#and we actually both enjoyed it like it felt like a disney show but like grown up a bit but still for 13 year olds | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

imagitory · 5 months

Text

Review: Wish (2023) [SPOILERS]

Evening, everyone! Tonight my mother and I went to go see Disney's most recent film, Wish, which fortunately came to theaters in my area right before its formal American release date. I'd been very curious to see how this tribute to Disney's last 100 years of filmmaking would turn out, and now that I've seen it...well, I have to be honest, I was a little disappointed. I want to be very clear both that I was going into this with a rather sunny outlook and that there are things I really liked in this film...but overall, it felt like a lot of the good ideas it had were only half-baked, and I found myself -- forgive me -- "wishing for something more" than what we got.

For a more comprehensive deep-dive...a cut!

The Good!

+The single best element in this film for me was Chris Pine's performance as our villain, Magnifico. There are definitely some things I can critique about Magnifico's overall storyline and "character arc" further down, but Chris was clearly having a grand old time being an egotistical, sassy jerkwad, and it totally showed. Even in his villain song This is The Thanks I Get?, which just screamed "passive-aggressive abusive parent," you can hear how much fun Chris was having in the studio, recording it. I just about always enjoyed when Magnifico was on screen, and I actually did really like the idea that a lot of his villainy is rooted in him being obsessed with control over everyone and everything. In a weird way, Magnifico's turn to the Dark Side parallels Anakin Skywalker's in the sense that he lost so much in the past that he's determined to never lose anything important to him again -- especially the power he's accrued to make himself feel strong, after having felt so powerless. I find that very interesting, and I kind of wish that aspect was really highlighted more in the story, but we'll talk about that later.

+Asha was a likable enough heroine, even if I found her to be a lot like a two-way fusion of Mulan and Anna placed in a vaguely Snow-White-ish role in her clearly Seven-Dwarf-inspired friend group. Ariana DeBose portrayed her rather well, both acting and singing-wise. I also liked the "social justice" bent to Asha's character where she wants better things not just for herself and her family, but also Rosas overall -- in the French translation of her main song "This Wish," they even push this further by having Asha wish "to see the world happy again someday." We haven't seen a heroine really express this kind of desire for a positive change in the world since Esmeralda in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and that's cool! Plus representation in mainstream media for previously underrepresented groups is always nice. ^.^

+As much as I don't think they all got enough focus as individuals, I liked Asha's friend group! Especially the fact that it is a friend group made up of people that are around the same age as our protagonist, which -- let's be honest -- isn't that common for Disney heroines. Often with "sidekick groups," you're more likely to have situations like Cinderella with the mice (who are more like cutesy sidekicks than equals) or Snow White with the Dwarfs (who are all quite a bit older than our heroine)...so a friend group made up of peers with their own personalities and motivations was kind of fun.

+The setting of Rosas itself could be pretty. I liked a lot of the Mediterranean-inspired architecture, especially inside Magnifico's tower.

+The combination of 3D and 2D-esque animation was also interesting! It really served to give the film its own distinctive visual style that sets it apart from other Disney projects, which I always appreciate.

+Star was...cute. Obviously just designed to sell plushies and definitely reminded me way too much of Kirby, but cute enough. I do think it's kind of cool that they're never gendered at all in the entire movie, because it'd be silly to think of a sweet little androgynous ball of stardust as being specifically male or female.

+I liked the idea of Simon "betraying" Asha, only to be turned into a pawn by Magnifico in the process, but not being treated unsympathetically by the story for it. Didn't love the full execution of the idea, but hey, that's what the negative section is for.

+The idea of everyone finding the power inside of themselves to stand up against Magnifico (because they're "all stars," and presumably all have the magic needed to make their wishes come true) was a little predictable, but still sweet. I have problems with how the film wrote it (which we'll get to), but the idea itself was wholesome and fitting.

+I like several of the songs, just on their own -- I added This Wish and Knowing What I Know Now on my ITunes as soon as I first heard them prior to the film's release, and now I've added At All Costs too: it's a really pretty duet! (Gorgeous work, Chris and Ariana!) I'll leave my praise here, though, because sadly the soundtrack is going to get a lot of discussion in the less positive section.

The Not-So-Good...

+This film being "Disney's 100th anniversary film" really got in the way of this movie telling a compelling and unique story sometimes. The whole movie really twisted itself into a pretzel trying to check off all the usual Disney tropes, and there were points that certain choices made the story seem incredibly stilted. For instance, one common Disney trope is a dead parent, so of course Asha has lost her father -- but we learn so little about him and he ends up playing such a small role in Asha's arc and story that it seems like an unnecessary detail. Asha's grandfather honestly plays more of a role in Asha's motivation throughout most of the film, so it would've made just as much sense to have Asha's grandfather be the one who believed in stars having power, rather than her father. Another example is the concept of the cute animal sidekick who's just there to make jokes -- as much as Valentino the goat didn't annoy me personally, he added just about nothing of value to the story whatsoever aside from comic relief, in contrast to other funny sidekicks like Sebastian from The Little Mermaid or Olaf from Frozen, who also serve a plot purpose and have a developed relationship with the protagonists. Then there's Asha being cut from the same "naive, awkward, wide-eyed idealist" cloth as many of our Disney Revival heroines like Anna, Rapunzel, and up to a certain point even Mirabel are; Star being in a similar vein to cutesy, innocent sidekicks like Pua, Crikee, and Baymax while Valentino is more akin to sassier, comic ones like Mushu and Sisu; her friends literally being based on the Seven Dwarfs from Snow White; our heroine getting a pretty standard "I Want" song and the villain getting his own solo number that doesn't really take any risks...oh yes, and we mustn't forget the trope of the Storybook opening, which (I'm sorry) I know was supposed to be a reference to Snow White, Cinderella, and Enchanted, but just gave me Shrek vibes the entire time. I was waiting for Shrek to rip out the page and use it for toilet paper any minute. It just felt a lot of the time like the movie was very paint-by-numbers, rather than throwing in much that was surprising or different.

+This isn't even touching all of the pointless meta references to other Disney movies. Asha wearing the Fairy Godmother's cloak and getting a wand like hers at the end -- the mushrooms crowing "we love crazy!" the way Hans did in Love is an Open Door -- Asha riding the reindeer the way Kristoff did in Frozen 2 -- Magnifico using green smoke hands a la Ursula -- the ending with those obvious Wendy and Peter Pan look-alikes, come on, really??? That was just painful.

+As much as Magnifico was an awesome idea for a character and Chris Pine's performance was beyond entertaining, the movie did not always write him as well as they could've. From the very start, we see this guy is an egotistical control freak -- obsessed with his own image, incredibly hard-to-please, arrogant, vain, desperate for attention and unwavering praise and adoration from all of his subjects, and determined to keep an iron grip on everyone else's wishes because of the power it gives him. He's ALREADY a terrible person, from the start -- and yet the film tries to introduce this dark magic book that gets no explanation or backstory whatsoever and has no real characterization or presence, so it leaves no real impact on the audience corrupting him and making him a bad person, when it didn't need to! Magnifico was already the villain this film needed! Just let him fall head-first into madness without the book prompting anything! Even if Magnifico "lost everything" in the past, that doesn't make him a good person, if he takes everyone's wishes away from them and hoards them all to himself, only to grant a few now and again when it would make him look good.

+This above point actually leads nicely into one change I really, really wish the film had been ballsy enough to make -- have Asha already be Magnifico's apprentice, not trying to become it at the start of the story. Give our villain and hero a real relationship, with history that started before the events of this film! Asha lost her father at the age of 12...how interesting would it have been -- whether to make Magnifico more of an anti-villain or show how manipulative he really is -- if he'd tried to fill that fatherly role for our main character and twist her to serve his ends? What if At All Costs was rewritten to be about Magnifico not just being determined to hold onto all of the kingdom's wishes, but also this apprentice he sees as an extension of him and his legacy, while Asha is determined to protect this Star she's accidentally summoned and the suppressed wish of hers it represents? This change would've made Asha's break with Magnifico so much more powerful for both of them -- it would've both justified Magnifico's descent into madness and given Asha more reason to feel like it was her responsibility to stop Magnifico. You even could've then played more with Asha's relationship with Queen Amaya too, in this kind of a scenario.

+Oh yeah, and on that note, Queen Amaya. OOH, this really annoyed me -- okay. So this woman is supposed to be a good guy, in this story. But as I touched on earlier, Magnifico was already a pretty awful person, hoarding people's wishes away in order to make himself powerful. Was Amaya truly so blind to that? Did she truly never question anything, ever? But no, really, she only turns on Magnifico after he starts using the dark magic book and actively threatens her. Only that makes her turn from him, and it's pretty damn immediate. Now okay, I hear you saying, it's like Amaya sings in Knowing What I Know Now, right? "The good in him, I've watched it melt // I was blinded by the love I felt"? Excuse me, lady -- but Magnifico wasn't a good person, before. He was just playing a part so as to stay powerful and adored by the masses. And if the story wants to claim otherwise, and act like that dark magic book was responsible for Magnifico going bad, then why would our Queen decide to keep him locked up in his staff's crystal forever? If the book was responsible, then Magnifico would be the Frodo or Golum to the book's One Ring -- he'd be a victim, in such a scenario: one in need of help and pity, not punishment. So either Amaya is a selfish person who only cared about her husband's mistreatment of others when it affected her, or she's a needlessly cruel person who decides to punish her husband for a vice that anyone could fall prey to. Either way, I don't want this woman ruling anyone! Make this woman a straight-up villain, same as her husband, and have the whole monarchy come crashing down after she and Magnifico both go down in flames! VIVE LA RESISTANCE! (Playing into my idea with Asha being Magnifico's apprentice all along, maybe there could even be a twist on the Evil Stepmother trope with Amaya, where she's jealous of how much Magnifico has tried to groom Asha as his apprentice, rather than spending time and/or starting a family with her or something.)

+As I touched on earlier, there wasn't even close to enough time to develop all of these characters properly. Since our heroine and friends are most similar to Snow White and her friends the Seven Dwarfs, let's compare cast size. Snow White is 83 minutes long and has a cast of ten (Snow, the Prince, the Queen, and the Dwarfs) -- Wish is 95 minutes long and has a cast of fourteen (Asha, Magnifico, Star, Valentino, Amaya, Asha's mum and grandpa, and our seven Friends). This results in us getting the vague idea that "Grumpy" role Gabo is sweet on our "Bashful" role Bazeema, but no time to develop their relationship or give it any kind of conclusion; the others saying "Sneezy" role Safi apparently loves the castle chickens with no sympathetic explanation why, to the point that he gets super excited about a chicken growing to a giant size for no real reason; "Doc" role Dahlia having a crush on Magnifico that is then dropped immediately after Asha turns against him; oldest kid and "Sleepy" role Simon feeling incomplete without the dream he gave Magnifico and "betraying" Asha as a result in an attempt to get it back, only to get stabbed in the back by Magnifico, and then have no time for a proper redemption after he's unhypnotized; Asha's grandfather turning on a dime about whether or not he wants to know what his wish was if Magnifico thought it was dangerous; Magnifico getting some justification in his backstory for his bad behavior, but Amaya's backstory being a complete black hole before she married Magnifico when you'd think it'd explain all the more why she stuck with him so long; and Asha's mum having her wish crushed to dust by Magnifico and then given back without us EVER LEARNING WHAT IT EVEN WAS IN THE FIRST PLACE, even after we see just about everyone else's wishes as soon as somebody picks it up and Asha's mum's wish gets picked up multiple times!! Come on, if you're going to set up NOT showing it, you may as well have a pay-off for it!! At least give us some moment where Asha's mum hugs her in relief and acknowledges that her daughter was her wish! That would've been a nice "aww" moment for everyone!

+Okay, I said I was going to talk about my problem with the songs, so here goes. As I said before, I listened to the soundtrack before watching the movie, and even when I did, I could immediately sense a problem: these songs did not tell me much of anything about the movie, just on their own. Welcome to Rosas, which is pretty much just an exposition dump about the kingdom and how Magnifico founded it, didn't really paint a picture of our setting or characters much at all, the way opening songs like Belle or The Family Madrigal do. This Wish, although pretty, was something I could hear just as easily on the radio -- it didn't feel as tied or necessary to understanding our heroine the way something like Part of That World does. I'm a Star, quite frankly, felt like a lot of inspirational word salad, rather than anything particularly memorable or revelatory -- why else wouldn't it even be worthy of a musical salute in the reprise, where Asha remembers that she and everyone else are stars during the climax? Even after reading summaries of the plot and spoilers from the storybook for this film, I could not figure out for the life of me how At All Costs would fit organically into such a story, being sung by our villain and hero. It wasn't until I saw the film that I saw how the filmmakers decided to fit it in and honestly...the song didn't help tell that particular scene at all. It's a really pretty song and I like it a lot -- but it lacked any of the irony or contrast that kind of a scene that introduces the difference in focus between our hero and villain required. If the scene itself is needed to understand what's supposed to be going on while the song is playing, then the song is not effectively telling the story and is therefore unnecessary. There wasn't even a particularly Spanish or Mediterranean flair to the soundtrack to help set the stage, aside from the occasional flourish of castanets -- instead it sounded very contemporary, which I guess is appropriate, since it was largely written by pop composers rather than any musical theater talent.

+There were also points where the songs felt the urge to shove in a bunch of extra words just because, rather than have the words flow well and really mean something. I'm a Star is most guilty of this, of course, but even in This is the Thanks I Get?, we hear Magnifico gripe that "I let you live here for free and I don't even charge you rent" -- mate, THAT MEANS THE SAME THING! If you live somewhere for free, then you are NOT paying rent!

+Knowing What I Know Now is a bop and I like it (aside from Amaya's stupidity), but I'm sorry, all I can think when I hear it is "This is clearly trying to be Ready as I'll Ever Be from Tangled the Animated Series, but that song blows this out of the water." However fun the song can be, it would've been so much stronger if it actually addressed the contrast between the characters and revved us up for a big final battle, instead of it just being our eight underdeveloped characters psyching each other up.

+The idea of everyone being stars was a lovely idea, but the execution of Asha remembering this fact and using it to defeat Magnifico was terribly handled. First off, there was no revelatory phrase or action that prompted Asha to remember this fact, so her suddenly saying that "they're all stars" came out of nowhere. Second, even putting aside that there'd be no way any of her friends could hear Asha from all the way up on the tower if they're stuck in the courtyard below, there's no reason I can see for Asha's friends or family to know what the hell she was even TALKING about. They weren't there when the I'm a Star number happened! And the way that number made it seem, just based on the visuals, it looked like the "star" power came from a person's dream, since it's the same glow that returns to Asha's grandfather when he gets his dream back, but most of the town's dreams have been already yanked out by Magnifico at this point! I think the idea is that since everyone is a star, even with that big piece of them and the power accompanying it taken out, they still have enough stardust inside of them to be powerful enough to chase their heart's desires...but yeah, I'm sorry, for all the word salad I'm a Star threw around, this world-building aspect was really not made clear, and because of that and the lack of a proper callback to this plot turn, the climax didn't hit as strong as it should've.

Overall, this film felt a lot like a batch of unbaked chocolate chip cookies that someone decided to throw a bunch of brightly colored sprinkles on top of, just because they could. A lot of ideas just don't feel like they were fully developed, and there was a lot tossed in that didn't contribute to the overall taste or bring the disparate elements together in a cohesive whole, instead feeling more like a distraction than anything of actual substance. That doesn't mean I couldn't eat it -- I like eating cookie dough as much as the next person -- but that doesn't mean it felt like a complete, finished product worthy of great praise. Instead I'm left looking at the wasted potential and wishing the movie had carved out its own path more, one distinctive to itself, rather than just be a mashup of previous Disney concepts and tropes. I won't act like there's nothing to like here, nor that it's completely lacking in heart: I actually would love to see fandom for this movie re-imagine it in ways that could've improved the story and characters, because there were SO many good ideas here...but for me personally, this movie left me colder than it should've and -- like Asha after meeting Magnifico -- a bit disappointed.

So I make this wish...to have Disney make a film better than this.

Overall Grade: C-

#disney #disney wish #wish (2023)#wish #wish spoilers #spoilers #review #analysis #oh boy here i go

75 notes · View notes

queerpiratebrainrot · 9 months

Text

ALRIGHT!I JUST WATCHED THE MIRACULOUS MOVIE AND I HAVE THOUGHTS! There will be spoilers ahead, so tread carefully

A list, in no particular order, just how they pop up in my head:

The animation was STUNNING! Just, props to the animators, I enjoyed the movie visually SO MUCH! From the use of colours and lighting, to the way they used all of that to upgrade the characters: it was absolute perfection. (though some of those close up shots of Hawkmoth were A Lot. But that was probably the point)

The absolute chaotic energy that both Tikki and Plagg (but mostly Tikki, cuz unfortunately. there wasn't a whole lot of Plagg, which I understand due to time, even if it is sad) is FANTASTIC! I adore Chaotic Tikki so much. She has my whole heart! That little scene of Tikki pushing Marinette's hand to Adrien's? Lovely. Tikki explaining absolutely nothing to Marinette when they first meet? Perfection. Just. Give me more Chaotic Tikki, please!

The soundtrack? WONDERFUL! I kinda knew it was a musical, I think, but I completely forgot, so when Marinette sang those first few notes, I had to catch up a lil, but DAMN I was excited! (sad we didn't get Ce Mur Qui Nous Separe (I don't know the english name oops), but it was still fun!)

On that note: Adrian having the most Disney Princess I Want song in the movie is just perfect. No other words needed. Best choice they could have made there.

ALSO on that note: Marinette's singing voice? BEAUTIFUL! It fits so well! I just couldn't help but enjoy her songs, if only for that.

BUT I didn't have to, because the music itself, without the lyrics was just so well done!

Slightly less good: The hawkmoth song was missing some flavor, in my opinion. It started out, and I was EXCITED cuz it started so HARD and then it didn'treally deliver, I think. It kind of kept in the same range and didn't really go up, ya know?

I really REALLY liked Marinette and Chloe's relationship. The way Marinette fired shots back at Chloe, and they actually seemed to be becoming more frennemies? Amazing. I wish we would've gotten more of that in the tv show, considering earlier seasons Chloe and her character developpement, but I really enjoyed it here, in the movie

I'm happy we got to see Gabriel and Adrian actually confronting each other. Both Adrian standing up to his dad (although the timing was a little off, more on that later), AND Gabriel finding out his son is Chat Noir and the resulting Crisis. At least there was some emotional pay off there! (looking at you, season 5 finale)

NOW on the timing thing: There just wasn't enough time. I understand that they wanted to do the superhero origin story for people who aren't familiar with the show but do go to see the movie, but I feel like they just didn't have the necessary time to create the emotional tension needed for the end scene to actually hit as hard as it could have. We got to see a hint of Adrian and Gabriel's relationship, and what was shown was great! But if we had gotten a little more of that perspective and tension, it would've felt better to watch Adrian stand up to Gabe and his parenting skills. And consequently, enjoyed more of the end scene with them figuring out each others identities. Genuinely, I was happy we got at least some pay off there, but it felt too easy. (which again, makes sense due to the limited time, but I feel like they should have made choice: either the Big End Fight with Hawkmoth, OR the Origin Story. And since they did kind of set up a possible sequel, I feel like the choice could have been made)

With the feeling of too easy: I had the same feeling of Marinette and her finding confidence in herself and Ladybug AT THE END! The sudden change during the montage, I liked and felt like it made sens, since we then, during the big battle, get Marinette's insecurities over only being confident when she's Ladybug and all that. That is wonderful and so in line with the core of who Marinette is as character, no matter what version of her we get, that I love it very much. I would have enjoyed a liiiiitle more time with the Angst, but it's allright!

MOSTLY CUZ: that scene where she's dragging Cat Noir's unconcious body onto the debris of the Eiffel Tower, and she goes 'Don't. Touch. Him.' through tears and with a broken voice? AMAZING! When I tell you I Went FERAL! My children! absolutely STUNNING

The actual fight of the end battle? Marinette surrounded by flame and a Paris that is falling apart? Ladybug in Hell, essentially? GORGEOUS! Cat Noir running up the Eiffel Tower to fight Hawkmoth? Stunning! The Eiffel Tower slowly collapsing, as Ladybug watches and cannot Do Anything to stop it? HEARTWRENCHING!

Marinette revealing herself to Adrian at the ball? AMAZING SCENE! (although i laughed and had to utter 'Real Subtle, Marinette' when I saw the ladybug wings on the back of the dress, which was, againg, stunning). The way the scene was framed like the rejection scene? WONDERFUL!

The glitter on Chat Noir's mask? I loved it! Such a fun little detail we don't get in the show!

Did not like the Plagg farting scene. Just. No thanks. It's cheap comedy and that runtime could have been spent better, with a better characterisation of PLagg and his relationship with Adrian. But whatever, it's fine.

THE LADYNOIR CONTENT AND BICKERING! JUST FANTASTIC! ladynoir stans got FED this movie, and I am HERE FOR IT!

So yeah, that was an incomplete list of my thoughts on the movie! Overall I really enjoyed it! I really liked this version of the characters and their relationships. They feel a lot more genuine and real in comparison to the tv show, in some ways. I had so much fun watching it, and will probably go a second time, to see how it'll feel like on a rewatch. And just to enjoy the vibes. I do hope we get a sequel, because I am Curious. And would love more Natalie content.

#miraculous movie #mircaulous ladybug #chat noir #gabriel agreste #chloe bourgeouis #tikki #plagg #ladynoir #marichat #adriennette

97 notes · View notes

death-himself · 4 months

Text

just finished episode 3 here are my thoughts

also i wrote this first part at the end of my review, but I'm gonna move it here to the top because it got a bit long and I feel like it's more important to state than my review

overall, i feel like the issues i have with the show are more of a me issue. i feel like I (and a lot of us book fans honestly) were hyping up the show to be one-to-one with the book when it's been said by rick and a lot of people working on the show that it was more of a new rendition rather than an exact book-to-screen adaptation

i know that when i watched the first two episodes with my friends, they didn't see any of those issues because they hadn't read the books at all, or at least not in a long time

one example, the issue everyone has with gabe's characterization is one my friend didn't pick up on, she recognized from the start that gabe was abusive and said something like "I'm scared what he'll do to sally if she doesn't get that car back to him"

those of us who live and breathe the books recognize that he's "not as abusive" or that it's a different kind of abuse in the books, so the characterization threw us all off in a way that it didn't for people who haven't read the books

so going forward, i'm probably going to keep that more in mind with the series and reviewing it. i think from a plot standpoint, it still manages to stay true to the book in the ways that really matter, and even emphasizes a lot of the key themes of the book more clearly, while still being extremely different, and I honestly think that's pretty cool

with that being said, bullet point review under the cut (reminder I wrote this before writing the above section and don't plan on changing it)

to begin with, I'm gonna be honest, I feel like they're changing a lot more than I would prefer with the plot. I'm still enjoying the series a bunch, but the differences are very striking to me

now going in chronological order with the episode, percy's reaction to the oracle was pretty funny

the whole thing of gabe being the one to tell him the prophecy looked stupid, but I feel like there was no way to translate it from the book without it looking stupid. i feel like when he's told the prophecy in the book, the creepy description is what makes it feel serious and the weight of the prophecy makes you forget how it's being told, and I don't really think that translates very well to film

also in the book the words are very clearly not words that gabe would say, but I feel like the way the lines were delivered in the episode was a bit off, like it just sounded like gabe with nothing creepy about it

percy choosing annabeth instead of annabeth pretty much forcing herself into the quest is an interesting choice that I'm not sure if I like or hate yet

it feels like they're turning percy and annabeth more into enemies-to-lovers than it actually is in the books

I love grover so fuckin much, grover's never been one of my favorite characters, but disney series-wise, he's definitely my favorite so far

i don't know why, but the little pool in the center of the poseidon cabin is my favorite thing ever, it just feels right

percy and luke's talk in his cabin is just <3

also the way luke went "it's a gift...from my dad" i just felt the WEIGHT of that, everything that it meant

also looking back on that, i love how both annabeth's hat and luke's shoes show the different ways they react to a gift from their parents. the hat is annabeth's prized possession that she doesn't want to give up, while the first time we see luke's shoes he gives them away and clearly doesn't appreciate them as a gift

i loved it since we saw it in the trailer, but thalia's tree is so fuckin cool, i love that it straight up just looks like a person standing guard

also the way they're pronouncing thalia's name is giving me life, my brother made fun of me for pronouncing it that way as a kid and i started calling her talia but to know 10 year old me was RIGHT, incredible

grover's little song had me dying, and percy using that song later at aunty em's was hilarious

ANNABETH IN THE GAS STATION, she was so adorable, that scene owns my heart now. her just grabbing every flavor of that candy was so damn precious

I'm sad we didn't get to see the bus blown up, they could've made it such a funny scene. have the trio run to the woods like "wow I'm glad we got out of there alive" then they look over at the bus and it just explodes. that could've been peak comedy there

the whole talk between alecto and Annabeth was interesting, it does make sense for them to have some sort of history considering what happened with thalia, so i think that's a good change, makes things more interesting

the way they got to aunty em's kind of annoyed me, i feel like they could have easily shown a passage of time and had them get there in the same way as the books. idk, i really liked how they ended up there in the books because they were just hungry kids that wanted burgers

also alecto being there felt a bit weird to me

when i heard they were taking a more sympathetic approach to medusa, i honestly got really nervous for how that would turn out, but i think they handled it as well as they could have. i feel like they said it in a way where the story could have gone either way; one way where medusa was poseidon's girlfriend, and another way where she was tricked and raped by him

she also goes on to both call him a monster and say that they loved each other, so again, i feel like it could still go either way with those lines, though it probably leans more towards the girlfriend perspective (even though I'm pretty sure that's the less myth-accurate perspective, but when has pjo been myth-accurate)

the way they killed medusa TERRIFIED ME, like annabeth my girl, you realize how badly that could have turned out right, having an invisible medusa

also how did that help percy in the slightest, he was still attacking something he couldn't look at so...how did that help

I'm hoping alecto being petrified isn't permanent, hades had better bring her back, i liked alecto. also isn't she important to some part of the plot in a later book? she's the only fury i remember the name of so she has to be important right?

their argument in the basement was an interesting change, i feel like to me it kind of just felt like conflict for conflict's sake. i don't think they felt super in-character in that section. their friendship dynamic feels a bit off through most of this episode honestly, but i think their dynamic's gonna be perfect going forward now that they've gotten past that conflict

percy saying the "i am impertinent" line perfectly. that whole exchange felt like it was ripped right out of the book, i loved that

i know everyone's been shitting on lin manuel miranda being in the show, but i still love the man, and that end scene was incredible

him in the elevator was so funny, and you just know he loved percy shipping medusa's head to olympus, he thought that shit was hilarious

#percy jackson #percy jackson spoilers #pjo #pjo spoilers #pjo disney+#pjo disney+ spoilers #percy jackson and the olympians #i have no idea what spoilers tag we're using someone help #really interested to see people's thoughts on medusa specifically #if i remember right rick accidentally wrote her using both conflicting stories at different parts of the series #like in tlt she was poseidon's lover while in another book she was said to have been born a gorgon

24 notes · View notes

swan2swan · 5 months

Text

Look, I wish (haha) that I could give positive points to Wish. I really do.

I wanna say "But the character designs were good!" But they weren't. I saw what Asha could have been, and the majority of the side characters were okay but also kinda eh, and the villain and his wife were fine...but any positives, any positives, are negated by the generic cuteness of that stupid star. I've never felt such visceral loathing of a plushified thing since they put a cat into a Buzz Lightyear movie set in the 90s that everyone was supposed to love, when that would be the WORST PART of a 90s action movie that every kid would think was cool.

I wanna say "But the songs were good!" or even "But the main song was good!", but, again...no, they weren't! They were passable, and the main one from all the trailers had a GREAT refrain, 9/10, very moving, but every other line was nothing I wanna listen to. The best Disney songs rule in both their verses AND their refrains. That one? No. And the timing on the songs? Their function in the story? No. Wrong. All wrong! The introductory song knew what it was doing, but after that? It was all paint by numbers!

Even the VILLAIN SONG was wrong! Because he's all "WHY DOES NO ONE APPRECIATE ME???" when every scene prior was showing just how much they loved the king. And it's not even a matter of "Well of course, that's because he's a Villain and it's Never Enough!", because...no. It's not conveyed. There were better pedestals atop which to set his villainy!

The diversity was great, but I can't even praise that, because it's a Bad Movie and all that wonderful stuff was wasted! Same with the storybook-looking imagery, which was REALLY perfect in a few shots, but would immediately cut to another one that would never work in a storybook.

I'm just frustrated because I threw every lifeline I could at this thing and it went "But what if we did a reference that was kinda clever, and then immediately had a character EYEROLL AT IT because we know it'll be awkward? That's humor!"

No. It was a bad movie!

EVEN WHEN THE MOVIE SUDDENLY GOT DARK and I was like "Oh. That's a little heavy. Good job, Disney movie", they went and said "AND ALL THAT'S BEEN FIXED NOW!" at the end.

It would have also been nice if there had been ANY EMOTIONAL CONNECTION WHATSOEVER between the characters. I mean anything beyond "we're best friends" (which is actually stated via dialogue, like everything else in that movie, there's a scene where someone is sitting there looking frightened and someone says "she looks frightened...", YES, your animators actually conveyed that!!!).

I can't even praise the animation, because characters like Happy were just kinda smiling most of the time...she should have been JOYFUL! Excited by everything! Something good happens and she cheers loudly, because she's HAPPY! And Grumpy was just sort of sarcastic...no real arm-folding, no sneers, no furrowed brows...this is animation, it's a celebration of 100 years of animation, and you can't even put out solid expressions and intense emotions???

THIS WAS YOUR PARADE, DISNEY??? This was the Love Letter? That was just a bunch of cheap Disney Movie references!

So I finish this with a gif taken from another Disney property I watched and enjoyed that actually USED SONGS WELL and had INTERACTIONS:

#wish movie #wish #disney's wish #....this was NOT actually the gif that I wanted to use but you know what?#it's more appropriate #I wanted the ''not that this hasn't been fun but--NO! IT HASN'T!" one #but this is from the same scene and conveys the same feeling #especially because it's in response to Rapunzel pretending the food is good

23 notes · View notes

matt0044 · 11 months

Text

So... “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” is a bop, right?

It’s firmly supplanted “Let It Go” as Disney’s latest ear-worm until the next one comes along but it’s more than just a catchy ballard. It spells out how the Family Madrigal view him as a blight on their family name, especially when they’ve been a pillar of their community.

It also describes how rather than dealing with his problem and maybe helping him through it, they opted to just let him retreat into his room never to be seen again. Better to sweep it under the rug. However, this also proves to be a root in while the house is coming undone.

The message is clear: a family can’t stay as one so long as they can’t talk about their problems with each other. It’s why Mirabel doesn’t get a gift so she can be the outsider looking in.

Where is this going? Well... somebody just finished Voltron: Legendary Defender... and enjoyed it.

Here me out before you scroll away.

I had finished up to Season 7 along with Teen Titans three days before Season 8 dropped. I knew that fandom discourse would be a bear and opted to let the season simmer before I viewed it for myself a few Watch Lists down the road.

What I couldn’t have known was this overwhelming hate for Season 8. I was on Twitter where handles were being altered to include #FuckVoltron and the like. I glimpsed spoilers of what happened in the finale without getting into the dirty details.

Thus I decided to put it off until the heat died down. A whole half decade at that. With Fandom Drama down to near non-existent, I decided to return and engage with Voltron on its own terms from the start. No shipping drama, no expectations for how it should go, no accusations of problematic behavior and no Purple Lion conspiracies.

And... I liked it. I highly encourage those scared off by the drama or felt Season 8 did it dirty to give it a(nother) shot. It deserves a full on renaissance the way Twilight got.

Why? (spoilers ahead).

I was sold on Allura and Lance’s relationship. I loved how he went from being a flirt to genuinely admiring Allura as a leader and Paladin, encouraging her in the season 4 finale without trying to get anything out of it.

I liked the tonal shift around Season 7 where the ultimate Golion homage is made with the Space Explorers coming home to a war ravaged Earth.

I liked how human Lotor and Honerva were as villains coming after Zarkon. I can see why there’s a whole ass conspiracy framed around him actually being in Season 8. Also them taking that “Your mother was an Altean bitch” like and running with it for Hagger was brilliant.

Keith becoming the Black Paladin after Kuron’s reveal was well done and felt weirdly natural in retrospect. He feels like he can’t measure up to Shiro and learns more discipline from

Allura sacrificing herself to restore all realities felt a lot better with the knowledge of spoilers. It helps that the ending went with a more noble feel than angsty, showing how the Paladins strove make sure that her actions set an example for years to come.

I love that they got creative with the multiple alien species and kept the Alteans from being just humans in space like in the original. It really took inspiration from Vehicle Voltron with more aliens in the mix.

Shiro the Hero, as Crazy Coran put it. What can I say except that he’s the kind of character you call a Mary Sue if he wasn’t a guy. Always calm, always perservering, putting the mission first and being a pillar the team can lean on. He even creates his own Voltron out of the Atlas

Honestly, the whole Adam thing isn’t something I fully blame the writers given the producers pushing back. Mind you, I feel like Keith would’ve made a good endgame pairing with him if they had even out their ages when they first meet, both as teenage proteges.

Studio Mir was amazing, especially with the space battles. Honestly, if Robotech managed to make a comeback, I could totally see them being tapped to match the classic Anime style.

So... yeah. Voltron good actually.

59 notes · View notes

dausy · 4 days

Text

Back when the Barbie movie came out a couple of extremely girly hot-pink cafes opened. I didn't want to go by myself (when husband was deployed) because they seemed awfully crowded during Barbie and they're downtown and I hate trying to park in downtown areas. Anyway, my husband took me to brunch at one yesterday and it was fabulous. We had actually already heard the food was pretty blah but our iced coffes were all actually very good and glittery and cute. Everything was covered in pink and glitter. I'm glad I accidentally dressed appropriately. My one complaint about this city is nobody seems to believe in french pastries. Truly I want just want a good coffee and croissant. You can find a croissant but you can't get it at a coffee shop. If you do then the coffee isn't good.

We then visited the local Comic-con. I like to look but the second hand embarrassment always kills me. Its just not really the land of my peoples. I really wanted to catch glimpses of Patrick Warburton and Zachary Levi on camera but there were so many people, I felt anxious trying to pull out my phone. I was really hoping to find some sort of sailor moon figurine. I know I can purchase them online but I kind of wanted the real life shopping experience. One of my biggest con regrets was years ago, I went to a convention and somebody had a table of unique sailor moon merch. Everything from make-up to jewelry to action figures and just small collectors items. I really wished I had purchased some of the decorative pens and compacts. I've never been to another con like it. This convention, while we are in a large city, is not the biggest convention I've been to. I think the coolest booth I found was for Teeturtle. I did find this little simba figuring which Id never seen in real life before. There was another disney 100 one but panicked at the price of both figures together and didn't buy both.

after that my husband wanted to go to a Gun show ('merica!) and I think he was a little disappointed with it. I was just kind of fascinated because it was inside a freemason hall and I'd never been in one before and it was really weird. They didn't have that many guns. They actually had a lot of scentsy and those adhd bubble fidget toy booths haha. I also saw just as many porn books there as I did at the anime convention.

but in any case the weather was actually gorgeous for once. I just enjoyed being out of the house. We also had a post wide yard sale and we drove around a bit looking at items we dont really need. We also stopped at an alterations place to get my ball gown fitted. I procrastinate too much and the dress I was eyeing was out of stock so I just chose..one of the bajillion others I saved on pinterest and it came in the mail within 24hours but alas..I have short legs and its too long.

I have poor sense of time and didn't realize our ball is in like 2 weeks..and now I have to figure out what to do about my hair. Im going to make last minute hair and pedicure appointments..or do what I did the last time and just do everything myself and wonder what I would look like if I was professionally prettied.

also, we went to a baseball game last weekend and my horrible sunburn is starting to peel off. My entire forehead and ears are flaking in small chunks going up into my scalp. Its a lot of fun.

I did film for youtube and I feel like I have enough extra stuff for a life vlog which is everything I listed here so its probably ruined.

also our facility owner apparently hates me again for something he did that I didn't do so I'm yet again counting days of which its appropriate to have a gap in my resume before we move from here.

#illustration #sketchbook #sketch #drawing #artblog #animalart #artvlog #simbafanart #sarabi #tlk #thelionking #elpasocomiccon #comiccon #pinkcafe #cutecafe #tlkmerch

7 notes · View notes

justanotherwildfangirlsstuff · 4 months

Text

Percy Jackson Disney+ series Ep. 1 & 2 Review (SPOILERS BELOW THE CUT)

This is WAY better than the movies and thank god for that. Now this is not entirely book accurate, and while I do like in general what they have altered, there were some things that made me go

I am very glad that they did a 2 episode release because that first episode would’ve probably turned folks away from it, second episode was much better in pacing.

Spoilers below

Ep. 1

First off, I love how they named the episodes after chapters in the books, such a fun reference, but it doesn’t make all that much sense given a little those titles actually have to do with the episode. This was such an exposition dump that it kind of made it clear that the show is for the book fans and not kids. They were clearly trying to get the main world building out of the way so they could get to the action parts of the story.

I really disliked how they handle the Dodds scene. Compared to the Dodds in the movies, I think that actually looked better than what this was in terms of character design- The fury in the TV series looked goofy and not scary at all. Aside from character design, the mist only does so much, and I disliked how Dodds attacked Percy out in the open like that since even with the Mist, it would’ve still look like someone attacking or some kind of fight happening. In the books, Grover and Chiron clearly knew Dodds was some kind of monster, but didn’t know for certain what kind. In the show when they say that the Mist was covering up Dodds too well that made no sense since both Grover and Chiron are monsters so the mist wouldn’t affect them. The Mist only affects mortals, which is why demigods are susceptible to the mist, but can kind of force themselves to see through it. On that note, I love the sequence of young Percy seeing things, and the mist then making it look like some thing else. That part was well done, and it made sense as to what it was being changed to such as that mechanical golden rhino being changed into a yellow dump truck. The Dodds scene took away from that unfortunately.

Also, Gabe was really docile in this. in the books, Gabe was a piece of shit who no one felt bad for once he was turned into a statue. Here this man says please and even tries to connect with Percy and it’s really weird. Yeah he’s obviously a deadbeat, but I don’t think this dude deserves to die right now. I hope they remedy this later because I don’t see the necessary hostility we need for later on.

Ep. 2

This was way better. Still some exposition dumping, but it was better paced and more natural. Dionysus is hilarious, great choice of actor and great attitude. Not giving the “I hate children” vibe but still sassy and fun. In my opinion, Grover being the one to figure out that Sally’s mom is still alive takes away from Percy‘s character. In the books, Percy used his knowledge of the Greek myths to figure out what he was going to do in the underworld and why he needed to go there. Here I do like that he was doing so much to figure out who his father was and how he needed more motivation to go on the quest because it makes sense. Also, seeing so much resentment against his dad shows how easy it could’ve been for Percy to turn out the same way, Luke would. on that note, the introduction of Luke, Annabeth, and Clarisse was really what I enjoyed about this episode the most. In the books, Luke is labeled as a friend, but we really don’t see too much genuine friendship there, except for the giftgiving and a few small talks. I like that they have Luke showing Percy around and helping him try to find out his talent instead of Annabeth, because it would really make it seem like they were actual friends, making the betrayal hurt all the more. This works especially well because right now, Luke is one of Percy‘s first and only friends at camp since he is still struggling with Grovers earlier betrayal. Annabeth stalking him was weird, but does kind of make sense for her to observe before making a move. I like that Percy doesn’t go into the water with the fight at the creek with Clarisse and instead it is Annabeth who pushes him in to confirm her suspicions. It makes more sense since the average person will try to stay out of the water in a fight. However, the fact that Percy is able to fight these people off without ever touching the water is weird since right now he doesn’t have any current training, except for his one lucky encounter with the Minotaur. Having said all this, this episode was way better than the first, but there is STILL NO ORACLE? AGAIN? what the heck guys??? the Oracle is technically the most important side character because it is what gives out quests, prophecies, and what Rachel Elizabeth Dare turns into. Right now, just being like “well Percy off to the underworld you go!” makes no sense to me. I hope the oracle makes an appearance in the next episode, otherwise I will be pissed that the Oracle got snubbed AGAIN.

Also, who tf was that dryad with Grover? Was that supposed to be Juniper? Or his mom 💀. If Juniper, shouldn’t she be looking around Grover’s age cuz trees also age slower? Really not sure who this is supposed to be

Overall acting

I am so sorry, but I don’t know if it’s because it’s the first couple of episodes, but there is not good synergy between Sally and Percy 😭 Obviously, each person can have their own opinion so if you like them, that’s great but I felt like I was watching actors read lines and not actually…act? This did not feel like a mother and son duo, same thing with Grover and Percy. the actors got a little better by the end of episode two, but they still don’t have a lot of facial or realistic reactions, especially whenever Percy is being introduced to something that would theoretically completely destroy his worldview. he looks like a blank slate 😭 I’m sure it will get better later on, but sometimes it really took me out of it with how stale the acting was. On that note, so many of the actors did such a good job!

in terms of my favorite to least favorite ones (so far in terms of character portrayal), it is as follows:

Clarisse, Dionysus, Annabeth, Luke, Chiron, Grover, Percy

I really want to emphasize how much I LOVE the actor who plays Clarisse. They did SUCH A GOOD JOB. I was originally a lil hesitant cuz book Clarisse is supposed to be super buff but this was truly 😚👌. Could really feel the scorn and meanness. That scream when her spear is broken? Look of rage to letting Percy go when the game ended? HOLY SHIT, that was some DAMN GOOD ACTING

Obviously, I am being quite harsh here, but I do have high hopes for this series and I’m sure as the actors work more together, they will end up having better chemistry with one another. This is just first impressions so far.

#tv shows #percy jackon and the olympians #percy jackson #percy pjo #pjo fandom #pjo series #percy series #pjo disney+#pjo tv show #grover pjo #pjo #annabeth pjo

19 notes · View notes

majaloveschris · 1 year

Text

Why nothing makes sense, part 3.

Papwalk and Disneyland edition

In this post, I will discuss what has happened since the NYC PR walk and give my opinion about it. We've pretty much already talked about these things; this is going to be a summarizer, and I will add more to my already shared opinions. I'd like to mention again that I'm not trying to change anybody's opinion. If you believe it's true, that's okay, but I'm here to tell you why I think it's not.

We got a picture of her yoga certificate after the paparazzi walk in Central Park. After visiting the page, I pointed out that it's an online course, so she was basically able to do this from anywhere she wanted; she didn't need to be there for those 200 hours, and there is no evidence she was there. I guess the reason she visited the place personally was to receive her certificate. I guess doing this course was both beneficial for her and for this whole PR thing; she did something she enjoys, and they made it look like she spent time in Atlanta, and of course if they have been "together" for a year, where else would she stay if not with Chris? Nobody has ever seen her there, and what was the point of doing the pap in NYC when they had been staying together for a while in Atlanta? They could've done the pap picture there, right? It would've looked more real and natural than walking in Central Park.

Then there was the Disneyland craziness. According to workers there, Chris was seen with his family, and he was recognizable; he didn't try to hide himself. Then we got the video of them being there together, recorded by an actress who also had a photo of Alba in her gallery; at the end of the video, we could've heard one of the girls say, "We are good." Until Friday, nobody had seen Alba there; they only saw Chris and his family. Now we know that on the same morning Chris took a picture with Mickey Mouse, changed, and put on that hat, making himself unrecognizable. Alba's tattoo, on the other hand, was clearly visible, ensuring that everyone knew it was her and that they were together. Interestingly, on later pictures, she wore the sweatshirt she had around her waist on the video. It felt like she needed to show the tattoo because otherwise nobody would've known for sure it was them, and I guess Chris didn't want people to recognize him while she was there with him. It's important to note that he had no problem with this earlier in the week. The video was similar to what we saw uploaded of them in NYC by fans and by online pages; there was no chemistry, they were rushing, and nothing would indicate on that video that they are actually together. Alba was trying to touch him, but he wasn't really happy about it, and he didn't reciprocate it. According to that anon's friend who I was talking to, we know the following: Alba arrived on Friday with a small suitcase; she didn't stay at the same hotel they did, and when Chris and his family left, Alba wasn't there with them. After people complained about them looking not even slightly happy or that they never smiled and just awkwardly walked next to each other, we received those "smiling" pictures from Carly, which we had already known about because blogs received asks stating that "an important somebody will post happy pictures." We also received one more of them sitting on a ride, which surprisingly didn't get out just days after they supposedly left Disney. In those pictures, I'd say Alba is trying, but Chris doesn't reciprocate it again. He has his hands either in his pocket or next to himself in a fist. Alba also had his hands in a fist when she put her hands on Chris's chest in the photo. All in all, their body language was still off in those pictures; it didn't feel like they were comfortable around each other or like they had been together for a year. They have no couple energy at all.

That's all we know now. These sightings and events have only made me more sure that it is PR.

Thanks for reading! ♥

#cevans-love #chris and alba pr

51 notes · View notes

msawesomegeek · 7 months

Text

Little mermaid 2023 Movie Review

A/N; hey look at me reviewing movies! And the day it was release on streaming service because I refuse to give Disney too much of my hard earned money!

Now there were some changes to the story, which we otherwise know, and I will say I have not watched the original in years, so besides some musical moments that I of course know the music by heart I wasn't actively trying to compare the two.

To make things simply I will go over style/tone and animation. Character, some story, music and overall thoughts.

I both really loved and hated the style change, it felt like tonally they were kind of unsure about what they wanted. The ship/shark scene at the beginning was really cool and actually scary, showed Ariel adaptive nature and ability to think on her feet (something I would have loved in Mulan), but the intensity of the saturation of the lighting coupled with the very intense action music, that never returned even for the climax, made it, weird. I felt a little like that with the shipwreck scene, scary and realistic but almost too intense with the score. These two moments just felt, too adult, or too intense and scary to belong with the rest of the movie and honestly in a kids movie! And there was a bit of a tonal clash for the rest of the movie with it trying to be light and magical coupled with the realism of it all, which could have been blended better. It felt insecure, tonally. Like if it would have just leaned heavier into either the realism or the magic, and I would personally prefer the magical version, because I think it suits the most of the movie, then it would have worked. But because it tried so hard to be realistic as well it lost some of its charm and magic along with it. Because these movies were so harsh it was kind of hard to enjoy Scattles musical number. And it saddens me because for a lot of this movie I did enjoy it! Again we have singing and dancing fish in "under the sea", and it was cool, but, would I have liked it to go insane over the top like they did with be our guest? Absolutely! Because the movie is asking me to accept the fact that fish sing and dance! The lagoon scene had this as well, where it was cool and magical but then had to "prove" it was still real every now and then, and it kind of punctured the ballon of this charming scene that had just been build!

Last which is a great Segway into character I wanted to touch on the animation. Was it good for the most part? Absolutely! I adored Ursulas tentacles and the way they were used! And most of the movie did look great! However, I would have liked a little more expression from Sebastian, because they gave him sort of movable eyelids or something that made him be able to have expressions. They just needed to use what they had more! Because sometimes his voice actor was giving it his all while there was a deadpanned crab on screen! And it did not mesh well. But when they DID use it, it just reminded you of why you wanted it all the time!

I did love Sebastian, amazing voice actor, funny but not in a way that stole focus. Same mostly goes for Scattle and Flounder. I mostly liked the way they interacted with Ariel.

Where Sebastian lacked animation and Ursulas tentacles had amazing animation, Melissa McCarthy I was disappointed in. Good singing, sure! But Oh my god, she lacked as much if not more facial expression than the animated Crab! I think it bothers me because I know Ursulas look is based on a drag queen, and because her tentacles were so dramatic, and honestly she is so dramatic. I wanted her to be that all the time. I was honestly bored during poor unfortunate souls, purely because I felt like her expression was giving me nothing. Just evil grin! Not glee not dramatization, not over the top and clearly fake pity! Like her body movement was so amazing and over the top I just wish that had just translated in her face as well! That and as for character developement, it was fine to have her there, but I would have liked just an ounce of affection shown to her two eels like, one throwaway line about: "You boys are the only ones who understand me." Anything! Because I really did LOVE her monster transformation happening because of them! I would have just loved to have that seed of a relationship sown earlier.

Ariels character also lacked some expressions some times but it was overall well acted and she was cute. The only thing I was meh about was her during Under the Sea. Mostly because I would have liked her to play along but be rolling her eyes when Sebastian wasn't looking, anything to make her disappearance at the end of the song justified. That and I loved her putting things in her mouth at random, however could they not just, like, once have her spit out the soap or flower disgusted with the flavor? Like?! Are we encouraging people to eat soap? The humor is that she eats it, just have her spit it out!

Eric. Eric. Eric. Eric. I really did LOVE what they did with his character, and there were scenes, moments, in the hall way on the ship on the lagoon, on the carriage, at the final battle. Where he was amazing and charming and the perfect character perfectly acted! I loved him getting some motivation! Didn't mind his song, but I will get to that one. But there were just moments, and I understand some of them, where he was not meant to be the focus on the scene. But it was almost like the actor FORGOT he was still on the clock and was just kind of there. And it sucked because if he had just acted the way he did in all of those other scenes, given it an ounce more expression, and emotion. He would have been amazing! The scene that hurts the most, and maybe it was due to direction or editing, but he has just lost THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE, his mother tells him they can never be together. You're holding the one piece of clothing, a last piece of her. Do you A look sad for one bloody moment then drop it in the sea? Or B) look at it devastated knowing you can never be together fighting to let her go, but knowing it is a cruel fate you have to face hugging it one last time wishing it was her before letting it go knowing you have to and after your mother puts a comforting hand on your shoulder. Can you guess which option they went with in the movie? HINT: IT wasn't B.

And again maybe it is style, direction, editing, I dont know. but the climax of the movie, is their kiss! There is a song bloody dedicated to it. I would have liked it to last longer, maybe have it be a bit more wow factor? Maybe that is just me? It just felt like, wow, kiss, mwua, done! Like there was a song about it, can we maybe make it a bit more epic looking? And don't argue that people kissing can't be made interesting because I have watched K-dramas and I know about every angle in which that can be done!

Anyways.

Touched on some story elements with characters before, but I wanna get on two last details that kind of annoyed me. One was the vagueness of Erics fathers death, which is like, did he do something to piss triton off? Did he kill Ariels mother? They kind of hinted at it, but in a way where there was no answer so it just felt weird to try!

The other that really annoys me, is Ariel stearring the ship into Ursula. As a detail of women saving themselves, fine, do not give a shit if it is her or Eric! However. She is a mermaid. She ate a flower, she uses a fork in her hair. HOW does she know on her FIRST TRY how to steer a ship?! Just have Eric or anyone show her how to steer once! Use half a scene on it! Just show us that this is now a skill she has, because it will still be dramatic and her having to do it without legs, but it would make her master of both worlds and really show look I know how to apply my old and new knowledge! It is just a detail, but it kind of infuriated me, because it would have made the climax much more impactful and knowing it could have been done smoothly. Even with just Eric trying first and failing and then her understanding and doing it would have been enough! Doesn't even have to be earlier. But anything to show her learning this skill would make it more impactful because that means we saw her both emotionally and physically learn to defeat the villain!

The music, was good. I did not mind the new songs, I did love the gossip song. Ariels flexing her runs was a little eh for me. I understand that they probably wanted to make it her own and change some notes, but it just took from the emotion, which she nailed in some parts, and someone showing off in a vocal riff just pulls you from the emotion. Musicals are about singing emotions! Musicals music are about when emotions become so big you have to sing them. Musical artists flex vocals yes, but they NEVER do so at the cost of the emotion of the song, or they are singing and not acting as well.

Erics, song. Oh Eric, Eric, Eric. Can you tell I have a weird relationship to this guy? The end of the song, was kind of good, I will admit his song did grow on me. I dont remember if there was a reprise before Ursulas entrance, but shame if there wasn't. However, musically I think the gossip song fit more in with the rest. I understand it is supposed to be his Aria, and Part of your world is special, but it just felt very, Les Miserable. It reminded me SO much of Valjean's Seliloquy, down to the tonality while he ran reminding me of the ripping the papers scene. It was just. It was bad, then it grew on me. I was confused as to if it was actually him singing it, and it seemed not his tone (maybe to be pitched a bit higher), and he may be in agony, but the song was musically just too les miserables for me, and I love Les mis!

Overall it was an okay moments, a lot of missed opportunities and places it lacked. Especially Ursula and Eric could have been improved. Where Cinderella remake and Aladdin remake had some magic and made me happy, the Mulan remake made me angry, and the Lion king made me just bored, this movie makes me kind of, sad. I think because I can see some choices they made, and how they genuinely tried. There were some amazing moments between Ariel and Eric, there were some great things, but because there was only a few changes that had to have been made to make it great it just made it, mediocre. I really wanted to like this movie. I really did like parts of this movie. But most of the time, I was thinking about what should have been.

So I give this movie a sad 3 out of 10 Dinglehoppers.

Tell me if you agree or disagree with me! Or if there is something you want me to review next.

Geek, out.

#movie review #movie #movie recommendation #movie reviews #rant #the little mermaid #little mermaid 2023 #disney live action #disney princess #Little mermaid review #Disney live action review

7 notes · View notes

plutominho · 2 years

Text

[2:34 pm] SUNSHINE IN MY EYES — I.N

✧ WRITTEN BY: galaxy

✧ GENRE: best friends to lovers(?), i imagined this as a late high school/early college au but it's never specified, fluff

✧ PAIRING: i.n/yang jeongin x gn!reader (ft. lee know)

✧ SUMMARY: you're on a summer road trip together and the view isn't the only thing catching your eye.

✧ WORD COUNT: 0.7k (a galaxy fic <1k ? who am i)

✧ NOTES/WARNINGS: extremely delulu. don't try this at home.

✧ TAGLIST: @svtbabiesrecs @svtbabies @felix-neverbad (message me if you want to be on the taglist!)

✧ A/N: if you enjoyed this fic, please reblog it. reblogs are one of the only ways to promote fics on this platform and i love seeing feedback on our fics :D

stopped working on the seungmin fic for a sec to stay up till 1:30 am on a work night to write this 🧎‍♀️ worth it

also yes it was inspired by a song brainrot (embedded below)

SONG REC: "sunroof" by nicky youre, dazy

“what are you doing?” you could practically hear the subtle tilt of jeongin’s head as he stifled a giggle, watching you stick your head out the window.

you opened your eyes for a moment, staring up at a small fluffy cloud dancing above you. “i’m basking,” you said, retreating your head out of the window and back into the moving vehicle. “well, i was. wasn’t it obvious?”

your best friend failed to hold back his laugh this time, his eyebrows threaded together in amusement. “sure, and you looked like a dog!” he pointed up, bringing your attention to the window above the two of you. “you know there’s a reason for that, right?”

the bright instrumentals of “rocketeer” by far east movement filled the car as you thought of a response. you could only utter out an “oh… right,” and you moved your hair in front of your ears to hide that they were turning red.

jeongin snickered at you as he shook his head. he reached up to retract the sunroof, allowing the warm sunlight to flood into the back row where you both sat. he clicked off his seatbelt and stood up, and gestured for you to follow. “come up here, this is way more fun!”

smiling at the boy, whose arms were outstretched outside the vehicle, you closed your side window and removed your seatbelt.

“if you two hurt yourselves up there, i’m leaving you at the next rest stop,” minho chastised from the driver’s seat.

“we won’t!” you rolled your eyes playfully, standing up next to jeongin.

immediately, you felt a cool breeze caress your cheeks as the car traveled down a slope. you closed your eyes, spreading your arms out in a similar manner as jeongin, allowing yourself to relax. jeongin was right; this was much more comfortable than your original method.

after a while, you propped an elbow against the roof of the car, your chin resting on the palm of your hand. letting your gaze wander, you took in your surroundings. rich, green leaves of palm trees swayed under the summer breeze, a shadow of one occasionally flicking past the car as you drove past one. you could spot the ocean line from miles away, its gentle waves seemed to sparkle under the clear sky. it could not get more perfect than this.

actually, it could.

you found yourself stealing glances at the boy beside you, and he quickly became the star of the show for you. you admired the way the summer sun kissed his skin, and hit his eyes in such a way that you could count the flecks of hazel within them. the breeze flowed through his blonde hair almost flawlessly, as if he was the dashing prince in a disney movie. a blissful smile spread across his face as he closed his eyes, taking in the utter beauty of the day. meanwhile, you took in the utter beauty of him.

the breeze suddenly hit you both harder, causing jeongin to let out a yelp and scrunch up his face. chuckling awkwardly, he ran his hands through his hair in an attempt to fix it. you did the same, taking a minute to regain your composure.

he smiled at you sheepishly. “i wasn’t expecting that.”

you nodded. “me too.”

you continued to stand out the sunroof together in silence, you occasionally stealing a glance at jeongin. at some point, you must have let your gaze linger a moment too long, because he noticed you staring and smiled back affectionately.

you turned away in embarrassment, hiding your reddening cheeks from him. “sorry,” you mumbled.

jeongin chuckled, feeling a blush of his own creep up his face.

another silence filled the air around you two. you tried stealing one more glance after a minute, and he happened to look at you at the same time.

“enjoying the view?” jeongin teased, nudging your side.

you felt your cheeks heat up again and you rolled your eyes, “you wish.”

he smiled shyly, scratching at the back of his neck. “you know what’d be fun?” he said in an attempt to hide his embarrassment.

you hummed in response.

“what if i climbed on top of the car?” he said jokingly, sending you a mischievous grin.

playing along, you stared at him challengingly. “if you fall off, it’s your fault.”

jeongin giggled, holding his hands up in surrender. “i’m kidding, i’m kidding!”

little did you know, he already did fall.

fall for you.

— please like + reblog (no empty reblogs) if you enjoyed this fic!

masterlist

#ficscafe #pluto.imagines #skz #stray kids #skz imagines #stray kids imagines #skz x reader #stray kids x reader #jeongin #i.n #yang jeongin #jeongin x reader #jeongin fluff #jeongin fanfic #jeongin imagine #stray kids jeongin #i.n imagine #i.n fluff

97 notes · View notes

thealmightyemprex · 1 year

Text

Disney Requests REview : The Aristocats

Requested by @goodanswerfoxmonster ,Im gonna talk about the Aristocats .This one is actually a childhood favorite of both of us ,and he wanted to know what I think of the movie as an adult .It is true this was a favorite of mine as a youngster,its definately the 70's Disney film I latched onto the most .As I got older I have found it has people who dismiss it or straight up dont like it ,however.....I still like it,despite completely getting why people wouldnt latch onto it

This 1970 film follows Duchess (Eva Gabor ) a mother cat with three kittens ,all set to inherit a large fortune from their owner the former opera singer Madame Adelaide Bonfamille (Hermoine Baddley ),when they are kidnapped and abandoned in the French country side by the butler Edgar (Roddy Maude-Roxby ) ,who seeks the fortune himself ,so the cats gain the help of a street wise alley cat Thomas O'Malley (Phil Harris ) who guides them on their way back to Paris

So lets start with what doesnt work,I feel for Edgar too much .See EDgar is a good loyal butler,and only turns on the cats cause he is afraid they will outlive him.Its not like he hates the cats or wants to kill them ,he is just a desperate guy ,and while I love our heroes ,I'm sorry but I get Edgars motive.SEe if the will said he'd have to take care of the cats to get the money and he didnt want to ,that would be one thing but no ,the cats are inheriting FIRST and he only gets the money after they die .I think what they needed to do was make him MORE resentful or MORE greedy .I ve seen some of the early stuff about Edgar which emphisize him as a manipulator and a greedy monster ,and wish they went that direction (Also originally he was going to be played by Boris Karloff and Elsa Lanchester was going to play a maid with a crush on him ,wouldnt that have been fun ,have a Frankenstein reunion ) .I also just think as an antagonist hes just bad ,hes got his funny momrnt but there is just no menace

Also be warned one of the characters is a Chinese sterotype

That said I like the rest of the movie .This film is low stakes so it is a pretty light and fun watch ,got a chill vibe to it . I like the wacky side characters especially a energetic yet very elderly lawyer George (Played by legendary character actor Charles Lane ) and the drunkengoose Uncle Waldo (Played by Disney veteren Bill Thompson in his final role ) .There are two funny chase sequences involving Edgar and two dogs voiced by Pat Butram and George Lindsey ,that are highlights of the film .My absolute favorite scene however is when we meet Scat Cat voiced by the legendary Scatman Crothers who treats us to the ver underrated "Everybody Wants To Be A Cat ",its a hell of a fun show stopper and best part of the film

I also really adore our two leads ,Eva Gabor and Phil Harris deliver good performances ,O'Malley in particular has a swagger about him I like(With a great intro song ) and I legit think they have one of the most belivables and swettest romances in Disney

Question time

1. What do you think of the character animation? I always felt that the kittens didn’t move like kittens—don’t get me wrong, nothing wrong with the designs, but at best they move like adult cats. Oliver from Oliver and Company is how kittens move.

I like the animation on Duchess and O Malley ,but I agree about the kittens

2. …Duchess is like pretty hot, right?

This movie definately awoke some furries

Overall I enjoyed revisiting this movie,its flawed but I still love it

@ariel-seagull-wings @themousefromfantasyland @princesssarisa @filmcityworld1 @the-blue-fairie @angelixgutz @amalthea9

20 notes · View notes

imalwaysinconfusion · 9 months

Text

this is gonna be about Nebuya’s parents and how he came to be born, and is my first time doing HCs so please bear with me :)

His dads name is Andwele/Andi and he is from Tanzania 🇹🇿 and his moms name is Alisha (idk, it’s giving that forme) and she is a black american and they met in middle school (american school system)

Alisha would bully tf out of Andi bc he was the new and he was not having so he kept the same energy but cussed her out in Swahili that shut her up

she liked that and tried to be friends with him afterwards AND IT WORKED by the time they hit 7th grade they became friends and he also taught her a bit of Swahili actually

When they got high-school they gained feelings for each other freshman year and they both knew this, Alisha was waiting on Andi to make the first move but she got impatient and just straight up asked him to be her boyfriend

he said yes while standing in shock like this: “😮”

they got together and became INSEPARABLE, you couldn’t see one w/o the other <3

After graduation and being awarded valedictorian and salutatorian (i’ll let you decide which one got what) Alisha, being the baddie she is, joined the Army and Andi went to college for Software Engineering

When Alisha when to basic training it was hard on them bc it was the first time they have been separated like this without any contact but being the strong willed people they are they got through it

After she got back from basic Andi surprised her with a trip to California Disney for completing the grueling training she went through (she cried up a storm) and he just needed a break from classes

On the last day of the trip they went to see the fireworks show at the castle and he proposed to her and she said yes 🥹

Right after the proposal Alisha got right to work on planning the wedding, Andi had no say in the wedding because he said he didn’t want to “ruin her special day”

BUT she made him pick the color scheme which was blue and white (WHICH ATE BTW)

After a 1 year and 6 months of planning, preparing, and being perplexed about the wedding and about being engaged they said “i do” and went straight into the honeymoon phase

BUTTT that didn’t last long because she got orders to be stationed in Tokyo, Japan which they were both very excited about.

They had 3 months to learn as much Japanese as they could and they learned enough to hold a small conversation

When they arrived to Japan, Alisha found out she was pregnant!!! (they wanted to keep the gender a secret) so she had to go on leave and stayed home which she could handle by herself

Andi at the time started a engineering job for one the top 7 software companies in japan, but don’t worry he still made time for Alisha and took care of her any way she needed

but he still felt bad about not being home enough so he bought a dog to keep Alisha company ( she was an Akita named Star)

By the time her 3rd trimester came they were very nervous about the birth

when i mean “they” i just mean Andi, Alisha had to smack him a couple times to get him to calm down and act straight

then one faithful morning Alisha’s water broke but she was didn’t notice so she was just peeing thinking she just drank too much fluids

Then Andi was like “girl your water broke” and she said “oh that makes sense🧍🏾‍♀️” and they went to hospital

When they got to the hospital (they are both fluent atp) and told the staff what they needed to get for Alisha

and alas OUR BIG BABY NEBUYA EIKICHI WAS BORN

And mean like 9 pounds 9 ounces big, he was a chunky baby (the BEST babies btw)

After the birth one of Alisha’s commanders said that they could move back to the states since Big E (yes that is his nebuya’s nickname)

But Alisha said “i am not about to leave a country when i spent months cramming the language in my head… we staying”

The end :)

a/n this was just random and this is cannon ( i was Alisha’s left big toe) hope y’all enjoyed it!!

#knb #kuroko no basket #confusion speaks🦕#kuroko’s basketball #kuroko tetsuya #generation of miracles #rakuzan high #rakuzan #uncrowned kings #gom #akashi seijirou #chihiro mayuzumi #reo mibuchi #kotaro hayama #nebuya eikichi

17 notes · View notes

bogkeep · 1 year

Text

now, i'm not a Movie Review Guy, and have in recent years found that i prefer to keep my Media Watching Experience more to myself, but i watched both puss in boots: the last wish and strange world in the cinema just now and i DO need to yell a little bit.

these two movies aren't related beyond being Two Animated Movies Being Available To Me At The Same Time, (and i saw them both dubbed to norwegian,) but i feel like the difference in Expectations VS Reality is fun :') the strange world recommendations came by way of tumblr going "YOU HAVE TO SEE IT BECAUSE THERE IS AN ACTUALLY ON-SCREEN GAY PROTAGONIST IN IT AND DISNEY ISN'T PROMOTING IT LIKE AT ALL" which is true, although i reaaaally don't like the concept of "this movie is having a rep but isn't getting attention and therefore you MUST see it so they get the message that it's marketable" like I KNOW... WE LIVE IN A SOCIETY.... i just prefer to watch movies for fun and not to make a statement... but ALSO it's an adventure movie and i DO miss adventure movies. some of my favourite movies of all time are atlantis: the lost empire, treasure planet, and sinbad: legend of the seven seas. i am VERY easy to please, just give me some vibes and some creatures and preferably some charismatic characters if you've got some to spare. i'm probably the only person on the planet that thought The Good Dinosaur (2015) was a nice movie because i liked the vibes of it. so i figured strange world is at LEAST going to be pleasant to watch on a big screen! like it's a perfectly decent movie. disney has every resource in the world so their BASELINE is decent movies. it's very pretty, i DO like visuals, the atmosphere is nice, and they play the instrumental parts from lone digger by caravan palace at some point to my absolute delight. there is at least one shot i thought was absolutely stunning and impactful. the message is also a good one! like it's all Very Fine. i was right about watching it on a big screen and i'm glad i went. but it's... my impression of it is very much in line with my feeling about how disney movies are just getting Too Smooth for me. obviously as an adult i want media with some more crunch to it! something a little more complex!!! i know this movie is for kids!! but like it just feels like they're playing it SO safe. very "i heard kids these days like stories about generational trauma... an environmental message... explicit gay rep... people of color... cool and badass women...." so they tailor made this movie to be the safest bet possible AND THEN DIDN'T EVEN PROMOTE IT?????? and like i think all of those checklist points are swell things to have in movies and i do not doubt the people who made it put a lot of love and care into this!! it's a fine movie!! but it could have been MORE... it could've had some crunch... some flair... like i get that atlantis has its issues but at least atlantis had some BITE to it, a little bit of commander rourke going "i prefer the term adventure capitalist :) if we returned every artefact to their culture our museums would be empty :)" like hot damn

maybe the dub made the dialogue stand out weirdly but i felt like 90% of the dialogue in this movie was just "but i'm NOT you, dad!!!!" AND IT GETS A LITTLE HEAVY HANDED... they could have done a teensy bit more showing and a little less telling. like i don't know if kids enjoy watching familial disputes THAT much, especially if they're there for Funky Creatures. it forgot to have a little bit of Fun and Shenanigans!!! so anyway yeah it was kinda mediocre, i had a perfectly ok time, still think it's absolutely bonkers how there's just absolutely no advertisement like. what gives i didn't even realize there was a Second puss in boots movie until i saw a gif of Cool Sickle Wielding Wolf. and like, the first puss in boots movie is... forgettable. like it sure exists! it sure has puss in boots in it!! from shrek!!! it's a shrek spinoff but with less of the satire that made shrek popular!! so it's like, why WOULD you go see a SECOND puss in boots spinoff movie all this time after the shrek franchise heyday? BECAUSE IT HAS A COOL SICKLE WIELDING WOLF. and then you see it and it's like HANG ON THIS ANIMATION IS KINDA GOOD. and then you're like WAIT I'M ACTUALLY INVESTED. and then you're like WAIT I'M HAVING FEELINGS??? and at the end you're like HOLY FUCK WHY DID THIS MOVIE GO SO HARD. yes it's a little sappy and a little predictable and doesn't lean into any of the satire and cynicism you'd expect from a shrek spinoff BUT IT HAS THE GALL TO BE SINCERE. like im starting to feel more and more >:( when i can feel movies PURPOSEFULLY tugging on my heartstrings to make me cry with CHEAP TRICKS but this movie GENUINELY. MADE ME TEAR UP IN WAYS THAT FELT WARRANTED. it went "yeah maybe it's a little corny, a little cringe even, but wouldn't it be nice to just enjoy life? :)" and like man, is it speaking UP AGAINST the cynicism towards fairytales THE SHREK FRANCHISE POPULARISED?? HELLO???? like yeah maybe i'm overhyping it. who's to say. BUT if you want to see a cool as fuck sickle wolf that is genuinely terrifying in the most awesome way...................... we can all enjoy a cool sickle wolf every now and then i think

#im procrastinating packing for my travel tomorrow

20 notes · View notes

vergilsama922 · 1 year

Text

My completely unnecessary Marvel Phase 4 Review

Right so I been spending the past 2 weeks thinking about the MCU phase 4 and my thoughts on all the projects and also perceptions towards it. Is it worth writing out a college-level essay? Nope. But hey I'm a super fan so here we are XP I don't expect this to get more than 2-3 likes anyhow :P Let's begin. I'll even throw in pictures since I'm so nice ;D

WandaVision (8/10):

A really great, unique piece of subtle and poignant storytelling with great writing, acting, and directing.. until the final episode which felt rushed, and formulaic and didn't utilize Agatha to her full potential compared to the mystery that surrounded her the entire series. Also rushed Wanda's journey into acceptance when instead, that should have been saved for MoM with WV setting up the Darkhold and its corruption better to lead into MoM more smoothly. Still, I absolutely adored the sitcom aspects of the show and the ongoing week-to-week mystery. Mephisto memes were born here!

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (8.75/10):

What this series does well, it does extremely well, but what it also suffers from some severe problems. Thankfully the good things are more than the bad and that makes the series enjoyable. The racism aspect, Sam's arc, Isaiah's story, and the symbolism and subtext about the faults of America were all done amazingly! Bucky and John Walker felt a tiny bit underused and not as developed as they could have been, but still were incredible. The Flag-smashers and Sharon needed a lot more time and better writing to make the audience care about them. In general, the series tried to do A LOT with little time, which also made the finale a bit underwhelming. It needed at least 2 more episodes and better pacing/editing to make it feel more serialized rather than a movie sliced in parts, as well as some better writing for its villains and it could have been one of Marvel's best projects yet. Still, it's easily my favorite Disney plus show and let's not forget how incredible Zemo is and his awesome dance skills

Loki (9/10):

One of Marvel Studios' best storytelling endeavours yet. Amazing character development, some of the most philosophical themes that Marvel has touched on, and a very well-built world that feels both grounded and fantastical at the same time. Also some of the most visually beautiful cinematography, production design, and directing as well Marvel's best original score. This series truly felt and was epic and still stands as Marvel Studios' best D+ show. That said, it needed a bit tighter pacing and a meatier, less lenient story with more layers. Episodes 3, 4, and especially 5 felt quite empty and repetitive from a story and character progression standpoint and could have been compressed in 1.5/2 episodes. But I love the overall tone of it feeling like a Doctor Who show and the aesthetics of the TVA. And let's not forget Jonathan Majors insane performance as He Who Remains. Not to mention Loki falling in love with Loki, Our Loki getting a ton of character development, and Sylvie effectively ruining the multiverse. Thanks, Sylvie. (人◕ω◕)******

Black Widow (7.25/10):

The movie was just fine. Nothing more than that. It also came out too late (Thanks Perlmutter) and that coupled with its flat storytelling, especially surrounding the Red Room, and the truly unnecessarily extreme action made the movie feel like it had zero stakes and it ended up being forgettable and uninteresting. I have rewatched it since it first came out though and I actually enjoyed it more the second time around. I especially loved the first half with Natasha and Yelena. Unfortunately, the second half struggles to balance the Red Room threat and the family arc, making the catharsis and arc completion in the final act lacking and not-as-climactic. But at least we got Yelena who is one of my favorite new characters introduced!

What if...? (6.5/10):

A great concept with some great ideas, but it ultimately felt like 20 minutes to each episode wasn't nearly enough to properly tell most of these stories. That said, the animation was amazing and for an MCU fan, the series is still enjoyable enough to get through once. I mean there were some bangers like the zombies episode (@pyropsychiccollector loves it alot (人◕ω◕) ) and the Ultron episode at the very end. I also enjoyed the Captain Carter stuff and when Killmonger betrayed Iron-man but it definitely was the studio's first step into animation so they're going to be unrefined. Hopefully, by season 2 they have a better idea of what to work with.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (8.5/10):

A good, but rather formulaic origin story that was elevated to a great movie due to its strong lead, its beautiful and smooth cinematography and action choreography, its culturally unique story, and its great use of flashbacks that made for very compelling storytelling, tied to the cultural themes of memory that the film so gracefully explores. Not to mention that Wenwu is INCREDIBLE! One of the best MCU villains so far and his love/grief is strong storytelling. Honorable mentions of Katie and Xialing as well. Definitely, a strong start for a new character on the big screens even though it has issues to iron out

Eternals (7.75/10):

Much like TFATWS, this is a movie that tried to do too much. Too many characters, too many plotlines, and too many themes. And its runtime didn't allow it to reach the great potential that it had, making the ending fall flat and not really all that satisfying, especially with its cliffhanger, making this feel like a part 1 to a 2-part story narrative that may not even get concluded in this saga. That said, even with the time they had, Zhao and the Firpos made almost all the characters really well-rounded and realized and each with their own unique personality, struggles, and character arc, making them instantly iconic and likable, investing the audience in an otherwise quite long-winded story. But I will say the cinematography is absolutely stunning and Ikarus's dilemma at the end was textbook Shakespearean. And yes Tiamut WILL be a core thing moving forward in Phase 5, don't you worry. Also, Black Knight and Blade tease at the end~

Hawkeye (8.5/10):

A really fun, entertaining, heartfelt, emotional, and genuine Christmas action/adventure that knows what it is and doesn't try to outdo itself. My only complaint is that, like Eternals and TFATWS, they tried to do a lot and failed to give the appropriate weight to all of it. Yelena and Kingpin needed to appear earlier and they needed to better establish Kingpin's character and his relationships with Maya and Eleanor. Other than that, the show is the project that made me tear up the third most and it is a testament to Renner and Steinfeld's outstanding acting and the writers' simple, yet incredible exploration of their characters and their relationships with their families. It's funny though because originally I would've rated this a 6/10 when I first went through it but on the rewatch it was a lot stronger than I gave it credit. Also, Jack is a treat. And that damn musical LMAO

Spider-Man: No Way Home (9.25/10):

An almost perfect movie all around. Great writing, direction, cinematography, action, plot, structure, pacing, and a satisfying and very emotional conclusion to decades of storytelling. That said, the plot during the first half of the first act felt very convenient and sloppily-written, and was there just for the film to happen. It is completely understandable due to COVID reshuffling the release dates of this and Dr. Strange: In The Multiverse of Madness, but it still takes you a bit out of the narrative HOWEVER let's be fair. We ALL lost our shit when we saw Tobey and Andrew show up again! Even William as Green Goblin and Jamie Foxx as a MUCH better Electro. And Aunt May's death was the second movie in Phase 4 that made me cry like a baby. This movie was simply the perfect way to end Peter's prequel trilogy and now he will truly be Spider-Man moving forward.

Moon Knight (8.5/10):

An amazing, refreshing character piece with some of the best acting the MCU has seen with Oscar Isaac and Ethan Hawke. Really interesting and compelling storytelling, but with a mediocre and rehashed story. Also the different tones: the horror mystery of Episodes 1 and 2 and the adventure of episodes 3 and 4, the more serious psychological deep dive of episode 5, and the over-the-top super-hero action of episode 6 felt like they were colliding with each other, often making the series feel a little unfocused and not knowing what it wanted to do. That said, the plotting and structure were actually really good and they utilized the 6-episode structure really well unlike most of the shows. The pacing felt great and the slow character exploration of both Marc and Steven until the climax of their story in episodes 5 and 6 was remarkable. And I won't be remiss to bring up "It's your turn to lose". @pyropsychiccollector won't let that go XDD But seriously, Oscar Isaac absolutely gave an Oscar-level performance as Marc, Steven, and Jake. Check out Assembled: Moon Knight on Disney plus to see the insane work put into this show!

Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (8/10):

A very good story with great themes, ideas, and character arcs with.. some problems admittedly. Michael Waldron's slow, character-focused, introspective script and thematical ideas are jumbled and don't get as much focus and gravitas in Sam Raimi's unnecessarily frantically-paced, intense, action-packed, slasher horror. The writer and director are both amazing on their own, but they didn't work well together. That said, they each held each other back too. Without Waldron's interesting and nuanced script, Sam would have a made semi-mindless slasher, and without Raimi, Michael would have made a very long and potentially boring and slow-paced movie. With that out the way, I REALLY enjoy Strange character arc and realization that he had to be the one to not hold the knife, unlike his variants. Wanda was also brilliant and her descent into madness made perfect sense if you've seen WandaVision but also how Wanda had a moment of clarity at the end and did the right thing. Of course, there's the Illuminati with Patrick Stewart back as Professor Xavier, Anson Mount as Black Bolt, and John Krasinski as Reed Richards. And of course, those death scenes were freaking brutal! Also honorable mention to America Chavez, yes I can hear some of you moan about another mentor relationship but I really did enjoy her energy on screen.

Ms. Marvel (7.25/10):

Just like Hawkeye, this is a more low-stakes, slice-of-life, fun, and genuine piece that showcases teenage struggle and Muslim and Desi culture in a realistic, down-to-earth and authentic, albeit sometimes simplistic way. It doesn't try to be more than that and it does really well with what it is. It is elevated A LOT by the unique and beautiful direction and art direction, especially in episodes 1,2,3, and 6 as well as the great and vibrant cast, particularly the passionate newcomer, Iman Velani who brought Kamala Khan to life better than anyone else could and is a bigger MCU nerd than me! But it is also severely brought down by the VERY underdeveloped and rushed villains and the odd pacing of episodes 4 and 5. That said, the series is good enough to be entertaining, even with its mishaps, and its surface-level "for kids/teens" aesthetic betrays the amount of passion and subtext put into the show. Also, I personally learned a little about the partition from this wonderful series.

Thor: Love and Thunder (7.5/10):

Despite the hate this has gotten online, I genuinely believe that this film is great, but definitely not perfect. The movie knows what it is and what it wants to do and spends no minute wasted. It is slow, ponderous, serious, mature, and emotional when it needs to be and that is not undercut by humor, unlike Ragnarok, but it's also funny, passionate, genuine, heartfelt, and tender when it needs to be and it nails both tones perfectly with a great balance between the 2, again unlike Ragnarok.

The somber and serious moments in Love and Thunder (every scene with Gorr, the entire Shadow Realm sequence, Thor and Jane's relationship building and flashbacks, Jane's scene at the hospital and then her death, the last scene with "Love and Thunder") were executed much better than Ragnarok's (there's no somber moment after Odin dies as Hela immediately comes and throws Thor into the zany Sakaar, and we barely see Thor mourne as Loki immediately appears and ruins Thor's prayer, Surtur is treated like a complete joke, 2 of the warriors 3 die a "non-warrior-y" death, Asgard's destruction is literally made into one of the worst jokes in the MCU).

In my opinion, Ragnarok treats itself much less seriously when its stakes feel much larger and more daunting and depressing, causing a tonal divide, while Love and Thunder are supposed to be a fun adventure because Jane is hiding her pain and suffering as she is TRYING to spend the last few days of her life on a crazy, fun, zany adventure on purpose. Jane is being silly because she CHOOSES to be silly and have fun in her last moments and Thor feels silly because he is falling in love all over again and is at a point in his character arc where he feels comfortable to let himself be silly and mess around.

On the other hand, Ragnarok makes its characters silly for no apparent reason, making that movie more like a stand-up comedy than an actual story unfolding in front of our eyes. That said, most of Ragnarok's jokes are better and feel more organically inserted in the dialogue, while most of Love and Thunder's jokes don't land as well and sometimes may even feel SNL-level, taking you away from the story. Once the rate of jokes significantly decreases and their quality increases in the second half of the movie, the story really shines and gets you much more invested.

Cast was all at the top of their game and holy shit Bale just poured his heart and soul so much into this, although he did need quite more time, both to live up to his name, but also to be established as a serious and multi-layered threat and make the plot meatier. The opening and the ending were so, so, so well done! Soundtrack and cinematography were top notch, it elevated the movie so much! If someone asks me what the meaning of life is, I will show them this movie. Find love and do what makes you happy every single day like it's the last. Don't wait, don't sit around and ponder what the meaning of life is, just go out there and live it with the people you love the most! The ending was so good and solidified this theme so well, that any flaws mostly go away for me, because of how much it hit me emotionally.

She-Hulk (8/10):

Let's start with what this show ISN'T.

Despite it seeming like a superhero show, it is not. It is a comic book show and it definitely has a lot of comic-bookiness and weirdness, but it doesn't really belong in the super-hero genre (even Jen herself doesn't want to be a hero until near the end) and it definitely doesn't belong in the action genre that Marvel Studios is known for. And I like that it actively turns the superhero genre on its head at the end and subverts people's expectations of the Marvel formula.

It is also not a show with a big, twisty, overarching story or deep characters. That's not what She-Hulk ever was or what it was striving to be. Both in the comics and in the MCU, She-Hulk was a silly, completely episodic, slice-of-life sitcom/courtroom comedy that tries to showcase and embrace the absurdity, weirdness, vibrance, and flamboyance of comic books, but also make fun of the flaws, repetitiveness and general silliness of the medium through meta-commentary.

It was also a progressive comic book that contrasted the timid life that a female lawyer lives, being unnoticed by her male counterparts and society in general, and her suppressing those problems to appease to societal norms, with the exuberant and confident She-Hulk that empowered Jen Walters to be the person she wants to be.

And Jessica Gao along with the whole team of writers and the 2 directors, Kat Coiro and Anu Valia, truly understood that and did an absolutely amazing job of translating it to screen in the best way possible.

What makes the show stand out is Tatiana Maslany's irresistible charm and great comedic performance along with the funny, witty and meta writing which allows the show to fully embrace its absurd and weird setting as well as expand the MCU's lore and world-building through the POV of semi-regular MCU citizens as well as the eyes of the law, but also the unique, quirky supporting characters and cameos (Hulk, Pug, Nikki, Madisynn, Wong, Abomination and his crew and of course Daredevil) and their relationship with each other and with Jen.

On the other hand, Titania, despite being marketed as the main villain, felt like a nothing character. Especially in the wedding episode which was a weak episode in general. She was just a nuisance and it was frustrating that the show made her feel like a bigger deal than she was. Much of it though definitely came from the promotional. Jameela Jamil had second billing and was often called the primary antagonist of the series and there was a whole Titania marketing campaign with her getting her own Twitter account.

Most of the stories (apart from the wedding) were really interesting and, as I have said above, really expanded the world of the MCU and showed us another side of it that I personally have always wanted to see. The finale was the boldest, most inventive, most insane thing Marvel Studios has done and I don't think it can be topped. It was just the number 1 "WTF" moment by a mile!

Werewolf by Night (8.5/10):

A short, great piece of storytelling and action with its own unique style. Where this 54-minute film really excels is in its stellar production design. First-time director Michael Giacchino makes this project in a throwback to the classic '30s horror films that first put Universal on the map. And the film takes advantage of it. Everything from its black-and-white aesthetic to its clever use of lighting and camera angles makes it one of the best singular-produced projects Marvel has done in all of Phase Four so far.

Werewolf By Night’s use of violence and horror also proves to be a standout. While not the most violent or bloody thing in the world, it’s definitely heavier than most of Marvel’s more family-friendly fare. And it bares its teeth (literally in this case) with a brutal final act that will leave unaccustomed viewers in shock.

Lastly, the film takes full advantage of its two lead actors. Gael Garcia Bernal is brilliant as the titular character and once his ferocious transformation occurs he physically owns every scene. Laura Donnelly as Elsa Bloodstone also contributes a stellar performance in her limited screen time but she chews up the scenery.

For all its greatness, and there is quite a bit, there is still one glaring problem that left me dissatisfied at the end of it. Clocking in at 54 minutes, it tells a lot of story for such a short period of time. It’s a blessing considering the previous 15 minutes shorts we used to get in the MCU, but I still wish with this level of a concept and high of production quality, we could have spent a little more time in this new corner of the Marvel Multiverse. And of course, as with every aspect of the MCU, this film does mostly stand out on its own without much, if any, connecting tissue. While that is a negative to some, I was glad we were able to focus on these characters instead of constantly trying to focus on where this short places in the wider universe. Ted is also one of the greatest new characters introduced in the MCU. Easily top 3 for me.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (10/10):

Easily my most favorite MCU movie of all time. My definition of what I consider a "Perfect" movie. An outstanding movie from whatever aspect you look at it. Writing, directing, cinematography, music, costume design, production design, cast performances, story, plot, pacing, editing, and storytelling. It just felt like the Phase 4 project with the most love and passion poured into it. So much so that Ryan Coogler didn't let one aspect of the movie be "mediocre" and didn't let one moment of screen time go to waste. It felt genuine, serious, mature, deep and it succeeded in the monumental task of continuing the narrative of the Black Panther franchise without its lead character, while also giving its ensemble cast the time to shine and develop other corners of Wakanda.

What was particularly strong apart from Shuri's acting and character arc was the villain, Tenoch Huerta's Namor, and the worldbuilding of Talokan as well as the geopolitical worldbuilding of the film that sets up the future of the MCU. As a sucker for the geopolitical and sociopolitical aspects of the MCU, this was the movie that fully met my needs and expectations. And the last point I'll make here is that this movie made me cry 5 times when I first watched and three times on the rewatch. The amount of emotion poured into this movie and it's themes and trauma that black people experience daily and generationally means this film has a very special place in my heart. This movie taught me it's okay to be angry and in pain but also taught me *HOW* to heal and move on. For this reason and the others I listed above easily makes this the best MCU movie for me. Honorable mention also goes to Riri who was incredibly charismatic and energetic from her first shot. Some people may see Riri as unnecessary but these people fail to recognize how Riri serves as an allegory to black americans and the energy/personality we have. And on top of just being a very likable person, she's also a super-genius? Let's gooooo~ Can't wait for her show and separating her from Tony Stark was a genius idea for the MCU.

Guardians of the Galaxy: A Holiday Special (8.75/10):

Just pure, unfiltered fun with great music and finally a good character arc for Mantis who had been left to the side in the previous MCU installments. Nothing more else I have to say other than watching this will become a Holiday tradition for me, just like Hawkeye became last year. Actually no. I do have to say that I was originally planning on skipping this but I'm SO SO glad I didn't. All I'll say is this. "YOU'LL NEVER ESCAPE ME BACON!!!!"

I would also like to talk a little bit about the Phase 4 unnecessary overhating and the toxic nitpicking.

Partially, it is definitely caused by nostalgia clouding the flaws of the Infinity Saga and thus making the flaws of Phase 4 stand out more.Another part is also the desensitization to the genre and the formula and that is even more amplified by 2 bonus facts:

the audience that grew up with the MCU and felt that magic that it brought in their pre-teen/teen/young adult years has grown up now and that same magic will never be brought back.

The age you experience a stimulus plays a VERY important role about whether that becomes a positive or negative stimulus, not only because of the difference in your comprehensive capacity, but also because young brains experience things under a completely different light. What might seem magical, world-shattering and insane to a young brain might seem pretty neutral and dull by an adult mind.

2. Marvel Studios has oversaturated the market with superhero stuff and Disney's other company, Lucasfilm, is also oversaturating the sci-fi/fantasy/action/adventure megagenre that most blockbusters belong into as well. And because there's this notion that's been ingrained in MCU fans' brains that they NEED to watch everything Marvel Studios puts out otherwise they will be lost in the next installment, people have gotten tired of trying to catch up with the MCU and to some it may seem more like a chore or homework.

Back on the nostalgia bit, Phase 3 also imbued people with this emotion that comes with finality and with culmination. Marvel Studios offered its fans a drug that's called hype and build-up and during IW and EG, everybody got so high on it that people feel the need for an overarching threat and plot to be established right away and for every project to lead into the next event.

They can't wait for Marvel Studios to take a breath, rebuild and expand the universe, deal with the consequences of IW and EG and slowly set up all the new players, the new threats, the new corners, the new teams and the new rules that will be important in building up the next event properly.

That's why cameos and post-credits scenes and spoilers and connections have become so important now. Sometimes so much so that some fans forget to see the projects for what they are.

However Marvel Studios themselves are not completely hands-off on this turn-off for the MCU. They have made many flaws this Phase, many of them attributed to COVID changing the filming schedules and the release dates and thus the stories to some extent and how these are told, but also many of them attributed to Marvel Studios not choosing the right people for some projects or not giving them enough time to tell the stories they wanted to tell. And when there are many consecutive projects that didn't live up to their own potentials as stories, there's this sour aftertaste that's left in people's mouths. And of course, Bob Chapek being an absolutely AWFUL leader and restricting/overworking Feige.

On top of that, toxicity and negativity has gotten off the charts in the world the last couple of years, and especially on the internet of course. COVID created and gave light to many conspiracy nuts and made people angry at each other and I'm not even gonna mention how the political state of the world deteriorating every moment is contributing to that as well as to people's edginess. So these flaws and mistakes get more amplified on the internet now than they were before.

I also think the fans amplify them on purpose, because the lack of an overarching plot made them less and less interested in these projects, so the general lack of interest in the MCU made them see some of the projects with a more negative bias.

For example, Thor: The Dark World was a meh movie but it introduce the reality stone and the Collector, all stuff that people knew were gonna play a bigger role in the future and that made them see the movie under a different light because they were interested in the universe that it was part of and how it's going to affect it. That's also why the reception to AoU has changed over the years once more and more of its world-building and set-ups started paying off and proved really important.

But the MCU is different now. It's not following that same structure where each movie is a very important episode with all the episodes following the same story that leads to the finale. Before, the MCU felt like an Avengers TV show with 2-hour episodes. It legitimately felt very, very similar to Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes and I think Feige took a lot of inspiration from that show and still is considering The Kang Dynasty was literally the name of one of its episode.

Now, we've entered the era of the actual Marvel Cinematic UNIVERSE. A web of stories with an insane amount of characters doing very different things in their own little corners of the universe with some of these corners occasionally overalapping and interacting. That's the structure of storytelling that the comics followed from the 60s till the early 00s.

It was only after ca. 2005 that Marvel Comics started its obsession with events that brought literally the entire universe together every few months with all solo runs in-between acting as pre-ludes and interludes for these events. And that's what the MCU fans have come to know now, which makes this new structure of individual, self-contained, "filler" stories something odd and unnatural for MCU fans.

And of course, since all these "episodes" of the Infinity Saga TV show were part of the same story, they also felt much more cut of the same cloth. Similar tone and style, similar stories. And that tone and style was designed to appeal to the widest audience possible. The MCU has diversified its style, tone, types of stories and the target audiences for each of its projects are now very, very different.

Finally, there are some people who saw the MCU as "Cap and Tony". They were the much of the audiences' anchors in this universe and without them, it just feels like all these are side-stories. For these people, the MCU ended with Endgame. For these people, the MCU was a TV-show with 22 2-hour episodes and now everything post-Phase 3 is just spin-offs; post-game campaigns.

And they are the players who close the game once the main story is done.

All in all, it was a good, enjoyable, fun, but also heartbreaking and emotional 2 years and while nowhere near perfect, Phase 4 introduced some great characters, had some great stories and some great threads for Phase 5 and 6 to explore. Will definitely look back with fond memories and nostalgia when the Multiverse Saga eventually comes to a close and I beliebe some stories will become retroactively better.

25 notes · View notes