that it ...

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008) is a comedic animated film from DreamWorks Animation SKG and PDI/DreamWorks, distributed by Paramount Pictures. In Kenya, Zuba, the alpha lion, attempts to teach his son Alakay how to fight, but Alakay’s true passion lies in dancing. However, rival lion Makunga challenges Zuba for his title. During their confrontation, poachers capture Alakay and place him in a crate. Zuba pursues them but is injured by a gunshot to the ear. The crate eventually finds its way to New York City where the young lion is renamed Alex and grows up at the Central Park Zoo. Here he meets his lifelong friends: Marty, Melman, and Gloria. After their ...

Madagascar (2005) is an animated film from DreamWorks, with production by DreamWorks Animation SKG and PDI/Dreamworks, and distribution by DreamWorks Pictures. In bustling New York City, Alex the lion resides in the Central Park Zoo as a popular attraction known as ‘King of New York’. He shares his days with his close-knit group of friends: Melman the giraffe, Gloria the hippopotamus, and Marty the zebra, who is Alex’s best pal. However, Marty becomes restless with his mundane routine and yearns for a taste of adventure. On his tenth birthday, despite attempts from his friends to cheer him up, Marty learns that the zoo’s penguins – ...

Collateral (2004) is an American neo-noir action thriller film directed and produced by Michael Mann from a script by Stuart Beattie. Max Durocher, a Los Angeles cab driver, dreams of starting his own limousine business. During one of his evening shifts, he picks up federal prosecutor Annie Farrell, who works for the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California. The two strike up a conversation and Annie hands Max her business card. Shortly after, Max picks up another fare – Vincent – who claims to be in town for just one night to finalize a real ...

The Matrix Revolutions (2003), the third film in The Matrix series, was released six months after prior and was written and directed by the Wachowskis. It picks up immediately after the events of The Matrix Reloaded. Neo and Bane are still unconscious on the ship Hammer’s medical bay when the movie begins. Inside the Matrix, Neo is stuck in a zone called Mobil Ave, situated between the machine world and the Matrix. Here, he meets a group of programs, including a girl named Sati. The ‘father’ informs Neo that this area is controlled by a program called the Trainman, who is loyal to the ...

The Wachowskis’ science-fiction action film, The Matrix Reloaded (2003), continues the story of The Matrix. Neo and Trinity have now become romantically involved six months after the previous events. Morpheus receives an urgent message from Captain Niobe of the Logos for an emergency meeting among all ships in Zion. It has been discovered that an army of Sentinels is rapidly approaching Zion and will arrive in just three days. In response, Commander Lock orders all ships to return to Zion to prepare for defense. However, Morpheus requests that one ship remain behind to contact the Oracle. Inside the ...

Michael Mann’s biographical sports drama film Ali (2001) follows the journey of boxer Cassius Clay Jr. leading up to his first championship match against heavyweight champion Sonny Liston. Clay taunts Liston and initially dominates the fight, but midway through he experiences a burning sensation in his eyes, causing him to briefly believe Liston has cheated. With encouragement from trainer/manager Angelo Dundee, Clay regains his vision and ultimately wins the match, becoming the second-youngest heavyweight champion at that time. Along the way, he meets with Malcolm X and is eventually given the name Muhammad Ali ...

Scream 2 (1997) is an American slasher film directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson. It follows two Windsor College seniors, Maureen Evans and Phil Stevens, who attend a sneak preview of Stab, a film based on the Woodsboro massacre. While briefly leaving the theater to use the bathroom, Phil falls victim to Ghostface, the masked killer. Ghostface then takes Phil’s seat next to Maureen and repeatedly stabs her without anyone in the raucous crowd noticing. As Maureen climbs up on stage for help, mistaking her cries for publicity, she tragically succumbs ...

The film Set It Off (1996), directed by F. Gary Gray, follows the story of Francesca ‘Frankie’ Sutton, a bank teller in Los Angeles. After recognizing one of the robbers from her neighborhood during a robbery, Frankie is fired and falsely accused by Detective Strode of being an accomplice. She then begins working at Luther’s Janitorial Services with her friends Lida ‘Stony’ Newsom, Cleopatra ‘Cleo’ Sims, and Tisean ‘T.T.’ Williams. Unfortunately, their boss Luther treats them poorly and pays them very little. Tired of struggling to make ends meet, Frankie suggests ...

The American black horror comedy film, Tales from the Crypt Presents: Demon Knight (1995), directed by Ernest Dickerson, follows the story of drifter Frank Brayker on a desert road in New Mexico. He is being pursued by The Collector, a powerful demon in human form. After their vehicles collide, Brayker manages to escape. A local drunk named Uncle Willy happens upon him and takes him to a converted church that now serves as a boarding house. Here, Brayker rents a room and meets the other residents: owner Irene, prostitute Cordelia, postal clerk Wally, and ex-convict Jeryline who is on work release. Shortly after his ...