S.S. Misery
It's obvious, that the whole Lapis-Jasper-Storyline is about toxic relationships. And they done it really well. People stay together not only for external reasons (for the kids etc.) but also for internal reasons. As Lapis say, she kind of misses Jasper. It is an unhealthy urge to surround oneself with people that drag you down. But i think the underlying motive of Lapis Lazuli is depression. First of all Lapis is blue, she is literally feeling blue all the time. Second she shows symptoms of depression (i am not a psychiatrist, though, so i could be wrong). No motivation to do anything, Steven has to urge her to come on the boat. Blaming herself for everything. Making herself miserable because she thinks she deserves it. Maybe, like Centi, she is corrupted in her own way. It isn't just fixed with repairing her gem.
It was a melancholic but also lovely episode. It was satisfying to see her stand up against Jasper. But i think that won't be the last of it. You can't overcome such unhealthy relationships with a bang, and i think the show runner know this.
I am not sure how i should interpret the title. Neither Steven nor Lapis nor Greg where alone in this episode. Maybe it's about Jasper, but i think it's more meta. Maybe Lapis is feeling alone at sea. She thinks nobody is there to help her, nobody can help her. But in reality she has a lot of people who like her (Steven, Greg, Peridot). She feels alone, but her friends are close, just behind the horizon.
How was it? Well, I can relate to the suicide part of this movie title.
David Ayer, Director of "End of Watch and "Training Day", had the opportunity to subvert expectations and deliver a story that had not been done before, however, what we got was a predictable, boring mess of a movie trying to be too hip for it's own good. This cringe fest of a movie fails at nearly every to turn make itself standout and original in comparison to other superhero movies flooding the market, with the direction, cinematography and tone screamed bland and uninspired. In terms of camera work, the movie seemed to have some of the ugliest camera shakes during fight scenes and an extremely high opacity rating that made the whole film seem like it was taking place at 2:00 at night. All of that together made this movie a painful experience to look at.
In terms of narrative structure, I can't really talk about it as the movie doesn't have one. The jumbled mess of a plot makes this movie just feel like one long scene, making it just a dull rollercoaster ride. The plots constant reincorporation of a characters past and someone he cares about is so painful. We are constantly reminded that, "Hey! he has a child" making his character development center around one person and not his actual personality. Also character development was completely missing, and I didn't care about a single one of the characters. Looking at this movie, I'm not really surprised there were reshoots and script changes.
In terms of acting in this movie, it's kind of a mixed bag. Will Smith, Viola Davis and Jai Courtney (surprisingly) did a decent job, Margot Robbie, however, just played an obnoxiously annoying joke dispenser with some of the cringiest attempts at humour that I have ever seen. Now, Jared Leto as the joker had alot of controversy around it, AND had to live up to the previous performance of the late Heath Ledger. A hurdle to overcome I'm sure but he missed the mark completely for me. Playing a version of the Joker that is extremely poorly acted. Maybe it's the director or the editors fault, but his performed made him seem like a man pretending instead of him becoming the character. It also didn't help that the writing of the movie was so stale, unfunny and blatant that it seemed like it was written by HAL 9000, and doesn't have a a quality to it that doesn't feel unnatural.
The music choices used seemed like choices from a 16 year old teenaged girl would use interlaced into scenes that could of done with music that actually suited the scene or no music at all. Every choice seemed obnoxious to me. As well as that, the editing was absolutely atrocious, with either continuity issues or edits that scream out "I'm trying to be hip and cool!" with absolutely no sense.
If you enjoyed this movie, please don't let me stop you. But as for me, it's a boring mess thats been added to a pile of forgettable comic book movies.
Maybe it's the fact that the end is nigh for B&B, but I really enjoyed this episode and the way it flashed back to how Batman had his first adventure with three of his most regular partners on the show. This was basically three shorts with a loose frame story, but as the opening teasers demonstrate, this show's great at shorts and each of them worked well. Green Arrow had the most standard adventure of the three, with Cavalier providing some comic relief and he and Batman engaging in their usual oneupmanship. Plastic Man's was the best, with a tightly-written little story and ample creative use of the hero's stretching powers. And Aquaman was great as always with his fish tale that got more and more harrowing the longer he told it. The frame story ending with Mr. Freeze felt a little perfunctory, but the end with Aquaman resuming his tale was the right comic note to end on.
As for the cold open with Space Ghost, I have to admit that I really only know the character from Space Ghost Coast-to-Coast, and so while I recognize the tropes of the old Hanna-Barbera superhero style (which the segment seemed to ape well, no pun intended) the segment didn't do much for me in particular beyond the novelty of seeing someone who, for me, is a pure absurdist comedy character teaming up with Batman.
There's something about future-looking stories that feel special. Generational stories in genre works, whether it be Batman or Star Wars or Harry Potter have a certain appeal that comes from the idea that what we're watching is a link in a bigger chain, that each bad guy defeated or obstacle overcome is a ripple that's affected by the past and makes an impact on the future. A happily retired Batman, who has married Catwoman, passed the cowl on to Dick, and is raising a son is a detour from the crimefighter severely committed to the cause we so often see Batman as, and it's a welcome diversion.
There are, by necessity, a lot of narrative shortcuts in the episode. Alfred's voiceover works as a device to bring us up to speed and take us through the aftermath in a story that is, frankly, a little to big to be told in 22 minutes. But it works as a thumbnail sketch, with Damien Wayne's hesitance to take up his father's mantle firmly established, if not exactly explored, enough to sell the stakes of the episode. And the writing for The Joker (alongside his fourth wall winks) is the best it's ever been in this series, with his axe-crazy nihlism coming through beneath his gallows-humor exterior. Telling a generational Batman story in a half hour is a tall order, and while this episode isn't perfect in the effort, it builds on the backgrounds we already know for these characters to convey the import of individual choices, and the frame story of Alfred's novel gives the episode an easy out for continuity, while not selling short the story actually being told.
(Oh, and in the teaser, it's nice to have a hint at a conflict with Darkseid, and given The Question's connection Rorschach and his appearances in JLU, I've always had a certain fondness for him, so I enjoyed that segment as well.)
Well, this is a shame. This comic is one of the best of all time. Seriously, it is amazing. So you'd think that a animated movie adaptation from it would be great for sure.
And then you start the movie and it is about Batgirl going on a random, generic mission. Batgirl getting annoyed and angry with Batman. Batgirl banging Batma- wait... what? WHAT IS GOING ON? THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE COMIC'S STORY.
Yea, they literally just tacked on some junk to make this at least 75min. Frankly, that first 30ish minutes in is worthless. I have no idea who wrote that and thought it matched the tone for the source material.
Then we do get into the direct adaptation. Now it is sticking very close to the comic, down to the same exact lines and frames. Part of me likes that, but the other part wonders why it is even needed. Why not just read the comic if it is going to stick directly to it? Well, whatever, it is great dialogue and a fantastic plot.
And then I go back to thinking it doesn't fit the comic well enough. In some scenes, the timing doesn't feel right at all. Some of the lines just don't come out like I feel the scene's tone is supposed to be. One big moment is the dramatic shooting. Gordon's reaction to that event does not seem nearly as emotional as it should be.
Finally, the closing scene starts of great. Mark Hamill, oh, I don't think I mentioned this yet. Mark Hamill is great as always. So Mark Hamill starts it off, and that leads to some combined laughing. His works, he knows how his character laughs. But Batman... his laugh seems really fake to me. That kind of ruins the impact of that finale.
Not as bad as the epilogue scene though, that made it worse.
What is the line between insanity and brilliance? Is it broad or thin? Does the one bleed into the other? The Aviator, Martin Scorcese's epic look at the life and times of Hoard Hughes, suggests that the two are intertwined, at least in this one man. The film follows him from his first crazy moviemaking schemes in the California desert to his great aviation triumph at a time when his psychoses have started to overwhelm his senses.
It's a "Great Man" biopic, so it hits some the expected beats. There's casual "cameos" by celebrities and notable figures of the time, a "nobody believed in me" set of obstacles, and wild but flawed individual at the center of it, figuring out his path from neophyte to bigwig. But Scorsese has the right touch to bring out the best of the form, balancing the big moments in Hughes's life with quieter scenes to explicate his fears and neuroses.
At the center of it all is Leonardo DiCaprio's crackerjack performance as Hughes. I have to admit, I'm not always a big fan of DiCaprio's performances, which I tend to find technically sound but rarely unique or moving. But here, he is a man on fire, playing the noted eccentric with an almost rabid charm and head full of dreams, but also conveying the man's vulnerabilities, and the way his mental deterioration eats at him as he tries to barrel past it. Short of his turn in Wolf of Wall Street, this is the most I've seen DiCaprio truly inhabit a character, and he gives many different shades and layers to the man in both his grand successes and utter failures.
Fortunately, DiCaprio has an equal to play off of in Cate Blanchett's stunning turn as Katharine Hepburn. Going into the film, I'd heard Blanchett's performance derided as a mere impression, but nothing could be further from the truth. While Blanchett certainly does well to capture the distinctive tone and rhythms of Hepburn, she imbues the character with such life, with a zest for the thrills of the world, a fear that she'll be exposed as a "freak," and a supreme insecurity that her days in the spotlight are over.
Hepburn's patter in the film is reminiscent of the real life actress's exchanges on the screen, but Blacnhett gives new dimension to it with her subtle change of expression when Hughes shows her how to fly, when she warns Howard not to let the press eat him up, and most notably, when she tells him that if he looses his mind, she'll be there to "take the wheel." Theirs is the most multi-faceted and engrossing relationship in the film, and that makes it all the more heartbreaking when it dissolves. Hepburn's nervous, affected laugh when Howard accuses her of always being on is stunning, and Howard's anger, and his bonkers response to burn all his clothes, everything that he'd worn while being with her, is another stepping stone toward his insanity.
The film engages in strong symbolism when it comes to signposting Hughes's growing neurosis. The opening scene features his mother bathing him, quarantining him, instilling in him a fear of sickness and germs and the creepy crawlies he can't see. She washes him with a special bar of soap, and in that cleansing bath, he's surrounded by lights.
As the film goes on, it shows the effect this seminal moment had on him. It dramatizes his germophobia well, depicting him as unable to so much as take one bite of his steak after Errol Flynn steals a pea off of his plate, heightening his perspective as he looks at a what appears to him to be a diseased roast at the Hepburn estate, and most strikingly in the film, refusing to hand a disabled man a wash cloth because it would require him to sully his hands.
That what makes it so powerful in the few times when he overcomes his phobia. The film doesn't have to tell you that Hughes and Hepburn have reached an important level of intimacy, it shows you, by depicting Howard offering Katharine a sip from his milk bottle, and then having a drink of it himself. In the same way, his commitment to his company and well-being are palpable in his meeting with Senator Brewster, who serves him a fish that stares back at him, and a water glass with a smudge, meant to unnerve Hughes, but Howard soldiers on.
The Aviator does well to show these neuroses growing. He slowly but surely feels the need to use his own soap more and more, to where he's washing his own shirt in the sink and waiting in the restroom like a prisoner rather than put his hand on a filthy doorknob to let himself out. He finds himself repeating things, a problem that becomes more pronounced as the film wears on, and culminates at the end of the film. Then there's the flashbulbs of all those press cameras, bringing back the flashes of those spherical lights that surrounded him in that quarantine cleanse, reminding him where he came from and what he's afraid of.
Apart from the brilliant performances and symbolism in the film, it's a complete visual treat as well. Scorsese and his collaborators color-correct the film to a tee, giving it a sepia-tinge that communicates the lost time of the film's setting. But they also give it these beautiful splashes of color, turning the film into toothpaste -- a wash of muted reds and seafoam greens. Scorsese's camera cuts across the joyous tumult of a Hollywood party, or follows a flurry of planes swarming in the air as Hughes fills the sky for his Hell's Angels picture, or shoots his great men, be they protagonist or antagonist, from behind, leaving them imposing but featureless.
The Aviator depicts its protagonist as constantly pushing, constantly thinking and dreaming bigger than those around him can imagine, or at least would advise. It also shows him paying a cost for this, suggesting that there is a price for this kind of thinking that is extracted from one's mental well-being. Even Hughes's final triumph in the film -- his rebuke of Brewster at the Senate hearings, his defeat of the slimy Juan Trippe in his scheme to take out his competitor, and the flight of his Hercules, an embodiment of the scope and audacity of his ideas forged in rubber and steel, are tinged with the unavoidable onslaught of his verbal tic. In Scorsese's film, Howard Hughes is very much the way of the future, but that thought, and all the good that this mentality brings, eventually overtakes him, and tells us that even the titans of old can have feet of clay.
You get a good look at an extension of the Bat family in this one. At first, I thought it was Batgirl on the cover, then I learned that it turns out to be Batwoman (so hot)! There's also Batwing on the cover; "two birds with one stone" there. It is the third film taking place after and part of the Son of Batman and Batman vs Robin story arc. Damien returns and learns to be more like his father, "justice, not vengeance". His mother, Talia, also reappears (still freaking hot) and is the main enemy here. The Batmobile design here looks like the one in the live-action Batman Forever/Batman and Robin films. Nightwing plays such an important role here and is probably the one who knows Bruce Wayne/Batman the most. There was a point where Katey was watching News 52 on TV, and right there I knew it was a reference to the New 52. I like how it wraps up with a little surprise in the end.
The animation team responsible for this trilogy so far has done fine job. I admire WB Animation's style and I kinda wish they had shot for a higher level of quality for the recent The Killing Joke film adaptation, at least in character design, but you get what you can get I guess.
The problem with big tentpole pictures like this one is expectation. People already build up a picture of the film in their heads thanks to the trailers and all the hype surrounding the film. I, myself, was hyped up for this film following the exciting trailer.
The critics have not been happy and many people have dusted down their computers to criticise the film. Again, the problem I am sure was expectation. This film is good, sometimes excellent. Oscar Isaac is fearsome as Apocalypse, though I felt the character could have been more apocalyptic. The action is great and once again Quicksilver steals the show, in terms of story and lightness of tone.
I was disappointed so see one character die - why do they always have to die? - will there be a Days of Future Past 2 to bring him/her back? - no, but can't we just have a little but of fun instead of creating dramatic tension by killing somebody?
The film is flabby at times, a little off with the pacing during the first hour, and needs a serious injection of adrenalin at times. However, the film does kick up a gear and there are many crowd pleasing moments before the films end. There are a lot of characters in the film but that isn't a bad thing. Most are used well, others are merely cameos - hello, the Blob!
So what if this isn't even the best X-Men movie, although arguably it comes a close second or third. Its not the end of the world if it isn't the best superhero movie this year. Civil War comes out on top and Batman V Superman wasn't as awful as people made out. The film is very good and on reflection will be seen as one of the best movies of the summer, I am sure. I hold no hope for the Turtles film, am not sure on the new Ghostbusters, and Warcraft and Assassins Creed are an unknown property to film (though they both look ace - I'm just trying not to get carried away with hype).
Enjoy the film for the spectacle it is and remember a time not too long ago when superhero films were looked down upon by Hollywood execs.
"I tried your way, Charles.
I tried to be like them.
Live like them.
But it always ends the same way"
The abusive relationship between Professor X and Magneto continues to bring strong intrigue to when they will meet next and what they will be in the middle of.
At first my fear was Jean Grey had been miscast, instead following the "she has the same hair color it is fine" formula but after that steady start by the end of the film she came into her own and i am looking forward to seeing her again. Scott and Kodi i loved though, with Storm and Quicksilver moving in, i am looking forward to the next generation! With more Jubilee!
The only character i was really down on as most have also said, Mystique. Mystique's actions are fine but it is Jennifer's delivery that leave a lot to be desired. Especially in the scene where Quicksilver is revealing that secret to her. I think old high school friends in drama class could of made me more convinced in their reaction.
Those last few minutes gave my inner child a squeal. It might be seen as a step down but it is still as fun as the previous two and the strongest of the X-Men trilogies. Between X-Men, Deadpool and MCU. Marvel properties are hot. -sweeps Fantastic Four under the rug-
By the way, What kind of bullshit shot from the arrow was that to kill the mother and the daughter instantly and at the same time?! I suppose tragedy is drive for Magneto but i could of blinked
I love this show so much. It never fails to meet my expectations.
There were so many hilarious moments in this episode. Where do I even start? Barry saying "Oh my God, I've become Oliver"? Harry and Cisco's bickering? All the different versions of Harrison Wells? Barry getting kicked out of the house? I honestly can't pick my favorite.
One little thing I really enjoyed was the exchange of "I love you's" between Barry and Joe in the middle of their awkward conversation at the precinct. It was such a small moment, but it literally made me go "Awwwwww". I love my beautiful family.
Mirror Master and Top were cool, I guess? As far as villains of the week go, they weren't outstanding, but the way they trapped Mirror Man at the end was pretty awesome.
No! Jesse and Harry! Come back! I don't want Harrison Wells with a sense of humor! Give me my Harry/CIsco bromance back!
Is Joe finally getting a love interest? Yay, you go, Dad Cop! You deserve it!
Caitlin, my sweet baby... Don't worry, everything will be fine, we still love you. Just don't turn evil, please. I mean, I really don't think the writers will go down that road. If they do, I'll be really, really angry. We have such a wonderful team dynamic on this show and Caitlin's an important part of it. There's absolutely no need to ruin that.
I love this show and I loved this episode. The New Rogues aka "Harrison Wells Cast audition". He has to be the best actor in the multiverse. I loved the different versions but come on, I want Harry to stick around. He and Cisco are one true pairing. I love their dynamic together. So funny. I would've chosen Hells Wells. God, that was absolutely awesome.
Besides, I love Killer Frost's powers. I hope she doesn't turn evil, but helps Barry and the gang around.
Plus, Barry and Iris together, sure felt kinda weird, plus making out in front of your dad, who so happens to be the adoptive father of your boyfriend. I guess you have to cool it a bit Iris, although it wasn't like they were trying to shoot a porn film or something. it was just cuddling bit any old how, it feels weird.
And Start back. They sold me that Start was back and all we've got was a flashback and a hologram. And Mirror Master and Top were kinda awesome, I presume. Actually, I paid more attention to the subplot that to the actual metas. And what about this, Barry found a way out of this pickle without help from the gang. It also felt weird, though.
Looking forward to see Killer Frost next episode and that weird monster we've got now.
I can see why they're pacing the series, why new characters are necessary, newer villains, etc. but it's not intriguing. it's lifeless. The show could have an episode dealing with paper cuts and having to find toilet paper over 35 minutes, fans would still watch it with anticipation.
I can see the writers and directors trying to replay /recycle new antiheroes and heroes learning the ropes, facing enemies, but it's just not fun to watch Noah Bennett run around doing his thing.
It should be, it fails to live up to the hype because they're afraid of delivering too much too early. When Noah isn't on screen, the show fails to be interesting.
There's no charismatic personalities other than maybe luke/zachary (unrecognisable as chuck, or johnny flame), and even more rarely miko/kiki (katana girl) is emotive or likeable beyond the wooden, stereotyped doll caricature. There's no tension or loss, no risk, no reward, and there's no confluence of ordinary characters with abilities. Hiro and Claire, and later, Sylar, were iconic because they were normal, with abilities. Not so much with the new class.
The show's desperately trying to get the audience to like ... someone, but there's too much mary sue, nobody has failed in a big way, and the season arc is disconnected from the plot in a massive way, there's no fatality or risk in the deus ex machina, already depicted in the poster (avoiding spoilers)
The ensemble cast are "good", but this would get better if it did not exist in the same story as Heroes, it's significantly weaker and less enjoyable as a result of being dragged around by the coattails of the original ensemble of Heroes, that haven't shown up but keep getting name-dropped every few minutes.
This could change, but the show should be so much better or even possibly darker than it is.
Just to preface this, I thought A Force Awakens was emotionless trash that undermined the entire purpose of the original three films.
Rogue One was the opposite.
The best thing about this movie was the emotional impact. It underlined the sacrifices made to make the original trilogy possible. Some people have called it long, but that helped build up characters that you actually felt for, and who weren't carbon copy ripoffs (cough cough A Force Awakens). The final scenes as the two main characters face their fate, recognizing that it was worth it, gave such a high emotional payoff. Each major death scene actually made you feel something.
The second best thing was K-2SO. Very funny, and much needed comedic (but not goofy) relief.
The CGI for landscapes and the world creation was outstanding. When I see a movie like Star Wars I want to be amazed and see things that I haven't seen done before. I want to be impressed and drawn into new, beautifully crafted worlds. In this respect, the movie just kept delivering over and over.
The cinematography was great during the action sequences. The sequences looked epic, and the violence and sacrifice felt meaningful. The Vader fight sequence was intense.
It also had interesting ties to current events with its commentary on terrorism/rebellion/weapons of mass destruction. By the way, the science genius character realizing that he isn't priceless in developing some major device is fantastic. All of the movies with "only so-and-so can figure this out" are very disappointing.
The moral message of the movie was also very clear and well delivered.
I really enjoyed the movie overall and thought that it was a big step in the right direction. It was adventurous again, it was sometimes shocking, original, and most of all meaningful. A Force Awakens failed on all of those points. It's good to see a franchise movie that's taking a bit more risk than average. AFA was just like the new Star Trek films, shiny bling low-impact action movies that just happen to be set in space. Rogue One pushes far beyond to show the what drives the Rebellion in a world we know and love.
Despite the fact that I really liked the movie, it had some flaws:
- Tarkin face CGI
- Some of the acting in the first half.
- Tarkin face CGI
- Some of the cuts were really weird and the pacing felt off for portions of the first half.
- Tarkin face CGI
- Forest Whittaker just deciding to die instead of trying to escape.
- Tarkin face CGI
- A few unbelievable plot lines (thankfully most were minor). Like Cassian being sent to kill Galen for almost no reason, and then deciding not to for no reason, and then Jyn forgiving him surprisingly easily. How did she even know that he was trying to kill her father?
- Tarkin face CGI
- Does every Star Wars movie need to have a father character die? Why didn't Cass follow orders when he heartlessly killed someone else in his first scene?
- Tarkin face CGI
- Heavy handed political messaging.
- Tarkin face CGI
- Said "hope" too many times.
- Tarkin face CGI
- You can just push Star Destroyers that easily?
- Tarkin face CGI
- The word "Stardust"
- Tarkin face CGI
- Too many random worlds introduced that you don't have the time to get invested in.
- Tarkin face CGI
- Too much awkward fan service.
- Tarkin face CGI
- Darth Vader's voice sounded off.
- Tarkin face CGI
- Some of the dialogue was really terrible.
- Tarkin face CGI
"The Force is with me and I am one with the Force."
Chirrut and Baze were my favorites. This film made me think i want more stand alone films then a continuation of Episodes. As someone who has only jumped on to the Star Wars franchise over the past year, watching all the films over the past few months..this has to be my favorite next to the original film and what a fitting place. I can't wait to re-watch it back to back.
It most definitely made up for the Force Awakens which as a new viewer almost put me off. People more informed in film might be able to pin point what Rogue One has done better. That last battle to get the plans, i couldn't blink. Both the space and ground combat really conveyed how desperate the Rebels were.
The C3PO and R2D2 cameo took me out of the film for a moment but the rest of the film felt seamless and pulled me right in. I would of liked to have seen more of the relationship between Jyn and Saw but i am sure novels and television will take that on for us (or already have). So many emotions in those 2 and so hours and i can't wait to watch again, at the theater! Perfect cinema experience and worth the outing. By the way, what an ending! Vader never looked so dominant.
The movie hypnotized me in my late teens... thought it was the best film ever made. I rewatched it just before the HBO series started and wondered just how many bong hits I'd taken before watching it the first time around.
The HBO version is great, but very slow moving. Events from the season finale should've unfolded by at least the 3rd episode. During the final 2 episodes there was a lot of explaining going on, and some good action sequences -- but I wish the explaining had taken place much sooner -- characters engaged in lengthy talking-head explanatory scenes seemed forced, more like a recital than watching a story. I was never a fan of the series "Lost", but I think this method of storytelling should appeal to those that were.
In the movie, the android's eyes lit up indicating a malfunction, then the amusement park went crazy. With the series, no eyes light up and instead there's a gradual buildup as to what was happening behind-the-eyes. It's so gradual though that I would've enjoyed the series more if I'd binged it -- a week at a time of snail-paced plotting can be frustrating. It's good, but lacks the pacing that made the original movie so engaging.
Medieval World and Roman World -- with 'spy' androids to integrate the subplots would've been great -- but those worlds have disappeared from the story -- likely it might have been too expensive to produce. Unfortunate, as it would've helped with pacing. As it's been renewed for a 2nd season, I'm wondering if those worlds might be worked in. Slow pacing or not, I'll be watching as many seasons as they put out... ;-)
I'm a simple girl. If a show has anything to do with superheroes, if it's in any way connected to Marvel or DC, there's a good chance I'll watch it. And I'll probably love it, whether it's dark and gritty like Jessica Jones or charming and family-friendly like Supergirl. Legion is no exception to the rule.
I'm not a comic book reader. I didn't know the first thing about the character when I started the episode, and I had no idea what to expect. Having just finished it, I think I can safely say that this show is unlike anything I've watched before. In a good way. I enjoyed every second of the pilot. The cinematography is spectacular. The bright colors, the flashing lights, almost horror-like moments, blurring the lines between reality and David's delusions, scenes of people dancing - because why not?, seemingly random shots and flashbacks, and the general insanity all create a completely unique atmosphere. It's almost hypnotizing, making it impossible for you to look away, drawing you in. The plot isn't the most revolutionary, but the way the show is shot and edited still makes it feel fresh and original. I like the characters and I'm excited to see what will happen next.
This whole episode was perfection. Except for 2 things:
Kara/White Bread bullshit
Yet another edition of "Where's Maggie, you know, the main character NCPD Detective Maggie Sawyer and why is Man-Hell on my screen instead of her?" Seriously, though. She only had like 5 minutes of screentime in this ep. This is bullshit.
I love Lena Luthor. And goddamn, her relationship with Kara is amazing. That feeling when two female characters basically fulfill every classic romantic trope (obvious Romeo and Juliet vibes because of the Super/Luthor conflict, Kara saving Lena more than once, Lena calling Kara her hero, Lena looking mortified when Supergirl gets hurt in front of her, Kara believing in Lena against all odds, Lena sending a million flowers to Kara's office, the list goes on) and look like they're about 2 seconds away from making out every time they share a scene, but heteronormativity exists and you know they'll forever remain strictly in the realm of subtext and fanfiction. That feeling sucks and I'm bitter.
I don't blame Lena for being kind of torn in this episode. Lillian played the mommy card very well. Katie McGrath and Brenda Strong are both awesome and they created a super interesting dynamic between the two characters.
I firmly believe that Lena is good. I need her to be good, otherwise Kara will be so disappointed. Get away from me with the staring-sinisterly-at-the-chessboard thing, writers. I don't accept it.
Baby Lena was so cute! What a beautiful genius baby. I want to adopt her.
Kara finally has her friends back. This is the kind of content that I watch this show for! It's good and pure, and Kara is a precious cinnamon roll. I just want her to be happy, have a good support system, be surrounded by people who love and care about her, and have a lifetime supply of potstickers. Is that too much to ask?
Also, shoutout to J'onn for being the most wonderful, supportive, telepathic Space Dad in the history of everything.
Thank you, Mr. Next-Episode's-Bad-Guy for saving us, at least temporarily, from the true villain this season: the forced romance between our amazing heroine and the "arrogant dude-bro" (Kara was spot-on, I actually cackled when she said it) who steals all of her screentime. Just burn this shitshow of a ship. Please. I'm so tired of white men being prioritized over everyone else, including the freaking main character. And is it just me, or did Kara seem awfully miserable in that last scene? Compare the way she looks at Mon-Ewww to the way Alex "Heart Eyes, Motherfucker" Danvers looks at Maggie. They couldn't be more different.
What.the.actual.fuck.
"I am the Flash, and I don't exist anymore".
Seriously, what the hell was that? Anyways, I'm not gonna say it was horrible, cause it wasn't. Sure it had some writing issues (aka Speedforce), but it's not the worst I've seen. At least we didn't go back to Barry's house the night his mom got murdered so I'm calling it a win. It wasn't as good as the other two finales, but it was entertaining and we got to see a shot of the three Flash running together which got me too hyped.
Savitar, the God of Speed, a guy who can time travel, who can vibrate his hand through your chest and kill you in a heartbeat, gets downed by a freaking bullet? Like seriously? I couldn't believe it, then I realized he's still Barry and I understood. Bullets and tranq darts got to be Barry's worst enemy.
H.R., I was ready to watch another Wells die. He's the real hero. He fucking sacrificed himself to save Iris. He alone changed the future in just a second. Like he once said, a hero among heros. Drumsticks up for him! And then, everyone was just chilling with his death? He died and they got over it too fast.
Savitar kills Iris everybody: "oh no, you horrible monster. My life is ruined. What do we do now? I'm depressed"
Savitar kills H.R. instead Everybody: "oh it's ok, everything is fine. Don't you worry, we're gonna get you some help". The only person who understood him was Tracy. She was the only one with common sense.
I'm royally pissed off that Black Flash got killed by a single cold blast. Like what the hell, RF has been trying to escape from him for a whole season and he get kaputt like that? No way in hell. And Savitar is defeated by a freaking bullet? For God's sake. RF, one of the smartest people in the multiverse couldn't figure out that freeze was the only thing he needed to survive.
Black Flash getting killed with a single cold blast and Savitar with a bullet was dumb as hell. I guess you can't lock up the darkness, but you can freeze it to death.
Denis Villenueve. A solid lineup. A different take on first contact. I loved Sicario but went in expecting a cerebral epic sci-fi.
That was a mistake.
Good things:
- Some really nice visual scenes
- Interesting aliens Calligraphy aliens!
- Clear theme of communication is omnipresent
- A neat score that might be awesome in a different movie
Bad things:
- The acting
- The lack of emotional reaction to ALIENS! The students asking to turn on the TV, all of the main characters
- Lack of useful characters Only the aliens and Louise actually did anything the entire movie.
- Supporting characters are very stupid in an attempt to foil the main character slightly
- Very clumsy exposition. Genre-typical news reports, voice-overs, dumb characters asking stupid questions.
- Very slow pacing. This worked in parts of Sicario, but didn't work in this movie because there was no tension. The main characters never seemed remotely threatened.
- Lousie showing up at school thinking everyone will be there after aliens arrive and there's a state of emergency
- Why can't you translate alien language like you can translate Farsi. This is a paraphrase but in the spirit of what Colonel Weber was saying.
- Useless love interest when the costars have no chemistry.
- Ultrasecure military base lets someone steal a ton of explosives and put it in an ALIEN SPACECRAFT without anyone noticing.
- Many unbelievable plot points
- Poor dialogue Let's make a baby - real quote
- Poor handling of the major plot points Looking through time seems to undermine the fact that the aliens need help. Why did one have to die if they could see the future? Why did only one die when they were right next to each other?
- Very heavy handed moral messaging that didn't align with the rest of the movie.
- Why couldn't Ian also see into the future as he studied the language, or any of the others?
Overall extremely disappointing. I'm honestly surprised critics or general moviegoers like this. The premise was very good. It's a real shame the execution failed so miserably.
5.1/10. Sometimes it’s hard to discern the line between exploitation and embrace, especially when dealing with a film from more than eighty years ago. Freaks, a film that puts people with deformities and developmental disabilities front and center, is ostensibly on their side. The theme of the film is that these people, derided by monsters for their outside appearance, are or at least can be, kind and decent people, in contrast to the film’s antagonist who are pretty on the outside or blessed with physical advantages our eponymous heroes lack, but ugly and cruel on the inside.
The film delivers with message with what amounts to a fable set in the circus. Hans, a little person who is a part of the sideshow, is engaged to Frieda, another little person who’s in the act, but becomes enamored with Cleo, a beautiful acrobat in the circus. Cleo initially just uses Hans’s affections for gifts and attention, whilst carrying on behind his back with Hercules, the circus’s strongman, but when she learns from Frieda that Hans has inherited a great fortune, she conspires with Hercules to marry him and then poison him so that they can take the money for themselves.
The rub is pretty straightforward. Despite pretty reprehensibly leaving his fiancé, Hans wants only the best for Cleo and more importantly, the “freaks” accept Cleo into their community. The chants of “One of us! One of us!” and “Gooble gobble!” have become iconic, but what’s often left off from the popular quotation is the other third of the chant – “We accept her!” There’s a divide between the “freaks” and the “regular people” at the circus, one that can lead to mutual mistrust, but the community welcomes Cleo despite that, because, they believe, she loves one of them, and that’s good enough for her to become one of them.
This, of course, is a bridge too far for Cleo, who can’t accept the communion offered to her by this community, and reveals, if not the details of her plans, then the fact that the “romance” was an act on her part. The “freaks” are shown to be kind, welcoming people, and Cleo and Hercules, the “normal people,” are shown to be harsh and even evil. We’re supposed to root for the people with deformities and against the beautiful and the strong.
And yet, even if director Tod Browning’s heart is in the right place in terms of theme, there’s something that still feels exploitative and condescending about the film. Far from focused on this main narrative, Freaks is filled to the brim with minor subplots and vignettes about the other denizens of the sideshow. Aside from the fact these little detours practically kill the film’s already consistently-sputtering pacing, they also seem to be putting the stars of the film into the same kinds of gawking “otherness” that it implicitly criticizes the film’s antagonist for.
Most of these scenes involve focusing on the quirks of the various “freaks” for laugh or for curiosity. Whether it’s showing how a man without limbs can light his own cigarette unassisted, or taunts at a person said to be half-male and half-female, or a continuing subplot about one conjoined twin being able to feel what happens to the other and the unique hurdles of their dating life, there’s less a sense that this is a kind look at people who differ from the norm, so much as it is presented as a chance to chuckle or marvel at what is, at best, an air of exoticness, and at worst, a tone derision and oddity.
This also plays into Freaks’s difficulties as a horror movie. The film’s scariest moment takes place in its climax, where the eponymous collection of sideshow acts advances upon the villain of the piece in the midst of a horrible storm. The scene is impressively shot, with an unnerving sequence of these individuals brandishing guns and knives and other weapons and descending upon Cleo under cover of darkness. There’s something frightening and tense about the steady pursuit, that feels of a piece with the zombie films that would emerge decade later.
That, however, is the part of the problem. While Browning can charitably be said to have intended to depict a close-knit community defending one of its own against an external evil, there’s a firm sense in which the “freaks” are dehumanized in these scenes, treated as primitively tribal or animalistic. While Hans and Frieda are given full, if thin, characterization, and the benefits of some pathos (which veers into pity), the other individuals with deformities or disabilities are treated less kindly, even as the film seems to want its audience to sympathize with them.
But it also gives us two “normal” characters to latch onto: Phroso, a clown and Venus, another beautiful circus performer. Their only purpose in the film appears to be to give the audience some non-“freaks” to root for as good guys in the midst of the movie’s main plot, and the rushed story of their romance sputters on all the way to a tacked-on happy ending that shows a reunion between Frieda and Hans. It’s part and parcel with the array of go-nowhere vignettes that are spackled into the main narrative of the piece.
Still, some allowances have to be made for the time in which this film was released. While it’s easy for me to look back from the vantage point of 2016 when our treatment of such individuals has vastly approved (contrary to the programming lineup of TLC) and judge the way in which the deformed or disabled are depicted in Freaks, Browning at least has the decency of wanting the audience to like the titular group that are the selling point of his film. The tone he takes to do so may be, at times, rather patronizing or othering, but he wants the “freaks” to be people that the audience cares for rather than recoils from. While he’s still content to put the things that make them atypical on display for a buck, much the same way as the carnival barker in his frame story, there’s an attempt to make the humanity of the “freaks” shine through, which helps to soften the palpable feeling of exploitation that permeates the film.
I have mixed feelings about this movie. I love DC, I love Greek mythology, and Wonder Woman movies are generally the best of both worlds, at least that last animated one was amazing. So my expectations were sky high after choosing to see this movie, over Alien, The Mummy and others currently at the box office. I was definitely disappointed, but I really enjoyed the movie. Just weird.
I wanted more from WW's mother, first of all, since she was quite amazing in her own right from all the comics and previous movies. I hated the love affair between WW and Captain Kirk, but I understand why it was so necessary for the plot. And, mostly, she was basically Captain America in DC form. Both in WWI, fighting the Germans, with a secret weapon, both on a special covert mission to end the war, both in USA colors wielding a shield to stop bullets and tank rounds, and more. I disliked the cookie cutter similarities between the Cap and WW. Lastly, I really disliked the flashbacks, within the flashbacks. Just start the story from the beginning in the first place!
Now on to the Awesomeness that is the Wonder Woman movie. Her abilities were top notch. The superhero aspect was brilliantly captured and portrayed. The animated version was ported into the real life version flawlessly. She is by far the best superhero in film, next to, currently deceased, Superman. Wolverine, Spidey, all the Avengers, Batman, Green Lantern, and anyone else with a movie franchise would easily get bitch slapped by WW. Well, having said that, I do think Thor with Hammer, has a slight chance, but without Hammer, he is a peon compared to WW, the God Killer! The fight scenes were simply amazing, the story was true to her past incarnations. And the thing I liked most about this movie above all else was the ugliness of the movie. It captured the underlying theme of femininity, excellently. This was a dreary, dirty, ugly movie. The sets were ugly, the costumes were ugly, the story/plot had a ugly feel to it. The ugliness gave such a brilliant contrast to the breathtaking beauty of the star of the movie, Gal Gadot. I couldn't take my eyes off her. Her beauty was unprecedented. I know she isn't the most beautiful woman in the world, but this movie made me believe Wonder Woman was. Now the island of Amazons had some extremely attractive women on it, but Gadot was by far most beautiful of all. This movie has rewatch-ability because of her beauty alone, mix in those amazing fight scenes, and it is quite a good movie to see.
So this movie premiered in Poland today and I just got home from the theater. I have two things to say: this is hands down the best installment in the Thor trilogy and it also definitely ranks somewhere in the top 5 MCU movies for me.
This movie was a wild ride from start to finish. The story was a ton of fun and so many things happened along the way, keeping you engaged at all times. While I do love slow movies that allow their scenes to breathe, the crazy pace of this one worked in its favor. There wasn't as much action as I had expected, but we did get some cool fights and general destruction. In the typical Marvel fashion, there were a lot of jokes and most of them were really, really hilarious. Some of the MCU movies try way too hard to be funny and I end up feeling annoyed at how many quips they cram in there, but in Ragnarok, the humor definitely worked. My personal favorites were the "Get help" scene, Thor's story about Loki turning into a snake and Bruce falling onto the Rainbow Bridge (especially Fenrir's reaction). Those had me laughing uncontrollably. And on the other end of the spectrum, there was quite a lot of emotional weight to both Odin's demise and the fall of Asgard. The movie struck a good balance between the two, keeping things exciting and light-hearted most of the time, but not being afraid to go a little deeper when the situation called for it.
As for the acting, Chris Hemsworth seemed to be really enjoying himself and while I'd often found Thor to be the blandest Avenger in the past, he had a lot more personality and charisma to him here. He was extremely likable and funny, but he was also the hero you rooted for throughout the movie. Cate Blanchett didn't get to do much as Hela, to my disappointment. She looked incredible and she did the best she could with what she was given, but in the end, the Goddess of Death didn't do much in terms of breaking the tradition of one-dimensional, evil-for-the-sake-of-it MCU villains. But she did at least seem to relish and enjoy her evilness. Tessa Thompson stole the movie for me. She was amazing as Valkyrie. She had wonderful chemistry with Thor and I like the idea of the two of them together, she's a much better love interest for him than Jane, but she was by no means reduced to that role here (thankfully!). She was a fully-fledged character with her own arc and personality. She was brash, badass and absolutely deadly in a fight while still having a more vulnerable, softer side and dealing with horrible trauma. She reminded me of Jessica Jones in that way. Watching her go from a drunken scavenger back to a mighty warrior ready to fight for her home and her king was a pleasure. I absolutely loved her and I hope to see more of her in the future MCU movies. Tom Hiddleston delivered as always, Mark Ruffalo was a great addition and Bruce's partnership with Thor was fantastic, and the supporting cast was also very good.
The soundtrack. Man, the soundtrack. 11/10, totally buying it. One of the best I've heard in a while.
The cinematography was gorgeous. So many colors, so many beautiful shots (the one with the Valkyries bathed in light riding towards Hela who was surrounded by darker colors? Holy shit, that looked like a baroque painting. Absolutely stunning). It was a pleasure to watch. The special effects were simply outstanding as well. Fenris/Fenrir was magnificent and let's just say I want ten angry, giant wolves immediately.
I had high hopes for this movie. The first Thor was pretty good, the second was meh (perfectly adequate, but painfully forgettable), but there was a lot of hype around this one and I really wanted it to be great. And it was! I had a blast watching it and I'd definitely see it again. Every standalone hero trilogy in the MCU so far has had at least one fantastic installment. Iron Man had the first one. Captain America had The Winter Soldier. Now, Ragnarok joins the circle. I'm very happy that it turned out as well as it did.
It does not happen often these days that an anime, or any tv show for that matter manages to get such a tight grip on me. But Made in Abyss manages to do it with flying colors.
For me Made in Abyss is the complete package. The story is captivating, the characters are very likeable, the music is perfect for setting the overall feeling you are supposed to get, and above all, that feeling for wanting to experience the unknown, to venture out into the debts of the abyss (no pun intended) and that feeling you get when watching this anime in your underbelly of yearning for something more, and to press on, no matter the consequences or the dangers is in my opinion one of the absolute cornerstones of this anime that makes this a masterpiece!
The story starts off very innocent and cute. And from the first few episodes you might think that this anime might be just a light anime because of how young the children are, with some comic relief. But if you keep watching that you will see that with every episode as Rico and Reg go deeper into the Abyss the story gets more darker and more disturbing.
To be frank, i did not fully understand when Rico and Reg said goodbye to their friends in episode 3 that goodbye really meant farewell forever. But as you can see in the later episodes (at the very least for Rico) there is no coming back alive once you go down the Abyss deep enough. In my opinion that makes Rico her fortitude and resolve to venture into the unknown, and leave everything and everyone she loves and knows behind even more daring and captivating.
I really REALLY hope that this anime gets a second season. Because this anime is the very reason i watch anime in the first place. I can wholeheartedly recommend this anime to anyone. Trust me, you will not regret it.
Being a massive fan of the original Teen Titans comics that this animated film is based on, I was a lil apprehensive about how good this was gonna match up. I gotta say I think they did a brilliant job! It's not quite up there with the original but it's pretty damn close and another fine release from the DC animated universe.
What's really good about this is that you don't need to be a comic nerd like me to get into and enjoy this film. You get to know the characters straight away and the story is easy to follow tho like original story, it does throw a couple of great curve balls so for the first time viewer, you're gonna be all like "What the hell?!? Damn!!".
I can see that at the time of me writing this, this film is averaging around 8/10 but I'm gonna give it a 9...possibly biased as I loved the comic so much. Definitely well worth a look whether you are a fan of the DC animated universe or not. I would rate this up there with Justice Flashpoint Paradox which I think is the best of the DCAU.
If you're reading my review to get a sense if this film is worth watching, I think I've covered that so I'm gonna shut up now and YOU go and watch this great film!
My god... Does Ava DuVernay know that you can actually zoom out a camera? I've never seen so many "closeup" face shots in a single movie in my entire life. I'll never be able to get Oprah's giant-sized face out of my mind...
As for the movie itself, It's a bit all over the place. Some parts and themes are very well-done, such as Meg's journey to accept herself, while others are really half-baked (especially the relationships between Meg & Charles Wallace, Meg & Calvin, etc). Too many things just get thrown together or just suddenly happen by sheer "coincidence" without a solid lead-in or development. This could have definitely used some additional scenes and runtime to flesh characters and their relationships between each other out a bit more. Reese Witherspoon's character is actually my favorite of the 3 "Mrs."'s. Oprah and Mindy Kaling's characters definitely did not hit home.
Visuals were pretty stunning for the most part, but sometimes went a bit too overboard. Don't even get me started again on the cinematography and editing... This movie definitely had potential and I was excited to watch it, but it just misses out on some major points. It was enjoyable overall for the visual fest and seeing the world of A Wrinkle in Time, but other than that it is just an average film. I'd temper my expectations for sure. 5/10 as it is just an average movie...
Apparently this is just the third $100+ million budget movie directed by a woman. I'm not sure that Ava DuVernay's movie is going to help buck that trend...
Maybe I Should Have Some Bread Instead
Oh No Making Breakfast Isn't Easy As It Looks
I Know Maybe I'll Have Some Cereal That's Easy
That's Not Enough
Much Better
Oh Good Mom And Dad Are Awake
Uh Oh
Look Mom I've Been Helping I Made My Own Breakfast
Sure Mom
Squish Squish Squeeze Squish Squish Squeeze
I Can Wipe The Table And Make It Nice And Clean
Bumpy Bumpy Bumpy Bump
Oh Dear Look At That Big Gray Cloud Spot
It Looks Like It's Going To Rain
Perhaps We Better Head Back Home
That Was Fun
I'm Ready Now Grandpa I Finished My Bath
Well Is Too Wet For Me Bye
Oh No It's Time To Go Home
Oops I Almost Forgot My Umbrella
Come On Everybody Up Here
What About This
Arf Arf
One Two Three Bump
It's Almost Time For Your Bath Spot
Bumpy Bumpy Bumpy Bumpy Bump
Can I Play A Little Longer Please
Alright But Just Until Your Bath Is Ready
Oh Spot Would Love A Bubble Bath
Vrrom Vrrom
Ruff Ruff
Dirt Incoming
Vrrrrroooom
Hello Spot
Hello Squirrel
Spot You're Bath Is Ready
Okay Mom I'm Coming
Here's Some Dirt Squirrel
You Better Leave Your Truck Outside Spot
Alright Mom
Hop In The Tub Spot
I Love You Mom
I Love You Too
Now Don't Forget To Wash Behind Your Ears
Okay Mom
Wait A Minute I Need To Get Something
He He He
Here You Go Fish
Not Yet Mom I Need To Get Something Else
Wait A Minute I Just Need To Sail My Boat
In My Bath
There Is A Big Sea
On The Big Sea There's A Boat
And The Boat Sails Across The Big Sea
Until It Bumps Against My Foot
In My Bath
There Is A Small Fish
And He Likes To Swim And Play
But When I Turn Into A Crocodile
Then The Small Fish Swims Away
In My Bath
A Duck Is Quaking
As He Floats Around The Tub
And If Sometimes He Goes Under
Up Again He'll Always Pop
Up Again He'll Always Pop
Quack Quack He He He He
Out You Go Spot Time For A Story Now
It Is Great Thanks Mom
Once Upon A Time
In A Land Far Far Away
There Once Lived
Hmm Oh Yeah I Forgot To Brush My Teeth Too
Oops Almost Forgot My Sleeping Bag
Green Light Go
Red Light Stop
Vrrom Vrrom
I Got It
It's Getting Late Boys It's Time To Clean Up And Put Away Your Toys Please
Okay
Okay Mom
I'll Help You Spot
Here's The Ball
Catch
Got It
Oh Look At That
Look Spot
Weee
Vrrom Truck
All Done
There Doesn't Look All Cleaned Up
It's Almost Bedtime
We Put Everything Away Mom
Very Good
I Have To Go Home Now
Ruff
Thank You For Helping Steve
Bye Spot
Bye Steve See You Tomorrow
Good Boy Spot Now Go Brush Your Teeth
But Where's My Teddy Bear
When I Go To Bed
And Turn Out The Light
I Have A Friend I Cuddle At Night
Teddy My Teddy Oh Teddy It's You
Teddy Bear Teddy
When It's Very Late
And It's Time To Sleep
I Have A Friend Who Helps Me Count Sheep
Teddy My Teddy Oh Teddy It's You
Soft And Furry Warm And Good
You'd Give Me A Hug Just Like A Bear Should
Teddy My Teddy Oh Teddy It's You
I Thought You Cleaned Up Spot
I Did But But Now I Can't Find My Teddy Bear
Look He Was Here All The Time
There You Are
Thank You Mom I'll Clean Up Again In The Morning
Alright Spot Sweet Dreams
Good Night Mama Uuuuaaahh Good Night Teddy
I'm Going To Grandma's House
“It was bound to happen.”
Disturbing and hauntingly real -especially considering today’s political climate. After our screening, my roommate and I catch our bus home and didn’t talk to each other for the next 40mins. I couldn’t help it but think about the most recent news I’ve seen: white supremacy rallies, anti-racism rallies, terrorist attacks, etc. Fuelled by the news and what I had just seen in the theatre, I felt anger, excitement, fear, confusion -and somewhat determination- all at once.
NOCTURAMA is something that is happening now. The film follows 7 kids carrying out a Paris bombing and the aftermath of it. It is a modern tale of rebellion. Rebellion against consumerism and politics, of freedom and symbols, and banks. It feels like a desperate cry for people without genuine avenues of expression. In fact, we never know the true motivations behind their plans but we don’t really need to. These kids want to rebel and rip apart the system but they’re also the product of that system they’re so desperate trying to tear down, after all, in the aftermath, we see them put on suits and see mannequins dressed exactly like them. The thing about NOCTURAMA is that these kids could be everyone; they could be anyone. They want to fit in and be unique, to stand for something. They want to tear everything down but they’re also trapped in their own time and their own experiences. We see things twice or thrice from different perspectives seeing how different their reactions are, how trapped they’re in their own worlds. It is a reflection of people, but especially young people, angst. Because people are angry, but at what?
NOCTURAMA might very well be a rally against commercialism, politics and the idea that we are a free in modern society. The message of NOCTURAMA -and of modern rebellion- is that this could be you. But it is also a desperate cry for help. “Help me,” cries one of the characters. No one does. Everyone has already decided what he is and he isn’t allowed to be anything else. He isn’t allowed to be a teen, a victim, or anything else anymore. We'll never know why they did what they did because we don't want to listen, we don't want to know. He is a terrorist and so he must be removed. Right?
First of all, I avoided ALL spoilers. Didn't see even one trailer. Never saw ANY art concept before viewing the movie. It made everything more impactful. Been doing this since Ant-Man, and it really changed my experience in the theatre.
Oh, only in the MCU. The rest are inconsequential, doesn't really matter (I'm looking at you DC with your shitty movies and at you Star Wars).
Now about the underused characters someone mentioned:
half of the heroes are dead, most of the ones that are alive now are the characters that have a trilogy (Tony, Thor and Steve) and/or are essential to the continuation of the Universe. The ones that are dead now, probably will continue the Marvel Universe when the old heroes die or retire in the next movie (more die than retire imo, and can you imagine they killing Spidey for real?).. My guess is that Tony, Cap, Thor and Doc (he saw that 1/14000000 win possibility, remember?), together with Cap Marvel (and even Gamorra's sister who knows) will work together to bring the dead back to life in the majority of the movie then, maybe 40-50 minutes of a might battle royale with the deaths of our favourites heroes and a ending sad enough to make everyone cry buckets.
Gonna be even more epic.
[8.6/10] It's amazing how an episode about a hot-button issue like homosexuality from ~25 years ago can still feel so well-done and relevant today, without ever seeming overly preachy. The gist of how "Homer's Phobia" accomplishes this is simple -- it delves into Homer's fears about gay people but (a.) always depicts John as a decent, charming, and endlessly patient guy, and (b.) depicts Homer's anxieties as ridiculous and harsh but also realistic for someone of his age and upbringing. It makes Homer seem believably boorish and overblown about the whole thing, while John is consistently delightful, making Homer's rudeness toward him and homophobia seem all the more misguided.
Beyond that, it's a really funny episode. John Waters is a natural as a voice actor, and he brings John to life while giving him a rhythm of speech that makes him engaging and immediately sets him apart from the rest of Spingfield. The steel mill is an all-time great sequence. And the show pokes such fun at the idiocy of Moe, Barney, and Homer trying to "stop" Bart from turning gay that it manages to make their concerns seem hopelessly backward but also wrings comedy from it.
Again, it's so impressive that an episode that tackled an issue that's changed a lot in the public consciousness over the past couple of decades still manages to thread the needle to where it seems sensitive and still funny.
World Premiere Review:
If I can sum up it up in one word, it's a giant "meh." I liked all of the new Star Wars up until this point, but this one was so forced. It didn't help that they had to reshoot more than half the movie with a different director, albeit with the great Ron Howard.
First problem, no one can fill Harrison Ford's shoes, it's impossible. The new characters are boring and forgettable. Still, Donald Glover just nails Lando...they should just do a Lando stand alone movie next time. Chewie is also awesome and funny as usual. I should also mention Malla is cannon now from the Christmas Special? Just speculating that's who he kisses with when he frees his people. Lumpy will probably show up in Solo 2. I saw George Lucas shift uncomfortably in the theater a couple seats over during that scene which was amusing. The story is just ok, it's a little slow and boring. At least the action sequences are fun.
Here's my biggest peeve: L3-37 is the most forced, obnoxious Star Wars character since Jar-Jar. I was so happy when this Social Justice Robot, who is supposed to be Lando's co-pilot, gets destroyed close to the end. This attempt to be "relevant to the times" sticks out like a sore thumb and the actress voicing it made me wince every time she spoke. Hopefully that's the last we hear or see of it.
Finally, Emilia Clarke's character has the depth of a sheet of cardboard. Worst of all though was the twist at the end where fucking Darth Maul shows up now post Episode 3. She is working with him and it was so cringey and shoe-horned in, I'm so tired of him not being dead. I tolerated it in the Clone Wars with spider-maul, but he just needs to go away.