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lovetheangelshadow · 5 years

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N'Pressions: Lego Movie 2

I know this is rather late, but I have had my hands full for the past couple of months until I could finally get time around to sit down and write these. So I apologize in advance with my thoughts being rather late into the game when everyone else worth listening to has given their two cents.

I’m not going to lie. There was so much against this movie succeeding besides the weather. Not only did you have to contend with it being a sequel to a major hit films that had for good and bad made some influence in the animation genre; but it was also competing with Alita Battle Angel (a big James Cameron film) AND How to Train Your Dragon 3 (a much awaited ending to a long running DreamWorks franchise). Not to mention with the objective failure of the Ninjago movie obviously made both the studio execs and audiences wary. That being said, I don’t think it would have benefitted from holding off for much longer.

So the film takes place just after the first movie with the Duplo invaders. Emmet tries to make peaceful ties with them that end up blowing in his face and the invaders go after anything bright and colorful. Five years later we get a Mad Max inspired Apolcalypseburg and while everyone else has taken a darker outlook on life and appearance; Emmet remains the same albeit a little scratched up with fingerprints and some of the decals scraped (nice detail by the way). Emmet shows Lucy/Wildstyle a dream house he’s built for them that seemingly attracts the Systar System and they send General Sweet Mayhem. The citizens take shelter in Batman’s bunker but a mercy act from Emmet freeing a stuck star shaped missile lets Mayhem in and she kidnaps Lucy, Metalbeard, Benny, Batman and Unikitty to a matrimonial ceremony held by the queen of the Systar System. After being scolded by the citizens of Apolalypseburg for not being tough and too weak to be of any use (citizens are jerks no matter the story I swear), Emmet builds a rocket ship to save his friends.

In earnest, I give points for the Lego team choosing to go with what is essentially a space rescue story rather than another chosen one tale. If there is one real good quality I can give for all four of the lego movies is that each film has its own unique aesthetic that separates them. Like if you just gave a background shot or even a color palette, each movie has their own theme to them which is not really something you could say of a lot of other animated sequels like Kung Fu Panda, Toy Story, or Ice Age. And I really appreciate them for that. There is also a very noticeable animation upgrade from the pervious Lego Movie besides the obvious advances in animation technology. Like they are actually using other household materials to achieve effects as well such as UltraKatty’s tail turning into a bottle brush when she gets flustered and Queen Watevra Wa’Nabi’s throne room moat is silk curtains which you see later in Bianca’s bedroom. Not to mention the previously noted fingerprints and scratches.

So story wise, unfortunately the story is not as polished as the first movie. Like Good Cop/Bad Cop and President Business, two major characters of the first films, are practically shoved to the side for this one. I mean, Business is the allegory for Finn and Bianca’s father, so why is he practically so absent for five years after spending 8 and a half building this Lego World into his concept of absolute order and perfection? In essence his kids have pretty much destroyed what he’s built and he barely does anything about it? Granted I am not entirely sure what sort of purpose Business could serve especially with the tone and themes they were going for. Maybe like have his try to resolve things but continuously fail? Or…or maybe throw his hands up in defeat and hint that if they don’t do something to fix the issue Armomageddon will be coming down upon them. No one knows what he’s even talking about and just keep warring with the Duplo invasion. I dunno, maybe we’ll get more answers when the Blue Ray comes out with the commentary. As for GCBC, maybe be the ones telling off Emmet for his apparent weakness in kindness and tell him that he didn’t get to be Lord Business’ second by being soft hearted and overly optimistic.

That being said we also get a slew of new characters this time around: the totally not evil Watevra Wa’Nabi, General Mayhem, Ice Cream Cone, and Tumblr’s favorite Rex Dangervest. Seriously you can NOT tell me Lego didn’t know what they were doing when they made this guy. You KNOW how the internet gets over attractive cartoon characters! Admittedly Emmet doesn’t have the strongest personality and is kind of more of a vessel for Finn (and particularly the audience) but like the first movie he is surrounded by a large cast big personality characters that balances things out. Also like the first movie the antagonists (both Rex and Watevra) much like Business aren’t entirely in the wrong or right but instead are the extremes that sometimes in a way can become toxic if pushed too far. Business was the extreme of perfection and order, Watevera and the Systar system represented absolute optimism, and Rex was the symbol of toxic cynicism. Though I will give credit that both Watevra and Rex definitely feel like much more complex antagonists than Lord Business.

While Watevera genuinely wants peace between the Systar System and Apopalypseburg she isn’t above using force, coercion, or manipulation to get there. She basically offers gifts/bribes to bring the leaders to her side and toys with Batman’s insecurities to get him into marrying her. The entire film portrays her as a scheming, brainwashing, shape shifter whose end goal is the end. Though you cannot really blame her since it was suggested the Systar System has been trying for years but kept being pushed back because they were seen as an invasion. Also they’re terrible communicators. Also I have to give props for Animal Logic and them having to animate this gal and in Lego bricks no less. Like it’s not like a slime where you have plenty of freedom; each curve and twist is an actual Lego brick. That can NOT be easy to animate.

Rex on the other hand plays with Emmet’s anxieties of not being tough enough and essentially not being the person Lucy wants him to be. And you can’t completely blame this guy for lashing out at being stranded and forgotten. If there was one thing Emmet valued above anything even before the inciting incident of the first Lego Movie, was his friends. You saw his hurt when shown that the other construction workers didn’t even seem to care and just saw him as an average nobody. Heck, even with the party bus scene the others show a hint of concern that they hadn’t seen Lucy on the ship with them but when the llama driver cranks up the music they immediately forget about her. Not to mention with the time machine, he could have easily gone back to even before General Mayhem kidnapped his friends and prevented all this in the first place, but instead chose to save Emmet only and bring everyone else down to the same miserable state he’s in to feel the same hurt he went through for years. In a way he reminds me a lot of Lotso from Toy Story 3. Both were the favorite of a child and were lost by that same kid later to be replaced and forgotten. However I am a lot more sympathetic for Rex than Lotso though I haven’t put my finger on exactly why.

Another thing to note is that this film is also a musical and it has been quite a while since I’ve actually like really enjoyed an animated musical. Like the songs actually feel like they move the story forward instead of being there for just being there. There is one arguable exception, but it is still a fun song (Gotham City Guys if you must ask). Of course then there is the blatant Catchy Song that is such a laughable parody of itself and much like Everything is Awesome, its used as like a brainwashing song. Speaking of which, we get two versions of Everything is Awesome: the much more light hearted Tween Remix and somber/hopeful Everything is Not Awesome. My only gripe is that Rex did NOT get a song. Seriously guys, a reprisal of the last verse of Not Evil as he’s strapping Emmet to the eject chair would have been bloody perfect!

Though the movie is not as comedic as its processors Lego Movie and Lego Batman, I honestly still enjoyed myself. I think it is largely in part because I relate to the film a lot more than the first one since I have a sibling of my own and remember the cooperative and combative play session we had together as kids. Something I give credit for is that the film doesn’t really portray either the girl’s or boy’s way of playing the superior one. Honestly they don’t even really bring up gender roles or at least smack you in the face with it. And believe me I have seen the whole gender roles thing done so much worse. I could have done without that line from General Mayhem about Lucy doing all the hard work and Emmet getting the credit and I think having that in the trailer might have hurt things as well. I think it would have been better if Mayhem just said there is nothing special about Emmet and laughs that she’s supposed to take this guy seriously compared to others like Batman and Metalbeard once again driving in what would eventually lead to the creation of Rex. Still even with some of the plot issues, it still feels like a much more complete film then Ninjago and I hope that we can at least get the Billion Brick Race before they decide to just cut Lego off as a viable film universe. I’m Noctina Noir, and I’m one Nox of a Nobody.

#lego movie 2 #lego move 2 review #noctina noir

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entamewitchlulu · 6 years

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Homura’s Flash Reviews: Spring Season Open 2018

Okay so the spring season started a long ass time ago, but it took me a bit to get caught up! Here are the anime I started for this season and what I thought about them/if I plan to continue watching them this season! (not including anything I already watched the first cour for, so I won’t talk anymore about Clear Card here for example. My list is once again based on what TFS is watching for the spring season of Anime FMK, plus one or two things that i just personally wanted to watch.

this ended up being really long and i hate cluttering dashes so it’s going under a cut

lostorage conflated WIXOSS

The fourth season of WIXOSS, conflated follows the quest of Kiyoi, a former LRIG desperate to atone for her sins by bringing a final end to the curse of the Selector battles. To achieve this, she approaches multiple former Selectors for their help, even as a darker force brings about the battles once again, with a far more determined focus.

Okay, this is absolutely already the BEST WIXOSS ever. Kiyoi is an amazing protagonist, and I am such a fucking sucker for shows that bring back the old characters. I screamed when I saw Ruko appear in the trailers. The LRIG designs and the animation are up a notch even from incited, and I’m so so so excited to see where this rollercoaster ride takes us, especially since it feels like this could very well be the conclusion of the WIXOSS anime universe.

verdict: I absolutely intend to finish this one and enjoy it every step of the way!!

Comic Girls

Kaos, a young, brand new mangaka, has been struggling to come up with a storyboard that her editor will accept. To help her improve her skills, her editor suggests she move into a dedicated dorm for fellow young mangaka, so that she can learn from them and her experiences.

Okay this is 100% anime bullshit, but it’s pretty tame in comparison to others and honestly...it’s just a fun time, okay? I’m not gonna act like I didn’t enjoy it. It was hilarious, the art jokes are relatable as fuck, and yes, okay, i love the cutesy art style. Meeting all the characters and watching them make different kinds of manga together is adorable and fun and it’s just a lighthearted, funny show. It reminds me a HECK of a lot of Sunshine Sketch, one of my absolute favorite 4koma, and since that anime adaptation disappointed the heck out of me, this anime is a good substitute!��

verdict: I’m gonna keep up with this one as long as I keep laughing!

Wotakoi: Love Is Hard For Otaku

Narumi had to leave her last job after her ex found out she was an otaku, and now that she’s starting a new job, she’s determined to keep her secret forever--that is, until she finds out her childhood otaku friend works at the same company, and the two of the suddenly begin dating.

This one is fucking hilarious holy shit, and I can’t believe how many real world references to real brands they can make without having to bleep them out. It’s a little slow in places, but absolutely I’m gonna keep up with this one just because god i need some relatable gag anime sometimes ya know

verdict: gonna keep watching!

Space Battleship Tiramisu

Subaru is Tiramisu’s ace pilot in the great space wars but he’s actually just a fucking nerd who wants to sit in his cockpit all the time

wow okay there’s a lot of gag anime on this list, this one has only 7 minute long episodes which is a blessing because in the end even that was too long. the jokes were only funny in the first episode and by the third episode with the fucking sexualization and sexism i was just bored out of my fucking skull.

verdict: i’m already dropping it lol

Gegege no Kitaro (2018)

When people start turning into trees in the middle of Shibuya, Mana Inuyama assists a neighborhood friend in sending a letter to Gegege no Kitaro, a yokai who helps humans defend themselves from other yokai. Though she doesn’t believe in yokai herself, Kitaro soon appears and introduces her to the mysterious and dangerous world of yokai.

Okay so apparently this is a HUGE franchise of like, YuYu Hakusho proportions, and this seems to be some kind of reboot. I had never heard of it in my life although Kitaro looks somewhat familiar, I might have seen him somewhere? Anyway, this is absolutely still not something I would haved picked up on my own and....it’s....good????? It’s really good??? The animation is incredible, the character designs are adorable, even the body horror elements are tame enough for me to handle, and I actually really love yokai stories so I’m really loving this take on Japanese myths and legends. The character interactions and plot honestly aren’t super in depth, but I don’t think it needs to be! It’s a sweet and cute little kid’s show and I even think the eyeball is cute lol.

verdict: definitely giving this one this season’s shot! Looks like it could be looong though so we’ll see how far I go haha

Lupin III: Part V

I guess it’s about the world’s greatest thief and stuff idk, this is a big franchise isn’t it?

I watched one episode and like it didn’t do anything super offensive, it just...bored me. Animation was good, I guess the characters were likable even though I’d never watched a Lupin III property before, but the episode felt like kind of a chore to get through tbh. Not to mention I’m kinda bored of the whole...rogueish flirt and all the girls are super sexual and shit. Like I’m queer and I don’t really mind seeing boobs sometimes, but when it’s clearly made just for the rogueish flirt and thus the male audience to enjoy, i get bored. the femme fatale thing in old detective-like shows is just not my thing. I probably would like it more if i had actually seen previous Lupin shows.

verdict: I have enough to watch already so I’m just dropping it now

Hinamatsuri

A successful yakuza’s life goes haywire when a strange metal cocoon containing a small girl appears in his apartment, and he finds that the girl, Hina, is actually a powerful psychic. Somehow, the girl ends up living with him and he ends up becoming a dad.

This show is so fucking cute oh my GOD. It’s hilarious, the timing is great, the animation is so adorable and well done, Hina is a cutie and I want to adopt her, and I’m such a sucker for dudes who accidentally adopt children. His relationship with Hina is so cute and there’s absolutely no weird anime shit going on between them, they’re just a dad and daughter in the most unlikely family unit ever and I love it.

verdict: this is the first one since WIXOSS on this list that I’ve been super hyped for so hell yes I’m finishing this one

Golden Kamuy

A former soldier from the Russo-Japanese war, “Immortal” Sugimoto is desperate to find some cash to fulfill a last wish for a friend he lost during the war. When he stumbles across a conspiracy hiding a large amount of gold in the tattoos of several dozen prisoners, he and an Ainu girl Asirpa work together to retrieve the stolen Ainu gold in the harsh Hokkaido wilderness.

I did not expect to enjoy this one as much as I did so far, and it’s really, really interesting. For starters, the front and center of the Ainu culture is super interesting, something that, to my knowledge, little to no other anime have ever represented. The relationship between Sugimoto and Asirpa is lovely and they’re always treated as being on even footing, and I love hearing Asirpa explain and share her culture with Sugimoto, like their food and hunting techniques. The overarching story has yet to really hit full force, but that’s okay because these characters are charming as all get out and I’m loving the exchanges between them. I am a little bit squeamish over some of the blood and guts that show up, but none of it is unrealistically gory, so I can handle it.

verdict: at this point definitely going to watch this one through to the end!

Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These

basically it’s star wars i really don’t know what the plot is besides that, there’s some L/Light dynamic between two of the commanders but other than that it’s star wars

I think this is also a remake of some kind, seems like there’s a lot of remakes on my list this season. well, 3 episodes in and i’m not sure how i feel about this; i think the space battles are cool and i like tactics and shit, but idk, not really feeling much for the characters atm.

verdict: I think I’ll continue for the time being, but i’ll drop it soon if it doesn’t engage me more within a couple episodes

Megalo Box

I want to make a serious plot summary but it’s so much faster and funnier to just say that it’s 5Ds the Boxing AU, because that is exactly what it is

Anyway idk I don’t love it, i’m not a fan of the muted color palettes and the shonen must-get-stronger-to-punch-and-have-thrill-of-fight thing isn’t always my speed, and also there’s exactly (1) female character which does not endear me to it, but idk i guess there’s something engaging about it. kinda slow and i just wanna see some more punchiness, there’s a lot of training and technical shiz going on atm.

verdict: I’ll give it a few more episodes but I’m not committed to this one

#homura reviews #lostorage conflated wixoss #comic girls #love is hard for otaku #space battleship tiramisu #gegege no kitaro #lupin the iii part v #hinamatsuri #golden kamuy #legend of the galactic heroes: die neue these #megalo box #oh god finally i've gotten through my list

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fadeoftheinternet · 6 years

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Fall Out Boy Mania, 1 Listen Review

Guys, I’m not gonna lie, I was a little worried about Fall Out Boy after Champion came out last year. I didn’t think the album was sounding as good as it could be. When they announced it was being pushed back to make a better product, it was as though my heart could beat again. I’ve heard the singles and was a little bummed when the album was only 10 songs. That’s short and to the point without a lot of room for error. So how did they do?

Below is my Mania 1 listen Review!

Young and Menace. I understand why it’s so divisive in the fanbase, but I freaking LOVE THIS SONG. It’s a jam. Patrick Stump definitely is beginning the album with the same opening pomp as the last two fall out boy offerings. As an opener, it makes total sense. The placement gives you the feeling that this album is going to be a journey. For a song that’s nearly a year old, it sounds fresh. It’s not dated even though it probably should be. The Patrifications during the last minute of the song sound even better with the context that this is a palette cleansing album while also giving you vintage fall out boy. Plus, I love Andy’s drums!

Next up is Champion. Now, those of you who heard my first reaction know that I wasn’t a really big fan of Champion when it first came out. I felt like it was an easy ESPN pick up. I understand it’s place. It sounds natural coming after YAM. It keeps the energy. I still love the champion for the people who don’t believe in champions line. I can’t listen to the song without imagining it being retroactively added to a Rocky montage. Sylvester Stallone, this is the Balboa anthem you’ve been waiting for. For all you gym junkies and those that are just trying to reach 30 steps without breaking into a sweat, Champion is for you

Third song and first non single. Stay Frosty Royal Milk Tea. Now that’s a title. I was like, am I missing something? Is this like a Sugar Honey Iced Tea situation? I was like SFRMT doesn’t mean anything. Oh well, lemme listen to the song. WHOA!!! I wasn’t ready for that intro. Holy crap. Early favorite. The vocals sound like Brendon Urie was in the studio and Patrick was trying to show him who’s boss. ARE YOU SMELLIN THE ——. Okay this chorus meant to be screamed by fresh faced teenagers who still believe in emo. “ALL MY CHILDHOOD HEROES HAVE FALLEN OFF OR DIED!” GFD PETE YOU KILLT EM THAT’S A DISS TRACK. This nigga Pat is singing in French. oh shoot. This song feels like, OH SHOOT BREAKDOWN, it feels like what I imagine elevator music on Planet Cybertron sounds like. Man, don’t let Michael Bay hear this song or it’ll be in the next ill fated Transformers movie. Dang, freaking jam.

Hold Me Tight or Don’t. OK. By far my favorite of the music videos released. Oh wait, Wilson is dope AF though. I like the bounce to this album. Initial reactions are I was right about this album sounding like Infinity on High mixed with ABAP. OF YOUUUUUU OF YOUUUUU. Dang, thats a freaking chorus. I imagine white girls everywhere singing to their friends, heads bobbing side to side, “Hold me tight….or don’t.” Yeah this song feels like the one that made the label believe again. BUT WE ALWAYS BELIEVED BECAUSE BELIEVERS NEVER DIE! Dang I took too many hits off this memory is a bar. Pete you haven’t lost your pen game. Nigga out here penning Drake songs nowadays. This song is anthemic. These dudes just know how to craft a sing a long. PATRICK IS THERE NO NOTE OUTSIDE OF YOUR RANGE GFD DUDE. Andy, you are a star with the drums, but let me not sleep on Joe’s guitar work. This song has you singing the chorus before you’re even done with the first listen. Definition of an ear worm. I imagine this is going to be a bonus song on Pixar’s Coco

Halfway through and FOB drops my favorite of the pre album singles. This song makes me feel like I’m driving in Las Vegas with college friends and making memories we’ll look back on. Dang. Windows are definitely down. That bass. Pete’s not just a writer, he’s got the groove on this song. CAUSE YOU’RE THE LAST OF A DYING BREED I WONDER IF YOUR THERAPIST KNOWS EVERYTHING ABOUT ME. Oh man, is this a love song in the most FOB kind of way? Don’t let anyone tell them they don’t use real instruments anymore. I am a collapsing star with tunnel vision, but only for you. What does that even mean? No one knows what it means but it’s provocative. Patrick, you can’t expect to be singing all of these live right? Like your voice will be shot. That guitar riff has me like, “nananananaaaaa” The bridges on this album have me like, “ooh issa bop.” I can’t even sing a long to fall out boy songs anymore. I just gotta shut up and hear Pat wail.

Wilson. Okay, have ya’ll seen the video? It’s great. such a meme. now honestly, i hate the way that this song begins. I just hate the vocal melody. But after the second talkin about i’m all in. This song was meant to be put in a California Hot Topic, you know the kind where it’s all emo but everyone is West Coast beautiful? That darker color line is going to be some angsty teen’s senior quote. Do people still need to find someone to teach them how to Dougie? Because this song has that level of groove to it. It’s the same type of style as like an America’s Suitehearts, in the sense of a dense chorus with a great rock to it. Man, after this album, i gotta say, it might be time to bust out the black eyeliner again. Man, i gotta find my skiniest jeans and shrink them again. This album, upon the first 6 songs, is better than ABAP. Wow. HITS. And then the ending is gorgeous

Church. TAKE ME TO CHURCH MAKE ME CATCH THAT HOLY GHOST. They got the organs. Ooh is this a love song? WHOA OKAY PAT. Okay, this song is big but probably my least favorite of the ones so far, however that may be due to the familiarity i have with the previous 6. Just not a lot of lyrical change. But this is Patrick pushing his voice to it’s limits. Okay the second half isbetter OH MY FREAKING GOSH THE INSTURMENTS JUST WENT OUT AND PATRICK SNAPPED AND SINGLE HANDEDLY SAVED THIS SONG I WILL COME BACK TO THIS SONG WOW. PATRIFICATION CONFIRMED THE FALL OUT BOY MACHINE AIN’T BROKE IF YOU WERE CHURCH I’D GET ON MY KNEES CONFIRMED

Heaven’s Gate? Hmm….they must have ran into some of them LDS missionaries. Ooh we got ourselves a what a catch slow jams patrick soul song. have ya’ll seen the meme of the woman jammin? imagine Leslie Knope jamming at a black church. That describes how i feel about this song. This song could have been on the end of a SUPER strong episode of One Tree Hill. Like it’s a coda where a bunch of stuff happens. I like the guitar pan to the right ear. It’s good. I’m not really sure what pat is singing, but I am enjoying it. Patrick sings like a baptist confirmed. PATRICK WHAT DO YOU NEED LET ME GIVE YOU THE BOOST. Oh man, is this a choir coming??? Oh yes, ya’ll are going to be listening to Heaven’s Gate for a while. This is the one that is gonna get you through hard days in the future. This is a song to save someone’s life.

Sunshine Riptide (feat. Burna Boy). Rap feature? Maybe? Lol the opening line made me laugh. Nigga hit a missy elliot. you’ll get it. There’s a lot of things going on auditory wise. Okay, this song was made during the same time as Hold Me Tight or Don’t. Actually it also gives me the same vibes as Champion too? Whoa, it’s a rasta feature. Oh man, YA’LL NEED TO GET CHANCE THE RAPPER ON THE REMIX GOOD GOD THAT FEATURE JUST PUT ME IN THAT MOOD I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD SAY THAT OH SHOOT, THESE NIGGAS TRY BE FALL OUT THE BOYS. I’m a fan of this one. Ya’ll tryna get a nigga to find his XD emoticons and band tees for the last warped tour. Too bad all the singles have been released because this song feels like it’s begging to be put on a CW show like 90210 or Arrow trailer. HIT.

Bishops Knife Trick. Okay Fetzer, what you got for us? It’s the final song and I feel like I’ve been on a nonstop ride the whole time. Soulful pat? Wasn’t ready for it. It’s also the longest song on the album, clocking in at 4:23. This song sounds like, I can’t believe I’m gonna say what i’m gonna say, it sounds like the album that would have been made in between IOH and SRAR if the others didn’t exist. It’s like both. You won’t get it until you hear it. This is a thoughtful song. I need to listen to the album again with the lyrics so i can appreciate this song more. Patrick’s voice is an instrument. He’s not a singer in the conventional sense. Sometimes his words don’t sound like words. Dang, don’t let this album end. Don’t let it end. Don’t let it end. The last song flows into Young and Menace. Wow, ya’ll did you fast. Fall out boy, is the knife trick ya’ll revitalizing your sound and your fanbase? Because you most certainly have.

8/10 album. Church was the weakest song on the album, Heaven’s gate was the most meaningful and arguably the strongest

#fall out boy #mania #album review #m a n i a #FOB #believers never die #young and menace #champion #stay frosty royal milk tea #hold me tight or don't #the last of the real ones #wilson #expensive mistakes #church #heaven's gate #sunshine riptide #bishops knife trick

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wimpyrusherwizard · 7 years

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“Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul” - My review

(***WARNING!!! May contain positive opinions!!!!)

I walked into this movie feeling two separate emotions: 1) I was prepared to despise it and whatever downgrade that came along with it. And 2) I still wanted to approach this with as much of an open mind as I could and give it a chance. Apart from the recasting controversy, the surge of downvotes on the film’s trailers on YouTube that surely make A Christmas Story 2 blush (yes, that actually exists), and the scathing reviews it has received on Rotten Tomatoes, you must ask yourself a few questions…does it really warrant the critical thrashing it’s being given? Does it deserve to be shunned away from the rest of the franchise? Is it worth my time just to check it out and see what all the hate is about? Is this just a shameless cash grab to make a quick buck for Fox? Well, let’s dive in and find the answers to these harrowing questions, shall we?

This latest installment in the Wimpy Kid films follows protagonist Greg Heffley (now portrayed by Jason Drucker) and his family getting ready to embark on a family road trip for his grandmother’s 90th birthday. But after a ballpit mishap forever brands Greg as an internet meme known as “Diaper Hands”, our hero decides to use this family trip to his advantage. His plan is to reroute the van GPS to a video game convention so he can meet his favorite YouTuber, an obnoxious, catchphrase-spewing gamer named Mac Digby, and appear in his next video with the hopes that everyone will eventually forget the “Diaper Hands” incident. As the Heffleys hit the road, numerous hijinks ensue, including: another vacationing family with a crazy bearded patriarch who has it out for Greg, faulty car engines, dive-bombing pigeons who have an insatiable hunger for Cheese Puffs, disgusting roach motels, a technology ban that the mother Susan (now played by Alicia Silverstone) reinforces with an iron fist, a baby pig, and several other road movie inconveniences.

Seeing as how multiple DOAWK fans, or at least the ones I’ve come across in my life, can attest to the fact that The Long Haul is one of the weaker books in the series, the fact that they chose to adapt this book for the screen was baffling at best. To pad out the runtime, the screenwriters (one of the them being Jeff Kinney himself) borrow elements from the other books to make everything balance out and have a “cohesive narrative”. For me, the better part of the movie is the last half because that’s where the story gets you hooked and it keeps your interest in just what will happen to these characters on the rest of their journey. It’s the only portion of the film where they feel like they’re a real family and it delivers some heartwarming moments that actually got an “awwww” out of me! The first half is more plodding and meandering, confused on whether or not it should give the characters something funny to say or do and is where a solid chunk of the expected gross-out humor and groaner jokes are, playing out like a Disney Channel recut of the 2015 Vacation reboot/sequel. Be warned, easily disgusted…there’s a barf scene that will literally make you thank the sweet lord that this DOAWK movie was not released in 3D. That doesn’t mean there are ZERO laughs to be found. The comedy is present but is executed awkwardly at times, isn’t exactly up to par with the original movies, and is more scattered and sporadic. You just have to really keep focused to find the particularly humorous moments. Plus, four words: Psycho shower scene homage.

While many fans will disagree, the replacement cast doesn’t really bother me as much as I thought they would (except for a certain rock music-loving older brother in the family but we’ll get to him in a minute). Jason Drucker is aware he’s got some pretty big shoes to fill in taking over the role of Greg but you have to give this kid credit where credit is due. He’s got a bit of a young Zachary Gordon flair reminiscent of Greg in the first DOAWK movie but still manages to make this interpretation of the character something all his own. As for the parents, they aren’t too bad, either. They’re no Rachael Harris and Steve Zahn, but their acting abilities appear to be on both ends of the spectrum. Tom Everett Scott, playing dad Frank Heffley, looks slightly ashamed to be a part of the project but he toughs it out the best he can like a champ, and Alicia Silverstone on the other hand seems like she genuinely had a blast on the set and just enjoyed every second of being there. Bottom line, the brand new cast DOES pale in comparison to the original but they’re decent replacements and don’t half-ass their performances on screen. They were a pleasant surprise.

But then you got Rodrick, played by Charlie Wright. After the trailers were first released, the recasting of Rodrick was what pushed Wimpy Kid fans over the edge. “#NotMyRodrick” was a hashtag that blew up all over social media, resulting in countless upon countless internet memes and edits. I will admit, a lot of those memes are really hilarious. But one would put themselves in denial and figure, “Maybe they’re saving all the funny Rodrick scenes for when the movie comes out but now we’re just saddled with the unfunny material”. But putting the controversy aside, does Charlie Wright do the character any justice? Um…they got that Rodrick is in a band called Löded Diper and likes rock music. That’s really about it. Now, in the books and movies, he obviously isn’t the brightest bulb in the tanning bed but he was still fun. Devon Bostick was clearly going to be a tough act to follow because he brought likability to a character we’re supposed to hate. Plus, he was the original emo dreamboat in many a pre-teen/teen girl’s eye. Wright, however, either over exaggerates his lines or is way too laid back. And even then, he doesn’t really seem to take the role all that seriously and is basically winging it. Out of everyone in the film, they wrote him the laziest by dumbing him down to Patrick Star levels (oh yeah...PATRICK STAR LEVELS!!!) He confuses a hotel safe for a microwave *insert immediate facepalm here*, he literally has the line “We’ve got a pet pig, now that means we’ll get bacon every morning” *insert double facepalm*, eats nine sticks of deep-fried butter only to go on a ride at the country fair and declare “I could totally go for another stick of butter” after PUKING IT ALL UP on said ride, and plenty more but if i list everything, we’ll be here all night. The only “A” for effort he gets is for a freak-out scene near the end of the film and it’s one of the few parts that got me to laugh but I dare not give it away here!

I’m decidedly half-and-half so far, but what are the other elements of The Long Haul that need no nitpicking? The music score and the soundtrack are a lot of fun, the color palette and atmosphere pops off the screen and you feel like you’ve been transported back into the world of Greg Heffley again, and the final scene does get your heart in bizarrely sweet way. I don’t know, maybe I’m just a sucker for that kind of stuff.

My overall thoughts in general?

PROS: Most of the cast is alright, Jason Drucker is a passable Greg Heffley (I think Zachary Gordon would be very proud of him), the soundtrack, the last half is better than the first half because of its heart, only three laugh-out-loud scenes, and its aesthetic certainly feels like a DOAWK film.

CONS: Majority of the comedy comes off as confused and unsure, Charlie Wright as Rodrick (seriously, man, what did they do to your character?), the gross-out humor is too much, most of the jokes fall flat, the first half could’ve been written better, and it somehow feels much longer than the past films but yet it has the shortest runtime out of them all (90 minutes).

FINAL THOUGHTS: I can most definitely understand why critics are tearing this movie apart and why fans would do the same, too. Personally, I’m glad I at least sat down and gave The Long Haul a chance. Is it as great as the original movies? No. But for what it is, it could’ve been waaay worse! Would this have fared better by going direct-to-DVD, done as an animated special for Cartoon Network, or as a Netflix Original Movie rather than be released theatrically? Yes. Is it the trainwreck we all anticipated it’d be? Not really. It’s bad but not horrendous. Am I gonna watch it multiple times like I have with the past films? Nah, one viewing is good enough for me. While it is an unnecessary installment, The Long Haul is harmless and if you watch it only to find yourself loving it, then that’s awesome; it doesn’t make you an idiot or a bad person. It means that at the very least, you were able to find more to love in it than I could. So, if I had to give this a letter grade, let’s make it a “C” or “C-”.

#diary of a wimpy kid #doawk #the long haul #greg heffley #review #me #mine #rodrick heffley #jeff kinney #susan heffley #frank heffley #manny heffley #rowley jefferson #don't hate me everybody #i wanted to give this movie a proper review #dog days #rodrick rules #movie review

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movieiwatchedtonight · 7 years

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Monthly Movie Recap: May 2017

Monthly Movie Recap: May 2017 It was one of those months that it was nearly over before I realized that I hadn't seen any movies yet! I did see Guardians of the Galaxy on opening night with Amy, but then I didn't see another movie till my group of friends and I saw Everything, Everything for my birthday. Then with my parents the next night I saw Baywatch. So only three this month but between both my brother and I's birthdays,finals, graduation, and starting my new job that's not too bad. Guardians was by far my favorite, then Baywatch, and least was Everything, Everything. Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 2:

Now I remembered little to none of the first movie, I think I only saw it full out once but I didn’t really need to to understand what was going on here. Side story; but the only time I’ve seen the first movie was in Disneyland back in 2014 before it was officially released in this really cool 4D theater. Also let’s keep in mind that I’m a casual comic book movie fan so I’m not really basing my opinions on anything other than my enjoyment.

I was able to see it twice. I went to a preview screening that my local theater does (and brought my best friend Amy as well) on the Thursday before it came out and then again on Sunday in a old small town theater in Jacksonville. (Completely unrelated but one theater showed the Thor trailer and one did not)

The first time I really was just paying attention to the story and just enjoying it (which I did) and the second time I actually took notes. Here’s some of the general notes about the movie that I wrote down from my second viewing:

- There’s a new intro where it shows movie characters rather than flipping through comic book pages. Not sure which one I like better, though I don’t mind the new one

- I love the opening scene. Am I biased because I’m from Missouri and I love the 80s? Maybe

- Also James Gunn is from Missouri; St.Louis more specifically so I love it. Fun fact Sean Gunn went to SLUH for high school

- An odd thing to love but I love all the colors, especially at the end (more on this later)

- Is Awesome Mixtape Vol.2 actually awesome? Yes. I personally prefers over Vol. 1

- Hey the dad from Sky High is here too

- Baby Groot needs a car seat

- Some lines were predictable but that’s every movie. One I really didn’t care for was when Ego tells Peter he’s just like everyone else and Peter says “what’s so wrong with that?”

- Also thought that sometimes jokes weren’t needed, a moment can just be a moment

- “Spacesuits for emergencies, or for fun”

- Ego’s planet was so pretty ( why does it remind me of the emerald city?) but was there really a need for a museum type show about why and how he formed the planet

- Kicking and messing with Baby Groot? Not okay

- Baby Groot dancing to basically the whole song Mr.Blue Sky while everyone else is fighting a giant space monster? Very okay (and so adorable!)

- Okay but like we kind of knew Ego was the bad guy the whole time, right?

- “You’re like Mary Poppins!” “Is he cool?” “Yeah he’s cool” “I’m Mary Poppins!!”

- Didn’t mind that they used The Chain twice because I love that song but we could have fit Fox on The Run in there somewhere

- I agree, Baby Groot is too adorable to kill

- I don’t know what Cheers is either Gamora, but if I did I’m sure it would have been a cool reference

- “I thought Yondu was your father.” Turns out he was

- Why do I love Sean Gunn’s character so much? I’m not even really sure I know who he is or what his purpose was besides getting the ship ready but I loved him. Especially when he asks Nebula what she’s going to do with her cut of the money (units?) and she tells him about wanting to kill her sister and buy a bunch of weapons and he’s just like “I meant like a pretty necklace, or a hat, something the girls would aw at”

- “They killed all my friends"😭

- Yondu’s arrow is so cool, Hawkeye should get himself one of those.

- Baby Groot getting crushed by rocks (?) and has no idea what else to do so he just starts crying, that broke my heart

- Cute little space family

- Screw Ego for putting the tumor in Meredith’s brain. I hate him

- Ok but Peter building Pac-Man was so cool

- “I’m going to make some weird shit!”

- I wish I knew what was so important about the batteries that the gold girl kept trying to kill them for stealing them

- The gold people’s little remote controls spaceships had arcade sounds and I loved it

- So many credit scenes that were about the movie (the Peter and Groot scene was my favorite)

- Also when Rocket, Baby Groot, Yondu and Kraglin were jumping through all the worlds (the part where Stan Lee has him cameo) I thought it would have been cool to like flash Asgard, just an idea

- I’m a sucker for friends choosing to become a family

- So did Peter lose his immortality and God qualities when they killed Ego? Or not?

- The scene where Ego and Peter are playing catch is emotionally manipulative

- I’m also a sucker for power group shots and there’s a good amount of them, enough to make me happy

- Baby Groot trying to get the fin but he keeps coming back with different things was so cute. Brings back a desk; “we told you it was this big!”

- My favorite arrow scene was when it hit the lights out and then killed all those people and all you could see was the trail of red glow

Now back to what I said earlier about colors. I have a personal theory, that at least for me, bright colors matter. I mean I often find myself re watching movies like The Avengers or Captain America: Civil War (which isn’t overly colorful but is bright) but not movies like Captain America: The Winter Soldier or like Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice because they’re just dark. Like literally have a dark color palette. I don’t know if that makes any sense but this movie was full of colors and it was beautiful.

This may be a movie series where I prefer the second one over the first. They’re both good but I really like Vol. 2. I love the music in it so much, defiantly more than the first movie.This is definitely worth seeing in theaters and not waiting till it comes out later. Also wish I would have seen it in 3D because there’s a couple scenes that I bet look amazing in 3D! Especially the funeral scene, I bet that’s awesome in 3D! With all the colors and pretty lights.

Watch again: YES I will for sure see it again in theaters, hopefully 3D, and this will be a movie I preorder the DVD

Watch the sequel?: it’s a marvel movie, so of course, I’ll watch Vol. 3 as well as anything else remotely related to this movie

Baywatch: I thought this movie was alright. I definitely laughed and thought some parts were funny and I wouldn't go out of my way to not recommend it to someone. It's not going to be a summer favorite or anything but who doesn't love Zac Effron? I think my favorite part was definitely the High School Musical reference and just the whole name thing was funny to me and my parents. I didn't not enjoy this movie, it had me laughing a decent amount but I know it's not going to be like a classic comedy for me or anything like that. It’s a typical good summer comedy. I'll probably watch it again and most likely will get it on DVD but I don't think I'll go see it in theaters again.

Watch again: Yeah, I would watch this movie again but I don’t think I ever seek after it or get a craving to watch it again.

Watch the sequel?: Yeah, again I think I would. I enjoyed the first one enough to watch the second one, should one be made. Everything, Everything: I was not a fan of this movie. I mean it's one of those movies you go into knowing it's going to be far fetched and ridiculous but I just couldn't get on board with this movie. I went with about six friends to see it, Amy and I sat next to each other and just ripped the movie apart. I mean we made fun of everything, she described us as the old guys from the muppets (Statler and Waldorf). The movie wasn't as bad as we made it out to be, but I still didn't really like it. I knew it would be out there but like it was so out there. Now I never read the book, I do own it, and it's in my personal library, but I haven't had the chance to read it yet so I can't say how accurate it was to the book. I did like something's about it, I like the little twist where Maddy discovers that she was never really sick, and I liked the actor who played Olly (Nick Robinson) I thought he was pretty good. I also really loved the scene where he taped all the pictures of the ocean on her window and said something along the lines of “Every ocean deserves to be seen by you” that was really cute and I do really love that moment from the movie. I did also like how the movie made me think differently, like how we as people put so must trust into the people we love because we love them, we just believe everything they say is the truth because so far they haven’t proven us otherwise. That’s kind of scary, like to think that we just trust the people we love so easily, and we really could have no idea what's actually true and what isn’t. So in summary, I didn’t love the movie, but I liked how it got me thinking deeper.

Watch again?: Not on my own, no. The only way I see myself watching this movie again is if I’m with a group of people who want to.

Overall: May was a bus month and I didn’t see as many movies as I would have liked to, but with it now being summer vacation, I should be able to catch up for what I missed in May in June. I love that I got to see Guardians on opening night, that was really cool and a great way to start the summer movie season.

Next Month: June is a jam packed month for movies. So excited for Wonder Woman!! Also I feel like I might be alone in this, but I’m actually really excited for Baby Driver as well! As for kids movies, I’m actually going to Disney World the week Cars 3 is released so I plan on seeing it down in Orlando and Despicable Me is one of Amy’s favorite movies so we’ll go see the third on for sure. I will 100% be skipping out on 47 Meters Down, no thank you. Book of Henry has my interest because I’m slightly confused by it. Basically June is the hot spot for summer movies and with my theater having 5$ Tuesdays and 5$ student Thursdays, I hope to see as many as I can

#2017 #monthly movie recap #may 2017

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todokori-kun · 7 years

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(aww don’t worry, that’s totally fine!

And oh no, I’m so sorry you had a hard time ;-; I babysit a LOT (I do it basically every day since I don’t have any studying to do right now…I go out to take a walk with my little sister and all her friends flock to me like “EVANS we’re playing tag and you gotta be it, please?” like how can you resist those eyes omg. Maybe I’m just too soft?) so I know what it’s like…

tbh my little sister is an ok kid- she’s nicer than a lot of kids I know (probably because my mom is super strict when it comes to manners and being kind/polite to others) and is super adorable at times. But, like everyone else, she has her bratty moments XD She has a bad habit of sulking sometimes over little things and then she just starts whining in a way that completely drains anyone who has to listen to her. She also refuses to compromise when she’s sulking so. Yeah. Really frustrating LOL

(is chewing with your mouth open rude in Croatia too? This might sound gross to you then but it’s totally fine in Korea so most people do it that way lol)

Anyway,I hope you’re ok now Queen *hugs*)

Yeah, I might.

My parents actually bought the books for me because they were interested in reading the series too, but idk.

I recently realized that FMA has a lot of Rising Sun Flag designs in it, and that’s considered offensive over here (probably in China too) because it’s associated with Japanese Imperialism (which was pretty ugly). Not sure why it was used in FMA because FMA seems to be all against war and violence, but I guess the artist, like most Japanese people, just doesn’t know what the Rising Sun Flag is associated with in other countries…

I talked about my mom with it and she’s fine with me reading FMA as long as I know what I’m doing, but I don’t think she’ll really want to read it herself anymore.

Ok that looks horrible for my feelings. I love it. I’ll have to find a way to watch that over here! :D

I think one of the problems is that sometimes writers are so desperate to make ‘strong’, ‘likable’ characters that they overdo it…

Yep, Killua is the cutie with the fluffy white hair! :) He’s not my favorite out of the main four (that’s either Gon or Leorio), but he’s pretty good. Killua is the youngest, most talented Zoldyck kid who’s probably going to be chosen as the heir once his parents die, but he doesn’t want to. The thing that makes Killua different from Illumi and his other siblings is that he hates his training and really doesn’t want to grow up to be an assassin, and that’s why he ran away from home at the start of the series.

(then of course his mother sent Illumi to pick him up, and Illumi’s all like “Why did you run away from home?“ then it’s basically

Kilua: “Because I didn’t want to stay and I have other stuff I want to do. Like, hopes and dreams, things I want to achieve in life, you know?”

Illumi: …

Illumi “lol what hopes and dreams you’re a murderer Killua. A bloodthirsty killer just like the rest of us. no rainbows and unicorns for you”

Killua: “That’s not true! I have friends now, friends who I actually enjoy spending time with! People who are NICE to me!”

Illumi: “*sigh* this is why we can’t have nice things, dearest brother…these ‘friends’ are the reason you won’t come back home, right? So if I just go and kill them, problem solved! :)”)

…that sounds really accurate.

(also wow are we actually making Kimblee/Evans headcanons. WHEN did this become a thing.)

the smol pokemon (I think it’s called Meowth? Also from what I remember it’s evil) would probably be Envy or Pride lol

Moblit has been put out of his suffering by Isayama though ;-;

Yep, Idk what would happen to the fandom if Armin actually kicked the bucket (gotta stop talking about that we might jinx it 0.0).

Naomi would really disown him then LOL

Ah, tysm queen <333 I do try to keep a color palette in in mind but it’s hard to stick to just one so I just look for pics with similar tones or colors that go well together (like the Tatsuo aesthetic is a bit all over the place but because they’re mostly 'cooler’ shades I don’t think it looks that bad? XD).

(the wine gave it away, right? lol)

Were the aesthetics still ok-ish, though? ;-;

IT’S AMAZING I’M SCREAMING TOO. FINALLY MORE LOKI. AND HELA. SHE LOOKS AMAZING (I love Cate Blanchett). ALSO HULK CAN APPARENTLY TALK NOW? That’s actually pretty cute…

(but more Thor with short hair, I mean the hairstyle does look good on him but I can’t stop seeing Chris Hemsworth instead of Thor ok. He feels like a different character now lol)

((I’m watching Iron Man 2 rn. Tony: It’s not about us, it’s about Legacy.

Legacy, what is a legacy? It’s planting seeds in a garden you never get to see.))

Aw, you’re so lucky with your sister! I’m the younger sis in my family, and I know I was a little shit, but I’m not anymore :))) I feel sorry for my big sis…

I can imagine Evans playing with little kids at the local heart… my heart is melting T^T Ahaha, everyone whines from time to time. Well, I guess it can be annoying if the person does it too much…

Well, it’s considered rude, but an embarrassingly big number of people do it. I’ve always been raised not to do it, so it’s become one of my biggest pet peeves. Oh dear… If I ever visit Korea, that’s gonna be a fun experience XD

I’m fine now, since he’s gone back to Zagreb, I’m gonna see him again in September. Plenty of time to recover XD

Oh wow! That’s pretty interesting. My parents know my hobby, but they stay far away from it… They did watch Spririted Away with me, though, so it’s something…

I didn’t know that… I mean, I knew about the rising flag thing, but I didn’t really notice the amount of it in the manga… I usually don’t pay attention to those things, though I think I read somewhere that, in the original manga, the original Greed was crucified. I’m not sure if it was changed for the translation or before the publication. In the anime and in the manga I’ve read, he was tied around that huge stone.

How much did she read? Is she upset by the rising sun? Well, it’s still nice that she tried to read it ^^

Is kissanime banned in Korea? Or do you just want to watch the series legally? Cause it’s definitely easier to watch it there. You’ll love Re:Zero, I wasn’t kidding when I said it’s an infinite loop of suffering. That’s the actual description oft the anime.

All this talk about HxH is making me wanna watch it, but it has more than 140 episodes and I’m really not the person for long anime (which is rich, considering I’ve watched all Fairy Tail episodes, and there’ like 277 of those. First and last time I watched something like that). I feel so sorry for Killua ;-; He seems like a cinnamon roll and cinnamon rolls never deserve treatment like that… Why can’t he be happy??

WHY IS ILLUMI SO MEAN TO HIS LITTLE BRO??? I MEAN, I GOT YOUR OTHER MESSAGE AND EVERYTHING IS EXPLAINED, BUT STILL

Tbh, it kinda makes sense to me for Illumi to be the most messed up one, since he’s the oldest and has been under their influence for the longest, not to mention parents tend to be hardest on their oldest kids, but still. Damn. Also, torturing anyone, let alone a 12yo is just. That show is seriously messed up.

It’s always fun making peoplexchatacter headcanons! I always enjoy writing them, especially if they make people happy (and aren’t necessarily matchups), and it’s even more fun for you, because you’re a cinnamon roll (90% of the time) and it’s so much fun writing about cinnamon rolls~

Ah, I see! Still, Chibi envy and pride sound quite! They’d probably cause so much problems for the two of you, but it would be awesome to see.

Right. I just remembered Moblit and the recent characters. Welp. I found a sentence on his wiki that describes me perfectly during the school year: “Much of the time, this left him in a state of near-panic(…)” Sounds like me.

Maybe we can try to double jinx it? Armin is definitely gonna die in the next chapter! (If he does, I’m smashing something XD)

Yep, it’s not bad ^^ But it’s always a tiny bit better if the colors are as similar as possible. The Olivier one was probably the best one yet, since it mostly sticks with blue-grey! So you’re improving quickly ^^ All of them are good, though! So don’t beat yourself up over it ^^ They’re your aesthetics and you’re free to make them however you want ^^

YEEEE I AM SO EXCITED!!! Omg, but I need to tell you about my dream that I had the night after watching the trailer. So my family is having some kind of Christmas gathering and I come downstairs to greet everyone and boom! There, on the couch, sitting next to my sister and explaining the process of making a movie, is Tom Hiddleston. Apparently, he was my really distant cousin?? Which made me really confused?? And I wanted to ask him a few questions about Ragnarok, but I was too damn shy, even though my sister had right about 0 problems talking to him, and I was quite jealous actually =3= According to my dream, they had to climb up some mountain by themselves to film it. It was McFreaking weird.

But still TT^TT HIS FABULOUS HAIR!! I’ll never get over it….

Iron Man 2 is on! Well, I’m not watching it anymore XD I’m not gonna see the last 30 mins, cause i’m switching the channel, since Sherlock (the TV show) begins shortly. I’ll probably watch the rest of Iron Man some other day ^^

Ah, also, I'm afraid I won't be able to answer for a week... unfortunately, I won't have access to a laptop, so =3= i could probably answer asks though ^^

#evans #submission

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furederiko · 7 years

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Here's the 3rd, but probably not the last Random News Digest for April...

X-Men Universe

Looks like 20th Century FOX has found its superhero niche, that's able to place the studio on a similar level to its more popular Marvel counterpart, Marvel Studios. And that is, the R-Rated department! Yes, following the success of "Deadpool", now "Logan" has secured its place as the fourth highest grossing R-rated movie of all time. So while the studio might not be able to catch up the financial and critical success in the PG-13 department, it's going strong in the older-oriented market with approximately $598 million cume. Currently finishing its seventh weekend run, the critically acclaimed "Logan" is only $13 million away from taking over Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" that's still sitting on the third place. There is a possibility that it might get dethroned, but with the Summer movies like "Fate of the Furious" entering the competition and massively snatching away public's attention, things are definitely not quite so certain anymore. I guess we'll have to wait and see how the movie performs this week, right?

Earlier today (my time region, so I believe it's... yesterday in the US?), Josh Brolin trolled actor Ryan Reynolds via social media, now that his involvement in "Deadpool 2" has been publicly confirmed. True to his character Cable, and his long tumultous history with Deadpool, Brolin's making fun of the movie's lead by calling him out with '#ryanreyondsismybitch'. Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige confirmed very recently, that his studio does NOT prohibit its actors from starring other superhero character in other studios. Particularly, in regards of Brolin's double roles. So I'm guessing Brolin gets to have the best of both worlds... or should I say universes. He's a major supervillain in Marvel Cinematic Universe, but a crucial superhero in the X-Men side at the same year. Could one actor get any privilege cooler than that? By the way, is that the photo of him preparing for prosthetics? After all, Cable is a character with both human and robotic body. Seriously, with how comically accurate "Deadpool" depicted Piotr Rasputin/Collosus, I can't help but wonder how authentic Brolin's Cable would look...

Marvel Studios

Let's get the biggest and most important news out of the way first. James Gunn is returning to write and direct "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3"! Revealing this huge information in advance, just ahead of the first US press junket and screening of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2", Gunn took to Facebook to express his heartwarming love and devotion to the franchise. Typical Gunn, to be honest, to not let himself be outdone by any journalists who would claim scoops and exclusives. Of course, this isn't actually surprising as much as a confirmation, because he HAD expressed interest to walk through the same cosmic road before this, albeit still in 'uncertain mode'.

If you ask me, this is a VERY wise choice, because that means we can expect the same style and tone moving forward to the 3rd and possibly final movie of the franchise. Why final? Gunn himself stated that the third movie "...will conclude the story of this iteration of the Guardians of the Galaxy, and help catapult both old and new Marvel characters into the next ten years and beyond. I will be working side-by-side with Kevin Feige and the gang to help design where these stories go, and make sure the future of the Marvel Cosmic Universe is as special and authentic and magical as what we have created so far.". Does this mean it will help kickstart MCU's Phase 4, along the lines of "Iron Man 3" and "Captain America: Civil War" for Phase 2 and Phase 3 respectively? It's certainly looking that way. I have a feeling, we're going to see the likes of future heroes like Nova, Quasar, Beta Ray Bill, or future cosmic villains like Michael Korvac and many others being set up in this movie. Just imagine the interesting possibilities, right? Considering we already have a "Spider-Man: Homecoming" sequel dated for 2019, highly likely "Vol. 3" will snatch the Summer 2020 slot. For this one, I'm even willing to bet on it!

Speaking of press junket, yes, the first screening of the movie has been held just yesterday (Monday night, April 17th, US time). While official reviews are still embargoed until April 24th, 2017 12:01 AM PST, members of the press are allowed to express their thoughts on the movie via social media. As for the results... should we even be surprised if most of them are positive? Here, I'll put them on a list: - Eric Eisenberg of Cinema Blend was super happy and called it as "great continuation of the heroes". - Mike Ryan of Uproxx thought the movie was "very fun", calling out Baby Groot for being the scene stealer, and confirmed that there are more than one post credit scene. Gunn later openly confirmed and corrected that there are 5 of them! WOW. They are mostly included for the sake of fun, and it sounded like the press were only given four since the final, fifth one is being reserved for opening date. Hence why many journalists were saying they didn't saw five. This clearly puts "Vol. 2" to have the most post-credit scenes of any MCU movie to date. - Steven Weintraub of Collider said that the movie "kept a smile on my face from beginning to end" while giving "Tons of surprises". Alongside fellow Collider's reviewer Haleigh Foutch, he agreed that it was "surprisingly emotional". - Though he still liked the first movie better, Germain Lussier of iO9 chimed in with the emotional sentiment, and declared this movie "Another Marvel winner". - /Film's Peter Sciretta thought it was funnier than the original, and agreed with the 'ton of surprises and emotion' notion. While fellow reviewer Angie Han boldly called it "MCU at its very best", as she pointed out the vast color palette. - Fandango's Erik Davis stated that the sequel is "like a water-color acid trip full of awesome", and that many will consider it as "their new favorite Marvel movie". - Brandon Davis of ComicBook.com said he seriously loved it, and wished "it was never going to end". - Jeff Sneider offered one of the negative response among all. He thought it wasn't as good as the first, and that the "VFX threaten to swallow the film". - Last but not least, Joshua Yehl of IGN and Mark Hughes of Forbes put the least amount of words to describe the movie.

Now hold on a minute there. Allow me to be the pessimistic one here! Despite those cheers, somehow I feel a little suspicious to the 'lack of words' from these critics. It's as if, they are holding back on something, so now I'm more curious than ever to read their full reviews instead. I just hope I'm merely being overly pessimistic, and that this movie is equal, if not better than the first. After all, it's common sense that a sequel would be directly compared to its first movie, and that could spell either greatness or disaster in the result. Case point, for every "Captain America: The Winter Soldier", there's a "Thor: The Dark World", or "Avengers: Age of Ultron". Head over to various Entertainment Sites (like The Hollywood Reporter, Collider, Cinema Blend, and others) to check out more of these social media reactions in digest format, and help assure your ownselves whether these meant a good sign or not. Also, as we wait for the movie's Red Carpet Hollywood premiere tomorrow at 9PM ET/ 6PM PT, you can stop by on Marvel's official Youtube channel to check out the movie's latest trailer, teasing the coming of "Vol. 2" to theatres in just two weeks from now. One thing for sure, the sequel is primed to be one of 2017's 'Summer Surefire Hit', so Marvel fans shouldn't miss it for the world.

Meanwhile, "Homecoming" is preparing itself in the final stages as well, as Michael Giacchino began working on the movie's score. Not long after, news surrounding Logan Marshall-Green's mysterious role started hitting the internet as well. Based on an anonymous source, MCU Exchange reported that Marshall-Green, possibly alongside Donald Glover and Michael Mando are set to portray the live action version of The Enforcers. In the comics, these guys were featured as some of Spider-Man's earliest foes, and they usually served as henchmen for other big named super villains. Considering "Homecoming" has an obvious strong nod to Stan Lee/Steve Ditko's original works, this shouldn't sound too surprising. Even if it's clear their backstory are being modernly retooled to become the crew of Michael Keaton's Adrian Toomes/Vulture. Something I don't think they have done before in the comics.

According to the site, Marshall-Green was wearing a name tag 'Brice' in one of the scene. This easily pointed his character towards the MCU version of Jackson 'Montana' Brice. Brice is also said to become one of the two Shockers in the movie, alongside Bokeem Woodbine's Herman Schultz. With that, they also speculated that Mando might be playing 'Fancy Dan' Brito, while Glover is possibly playing a version of Raymond 'Ox' Bloch. This character information might be inline with a rumor/report posted on 4Chan board (via Reddit). The whole content of this rumor, definitely sounds REALLY interesting, and should make any Marvel movie fans leap with joy due to what we can expect in the future. Although we all know that the source's credibility is questionable at best, it's fun to get excited nonetheless. Seriously, I'm NOT kidding. So if you don't mind a little spoiler and random geekish speculations, head over and read the thread yourself. Be cautious though, it might not be 100% true. Do it just for the sake of fun!

On top of all these news however, Marvel Studios made a surprise gesture as they held an actual Open House of their office at Burbank, California. Precisely two hours before the first screening to "Vol. 2"! They've invited members of the press for a meet and greet, allowing them to see what's currently in development and what's coming in the future. This is something the studio hasn't done before, and I certainly hope it won't be the last time either. In attendance were Studio President Kevin Feige, co-President Louis D'Esposito, directors Taika Waititi, Peyton Reed, and conceptual artist Andy Park, as they helped shed some lights on various topics. This ranged from behind the scene developments and out-takes, FX work-in-progress, important tidbits from upcoming movies, as well as an exclusive one hour Q&A roundtable with Kevin Feige.

For convenience sake, let's go through them with another set of list, shall we? - Ryan Coogler's "Black Panther" is set to wrap production in just a couple of days from now. D'Esposito showed an early sizzle reel that depicted scenes like: a casino fight, the coronation of one shirtless Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa, Danai Gurira's Okoye 'flirting' with Florence Kasumba's Ayo, car-flip stunt, Lupita Nyong'o's Nakia in action, and Andy Serkis' Ulysses Klau interacting with Martin Freeman's Everett K. Ross about a mixtape. According to Scott Mendelson of Forbes, he has heard before that the genre this movie will take on is akin to James Bond's globetrotting adventure. Looks like this footage might have implicitly confirmed such report. If that's the case, then Marvel Studios is scoring big time with "Black Panther". Not only the movie will be their first movie with a black lead, it's also the first James Bond-type action hero with one. Add to that, the likelihood of an LGBT nod between two female characters, this movie might end up carrying huge torch of importance for the MCU. - Reed and Park showcased their concept designs for "Ant-Man & the Wasp", offering all kinds of brilliant size-shifting action scenes. They also showed the new superpowered suits for both Paul Rudd's Scott Lang and Evangeline Lilly's Hope van Dyne. Yes, Lang will have a new suit, which will be necessary to the story. Reed named it the "3.0" suit. - Waititi revealed that his cameo in "Thor: Ragnarok" would be a mo-cap role, as he'll portray Korg, a character from the "Planet Hulk" comic book. The presence of Miek was also confirmed via footage that Waititi personally shown to the press. - On a separate place, concept art for Josh Brolin's Thanos in"Avengers: Infinity War" could be seen. Oddly, that's all there is for the movie. It's likely that things are being tightly wrapped for this production, to avoid giving early spoilers to the press. After all, the title of UNTITLED 2019's Avengers movie alone, might already be considered one. - Although not yet called official, a mockup costume of Brie Larson's Carol Danvers for "Captain Marvel" can be spotted on the studio. It seems to be taking cues from the comics, so fans can rest assured. For detailed description of this tentative Captain America-esque design, you can head over to Screen Rant. Also, the plan is for the movie to begin production in February 2018, as a female director might have already been selected to helm the movie. I guess we'll just have to wait for Marvel Studios to officially announce her to public. - In the Q&A, Feige stated his stance on R-rated superhero movies, and how Marvel Studios is unlikely to venture that route. He refused to comment on how Warner Bros is doing with their DC Extended Universe. But he himself admitted to be a fan of DC characters, so naturally he wishes them to do well. It's the kind of generous move I can only hope, someday could be replicated by those generally bullish folks at WB/DC, as impossible as that might seem. Feige even shared his enthusiasm and support for Joss Whedon's DC project, revealing that the former MCU consultant actually talked to their team about doing "Batgirl", waaay before the news went public! Now that's what I call respect... am I right? - Last but not least, Feige confirmed that Tom Holland's Peter Parker, will also appear in the currently UNTITLED 2019's Avengers movie. He said the deal with SONY has been extended until the already-announced sequel of "Homecoming" that's coming in 2019, but what happens afterwards remains in question for the time being. Oh, and that Marvel Studios does NOT have anything to do with any of the announced Spider-Man spin-offs (like "Venom" or "Black Cat & Silver Sable"). So obviously, those titles won't take place in the MCU. To those who are still wondering about that, there's your valid answer.

This event, as well as that report from 4Chan that I've mentioned earlier, will undeniably make any MCU fans happy. Of course, I actually don't need to remind you, but don't forget to book your tickets for "Vol. 2" that will arrive real soon. And this was just in several hours ago, but despite the existence of Disney D23, Marvel Studios is NOT skipping out San Diego Comic Con (SDCC) this Summer (held on July 20th to July 23rd)! That means, we can get more news surrounding the upcoming movies like "Ragnarok", "Black Panther", "Infinity War", and perhaps the confirmation of who will be directing "Captain Marvel". Maaan, it's such a good time to be Marvel Studios fans, am I right?

Star Wars

Star Wars Celebration 2017 (SWCO 2017) was held last week from April 13th to 16th, 2017, and as many had expected, some key information about the franchise were delivered.

The long-awaited, and much-anticipated first teaser for "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" has been released. I personally thought it looked okay, and somehow looking more ominous than 2015's "The Force Awakens". But of course, I'm not a huge Star Wars fans, so I don't think I'm qualified to judge this. It seems to be focusing more on Daisy Ridley's Rey, as she trains under the guidance of Mark Hamill's Luke Skywalker. Perhaps, this movie is serving as some kind of Hamill's swan song in the franchise? Much like how "The Force Awakens" had Harrison Ford exited in a high note? Will we get to know more about Rey's back story? Who her parents are? It's currently unclear if writer/director Rian Johnson will be able to accomplish the same critical and financial success to J.J. Abrams. His enthusiasm did look comforting, but as always, we'll have to wait and see whether he'll deliver when the movie arrives later this year on December 15, 2017.

What truly stole the attention of almost every (if not all) attendees during the event, was none other than a strong melancholic tribute to the late Carrie Fisher. A special tribute video was released online in accordance to this, and although it didn't have as much effect on me, I'm sure "Star Wars" fans would appreciate it a lot better. In their own "Star Wars" way. As a follow up to this, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy announced that the late actress will not appear, as in digitally inserted, as General Leia in the upcoming Episode IX. That means Episode VIII or "The Last Jedi", which was Fisher's last movie before her untimely passing on December 2016, would certainly be her final "Star Wars" appearance in the franchise. This helped clarified the previous report, when Carrie's brother Todd and daughter Billie Lourd stated their permission for Disney and Lucasfilm to use her footage for the 2019 movie. Kennedy assured fans, that we will be seeing "a lot of Carrie" this December. While some fans have indeed expressed grieve and disappointments about this decision, some others agreed with Kennedy, that it was the right thing to do to honor the late actress.

On the TV side, comes a surprising announcement for fans. "Star Wars REBELS" is ending in its next, 4th season. Yep, this is the primary reason why this category is suddenly sitting in the borderline of movie and TV, because it goes both ways. Series co-creator and executive producer Dave Filoni, brought this news himself to the audience, accompanied by core cast members like Freddie Prinze, Jr., Vanessa Marshall, Taylor Gray, Tiya Sircar, and Steve Blum. He stated that adventure for Kanan Jarrus, Ezra Bridger, and their Rebel 'family' will come to a close in 15 episodes, and that it's going to be "A little dark, a little fun". Filoni admitted that ending the show was his decision, learning from unpleasant experience with "Star Wars: The Clone Wars". Eventhough "REBELS" is ending, Filoni did state that there will be more animated "Star Wars" stories in the future.

To be honest, considering the in-show developments that's getting more and more colossal for a TV budget, I didn't find this news to be THAT surprising. Although interestingly, this thing always happen everytime I'm on the verge of dropping a series. LOL. No really, I thought Season 3 ended in a good note, and I'm going to leave it at that. Knowing that the next is going to be the last season, obviously I've changed my plan. Of course, I do feel curious about where or how this show cannonically fits in between the movies. According to popular knowledge, it takes place before the events of the "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope". As far as I know (mind you, I'm still Star Wars illiterate, so pardon if I'm mistaken), there aren't any active Jedi present until Luke Skywalker become one in the movie. While apparently, Hera and Chopper are mentioned to be stationed on Yavin 4 in "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story". Does this mean Kanan and Ezra will meet their demise in the final season? Hmmmm, intriguing.

Through SWCO's special panel for the series, the voice actors talked about what will happen to their characters. Marshall said, that members of the Ghost will be "pressed to the very edges of their ability". Perhaps we might see her Hera Syndulla gets promoted to General, as revealed in "Rogue One" then? Blum's Zeb Aurellios is taking more of an uncle-figure, to what I assume to be Ezra. Filoni said that Chopper will get to show his "bigger heart" in this last season, considering he has been seen as cranky and grumpy in the previous three. Obviously, Sabine Wren will be dealing with her Mandalorian Civil War, as was hinted in the finale of Season 3. Sircar hesitated to say much about it, but teased that things might get ugly for her family, especially when a certain 'familiar' someone arrives. And by familiar, perhaps... the elusive Boba Fett? Prinze Jr. said Kanan will slowly evolve into the strong Jedi, joining the ranks that audience have seen before. Gray certainly said that his Ezra will make some great decisions this season, away from the dark side.

As for the guest characters, Forest Whitaker will reprise his role as the voice of Saw Gerrera. Saw's co-pilot Two Tubes will joining him this season. Genevieve O'Reilly, will be reprising Mon Mothma as well. We can presumably expect more "Rogue One" stars, jumping in for a quick inclusion. Ahsoka Tano's return is being teased, but not properly confirmed. Finally, Grand Admiral Thrawn's bodyguard Rukh, is also set to make his debut in the series. Warwick Davis will be voicing this role. Hints of these developments weren't specifically felt through the Final Season's official trailer that has been made available on Youtube, but it sure promised a serious, conclusive, and definitely explosive finale to the series. The first two-parter episodes entitled "The Heroes of Mandalore" have already been screened exclusively for attendees. Fans of the series, or those who ended up watching it like yours truly, should anticipate the return of the fourth and final season later when it premiere this Fall on Disney XD.

Marvel TV

Marvel's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." gained a boost of interest due the final arc of its currently airing 4th season, "The Framework". Despite that achievement though, in general the continuously declining ratings for Marvel's first MCU-oriented TV show remains a lingering concern. And it is made worse because the network, ABC, tends to not announce renewal for its shows until sometime in May. May 16th, 2017 to be precise, though individual confirmation might always arrive earlier than that schedule.

The good news is, Entertainment Weekly evaluated the possibility for most running shows with 'uncertain future', and deduced that at the very least, AoS will be given another season, even if just only one more. I think it's a good idea, as the showrunners are given the chance to conclude their run in a satisfying manner, tying up all the loose ends. The bad news is, with Marvel's "The Inhumans" stealing the network's attention, there's always the unexpected turnaround of AoS eventually getting axed early on, to clear out some excess baggage and schedule. After all, we've experienced this before with both the cancelled Marvel's "Agent Carter", and Marvel's "Most Wanted" that never even saw the light of day.

I'm aware that some, if not many fans would feel disappointed with this decision. Particularly when other networks are still on a hot-streak, as they renew their superhero shows over and over again no matter how the audience perceived them. But I for one, will not feel as bad if AoS eventually gets cancelled, or given just one final season. Looking on the bright side, the absence of AoS can pave the way for spin off shows like perhaps, Ghost Rider, or the actual Secret Warriors. Not to mention, any members of the AoS cast can then move on to star in a Marvel Studios' big screen production, right? No more scheduling issues that prevented the two divisions from properly crossing over. That would all be cleared up with the series' end. Mind you, things are not yet certain for now. Filming for Season 4 had already wrapped the other day, so I doubt even the showrunners and cast can tell anything in advance regarding their show's future. So whether you're rooting for the show or not, you better start crossing your fingers, to hope the best, while expecting the worse possible outcome as well.

As for "The Inhumans", it's also still unclear whether this 8-episode mini series will be a first season of more to come, or just this one off. It's likely that this new show is being set up as the replacement for AoS, but with Marvel Studios also planning a movie for them, things just become a little cloudy and murky to predict. One thing for sure, the mini-series might have recently cast actor Chad James Buchanan in a mystery role. Buchanan tweeted this hint, and then later deleted it, implying that he might be playing an important role. Considering I have poor knowledge on the Inhumans comics and its character, and also unfamiliar with Buchanan's previous roles (was he really in "Glee"? I honestly can't remember), I can't exactly predict who he'll be playing. Or whether he's any good. Perhaps an antagonist? A NuHuman, like writer Charles Soule had confirmed? Then again, it's always possible that he's just playing a random one-episode only character, not unlike Lewis Tan in "Iron Fist". So perhaps it would be wiser to not think too highly of him too soon.

Netflix

With Marvel's "The Punisher" effectively in post-production, we can expect promotional stuff for the new series pretty soon. Particularly as SDCC 2017 is coming in just around 3 months from now, and the high chance of Marvel TV's presence. One of the more likely giveaway to be handed over during the event, might very well be that one specially designed poster coming from the hands of Joe Quesada. For the time being, it's a freebie handed out to cast and crew, but I suspect fans are going to get a hand of it pretty soon as well. Quesada did a similar poster before this for Marvel's "The Defenders", and likewise, this poster gives us glimpse of Jon Bernthal's main character Frank Castle, as well as his supporting cast. You can check out MCU Exchange for their description of who's who in this poster.

It seems this show would be taking extra liberties, thus many things would be vastly different compared to the comics. MCU Exchange pointed out, that Ben Barnes' Billy Russo might not be set up as an antagonist. At least, not until the first season ends. Which isn't that much surprising, since we've seen the same slow-burn treatment in previous Marvel-Netflix shows, with Sacha Dhawan's Davos being the latest example. The good news is, we can stare at Barnes' charming face a lot longer before his character, assuming it's going by the book, gets roughed up to jigsaws. But the bad news of this approach? Well, it seems that once again, this show would be using the exact same pattern and premise of the previous shows, which might or might not work for everyone. Especially those who have sensed a repetitive painstakingly SLOOOW formula that's starting to make them feel... 'bored' with the Netflix Universe. Yes, I'll be honest, I'm one of those people. I'm personally hoping at least "The Punisher" will offer something fresh and different, to break new grounds, and not go through the exact same motions, scenarios, and story beats of its older brothers. Otherwise, I might just have to say no to it...

The Telltale Series

Telltale released a trailer for the first episode of "Guardians of the Galaxy" via Marvel's official channel. As far as I know, there will be 5 episodes just like previous Telltale titles, so there are four more coming after this. Clearly this release is timed real well to coincide with the worldwide premiere of "Vol. 2". The Guardians seems to be taking on Thanos in this series, but it's unclear if it will include more characters inspired by the movie. Anyways, Guardians, and in general, Marvel fans should look forward for this. I'm still a bit taken aback thanks to the character designs, but when it comes to video games, it's really the gameplay that really counts. So I'm wishing it will have better luck in that department.

Ace Attorney

Through their recent Nintendo Direct, the company announced that "Dai Gyakuten Saiban 2: Naruhodou Ryuunosuke no Kakugo", or translated as "The Great Ace Attorney 2: Ryunosuke Naruhodo’s Resolution", will be available for Nintendo 3DS on August 3rd, 2017 for 5,800 yen retail-price, or 5,546 download-price. As a follow up to said announcement, CAPCOM officially released two new trailers for the game's new trailer. The first featured Sherlock and Van Ziek, while the second put Sherlock and Iris Watson in the spotlight.

A web demo has been made available through the title's official Japanese website, accessible on PC and smartphones. If you prefer to simply watch, then there are some gameplay videos you can watch online instead. You can found them on Youtube, through this link and this one. CAPCOM has listed story and character details, like Ryuunosuke's cousin Ryuutarou, and the case he'll be involved with. The company also offered several exclusive bonuses for those who purchased the game early. You can read these through the official site though it requires a bit of Japanese Kanji knowledge, or via Gematsu for the translated version. There are also two Special Edition sets: - The Great Ace Attorney 1&2 Limited Edition: Ryunosuke Naruhodo’s Adventure and Resolution, that will launch on August 3rd, 2017 for 7,200 yen. This will include both games, as well as a mini soundtrack album. Those who haven't purchased the first title might opt to take this one due to the discount price. - The Great Ace Attorney 2 e-Capcom Limited Edition, that will launch on August 3rd, 2017 for 9,800 yen. Pre-orders has begun on April 18th at 13:00 JST. This will include "Read Aloud CD" featuring the characters of the game, a Ryunosuke Naruhodo piggy bank, a "University Notebook", and a set of three pencils. Three exclusive coasters will be awarded to the first prints. This one's obviously for the Ace Attorney enthusiasts and item collectors.

Professor Layton

LEVEL-5's latest project in the popular mystery-puzzle series, the one that will feature Layton's daughter, has been officially renamed into "Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and The Millionaires' Conspiracy" (it was previously called "Lady Layton: The Millionaire Ariadne's Conspiracy"). A release date has also been announced. This new game will arrive on July 20th, 2017, for Nintendo 3DS in Japan, and on iOS and Android worldwide (available in eight languages). It seems the non-Japan version of Nintendo 3DS will arrive later in Fall, though that part is left unclear for now. Also currently unclear, is the pricing of the game.

As already revealed before, Katrielle Layton and her assistant, the dog Sharo, are the main characters of this game. She will go on a quest to locate her missing father, the great Professor Hershel Layton. London-based Katrielle is said to be "jack-of-all-trades and mystery-solving detective", someone who will take on any job and solve cases with bizarre ideas. While Sharo, is a... well, talking dog. There's going to be a new gameplay style with the hope of attracting new players, as solving smaller conundrums and puzzles is now necessary to complete a bigger goal. Thus the tagline for the game is "high-speed comical puzzle-solving story". Despite that, interactions with witty and weird characters will still remain the same, as the game divulges into a story of "dramatic developments and amusing incidents". Ain't that sound interesting! Well you can see it for yourself through the game's latest trailer. Looks familiar but also different, eh? I wonder how expensive this will cost, because I sure would want to play it. Even if only to find out what happens to Layton, and the identity of Katrielle's mother... XD.

Sonic the Hedgehog

A quick 1-minute footage for "Sonic Forces" also made its way through Nintendo Direct. This time around we get to see Classic Sonic in action. But not just that, the announced third character has been teased at the end of this footage as well. And... is that Tails? He looks like a cat or something like that, and it is said to be a 'New Friend', so definitely not Tails. Which begs the question... for a game that features two different timeline of Sonic the Hedgehogs, why would an external character becoming the third playable lead? Why not just give the spot to... say, Tails, Knuckles, Shadow, or his other friends? Hmmm... curious.

Aside from previewing a cool futuristic main theme for "Sonic Forces", SEGA also debuted a new gameplay video for "Sonic Mania". This video showcased the co-op mode, with the female host playing Tails, as the two character scoured their way through 'Green Hill Zone' Act 2. Fans of the 8-bit era titles will be nostalgically delighted with this title. "Sonic Mania" is set to be released this summer for the PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC, while "Sonic Forces" is due out this holiday.

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