NWA 70th Anniversary Show is a National Wrestling Alliance professional wrestling event that took place on October 21st, 2018. It was held at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Featuring an NWA Heavyweight Title rematch between the champion, Cody Rhodes and challenger, Nick Aldis. The NWA Women’s Champion Jazz will be defending her title. And a single night tournament for the vacant NWA National Heavyweight Championship. Commentary was provided by Jim Cornette, Tony Schiavone and lead man, Joe Galli. I am watching the replay copy on FITE TV.
This was the first NWA SuperShow in ten years. It’s a low-budget production so I expected a good deal of sound and camera issues. The NWA didn’t disappoint. A lot of silent promos and audio issues. The camera work was alright but the overall production seemed rushed. The downtime in between matches seemed chaotic and unorganized. There was a random music video for some jabroni wrestler named Ricky Starks that seemed weird and out of place. But, it was funny to see Jim Cornette almost have a coronary over his segment. The Penelope Ford promo was great too. That had a fun production slip-up.
Sammy Guevara vs. Colt Cabana vs. Scorpio Sky vs. Sam Shaw - Four-way elimination match, NWA National Heavyweight Championship Tournament Round 1 (72%)
This was a fantastic bout that could have gone to any competitor. Sammy Guevara looked amazing. He showed off tremendous high-flying skills. Scorpio Sky and Colt Cabana were filler. They had some fun spots, but nothing that counted as serious offence. Sam Shaw had the most to prove and he did it. At some points, it looked like Cabana, Sky and Guevara would gang up on Shaw, but he overcame it.
Barrett Brown vs. The Laredo Kid (75%)
The second match on the card is a fast-paced light-heavyweight bout. The Laredo Kid from AAA looked great. His moonsault plancha to Barrett Brown on the outside looked crisp. Barrett Brown looked good too. Both guys showcased some interesting offence.
Ricky Starks vs. Willie Mack vs. Mike Parrow vs. Jay Bradley - Four-way elimination match, NWA National Heavyweight Championship Tournament Round 1 (68%)
This was the second four-way elimination match of the evening. This one had less star power with Starks, Parrow and Bradley, but it didn’t really matter. It was heavy-hitting. Parrow and Bradley started things off by belting eachother with bricks and putting their strength on display, before Parrow was eliminated by that slimy vermin, Ricky Starks. Bradley wasn’t much outside of that slobberknocker with Parrow. He was quickly dispatched. Then it came down to Willie Mack and Ricky Starks. You knew Starks wasn’t going to make it.
Peter Avalon vs. Tim Storm - Kiss My Foot Match (76%)
If you have been keeping up with the NWA series, 10 Pounds of Gold, then you might be familiar with this feud. “Professional” Peter Avalon stole a victory from Tim Storm on a past episode. Tim Storm “...is built like a brick outhouse,” according to Jim Cornette. He looked great in this WWE style comedy match. Peter Avalon got in some good offence and actually showcased some decent wrestling. But Tim Storm is The Perfect Storm. The after match antics were good. I loved seeing the referee make a decision that if Avalon doesn’t kiss Tim Storm’s foot, then he would have to pay $10,000.
Jazz vs. Penelope Ford - NWA Women’s Title Match (70%)
Woah! Earl Hebner is the referee for this match! Jazz looked badass in her entrance. I loved it. She even had a working pre-match hype video. It made me a fan. Penelope Ford had a boring entrance. But she still looked ready for NXT. This was a hard hitting match that both women looked great in. Jazz was bringing the heat, but Ford had the moves. Seriously impressive gymnastic moves from her. I liked this match so far the most. Then the ending happened. Yikes. Hebs needs to retire. He ruined the whole thing.
Willie Mack vs. Sam Shaw - NWA National Heavyweight Title (79%)
This one was hot right out of the gate. Willie Mack ambushed Sam Shaw during his entrance as revenge for a beatdown that Mack took earlier in the evening. Both guys put on a hell of a match. Sam Shaw is going to go places if he can develop a personality. He was impressive. He beat the hell out of Willie Mack. It looked vicious. He was mean and calculating. While, Willie Mack was high-impact and fleet footed. He looked amazing. It’s crazy to see someone that’s his size, moving like that. He wins the title with a stunner. Great match.
The War Kings (Jax Dane & Crimson) vs. The Kingdom of Josephus (Shannon Moore & Crazzy Steve) (63%)
This is another match that had hijinks setup on 10 Pounds of Gold. Josephus had challenged The War Kings and created a ruse to help debut his new team of Crazzy Steve & Shannon Moore. I was surprised. This turned out ot be an okay match. A few flubs and botches, but nothing major. Jax Dane is a powerhouse. I had always been interested in seeing his matches. I wasn’t that impressed with Crazzy Steve. Shannon Moore did alright. I think The War Kings work well together. I like them being managed by Road Warrior Animal.
Cody vs. Nick Aldis - Two-out-of-Three Falls Match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship ()
All of the former NWA World Champions had come out to the ring before the competitors. It was a cool detail, but it was kind of weird to see Jax Dane out there, sweating up the joint. Nick Aldis had an amazing entrance with Kamilla Kaine. The champion, Cody Rhodes, came out to a great pop. I am a big Cody Rhodes mark. The match was average. They went through the usual spots and worked the crowd. Crisp looking moves. Aldis delivered some awesome looking suplexes. Nick Aldis wins the first pinfall and then the action really picks up. The fight moves outside in deep into the crowd. The crowd goes nuts as things get a bit hardcore. The shenanigans pick-up too. It’s unfortunate. The table spot was a bit cool, but the manager interference was not needed. Cody picked up the second fall after that table spot. It looked nasty. Their fight for the third fall was intense.
The night was so much fun. I liked seeing James Ellsworth and legends like Blue Demon Jr., Road Warrior Animal, Magnum T.A., and Dory Funk Jr. Jeff Jarrett’s speech was cringy and the NWA National Title looked horrendous, but the matches were great. Willie Mack is really deserving of the gold. He has been on the independent scene for years. Sam Shaw was really impressive. As was The Laredo Kid and Penelope Ford. The whole damn night was impressive. It was an average show, but it had some great surprises and treats for true wrestling fans.
If you are a fan of the WWE product (RAW, Smackdown, NXT, etc....) then there are a few matches for you. But please forgive the production. I know it’s hard. The silent gaps are weird and awkward. But this show has heart and it carries a lot of weight. The NWA has been on an upswing ever since Billy Corgan bought it. The web series 10 Pounds of Gold started this resurgence. If you aren’t familiar, please do yourself a favor and watch that. It helps develop a storyline that can assist fans in identifying with the competitors. This is a must watch for true wrestling fans.
If you don't believe in Santa after watching this movie, you're just "denying your inner child."
This is my favourite Christmas film of all time. I used to watch this constantly as a kid (no matter what time of year it was!) and I still watch it every year at Christmas. It never fails to give me goosebumps, because it always takes me back to being a child, and it is an incredible reminder that magic really does exist.
I'm also a big fan of Home Improvements, and Tim Allen is equally as hilarious and entertaining here. Not only is he a brilliant comedian, but he really knows how to play those sentimental scenes that tug at your heart-strings.
Eric Lloyd who plays the young boy Charlie is fantastic throughout and can equally play a multitude of moods in a believable way to make the story flow so well.
When I was little, I always found the role of Neil, played by Judge Reinhold quite irritating, because he is too much of a grown up and his lack of understanding childhood is unreal. But now I've grown up, I understand that most adults are as stupid as his character is and so I've began to sympathise with his point of view, even though I entirely disagree with it. I understand he's MEANT to be irritatingly stupid!
Another character who deserves a special mention is Bernard, one of the Elves, played by David Krumholtz. When I was little, I used to colour in a bit of paper with a dark green felt tip pen and stick it on my forehead, so that I could have "hair" that looked like Bernard's. (I'm not sure it did look QUITE like his hair, but it was worth the effort.) I've always had a soft spot for Bernard. Even though his character can be quite bossy at times, he can also be quite endearing at other times. He has a lot of compassion for people who DO believe in magic, but doesn't have any time for people who don't.... A bit like me! And that's why I identify with him the most. Like the rest of the cast, he plays this part so well.
Both the background music and the soundtrack songs help add to the festive feel of this film, and helps bring Christmas and Santa to life. If you STILL don't believe in Kris Kringle after watching this movie, just remember this dialogue from the film:
Charlie: Have you ever seen a million dollars?
Neil: No.
Charlie: Just because you haven’t seen it, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
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.
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 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 can't believe I didn't watch this movie earlier—a young girl loses her family and gets taken care by an Italian professional assassin.
Be warned that this movie has extremely graphic content and might include scenarios that will cause you to feel uneasy and possibly disturbed. I highly appreciate the film's presentation of the relationship between Léon and Mathilda. Although I found it somewhat off-putting that they were so close, I rather prefer perceiving their relationship as much more platonic. Mathilda loses a family that she already felt unconnected with. Her family was dysfunctional and she was treated horribly by her violent and abusive father. Léon made Mathilda feel like someone finally cared for her. She felt loved, and Léon—who's spent half of his life alone—enjoys that companionship. Luc Besson (Director) surely is a creep for scripting such a strangely uncomfortable relationship between a little girl and a grown man. Many people believe that this film presented pedophilia. However, I much rather perceive that the film simply demonstrated to the audience a little girl—very much miserable—crushing on a man who saved her. And a lonely man finding companionship and opening himself up to generosity.
I was missing out on such an amazing film!! You don't want to be missing out either!! MUST WATCH.
P.S. I much recommend you rather watch the Léon: The Professional 2-hour-long, international version (French).
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.
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.
So I finished Part One and had a few hours to think about it. The show is definitely interesting. It’s not perfect but I see it setting-up to something bigger in Part Two. The first few episode are a bit off, not horrible or unwatchable but, does have some questionable pacing, lack of music, and some of the more direct jokes aren’t as funny as I would like them. A lot of the “good” jokes seem to be sprinkled in the background or hidden inside of other dialog, I wouldn’t be surprised picking-up on new jokes on a second re-watch. That said episodes 1-5 would be a 5-6/10. Normally a weaker opening to a series would lean me more towards dropping, however...
The reason I say the show is interesting is that the trailer and promo material advertises the show as a comedy first with some adventure on the side, however, it’s very much a slice of life series with hints of adventure down the line in Part Two. I wasn’t expecting this and I actually like this angle more. In fact I wouldn’t be surprised if Part Two was exclusively adventure focused. Most of the episodes in Part One are about the daily life of the disobedient princess and falling into situations, all the while adding a LOT of world building. Part One seems very focused on familiarizing you with the world, people, concepts, etc... While this is taking place we get short cutaways to an unknown group of wizards/sorceress monitoring the situation in Dreamland, the main location in Part One, suggesting something bigger going on.
I wont spoil anything at the end of Part One but the world building and hints towards a grandeur story definitely make this series interesting and I want to learn more. Obviously these are just promises for the moment but the care put into the world and the slower pace at the start to familiarize the characters gives me hope that this series will offer more. For now it’s a 6/10, good but until we see the rest I wouldn’t put much into the rating.
Also the 2D animation is very good. CGI blending is better than most shows and a surprising amount of the scenes have a lot of animation in areas you wouldn't expect it. Casual walks in the city treat you to scenes with plenty of bystanders moving and interacting with each others in 2D (some are 3D). Lots of other shows would offer stills & pans so this gives this show's world a lot of life.
This movie is exactly as good as you think it will be.
Remember how you were wondering how they could pull off such an ambitious movie like the Avengers and then they did some how? Well that, but again, and it is still excellent.
(this review gets a little into details, but nothing really spoilery)
When Tony Stark, a man who thinks he is justified to do anything in the name of protection shockingly goes too far and creates Ultron, a murder bot who loves murder. Ultron, who is basically evil Tony, is very quippy. But this being a Whedon flick, everyone seems really quippy (don't worry, it's not as annoying as that sounds).
One of the best things about this movie is the destruction that you see happening in the action scenes. Something about the other Marvel movies never really made the people seem in danger when everything was exploding, but there are people everywhere in these scenes, screaming in horror as the super people punch the murder robots. Many innocent bystanders die in this one. Easy. Some of the other movies just seem too "clean", no sense of danger.
I also really liked the characters in this one. The other Marvel movies always seem like maybe one or two supporting characters from the other movies show up, but this movie has so many people in it. All your favourites!
Also, it had a really great "adventure continues" vibe. This movie starts with Avengers action and ends with Avengers action. There is no more "how they came together" or "this changes the very foundation of the universe". It was an awesome addition to what is now a serial story. More of this and less of origin stories!
So in conclusion, check out this sweet indie Whedon film, you might not have heard of it but it's pretty cool.
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.
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.
[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.
So, Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland create this particular animated series, that gets quite famous.
They need a ridicolous amount of time writing new episodes despite a 70 episode deal they got at one point and I am sure they will never be able to deliver upon just by how much time they need for ten episodes. Then Justin has the "idea" of doing his own animated series that's copying Rick and Morty basically, just without Rick and Morty and without multiverse? Timeline is important here, Wikipedia says, the series was shelved but not for how long.
The art style is the exact same, the randomness and over the top stories are the same, several voices are the same, all that this is lacking is good writing. Solar Opposites, funny name considering the not so much "opposites", is airing on another network. In other words going into competition to R&M. Is this a very elaborate prank from DH and/or JR, even though DH isn't mentioned? Or does Justin want to piss of DH? How's this even legal from a business standpoint?
SO does scratch the R&M itch. But it's nowhere near the greatness of R&M. SO doesn't try as hard, though.
There's almost no continuity. The stories of the main characters are so random, as random as any interdimensional cable episode, there's no point in watching. You could watch any episode in any order you wish, without losing or missing anything regarding the main characters. That makes this series incredibly boring for me personally.
The most interesting subplot, with actual continuity so far that needs a certain episode order, is "The Wall". That part is the best part of this whole season 1 and really a good idea with actual fun, consistent characters. If Cherie survives for revenge in S2 it would make me gladly come back. Other than that I don't particularly care for this to get a second season.
If JR wants to do R&M, he should focus on R&M and push Harmon (and all the other writers) to do more, instead of half-assing his own stuff. Other than that I simply fail to understand why this exists other than to leech off of the success of R&M. Creating an instance of "you like R&M? You must like this, too. It's from one of the creators". But no. I do not like this. I don't hate it, but I certainly do not like it. Would this not rely on so many similarities or be a direct and open spin-off I wouldn't mind, though.
Kristen Schaal should have been cast as the voice of Jesse as well. Mary Mack sounds way too much like her and Schaal's voice would fit that character very well.
Season 2 edit:
Season 2, which is more like S1 Pt 2, has improved on a lot of the early issues.
It's still very episodic without consequences but the stories and the chaotic energy of Roiland seem to fit and work a lot better in these 8 episodes. Korvo, the most unlikable of the aliens, tones down his Jerry-ness by not being constantly obnoxious. Glad they do go forward with evolving Pupa and the Wall substory was - again - the best part of these episodes with S02E07 the best episode of this show so far. Absolutely great how that turned out. Going to bump this from a 4 to 5. First 8 episodes are meh at best (excluding anything Wall related, those parts are a 7 at worst and 9 at best), later 8 episodes are okay and overal more entertaining.
Nothing to say really besides: that’s how you do it!
This has without a doubt the most impressive stunts of the franchise, and it really knows how to use its characters and challenge them. There’s a lot of propulsive energy, lush cinematography and great editing. Lorne Balfe does a great Hans Zimmer impression, and Chris McQuarrie does a great Chris Nolan impression. Alright maybe I’m oversimplifying there, because I have to commend McQuarrie for doing another stylistic reinvention of the franchise, the cinematography and general feel aren’t just that of Rogue Nation 2.0. I’m not even sure if the constant evolution of this franchise comes from a place of creative ambition or commercial opportunity, but at least it keeps the films fresh. Some of its core elements will always remain the same, however. For example, the plot’s once again just a vehicle for all the juicy stuff. You could call it out for being generic or basic, but they find so much creativity and fun in these tropes that it becomes very entertaining (intrigue, the mask sequences, the craziness and constantly rising intensity). Sure, there’s a very predictable twist at the end of the second act, but more often than not, it managed to surprise me. Henry Cavill is a great new addition, bringing back Rebecca Ferguson was the best choice they could’ve made, and Pegg & Rhames remain the reliable anchors that add some heart & humour. It’s all exceptional stuff, it could very well go down as the best action franchise in history if the next films stick the landing.
9/10
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
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.
