Good first episode but the CGI was very shit and distracting.
loading replies
@magenof It's the MCU and it's on a TV budget.
I was really looking forward to the show when it was announced: Interesting time period in the Star Wars universe with lots of possible plot hooks, interesting characters in the crew, etc. This sounded like a lot of potential.
After watching the first couple of episodes, I'm a bit underwhelmed. It's not bad at all, but it could have been so much more: The stories are quite simple with straightforward plot ("mission of the week" structure) and – so far – lack a deeper story arc. Furthermore, the characters are often acting a bit childish, which doesn't really seem to fit to the general tone of other stories in the franchise.
I know, this is supposed to be a show for kids and young adults, but that doesn't mean you can't establish a complex, interesting story and an environment with love for little details. Series like The Last Airbender or Legend Of Korra have proven that, why can't a widely loved, rich universe full of stunning tales and adventure like Star Wars have something similar?
loading replies
@abstractlegend This comment aged fine.
I was spoiled about almost every part of this show when I started it. I was also not a child when I watched it, and understood what makes a show good or bad.
The fact that I was still floored by how amazing this show is says a lot.
loading replies
@cookiegod English please? Or are you in so much awe right now that it's hard to write?
Shout by Clobby Clobsters
- Yo, Glimmer's new haircut
- Oh, the intro is the same
- Nvm, no, it's not
- Aunt Casta is brutal
- Woah, Frosta, calm down now
- RIP Perfuma
- Bow and Adora be freaking out together, and it's freaking me out
- This day is chaotic
- Catra's breaking Scorpia's heart
- Ikr, Glimmer. Planning your own party, SUCKS
- Team combo?
- Oooh, sparkly
- Oh, those tiny wings were foreshadowing for her actual wings
- Nope, nvm
- Woah, Catra. This is treason
Look, not the best episode, but with three seasons to back up their friendship, Adora, Bow, and all the other princesses' words of support and encouragement do mean a lot. It's pretty wholesome, even if it is bittersweet. Again, it's not the best episode, but it's got good intentions.
SCORE: 7/10
loading replies
@anzo Hehe, I almost missed it myself! :P
Shout by Clobby Clobsters
The Star Wars reference, though. They had the "Rogue One" music and everything. XD
7/10
loading replies
@frezona I didn't notice those! Thanks for the tip!
Shout by Alexander von Limberg
All those little service robots? Adorable! The Kid? In a space ship? Awesome! The kid eating? Cute! The kid using the force in battle? Great! The Mandalorian (the shiny one)? Cool! The little green alien man without a name? Intimidating! The other aliens? Astonishingly creative costumes and make up! Nice too look at!
The 80s Gothic Vespa/Cyberpunk gang? Stupid. Fennec? Boring! Boba? Couldn't care less!
How did they get that wrong? Constantly? I'm attached to every little service robot a lot more than to Boba...
Plus, it's a weak finale. All that alliance building, diplomacy, politics, befriending local townsmen, Boba in the back story shown as a man who became wiser and more experienced, all that parcours training was totally inconsequential. In the end, it was raw firepower of two guys in an armour and ä donated (!) beast. Yeah, I know it's stupid Star Wars and they love their lasers, but it feels pointless. Plus, the HAL killing robot's aim is extremely poor.
loading replies
@alexlimberg Imagine having the cameo character (Mando) feel more like a main character than the titular one.
Okay, the "Blast Off"-Scene of two armoured mandalorians fighting side by side was pretty sweet. The rest was incredibly bland and/or predictable.
What is just stupid and annoying is fucking Grogu being brought back by R2. That is just lazy circumvention of the Kylo Ren problem. But even more annoying to me because I was so happy The Mandalorian finally got rid of its McGuffin. Can't they accept that not everything in this galaxy must have a force wielder?loading replies
@lenodos but he so cute :P
[9.5/10] Despite the initial greatness of the dog revolution episode, only the second episode of the series, I might argue that this is where Rick and Morty became Rick and Morty. It’s all here – an escalating yet insane science fiction problem, Rick being self-centered and holding himself blameless, a great deal of weird but hilarious comedy, a dimension-hopping-related solution, a fun Jerry-focused subplot, and a gut punch, mind-wrinkling ending.
Two things stand out in particular rewatching this episode. First, the way in which Rick is constantly screwing things up and yet accepts none of the blame for it. He places this all on Morty, and pins every bad development on him, despite his grandson’s protestations. He is endlessly confident, even braggadocios, about how he’s brilliant and can fix it and brushes off any concern or censure for when his attempts go awry. And when things get really bad, his solution is to just ditch the universe and find another one.
It’s not a coincidence that this all takes place in an episode where Beth disregards her dad because “he left [her] mother.” Having seen two full episodes of Rick’s antics, I’m not sure there’s a better encapsulation of who he is than this episode, or at least the problems and self-enabling that can make him a pretty miserable person to have to deal with. When things start to get bad, he puts that on anyone but him, and even gets mean about it (calling Morty a creep, which, isn’t entirely unfair), and when things get really bad, he just finds an escape hatch and tries to wipe it all away. Everything is weightless to Rick, everything is just an inconvenience that he need not worry about, and if you make him worry long enough, he’ll just bail.
The second is Morty. Obviously the ending landed pretty hard the first time, but it’s even more impactful knowing what happens next, about Morty’s troubles coping with what he’s seen, of coming to terms with the wealth of alternate universes and other versions of himself out there, of his growing resentments for his grandfather and the way Rick treats him. Morty isn’t always great, but you feel for him trying to get through to Rick and make him accept some blame for how poorly things are going, only to be rebuffed and told that his grandfather is perfect and any bump in the road is Morty’s falt.
And still, that ending. “The Bridge” is a great choice for a melancholy, existence-questioning bit of wordless reflection. What I love about this episode is that it doesn’t really resolve anything. Normally, that’d be a drawback, but here it feels real. Rick doesn’t change or learn a lesson, he just offers a reset and doesn’t think twice about it. Morty doesn’t take it in stride, but walks around in shock that the people he knew and loved are gone in some other slice of reality and he is back living among their identical, indistinguishable doubles. Rick and Morty is often better with design than animation or character expression, but the wide-eyed look on Morty’s face so perfectly conveys the shock and discomfort of what just happened to him. It’s one of the show’s all time best sequence and a sign that this was going to be something deeper than just a series of funny, madcap, sci-fi adventures.
Those adventures are still great, and the escalating cronenberg problems were fun. (Jerry turning into a Mad Max style badass led to some great stuff as well). But this is the episode that revealed how philosophical, moral, and twisted the show was willing to get.
loading replies
@andrewbloom Well said, Andrew... Well said...
wait a minute...how are fire benders able to create fire out of thin air when other benders (well, except air) have to have something of that element already around???
loading replies
@kitthren That is why they are winning the war.
Shout by Clobby Clobsters
Again, I like the episodes with Boba Fett barely in it (this is again just "The Mandalorian" Season 3).
- Ahsoka calling Luke Skywalker by his first name while Mando calls him Skywalker (because Anakin is "Skywalker" to her).
- Ahsoka strongly against attachment perhaps because of Anakin's fall to the dark side (IDK understand Luke's, though. TESB makes it feel weird).
- CAD BANE KILLED COBB VANTH.
7/10
loading replies
@sithhomelander I hope so! As much as Cad Bane rules, he better not have hurt ma boi ;-;
9.6/10. One of the strangest experiences of growing up is realizing that adults are just grown up kids, and there's not some magical totem you're given when you hit a certain age that gives you wisdom and maturity and the knowledge of what the hell you're doing. "Mixology" is, first and foremost, about that realization, and also about growing up. Despite the oddities that stem from the various romantic entanglements, Jeff and Britta spend much of the series playing Mom and Dad to the other characters. Here, Troy has the recognition that the people he looked up to are still his friends, but are flawed human beings like any other who may be just as naive and/or full of shit as he is.
Annie's struggling with the idea of growing up too. While her story starts with a fake ID as a catalyst for her concocting an increasingly byzantine backstory and performance as a young drifter from Corpus Christie, it ends with Annie realizing that she relishes the idea of this character so much because she has her whole path to adulthood plotted out, and there's something disheartening about the lack of uncertainty or spontaneity in that. It's some great comedy from Allison Brie, but also a nice moment of pathos for her character.
These two stories collide when Annie and Troy find themselves together at the end of the night, and realize that neither one of them is the same person that they were when they first met one another. Whether they want to think of themselves as adults or not, each has grown and changed and become a better person than they were in high school, and each being able to recognize that in the other is affirming for both of them.
There's a lot of other great stuff in the episode. There's some firm emotional truth in Shirley wanting to forget her drink-laden path and having the gang be kind of cruel in how it makes fun of her, another sign of their lack of maturity and that even the seemingly most put-together adults have rough patches. Pierce's storyline with his wheelchair helps reinforce this through the idea that even the oldest member of the group can have trouble admitting he's not in control and needs help. The Abed thing with Paul F. Thompkins feels like it's just there for comic relief, but it's good comic relief so it gets a pass. And Jeff and Britta arguing constantly, then making out whilst drunk, and then realizing they're talking about the same bar, are the perfect beats to accentuate both the comedy and the larger point about the pair's role in this episode.
Overall, this is one of Community's finest outings, which combines lots of great bits of humor with the profound darkness the show is known for, this time in the context of the realization that being an adult isn't what you imagine it to be and people you look up to can let you down, but also with a bit of optimism in those closing scenes where the show reconstructs that myth a bit, by showing that its two adolescents are growing and becoming better people regardless.
loading replies
@andrewbloom I think Abed's scenes show that while his pop culture fanaticism might be charming in the school setting, it shows how socially stunted he still is.
But I know this is an old review and you may have changed your mind, so... :P
I'm getting tired of this show now.
- The deal between Boba and Jabba's old captains makes zero sense
- There's a scene where a wookie attacks some trandoshians for seemingly no reason (other than he was bored?) just so Boba could hire him.
- Why wasn't the flashback in episodes 1 or 2?!
5/10
loading replies
@finfan I learned something new, today. Thanks for the insight, FinFan!
I've really enjoyed the first 2 episodes, while others seems to more uncertain. But this is the first episode I've been worried overall about the series. The modern underworld story just isn't interesting enough - I was kinda hoping we would see more Boba Fett the Bounty Hunter, not this form of a makeshift leader.
The humans grafting droid parts onto themselves, is a new concept in the Star Wars visual world, to my knowledge but it was executed so poorly. It's the first time I've looked at anything in the Disney SW era, and thought, "that doesn't look like Star Wars".
I'm not sure where this series is really going but EP4 needs to pick up the modern underworld story in a big way.
loading replies
@theavereviewer Funny how I felt the opposite, but I think the cyborgs lacked character development, that's for sure.
With an extra 14 minutes (including the credits), "The Book of Boba Fett" decides to use its time to show Boba Fett attack some thugs, take down a train, and do a dance around a campfire. Yes, I like the message that Indigenous people (the Sand People) shouldn't have to hide. Yes, I enjoyed the confrontations in Mos Espa. But with no character development, plot or conflicts, I'm worried about this series' trajectory.
Once again, the concept art looks cooler than the actual show (unlike "The Mandalorian", which looks as cool (if not cooler) than its concept art).
Edit: The flashbacks feel like sidequests since Boba's never morally questioned. He's just positioned as the good guy (even though he's had questionable morals in the comics, movies and "Star Wars: The Clone Wars"). He just takes down monster, takes down train, gets a staff and dances.
6/10
loading replies
@the_argentinian It feels more like a sidequest thing atm. I'd rather watch Boba's episodes in the Clone Wars when he's a literal child, because he at least has jedi, sith, and other bounty hunters to bounce off of
With an extra 14 minutes (including the credits), "The Book of Boba Fett" decides to use its time to show Boba Fett attack some thugs, take down a train, and do a dance around a campfire. Yes, I like the message that Indigenous people (the Sand People) shouldn't have to hide. Yes, I enjoyed the confrontations in Mos Espa. But with no character development, plot or conflicts, I'm worried about this series' trajectory.
Once again, the concept art looks cooler than the actual show (unlike "The Mandalorian", which looks as cool (if not cooler) than its concept art).
Edit: The flashbacks feel like sidequests since Boba's never morally questioned. He's just positioned as the good guy (even though he's had questionable morals in the comics, movies and "Star Wars: The Clone Wars"). He just takes down monster, takes down train, gets a staff and dances.
6/10
loading replies
@whitewatcher I guess I'm just more interested in the politics of Mos Espa than the flashbacks. They feel kind of pointless to me. :/
Well, I am not a Marvel Fan as such and I certainly don't read the comics. I watched about 90 % of the movies but they became more and more tedious for me. I just mention this so you better understand my comment.
I watch the Marvel shows because they are on Disney. Simple as that. Some I liked (Wanda and Falcon), some I didn't (Loki) and this one is kind of in nowhere-land. Started well and I hoped it would make the character of Hawkeye more interesting. It didn't, and after the first couple of episodes I liked it less and less. The story just didn't make me care for anything that happened on screen. And the humor and awkwardness that nowadays seems to be a must-have doesn't sit well with me either. What some percieve as funny are roll-eyes-moments for me I could live without. There were no real highlights and I really didn't like Kate Bishop. Bringing back Kingpin only made me realize how much I would love to have had another Daredevil season.
Since this shows main purpose is to be a precursor for upcoming movies I might not even watch, it is entirely possibly I am not getting the point of them. Maybe they don't work as stand alone because they are not supposed to. And because of that maybe I should not watch another.
I am not ripping them of or calling them awful but that's my point of view.loading replies
@finfan My biggest problem with the MCU is its "we'll address it in the future" mentality because it's often a repeating cycle where none of your questions about the characters ever get addressed, resolved or explored in depth. These shows really are like comic books: your favourite characters go on an adventure, have cross-overs, continue on to the next instalment, and nothing ever really changes. Repeat.
But that's just my opinion :P
Review by Clobby Clobsters
- The intro is always so fun
- So this story is about a world without privilege, right? Being born different?
Mogami: "So what you're experiencing is a parallel world that could've easily come to pass had your circumstances been slightly different. I'll just sit back and observe how you fare in this environment without your powers."
Mogami: "You had many relationships in real life, and you were fortunate enough to be surrounded by good people. But situations like that are rare."
- So in this world, Ritsu is apathetic because his brother isn't special? Sounds kinda counterintuitive to me
Mogami: "You're extremely talented brother is just a stranger here."
- Why?
Mob: "It'd be so much easier if I was stronger."
Mogami: "I'm sure this seems incomprehensible to you,"
- It does
Mogami: "But she's bullying you to secure her position in society."
- Is that the reality, though? Is it? They're in high school, people might call her out later in life cough cough "A Silent Voice" cough cough
Mogami: "But after living in this world for six months without your powers,"
- My problem is we don't feel the passage of time here. It feels really quick. Also, where are his friends or parents? Why haven't we seen anyone but his brother? Like, we don't see them reject him or anything
Mogami: "After my demise, I became an evil spirit and decided to use my powers for myself this time..."
- But you did, and it made your mother an evil spirit
Mogami: "You are allowed to use your powers for yourself. You should use them for yourself."
- But why? All it brought was a bunch of misdeeds and your mother becoming an evil spirit? Like, what is your argument dude? Sure, it's flawed, but what is it, exactly?
Dimple: "You're not staying here? Shigeo's done for. You gotta accept that. Why not run away?"
Reigen: "Because I still have faith in him."
Dimple: "In this situation? You're not really that stupid, are ya?"
Reigen: "Yup, actually, I am. Let me guess: this is the first time someone's placed so much trust in you too, right?"
- I love Reagen :D
Mob: "Apologise."
- Damn, the vocal performance shift
Mogami: "And that's why I didn't want you to travel the same path I did."
- But you're making him travel the same path you did
Dimple: "Yo."
- Lol
Mogami: "The six months you spent here are forever etched into your heart and mind."
- It was less than 10 minutes
- The score is banging though
Mob: "I'm surrounded by good people. I need to be more thankful for them."
- The face animation :D
Mob: "When you interact with other people, it can have an effect. And because of that, I was able to change. Thanks to them, I'm stronger. Much stronger than if I'd been on my own."
- But like, his argument was that you're privileged to have people who helped you. What is your argument Mob?
Mob: "Wait... That's right."
[Grabbing hand.]
Mob: "I remember now. I came here to save someone."
- ;-;
Dimple: "He really has changed huh?"
- The eyes and hair! XD
Narrator: "The powerful blast created from Mob's positive emotions at 100 percent annihilated the great and powerful evil spirit Mogami."
- So the thematic statement is that "positive emotions will triumph over negative ones"?
Mogami: "No matter how much you struggle, your path will lead you to the same place mine did. To ruin."
But he's doing the opposite of yours, Mogami. Yours led to ruin because you started using your powers for yourself (to save your mother). Mob is using them to help people (which you did before you went down the ruinous path)
God damn, the animation though
Mob: "That people are able to change. Mogami and Minori both taught me it's possible. The people around me changed me as well. Now I understand I can do the same thing for others too."
Mob: "I don't get it, Master. Why aren't you claiming your reward?"
Reigen: "Just look at how many people got hurt. Not exactly a big success. You should never accept money that you feel you haven't earned. If you do, you'll start taking the easy way out every time."Reigen: "You know... You're better off working part-time for me than becoming famous or powerful. I hope this serves a good lesson for ya."
Dimple: "Come on, give me a friggin' break..."
- Lol
Review
I know that all sounds like a bunch of nonsense, so let me make this simple. I interpreted this episode's message as, "positive emotions will trump negative emotions and that people and positivity can enable you to change." The problem is that this is what the episode propagates in the second half, but in the first half, it's exploring way more ideas like privilege, bullying, and selfishness. But it's forgotten in the second half? Also, the final message still disregards the earlier one on privilege. I guess it's addressed by Mob pledging he'll use his powers to help people?This episode is really convoluted, unfocused and confused. It's trying to juggle all these different ideas under the guise of "positivity beats negativity" but it comes off as undercooked.
6/10
loading replies
@cookiegod I understand Mogami's worldview is supposed to be flawed, but I don't understand how he got to that worldview. The journey he takes (his tragic backstory) contradicts his ideology; it should bring him to the opposite conclusion.
I guess it comes down to this:
1. Yes, Mogami is flawed, but his statement on privilege makes sense
2. His backstory makes no sense for his selfish motivations, belief about people privilege or biases towards societal power
3. The logical progression between all these ideas is lost on me
4. I'm left with this vague feeling of "Mob's positivity beat Mogami's negativity" but the journey to that point is convoluted to me
I also personally found the experience very numbing. Watching the final battle again, I lost investment and couldn't connect with the conflict or characters.
Also, thank you for introducing me to this show. :P
Recently, I read this interview with Kevin Feige where he said that the Academy Awards have a bias against Marvel movies.
If you ever wonder why that is, look no further than the first 20 minutes of this episode.
You get this long 10 minute scene between Pugh and Steinfeld which hits a lot of important emotional beats for the plot, and the writing is actually not too bad.
Sure you have Pugh doing that awful Russian accent again, and Hailee Steinfeld’s making weird faces as if she’s Kate McKinnon in an SNL skit, but that’s besides the point.
Look specifically at how they shoot it.
Besides the bland looking apartment, you cannot shoot such an important and lengthy scene doing nothing besides shots and reverse shots and then expect to get an Oscar (or in this case Emmy) for it.
It is literally the laziest and most uninspired way to approach a scene like that.
So, what do they do to mask the poor filmmaking and weak story choices (because let’s face it, Marvel has once again put out something with a messy and unfocussed plot)?
Just take a quick look at some of the other comments, and you’ll get the idea.
It’s like they’re dangling a ball in front of a cat, and it’s kinda embarrassing to see how effective that is.loading replies
@jordyep I agree with your points. MCU movies would win Oscars if they shot their films with more thought and wrote their stories with less fear to go to darker places.
Shout by alexnader
I was actually expecting the moon hippies to be the Nazis they kept talking about.
loading replies
@alexnader Would be down for that, honestly.
- I love how the Marvel logo starts to look more cartoonish at the end
- Omg, Chadwick Boseman
- Korath is so happy to be beaten by Star-Lord, lol
- Omg, the Watcher is actually participating in the story
- OMG, Thanos turned good
- They be dunking on Thanos, omg
"I've been trying to get them into counselling." — T'Challa
- I know the Yondu voice actor is trying his best, but nobody beats Michael Rooker
- That was easy. Good job T'Challa
- It's Cosmo the Spacedog!
- Howard the Duck?
- Korath is so fun
- Wait, did the Collector kill Korg?
- They saved Cosmo the Spacedog!
Wakandan guard: "My friend, that sounds an awful lot like genocide."
Thanos: "No, no, no. Because it's random."
[Clicks his fingers]
- Oh, they put a dedication for Chadwick Boseman!
What an episode! I'm loving this one more than Captain Peggy's since it's not trying to hit the same beats as "The First Avenger," and they can really do some whacky things here! It's a pleasure to hear Chadwick Boseman's voice again, and the set-up for this T'Challa is very interesting! When T'Challa was just a child, he wanted to see the world. But because of Wakanda's secrecy, his father forbids it. But after Yondu found him, he was free to roam the universe.
Thanos' character here was charming and hilarious, and the cameos by Howard the Duck and Cosmo the Spacedog were great, too. This episode is so different from the first, and I hope it continues this trend! Sticking to the beats of a better story (in my opinion) isn't ideal when we could have this original blend of an adventure!
7/10
loading replies
@morphinapg nah, I'm just delusional. Eheh
- I love how the Marvel logo starts to look more cartoonish at the end
- Omg, Chadwick Boseman
- Korath is so happy to be beaten by Star-Lord, lol
- Omg, the Watcher is actually participating in the story
- OMG, Thanos turned good
- They be dunking on Thanos, omg
"I've been trying to get them into counselling." — T'Challa
- I know the Yondu voice actor is trying his best, but nobody beats Michael Rooker
- That was easy. Good job T'Challa
- It's Cosmo the Spacedog!
- Howard the Duck?
- Korath is so fun
- Wait, did the Collector kill Korg?
- They saved Cosmo the Spacedog!
Wakandan guard: "My friend, that sounds an awful lot like genocide."
Thanos: "No, no, no. Because it's random."
[Clicks his fingers]
- Oh, they put a dedication for Chadwick Boseman!
What an episode! I'm loving this one more than Captain Peggy's since it's not trying to hit the same beats as "The First Avenger," and they can really do some whacky things here! It's a pleasure to hear Chadwick Boseman's voice again, and the set-up for this T'Challa is very interesting! When T'Challa was just a child, he wanted to see the world. But because of Wakanda's secrecy, his father forbids it. But after Yondu found him, he was free to roam the universe.
Thanos' character here was charming and hilarious, and the cameos by Howard the Duck and Cosmo the Spacedog were great, too. This episode is so different from the first, and I hope it continues this trend! Sticking to the beats of a better story (in my opinion) isn't ideal when we could have this original blend of an adventure!
7/10
loading replies
@yedoost rip me I guess. This performance sounds so different
very strong season 3 (which is actually season 2 part 2). Missed the princess squad action, but I recoginze the need to sacrifice their screen time for the development of Catras and Adoras core story arc.
I am really astonished by the strong emphasis on Entraptas moral development. This is really a modern take on She-Ra, telling a story on the moral side of tech. Entrapta is the Silicion Valley tech genius, helping an imperialistic army, without questioning the end that justifies her means.
I wonder what it is, that enable animated tv series mainly aimed at kids to tell stories with diverse and morally ambiguous characters, making even the meanest adversairies relatable and the most empathetic protagonist showing their flaws in the end, while big, multibillion dollar production sturggle with even developing an interesiting villain.loading replies
@vanilla_chief I never noticed that! Neat observation!
I just don't know about She-Ra, to be honest. There's a real maturity and warmth to the characterisation that's more or less at odds with the shallow, flighty nature of its plotting. The former creates expectations that the latter is constantly dashing, making for a very frustrating watch. There's so much to appreciate about its diversity, its performances, its design, its worldbuilding, its representation, but most of the time, those aspects just makes me wish the rest of the show was more worthy of them.
loading replies
@granitoro Spot on. It's a shame it's been like this so far.
- That was whacky weird—I like it
- 2077?
- Beautiful planet
- There's something beautiful about those two walking through the chaos
- Put down your visor, Loki
- They have an actual conversation like real people; this isn't the MCU
- Thor reference
- He's not drunk, just full
- She called them fascists!
- Bye Loki
- Temper tantrum
- I mean, you might as well try
- They're all variants?
- Such a long take
This episode is alright. Not as strong as the others, but it's still fun. The action scenes are cool, and Loki and Sylvia's banter is fun to watch. Although I enjoyed them venturing down this planet , some scenes seem either too easy or like a waste of time. They could pay stuff off later, but I'm unsure.
Anyway, I'm still invested, but I'm not in as much suspense as I was in the previous two episodes. Wondering "who is this variant Loki?" and "where did they go?" is a lot more intriguing than "how will they survive?!" Like, I don't believe they'll die, or that they'll use character instead of plot convenience to get them out. We'll see.
SCORE: 7/10
loading replies
@whopottervian I hope so! I need more Owen Wilson!
Review by Clobby Clobsters
You know, as time passes, the more I fall in love with... INVINCIBLE. Maybe my rating is too harsh because my feelings for it are immense. I love this show, it's one of my favourite pieces of media already, and I'm pumped for Seasons 2 and 3.
I hope the animation improves! It's great already, but if it gets better, I can't imagine what kind of images we might be getting! More frames, maybe? More detail or shading? Who knows?!
Aw man, that final episode is crazy, and I really want to see more from this universe. Not only does it flesh out Mark and Omni-Man, but they introduce and follow characters that leave their orbit. I want to see more of the new Guardians of the Globe! I want to see more of Atom Eve! But most importantly, I want episodes that focus on individual characters other than Mark.
Anyway, that's my ramble. Again, maybe my rating is too harsh, but it's an arbitrary number anyway, so who cares?! What I care about is how much I enjoyed it. Hopefully, these feelings will stay with me for a while. Also, after looking at the show's IMDB page, I can't believe who's in this cast! J.K. Simmons, Walton Goggins, Zachary Quinto and Mark Hamill are in this series! How did I not notice!?
SCORE: 8/10
loading replies
@cookiegod Uh... let me think about that... NEVER!
Shout by Clobby Clobsters
- Tanjiro—jeez
- They really shouldn't make demonslayers a secret, because this is unfortunate
- Friendly demon? Ok
- This man was gonna live, but now he's sealed his own fate
- That's disgusting
- This is why you don't drop the udon
- Hungry boi
- Tanjiro; racist
- Rude, don't ask her age
- You can smell the truth?
- Yushiro, I get it; she's beautiful
SCORE: 6/10
loading replies
@cookiegod He boring. And he dropped the udon!
Review by Clobby Clobsters
Notes
- That intro
- Bruh, poor BoJack
- BoJack, you want to host a production with them despite leaving?
- Princess Carolyn and Judah?! Let's go!
- Oh, he's not out yet
- Sick burn on Nolan! Damn, Mr Peanutbutter!
- "Holly... woob?"
- "Come on, Shawshank, you're gonna be fine."
- What are the odds that would...?
- Did he go to jail for being a bad listener?
- Oh yeah, Todd broke out
- Todd, truer words have never been spoken
- He's being smart
- An all-female reboot of 12 Angry Men?
- "11 Angry Women?"
- Hollywoob, lol
- Diane?
- Who is Rick Riordan?
- That is a good story
- When it cut to the credits: CHILLS
Review
Man, that was a wild ride. I was half-expecting there to either be a disaster or a feel-good ending that would make me cheer or something. Instead, this episode presents it like real life. There's no melodrama, no drama at all, really, just catch-up, cocktails and closure. It's beautiful, and I'm glad BoJack doesn't have a closed ending.I expressed my fear in my previous review that once I finish this show, it'll feel like these character's lives are over. If I never reach the end, it seems like they're living their lives without me. Thankfully, the series is open-ended, and so there are unlimited possibilities. Unlimited. Anything could happen from here on out, and it isn't overly optimistic, sappy or depressing, but it's more hopeful than when the series started.
BoJack Horseman is good at depicting human emotions and real-life moments. Despite 3/5s of their main cast being anthropomorphic animals, each one feels distinctly human. With each meeting and chat with the other four—Mr Peanutbutter, Todd, Princess Carolyn, and Diane—the closure they all share is so mundane that it's relieving.
This ending is perfect. BoJack's finally ready to reintegrate into society, Princess Carolyn has found happiness, Todd has rebuilt his parental relationships, Mr Peanutbutter has looked inward, and Diane has found someone she trusts. They've all grown, changed, and are ready to move on with their lives. Man, I can just imagine what amazing things they will do in the future.
Well... it was nice while it lasted. :)
SCORE: 7/10
loading replies
@cookiegod "perfect" as in I couldn't imagine any other ending.
Review by Clobby Clobsters
- Uh, what?
- Is that Zach Braff?
- Crackerjack?
- Thank you, Zach Braff
- What is that black goo?
- That dripping though
- Crackerjack likes their bit
- Friendly fire—what?
- Secretariat is his dad?
- Lucid dreaming?
- It didn't go the way he predicted
- I won't stop dancing
- Yeah, why is he his dad?
- Secretariat/BoJack's dad!
- Younger older brother?
- It's BoJack Horseman?!
- Herb just got snapped!
- That's a freaky bird
- WTF?
With BoJack's perceived death in his own TV show, it leaves me shocked. Not because they actually did it, but because I can't imagine how this show will end. How will everyone else react after everything BoJack's done? Will they see it as only a matter of time? Will they feel sad or happy? What if someone ignores it completely?
I took a long break between seasons, so not every episode is fresh in my mind. I binge-watched the last two seasons, too, so I'm on a BoJack high but haven't given the series much thought. At this point, I think it's time to reflect.
BoJack Horseman is an unusual series that pushes animation and TV's boundaries to the brink. Its storytelling prowess is unimaginable, and the feats it pulls off leave me speechless. Even though I know nothing is like something else, I will never see anything like BoJack Horseman, again, ever.
To follow five characters, develop them and explore their backstories to see how they inform each character is rare. Few shows, movies or books can pull off such a feat, but this show makes it look easy.
I'll never see another show like BoJack Horseman, and I can't wait to hold on to it, forever. I can rewatch this series, entire episodes, and I will, but once you finish a show for the first time, it feels like the journey's over. When I refuse to finish it, it's like their lives are still happening without me. But once I reach the end; that final chapter, this delusion shatters and it feels like a goodbye. Whenever I rewatch an episode and know how it ends, it reminds me of my absence, how I'm a viewer taking a peek into a snapshot of their lives.
SCORE: 8/10
loading replies
@cookiegod I believe you. :wink:
We're all going to die.
This fact breaks people. Humans will worry about death for their entire lives. And why shouldn't they? It's the end, after which comes the unknown. No one knows what happens when you die, but leaving this earth scares us. So we believe something actually happens when you die - you go to heaven, a paradise similar to earth, or you become reborn.
What probably happens when you die is similar to our personal experiences of the year 1856. Nothing. Everything ends.
But for Bojack Horseman, and for many others, he doesn't want his life to end, especially not at this point in it. So, he imagines closure. His brain has a lucid dream where he meets all his dead friends, and they tell him they forgive him. They all leave him, and prepare him for his turn. It's a pretty good way to go out, given the event itself.
But this closure isn't real. Bojack is drowning in a pool, and there is an overwhelmingly large chance that he is going to die. The View From Halfway Down, as expected from Bojack-level writing, expertly hints at the real outcome of this episode. He can't remember what's happening, a black-as-death liquid keeps dripping on his head, his food and water taste like chlorine, he is with those who have already died, a bird dying before leaving a house is an omen of death, and so on and so forth. Even more clever details are dropped as special little Easter eggs: the paintings are all from different places, and behind more warped as time passed; Bojack takes Sarah Lynn to the house, much like he took her to her death; and, for an extra kicker, it is revealed he is drowning 17 minutes in - exactly how long he waited while Sarah Lynn was dying before calling an ambulance.
At the same time, the content itself is brilliant - a final, grandiose goodbye to those who died, and phenomenal conversations on death, legacy and true selflessness between wonderfully charismatic and engaging personalities (all made up in Bojack's head), as well as the haunting portrayal of Bojack's impending and terrifying doom. Herb is awesome, Sarah Lynn is tragic, Zach Braff is hilarious, and Secretariat/Butterscotch Horseman is endlessly interesting. And that poem, man, that is absolutely impeccable.
Bojack still lives, though. Watching through to the end credits shows this - his heart is still beating. Whether that's what he deserved or not is obviously left up to discussion, but I still like how we're given reasons that he should live - he is remorseful, he holds himself accountable for mistakes, and as the final phone call makes clear, he just wants to know that his loved ones are ok. I'm absolutely fine with Bojack living on, and giving my one of my favourite final episodes of all time.
Bojack Horseman will still die. But he has time to make his life good again. And maybe, just maybe, it'll finally work.
loading replies
@cookiegod "and so on and so forth." +Lord Farquaad intensifies._
In all seriousness, this stuff is great; what a write-up! Write more, my dude! :)
Shout by Clobby Clobsters
As Cosmonaut Marcus writes, "It was whatever."
- There's no tension in the fights because, of course, they're going to win.
- Falcon with the save! Superheroes are actually saving people; thank you.
- The story: I'm right, discouraged by obstacles, I'm right again; no lesson learned
- Bucky saved some people!
- Do all these ordinary people train or just happen to know karate (the Flag Smashers)?
- And Walker doesn't go for the save.
- Nvm, Walker goes for the save!
- Wow, Sharon is the Power broker; what a relevant revelation. It's nice to know our theorists are right.
- Karli wishes she was Killmonger, huh?
- Falcon: You're right; I don't understand, but you Senators need to start asking "why?"!
- "U.S. Agent"? Ok, sure.
- WoAh, I wonder what AGeNt CArTer is up to?
There are some important messages but no revelations, lessons or challenges. Falcon just hears Bradley say, "don't do it", and does it and does fine, because...? So he had self-doubt, hears more doubt from someone else, but does it anyway?
SCORE 5/10
loading replies
@mattdeezly1996 "This isn't a criticism, it's just how I felt. I don't find it to be a ridiculous reaction because I don't care about the characters (never felt they were in danger, besides Falcon for a bit) and don't buy the narrative stakes. Have you ever seen a show or movie where you didn't care about what was going on? I'm not trying to say they're bad, they just didn't work for me. ¯(ツ)/¯"
"And getting all BIG BRAIN on a superhero movie/show is just cringe. Who are you flexing to...?"
I'm not flexing to anyone. I tried to sit back and relax with this one, but it leaned very heavily on its narrative (there's a lot of talking in this show, fewer jokes than usual), so it's asking me to take it seriously. Just because it's a Marvel series doesn't automatically make it the same as all the others. Different people made it, directed it and wrote it. If there were more action and jokes, something similar to Phase 3, I'd sit back and relax, easy. But from what I can tell, they tried something different here, and it didn't hit the mark for me. Plus, it's way longer than the usual Marvel fare.
If there's someone else out there, like me, who didn't like the show, I think it's nice to let someone else know they're not crazy for having a bad time with something a majority of the viewership enjoyed.
"MCU Movies have always been like this, and never tried to be life chaining complex narrative efforts."
People come to these movies/TV shows, like all movies/TV shows, for different reasons. I came for entertainment and a decent story. Some of these movies have proved to do one or the other, or both. Which ones did is entirely subjective. So, I won't waste your time with that.
"And to be fair they just went through one movie where the good guys completely lost, and then one movie where they "won" but 3 main characters (most likely) died permanently..."
Infinity War is the exception, and it's also an event movie; the entirety of Phases 1-3 was building towards them, so I think they'd take the risk. And with "3 main characters (most likely died permanently...", I believe they will stay dead (for a while at least), but news sites and fan theorists predicted their departures, which were marked by contracts anyway, so it wasn't hard to see coming. Again, Infinity War and Endgame are event movies, like a season/series finale type thing. So something like a main character's death is more likely to happen (most of them came back from Infinity War, and those who died didn't renew their contracts).
TL;DR: I read yours, and I know it's not deep, but it's trying to be. See Falcon's speech.
