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agentnico · 28 days

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Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024) review

Jack Black’s new version of “Hit Me Baby One More Time” is great. In all honestly all of Tenacious D’s covers are superb. Their take on “I Think I Love You” for Croods 2 slaps as hard as Will Smith’s palm against Chris Rock’s face. Apologies, I just watched the new Bad Boys trailer so that momentary awards moment has sprung back into my mind.

Plot: After Po is tapped to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace, he needs to find and train a new Dragon Warrior, while a wicked sorceress plans to re-summon all the master villains whom Po has vanquished to the spirit realm.

For some reason I presumed Kung Fu Panda 3 was the ending to the trilogy and the story was over. Then again Hollywood wants to keep making more money and this animated franchise has been highly successful for DreamWorks till now, so of course it was only a matter of time. To give them props though, DreamWorks has been on a bit of a hot streak recently with The Bad Guys - a visually-pleasing heist flick; Croods 2 - hilarious riot; this year’s Orion and the Dark - a fun concept with a mind-bending ending; and of course Puss in Boots: The Last Wish which is an animated masterpiece. There, I said it. The Puss in Boots sequel is fantastic and I won’t hear otherwise! As such even though the trailers weren’t showing too much promise, I went into Kung Fu Panda 4 optimistically, hoping it’s not just a needless cash-grab.

Right, yep, it’s a cash-grab through and through. You can tell the writers were really trying to milk some kind of an idea for a plot, and all they could come up with is Po needing to find a new Dragon Warrior in his place. Not the most original concept as is, and one that in the end feels really rushed, and his choice for his replacement is one that feels unsatisfying. The main villain also is really weak. A chameleon voiced by Viola Davis, and though visually the shape-shifting gimmick works really well, narratively this character has hardly anything to do, let alone be in any way intimidating. I recall in one of the previous films the villain was Lord Shen, who was introduced as someone who has killed Dragon Warriors before. What’s the scariest thing this chameleon now does, you may ask? She lightly pushes someone down the stairs. That’s it.

Another rushed aspect of the movie is that many voice actors from the previous films are needlessly ditched either with a lame excuse for their absence, or not giving them any lines and the characters appearing in silence. Like a big selling point in the marketing is that we get to see all the villains from the previous entries come back. A fun idea, however aside from Ian McShane as Tai Lung the other villains only appear as if they’re in a silent movie. Are you telling me that DreamWorks really couldn’t afford to get Gary Oldman to record a couple of lines on his phone and send them over? It’s like if Spider-Man: No Way Home had all the old Spidey villains from previous films come back, but they just stand about silently doing nothing. How crap would that have been? So yes, this really cheapens the movie.

Visually the film looks great. It’s mad to see how the animation has progressed as this series of movies has gone further. Particular attention has been given to the background environments that look gorgeous! Great use of colours and detail. A chase sequence through a city of thieves is a particular eye-popping set piece, that even gives Hans Zimmer the small opportunity to have some fun with the music score during it.

As for the voice cast - Jack Black is a charisma machine! He’s an icon and of course Po is just Jack Black being himself, but he has so much energy in his line delivery that he carries this movie fully on his shoulders. Awkwafina is also in this movie. Look, the reason I’m pointing that out is that if one looks at her filmography since 2019 she’s voiced characters in Little Mermaid, Migration, Kung Fu Panda 4, Bad Guys, SpongeBob: The Movie, Raya and the Last Dragon, The Dark Crystal Netflix series, Angry Birds Movie 2…. That’s so much!! What does she have on these animation studios that they keep hiring her? She’s not the only female voice actor out there. And I’m sorry, she’s not even that great of a voice actress, and I wasn’t a fan of her here either. Dustin Hoffman kind of just lingers about questioning his life, Bryan Cranston and James Hong have some amusing co-dads banter, Ian McShane being back as Tai Lung was lovely, and Ke Huy Quan is the usual ball of excitable energy that he always is.

Unlike Puss in Boots where the wait for the sequel was more than worth it, Kung Fu Panda 4 feels as if the franchise may have run its course and the writers have simply ran out of ideas. There’s a “been there done that” aura surrounding this whole movie, and again it’s not terrible, but more so just passable. There’s nothing new here, simply retreading old territory. I’m sure if you take your kids with you to see it though they’ll probably have a good time. Probably. That “Hit Me Baby One More Time” cover though - hell yeah!

Overall score: 5/10

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thepringlesofblood · 1 year

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Casting My Opinions Into The Void: d20′s Neverafter ep 1+2

this is the first d20 campaign im going to be following live and i am excited enough to do a lil post each week or so about it. mostly bc recycling and adapting and retelling and retranslating old stories that “everyone knows” is my whole shit. like i got a degree in the study of ancient greek and roman civilization (classics). my whole thing is reading old myths and plays that “everyone knows” how they go and seeing what each author/translator brings to the table.

anyway i watched episodes 1 n 2 and i am excited and my observations are below

(like if you were really into the Sisters Grimm series as a kid and are similarly excited for this lol the modernized fairytale characters in that series are literally called “Everafters” and its because it’s really good shorthand for the audience. i see you brennan i see you)

normally ppl who do the whole ‘dark/horror/thriller fairytale’ thing fuck it up bc they think it’s about the shock value, or about seeing how nasty you can get with it, so I usually avoid them, but after bingewatching a kadrillion d20 campaigns, I trust brennan to do it right. you have to find the core value/crux of what is horrifying about the story and tease it out, and play with the symbolism and icons of the original story to reflect that. and brennan fuckin delivered.

ep 1

folks, give a hand to the people who put detailed yet non-spoilery content warnings in the description. tbh dropout shows are setting the standard for sensitivity and inclusion in media. it’s so lovely to see a show w content warnings or pronouns put up onscreen and it just not be addressed. i am forever spoiled for any other kind of media tbh

at some point in the past, brennan found out he could make a really good realistic choking/gagging noise, and he has used it in every campaign since.

i appreciate the ‘scare off the meek early’ approach of it all.

th. the briars. the concept. the dead princes - UGH good backstory yall

i very much like the idea of becoming a ranger out of necessity, and because plants obey you on account of that whole feeding-on-your-blood thing

puss in boots using ‘pib’ as a nickname instead. of ‘puss’ or ‘boots’ - inspired

also zac is using his ‘smart little shit’ voice like he did w lapin and i am v excited.

look ill say it - the little red hen did nothing wrong and thats on that. i read that one when i was very little, it was on electric company or sesame st or between the lions, and i’ve always liked it.

so......anyone see how mother goose’s husband has the last name hubbard? like old mother hubbard lol

also there really is a Jack in so many stories, i’m glad we’re addressing this. little shit gets up to so much trouble

it feels like I have seen so many tired rewritings of little red riding hood, even though I can’t think of any off the top of my head. it’s usually a sort of surface-deep ‘girl power!’ situation. i’ve never seen one like this. i LOVE it. it was terrifying. the fact that we all just sort of accept ‘barbarian’ as a normal dnd class is kind of wild tbh, i like exploring that rage and its source.

Ep 2

saying the actual nursery rhyme in the context of being the nursery rhyme is so powerful. i fully didn’t understand what was happening to nat king cole (v powerful) until he was gone.

also, herr drosselmeyer - fantastic get. you have to talk about the sugar plum fairy at some point and they already went in hard on her in acoc so i love that they were like you know what, it’s weird uncle time.

(context: herr drosselmeyer is clara’s eccentric uncle with a bunch of automatons and he gives her the nutcracker)

also every production ive seen has his drip immaculate.

my gender is this man’s cloak

Murph is the fucking ball again

“Please tell me how you’re a monster too so I don’t feel so alone” - Jesus Christ Emily Axford

Almost getting distracted by a bird instead of picking up v obvious plot hooks: pt 2

cinderella.......dude

Brennan really looked at K’s finale scene from mismag and went “how DID the mice get lithium?”

The POV of the mice - simplifying it makes it sound ridiculous, but if you really dig into the idea of the mice as sentient beings it’s horrifying.

Dude the symbolism…stepmother eating her kids bc they were always either a tool or an obstacle to her, of course they would be a sacrifice to her hunger for power.

i’ve always liked endings that have the stepsisters reconciling w cinderella bc in the end they were also victims of abuse and it wasn’t the same or the same degree of abuse as cinderella but they were still constantly on thin ice

can you tell that i rewatched d20 live recently and sobbed at adaine and aelwyn’s ending?

Cinderella stabbing the fairy godmother with the broken heel of the shoe that symbolizes both the ending she was meant for and the life that she was forced into. Turning that into glass armor. dude.

The pumpkin carriage rotting bc the fairy godmother is trying to make the happily ever after stay exactly how it is forever but nature decays and time passes and she can’t acknowledge that without realizing both that her role is in the story is over and not only does cinderella not need her anymore, cinderella doesn’t want her anymore, and maybe never wanted her in the first place.

When puss in boots was asked what he wanted in life and he just said ‘to be comfortable’ #relatable like I know all this is gonna end with him realizing the value of love and friendship over material goods and I 100% agree with that but i feel like this goal or some variation of it are v common today and not often addressed in stories like this

Pinocchio swearing - 10/10. Also how the fuck is Lou doing a Pinocchio voice that perfectly straddles the line between hilarious and annoying. It’s ridiculous enough to always be funny, but sustainable and varied enough that it doesn’t grate on you.

i think we’re getting into “all the princesses in all the stories are all sisters” territory and i for one am THRILLED

"mirror, mirror.......leaned up against the wall”

we learn in this adventuring party that the OG concept for lou’s pinocchio is that he snapped off his nose so he would be able to lie, which is AMAZING. i fully did not put that together.

i am v excited for this battle, and v terrified.

#d20 #d20 spoilers #dimension 20 #dimension 20 spoilers #neverafter #neverafter spoilers #spoilers #original post #my Opinions

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marrrowoflife · 1 year

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The Fly (1986) - Review

Be afraid, be very afraid...

I have never written a film review in my life - or at least if I have, it apparently wasn’t worthy enough of being remembered - so keep that in mind while reading this. I’d also like to make a quick mention of the fact that I’m not entirely sure how to write a film review, so please excuse me if this is the biggest load of shit you’ve ever read. Anyways...

(Do I need to put a spoiler warning for a movie that came out nearly 40 years ago?)

I watched David Cronenberg’s The Fly about a week ago, and since then I have not been able to stop thinking about it. This film has absorbed my brain in all of its disgusting, melty, emotional and beautiful glory, and I’m not complaining, and I don’t think I ever will complain.

I’m a big fan of Jeff Goldblum (who isn’t, really?), and I can say that I agree with the people when they say that The Fly is easily his most iconic, influential, and outstanding role. I knew right from the beginning that Seth Brundle was going to be a character that I absolutely adored, which only made his utterly unfortunate outcome all the more difficult and emotional for me to sit through. I found that Seth’s kind nature and playful personality makes it extremely easy for the audience to fall in love with him particularly quickly, and watching him as he’s struggling to stay himself becomes extraordinarily heartbreaking the more the film continues on.

I’m an empath, and I find that it is easy for me to sympathise with characters no matter who they are, and this film took that feeling to the next level. There was one particular scene that stood out to me the most, and it’s when Veronica visits Seth after 4 weeks of not seeing him, only to find that something has gone horribly wrong. He is becoming a human fly. He sits her down and he explains to her what has happened before he momentarily reaches up to scratch his ear, just to then discover that it has fallen off into the palm of his hand.

“My ear,” Seth says. You can hear the fear in his voice, and your heart shatters into a million tiny little pieces, only to be stomped on, vacuumed up and thrown in the garbage when he follows it up by crying; “I’m scared, I’m so scared,”.

This film is a tear jerker in disguise as a horror flick.

The Fly made me weep, bawl, sob so hard I ended up giving myself a headache. And it wasn’t because I was scared or disturbed, (although I will be discussing how impressively horrifying the special effects makeup in this film is in just a moment), it was because I felt so sorry for everybody. Seth, Veronica, even Stathis towards the end there. Seth and Veronica’s love story has to be the most tragic of them all. Romeo and Juliet had it easy compared to these two. Veronica having to watch the man she fell in love with turn into a puss ridden, vomiting, limping, rotting insect while being secretly impregnated with his half human/half fly baby was devastating, and admittedly at times I felt worse for her than I did for Seth. And while Stathis was a perverted creep for a majority of the film, watching him get his hand and foot melted off by Seth’s - or should I say BrundleFly’s - acidic vomit for trying to save Veronica was yet another tough watch.

I could list on and on the moments in this film that saddened me, but the one that I think affected me the most was right at the very end. Seth/BrundleFly comes crawling painfully out of his Telepod, merged with part human, part fly, and part machine. He stops in front of Veronica and reaches up with one gangly, deformed hand and aims the gun she possesses to his head, begging for her to kill him. In that moment, you really stop to think about everything they went through together, and how their lives changed dramatically, even if it wasn’t for the better. It’s harrowing to watch, really. Veronica hesitating to kill Seth/BrundleFly because deep down inside she still loves him, and Seth pleading for death, a release from the monster he had become.

Anyways, to break away from a topic that doesn’t revolve around me sobbing violently; I’d like to move onto the special effects makeup.

Impressive doesn’t even begin to describe how incredibly done the makeup in this film is. Seth goes through a lot of different stages the more he starts to become BrundleFly, and each stage is more disturbing than the last. He’s pimply at first, pale with dark rings under his eyes, and unusually sweaty. It’s only when Veronica visits him after 4 weeks that you realise things have taken a turn for the worst. His skin has started decaying and his hair has begun to fall out. He’s still sweaty, and he’s starting to rely on canes to help him stand up straight. These two beginning stages are, in my opinion, the least disturbing of them all. It’s only when later on in the film, he demonstrates to Veronica how he’s learned how to climb walls and digest his food like a real fly now that his teeth no longer work. That’s when you start to get uneasy. His skin is rotting away, and he’s starting to become bloated, his teeth are beginning to fall out and he has begun losing more and more hair. The only thing that seemed odd to me was how easily he had welcomed it into his life. He seemed almost excited to show Veronica the way he eats and the way he can stick to the ceiling without falling down. I assume it’s because in his 50% human/50% fly mind, he finds it to be normal behaviour, and part of him still wants Veronica to write her book about his world-changing invention and the newly found dangers of it.

His near final form is erratic, and he is becoming more fly than human by the day. His eyes have grown black and he can no longer fit into his clothes. Even though his exterior is disturbing, his personality is the same, and he still somehow finds a way to joke around about his “Brundle Museum”, a place behind his bathroom mirror where he keeps the parts from his body that have fallen off, including his ear, his nails, and his teeth. The behind the scenes photos of Jeff being put into the makeup in this scene reveals that he was in the makeup chair for 5 straight hours. Mad respect.

The final transformation. The pièce de résistance of the film, aka, one of the most disturbing things I think I may have ever seen (yeah, I lied earlier about not being disturbed. How could you not be disturbed watching this film?). I admittedly wasn’t expecting BrundleFly to practically explode out of the shell of Seth, but hey, it was undeniably a very impressive effect. I had seen images of his final form online prior to seeing the film, and I found myself wondering throughout the film; how is he going to get to that stage? Could it be considered a plot twist that the remainders of Seth’s rotting skin was being used almost as a pod for the final form of BrundleFly to break out of? I’m going to say yes, purely because I wasn’t expecting it. I felt especially bad for Veronica in that scene, accidentally ripping off the jaw of her mutant boyfriend, but mostly because she was right there face to face with Seth when he finally turned into BrundleFly. It’s a freaky looking creature, you can’t deny it, but I couldn’t help but think that it’s mandible thing flapping about looked a little goofy, but again, I’m not really complaining.

Overall, I loved The Fly. I thought it was a beautifully tragic love story paired together with horribly revolting vomiting and body horror. I’m not really sure how to end a film review other than discussing how much I enjoyed it. Do I rate it? Do I rate the film out of 5 or out of 10? I don’t know.

As Jeff Goldblum would say;

I give it 10 Goldblums out of a possible 10 Goldblums, the only thing that disappointed me about this film was that not once did Seth Brundle rub his grubby little hands together like a little fly.

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brewer-hay · 1 year

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Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

What better way to start back up this movie review blog than with a true cinematic masterpiece like “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.”

I saw this movie just this past week at the Regal Theater in Stonestown and was really looking forward to it. I have to admit I’m a huge fan of the Shrek films and therefore I was excited to immerse myself back into this universe and focus on the iconic character Puss in Boots.

[spoilers!! I’m about to provide a short synopsis]

This movie follows Puss in Boots on a journey to find a wishing star after discovering he has used 8 out of his 9 cat lives. Fearing death, Puss in Boots runs to wish for more chances at life in order to restore his fearless nature that allows him to be the hero everyone knows and loves. However, along the way he meets new and old friends, leading him to become torn between running from his past or having the ability to live with his fate in order to lead a fulfilling future.

Eventually he decides to stay with his remaining life and to make it count with the people, or animals rather, that truly matter to him. The film ends with him and his crew sailing to “Far Far Away”, hinting at a future Shrek film.

What I loved about this film were all the underlying meanings and hidden messages. This scary wolf that haunts Puss in Boots throughout the film turns out to be death, and portrays how it’s easier for individuals to run from death rather than acknowledging the beauty of life and experiencing things in the moment. These kinds of concepts allow both parents and children to connect to Pixar movies like this. I feel this film was light hearted and funny but still managed to teach valuable lessons that all age groups could connect and relate to. Was it a silly kids movie with weird characters and immature humor? Yes, most definitely - but in every good way possible.

I think I’d give it a solid 8/10 stars. I think it was a powerful yet easy to watch and understand film that I would gladly see again. I think they could’ve built up the supporting character’s personalities a bit more but I’m excited to see where the relationships go in the next Shrek movie.

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princesssarisa · 3 years

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Fictional Character Ask: Puss in Boots?

Favorite thing about them: I like cunning characters who succeed by playing tricks and outwitting the bad guys.

Least favorite thing about them: How freely and easily he kills small animals. Of course he’s just following his feline instincts.

Three things i have in common with them:

I think in some cases, dishonesty is justified.

I usually wear boots when I have to dress up – they support my ankles better than high heels do.

I like mice (as pets, though, not to eat).

Three things I don’t have in common with them:

I’m human.

I’m not especially cunning.

I can’t bring myself to kill anything bigger than an ant.

Favorite line:

From the Faery Tale Theatre version with Ben Vereen as Puss:

(After he gets back from his first visit to the king’s castle, the miller’s son is asking him all kinds of questions about the king.)

Puss: I failed to notice.

(The miller’s son asks all kinds of questions about the princess.)

Puss: I failed to notice.

Miller’s son: Pray tell, unobservant Puss, what did you notice?!

Puss: Mice! The castle is stuffed with mice, master! (licks his lips)

And from the end of the Let’s Pretend radio adaptation from the 1940s, when Puss (or rather, Buttons, as this version names him) gets an upset stomach after eating the ogre-turned-mouse:

Buttons: That ogre! That doggone ogre has changed himself again!

Miller’s son: Changed himself into what?

Buttons: A stomachache! And I’ve got it!

brOTP: His master the miller’s son.

OTP: None.

nOTP: Any human.

Random headcanon: His old master the miller always knew how cunning he was and knew he’d be able to help his youngest son rise in the world. This is the real reason why he left his own sources of income to his older sons and only Puss to the youngest.

Unpopular opinion: While I have nothing against Perrault’s male Puss, a part of me wishes that the Scandinavian version of the story, Lord Peter, had become the popular version instead. In that version, the cat is female, and she turns out to be an enchanted princess who was cursed and whose family was killed by the ogre, who stole their castle. Her mission isn’t just to help her master Peter, but to get back what’s rightfully hers, and in the end the spell is broken and she marries Peter.

Song I associate with them: None.

Favorite picture of them:

This famous and slightly creepy picture by Gustave Dore:

Fred Marcellino’s illustration of the same scene:

This illustration of a Maine Coon Puss :

This illustration by Omar Rayyan, apparently of a haughty Puss after he becomes a great lord in the end:

The most iconic version of Puss in pop culture. I admit I’m not much of a Shrek fan and haven’t seen any of the movies in years, but the whole idea of a Zorro-inspired Puss voiced by Antonio Banderas is very funny:

#puss in boots #fairy tales #ask game

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a34trgv2 · 6 years

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Why it Worked: Shrek

Intro: Shrek is a 3D animated film directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, produced by Jeffery Katzenberg, Aron Warner and John H. Williams and written by Ted Elliot, Terry Rossio, Joe Stillman, and Roger S. H. Schulman. Based on the 1990 children’s book of the same name by William Steig, the film is about a green ogre tasked to rescue a princess with his donkey companion. The film stars Mike Myers as the title character, Eddie Murphy as Donkey (yes, that’s his name), Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona and John Lithgow as Lord Farquaad. First screened at the Mann Village Theatre on April 22, 2001 before official being released on May 18 of that year, the film was a financial success earning a worldwide total of $484 million dollars on a budget of just $60 million. The film was met with critical acclaim with an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes (177 out of 201 critics giving an average score of 7.8/10) a 7.9/10 on IMDb and an 84% on Metacritic (based on 34 critics). The film won the first ever Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, beating Disney/Pixar’s Monster’s Inc. and Nickelodeon Movie’s Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius respectively. It went on to spawn 3 sequels (with a fourth in development as of this post), a spin-off and tv show centered on it’s direct sequel’s standout character, Puss in Boots, a musical on Broadway (yes, really), a 3 issue mini-series written by Mark Evanier for Dark Horse Comics, and a slew of video games. Oh and also memes...lots and lots of memes. 18 years after becoming a juggernaut of a franchise, it makes one wonder how the film holds up today. Was this film truly lightning in a bottle? Well let’s look into that in detail, shall we?

The Plot: Shrek begins with the reading of a fairy tale in a storybook, in the same vain some of the early Disney movies (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Sleeping Beauty, etc.). On the second to last page, our title character then rips the page out, laughs at the idea of a happy ending and proceeds to wipe his backside with it. This is immediately followed with the iconic pop tune, All Star by Smash Mouth, and the film just kicks off from there. The way the film is presented is in the style of a parody, specifically on Disney’s classic adaptations of fairy tales. It tells the age old “rescue the damsel in distress” plot and flip it on it’s head and it just keeps going. It wastes no time to subvert the most obvious cliches as well as taking notable pot shots at the Mouse House. In one of the film’s most memorable scenes, Robin Hood and his Merry Men snag Fiona from Shrek and Donkey thinking she was captured by the accused “beast.” Whilst in song, Robin Hood is about to stab Shrek when Fiona kicks him in the face, knocking him out like a light. She then proceeds to beat the living tar out of the Merry Men before our heroes can continue on their way. The scene goes against the stereotype that the “damsel in distress” has to watch idly by as our hero saves her and that’s all for the better. You see, here’s the thing about damsels in distress: while it’s nice that the hero saves them, it becomes frustrating when it’s always the hero that has to save them. This is all the more refreshing when we see Fiona save Shrek instead of the other way around.

The Characters: The characters in this film are not just funny in their own right, but they’re actually well developed throughout the film. Starting with the big green guy himself, at the start of the movie he’s very territorial and protective of his privacy. As we learn later in the film, the reason why he’s like that is because people didn’t give him a chance to show he’s really a nice guy deep down. This makes Shrek relatable and helps the audience understand where he’s coming from. Donkey, meanwhile plays the role of the comical sidekick (much to Shrek’s annoyance) and while he’s a funny character, it’s ultimately him that brings the film together (Robobuddies does an excellent analysis here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_VIK6qeFcg). Fiona has starts out as a princess waiting for her true love, playing the role of the optimistic damsel in distress to a tea. Once she realizes that this isn’t the fairy tale she had in mind, she starts showing her true self: a spunky, funny and fierce woman who shares alot in common with Shrek. Especially the fact that she’s an ogre, as revealed later in the film. Then we have Lord Farquaad, the malicious dictator who puts all the fairy tale creatures in their place and mounts himself as the big boss (despite being 4 feet tall). Farquaad only wants perfection in his kingdom, where only humans live evidently. By the end of the movie, due to his massive ego and lust for power, he ends up being eaten alive at his wedding to Fiona. Lastly, the supporting characters all leave a lasting impression with their well timed jokes and memorable interactions with our heroes. You got the Gingerbread Man, the Dragon, the 3 Blind Mice, and of course Robin Hood and his Merry Men. The film makes elegant use if these characters as brief as their appearances may be.

Let’s Talk Animation: It’s hard to believe this was made in 2001. Let me provide you with some context. At the time of the film’s release, only 4 other animated films were computer animated (Toy Story, Antz, A Bug’s Life, and Toy Story 2 in that order), so it was still a relatively new medium. And yet, DreamWorks Animation utilized the medium to it’s full advantage at the time and the result still holds up to this day. The design of the characters have this distinct look that make them appear quesdo-realistic. They still maintain their animated appearance, yet the smoothness of the textures make them stand out from its competition. Shrek, for example, feels like a real character with his skin having a smooth and soft appearance. His clothes also feel like they’re made of real fabric and when he moves it feels natural, like how a character like him would and should move. The hair physics should also be commended as each strand of hair on Fiona and Farquaad’s heads move in rhythm as real hair does. There’s also the accomplishment in making all the environmental elements realistic and lifelike: dust, water, grass, wood, stone, metal, fabric and so much more. The animation of this film is unlike anything that was made in the past and animation studios took note on how to improve their craft from this film (and yes, even Disney).

Music: This film incorporates pop songs into its soundtrack, particularly from Smash Mouth. The opening, All Star, kicks the film off with a catchy tune as Shrek goes about his daily routine. The song itself is a such a jam to listen to with the lyrics and melody sticking with you long after you’ve heard it once. John Cale’s rendition of Hallelujah is used to great affect during the down time of the film, bring out the sadness our characters feel with it’s simple yet powerful piano play and the dowerness in the tone of Cale’s singing. Then there’s the closing number, I’m a Believer (Smash Mouth’s pop cover of the 1966 song by The Monkees). This song caps of the film with a big dance party at Shrek and Fiona’s wedding, the characters rightfully celebrating the happy ending our two leads earned and the downfall of Farquaad. Lyrically the song fits with Shrek’s character as it shows he’s changed ever he met Fiona and now he believes in happy ever after. Joan Jett’s Bad Reputaion was expertly used in Shrek’s brawl at Duloc, with the hard rock brilliantly adding to the comedy of the scene. Lastly there’s the True Love’s First Kiss score by the film’s composer, Harry Gregson-Williams. This song is beautifully crafted with a choir just making it sound majestic and awe inspiring. It’s so good in fact it became the official theme for DreamWorks Animation from then on.

Where it Falters: The misunderstanding the characters have to go through, while narrativly is necessary, still could have been resolved if the characters were to just talk it out. The song, I’m On My Way by The Proclaimers, is by no means a bad song, it’s just not utilized as well as all the others. Lastly, this has been bugging me for 18 years: who’s in charge of Duloc now? After Farquaad got gobbled up, the kingdom was without a ruler. Did someone else take over? Did the kingdom fall apart? The films never addressed this question and it wouldn’t be so nagging if the fairy tale creatures didn’t come return to the subsequent sequels. Don’t they have their own homes to go back to?

Conclusion: It’s no secret that Shrek is a great film and it’s easy to see why. The story was well executed with clever and well thought out jokes, funny and well defined characters, realistic and expressive animation that still holds up today and brilliant uses of hit songs that add to the comedy and story. This film made set a new standard for animated films in the 2000s and to this day. While the Internet can have it’s fun making memes out of the big green guy, there’s no denying that life would be much different without Shrek. Thanks for reading, be sure to like, share and follow me and I’ll see you soon ;)

#shrek #dreamworks #animation #films #why it worked #like #share #reblog #follow #humor #pop songs #all star #smash mouth #gif #disney #pixar

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smokedcapybara · 6 years

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I feel like you'd have absolutely excellent D&D characters because your imagination is great.

I actually struggle a lot with making D&D characters, in fact I think I’ve only ever made one character specifically for D&D

my brain just can’t create a character out of nothing, I need something - a setting, a plot, even just a line will work - to create them off of (though I will specify that numbers, like character stats, are not something I can create a character off of)

so usually I take pre-existing characters of mine and convert them into D&D characters and then they often grow into separate entities from the originals

but I am good at role-playing and I have some D&D characters who became very loved by my fellow players

my brother has actually said he likes to have me in his campaigns because while I’m not good at the numbers and stats and all that I’m one of the best role-players he’s dmed and most of the other people he dms are better at the numbers and stuff than the role-playing so I’m usually there to even it out and keep things interesting

anyway, now that I’ve got the humility out of the way I’m gonna take this as an opportunity to rave about my favorite D&D characters I’ve had over the years

Inigo - everyone’s favorite gnome

a gnome fighter, the original Inigo - a mercenary in a book I might never publish - was created to be a mix of Inigo Montoya(Princess Bride), Puss in Boots(Shrek), and Reepicheep(Chronicles of Narnia), and boy did that come out well in role-playing

he infuriated the other characters with his sort-of catchphrase “we are brothers of heart, and soul, and mind!”, but also was the first person his friend and adventuring companion Zephyr went to about a crush on one of the girls who helped them(Inigo’s advice was “whatever you do, be yourself” cause he’s a huge romantic who believes if someone doesn’t love you for you then they aren’t The One)

one of the funnest characters to role-play and apparently everyone else’s favorite of my role-playing characters

Damian - my first good D&D character

originally the wise and mysterious cleric in a superhero team styled after rp adventuring groups he went through a couple variations before my first ever D&D campaign, which he was my second character in after my first ran off with my brother’s rogue’s dead body(I’ll explain later)

a noble’s son who was essentially forced to be a cloister cleric, Damian literally snuck away to adventure, and was somehow the most prepared in his party despite 1) it being his first ever adventure and 2) him being like 16 and having lived in a library/church/thing practically his whole life

he was also incredibly shy and fairly socially awkward but a very good ally once I found out I could just hold an action during fights to heal my party members the moment they got hurt

that campaign was the campaign of lucky rolls, like when he got hit in the arm by an arrow and I said he’d just pull it out and heal himself and the dm made me roll for it - I got a 20(imagine little book nerd 16 year-old pretty-boy literally pulling an arrow out of his arm without wincing and just healing it and moving on) - or when we walked in on a group of goblins burning books and I rolled a 20 on attack and one-shot one of them with a freaking throwing dart(never let a book-nerd cloister cleric see you burning books)

also he knew more about the campaign than our bard did with bardic knowledge(she knew we were looking for these fruit and she knew what they were called, Damian knew the exact conditions they needed to grow and why they were called what they were called and some other things I’ve forgotten)

Drew Quinn - Doctor Scratch-n-sniff

my first ever D&D character, he’s not a favorite but he is a good example of my loyalty to character in role-play

he was a doctor from a secluded village who left to find a cure to a deadly illness and kinda lost his morals along the way, since his village was purely humans(with some distant dragon ancestry that was relevant to the campaign but never revealed cause he took off with the rogue’s body) he had never seen any of the other D&D races before leaving so he joined the party for the sole purpose of studying their anatomy(especially those of the gnome and halfling - adult anatomy in such small bodies??)

so when they got into fights he would just stand to the side and take notes and only step in if it looked like they’d get too disfigured for studying. the one time he did step in he ended the fight with like two/three sentences. and then when the halfling rogue got killed by rats Drew decided the body was more valuable than following the rest of the party wherever they went and took off with it to study

Laea - The Barbarian

the first incarnation of Laea was 9/10 years ago - she was a gang member in a story about a gang of teens who discover they’re all secretly gods. the second was in a role-play game me and my brother did before we started D&D, roughly 6/7 years ago, in which her personality was established in the very first scene when she punched one of the other characters right after waking up and yelled ‘pervert!’

her other most iconic moment was yelling “pansy little wizard boy” when the party wizard went invisible when the party all first met

a druid barbarian who’s only actual weapon was a spiked gauntlet(her other weapons consisted of a crowbar, a chain, and a battering ram) and who’s more likely to punch her allies than to actually fight(mostly cause I started getting bad anxiety around her finally becoming a D&D character and relying on dice is very hard) she was another favorite of my friends’

Buttercup - Secret B.A.?

Buttercup was introduced as a kind, friendly, cheerful bard who always used Inspire Confidence or Inspire Competence(through dancing) instead of fighting

then almost one-shot a boss with a circlet of blasting(after pretending to not know what it does)

(she had the best stats in the party)

Darkness - Buttercup’s dorky older brother

the only awesome moment of his I can remember rn is when he successfully hid behind the invisible ninja

Stefon - the very angry captain

originally a quiet military strategist from an old story I considered making into a comic, he somehow morphed into the most done character I have ever played, and a captain of a scavenger(?maybe smugglers?) airship

then again his crew were kinda useless. he spent most of the campaign telling them how not to mess up only for them to do exactly what he told them not to do

Antonio - the other kick-butt book nerd

a member of The Fools Guild, the entire first session all I did was show gifs of Legolas making disapproving faces anytime Antonio was supposed to react to something, or I said “he continues reading”

so he was a bit of a background character to the rest of the party

until he threw his book at a bugbear. and then pulled out another book and went back to reading

but then when the party were attacked by soldiers shortly after defeating the bugbears he was literally the only one to actually kill anyone. with the crossbow the fighter had left in the cart. it was a one-shot kill

he went back to reading as they ran away and returned to not doing much until the party had to compete in a tournament to win some magic object or something

he was paired with the party artist(sorceress, but she refused to admit that) in the 2 on 2 fights. first fight he won with just his books. second he won with the daggers hidden in his books. each fight he brought out another weapon he’d somehow hidden on his person and each fight his teammate only got like one hit in before he beat the opponents. he quickly became the tourney favorite(it didn’t hurt that the gay orc couple who were doing the announcing and commentating thought he was really cute)

Slythus - the ancient weapon of mass destruction

an old character who’s gonna be in my Eternity comic, I used him for a space-age villain campaign

possibly the only time I’ve ever had him flirt with anyone ever, at all

there were lots of fun shenanigans in that campaign but there was a Main Player Character who the campaign revolved around and it was pretty obvious so his only great memorable moment was when one of the party members said “we’d need an ancient weapon of mass destruction” and he responded “I am an ancient weapon of mass destruction!”

Mane - the one made for D&D character

orc barbarian who acted more like a monk than the actual party - his introduction was stopping a barfight cause he may be a barbarian but he doesn’t like fights

best moment: when the other party members had all failed to get this locked door open and told him “it’s all yours” and so he just ripped it off it’s hinges and carried it around on his back the rest of the campaign, I think he used it as a shield at some point

he also kept an empty treasure chest they’d found cause he cared more about having a treasure chest than the treasure

sorry for the super long response, as a writer, D&D player, and lifelong role-player I’m very passionate about my characters

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ramajmedia · 5 years

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Which Iconic DreamWorks Character Are You, Based On Your MBTI

Frequently overshadowed by more well-known studios such as Pixar and Disney, DreamWorks is the unsung genius behind several fan-favorite, childhood-defining films. DreamWorks movies tend not to be as big and over-the-top as that of Disney's, and DreamWorks certainly doesn't receive as much appreciation as it deserves.

This film company was the mastermind behind Shrek, the brilliance behind Wallace And Gromit, and the true genius that brought you How To Train Your Dragon.

It's time to give DreamWorks some appreciation. Let's take a look at some of the most iconic characters from the studio, their personalities and MBTI alignments, and see which one you'd be, based on your MBTI.

10 Spirit (Spirit: Stallion Of The Cimarron) - INTJ (The Mastermind)

When considering iconic films that probably shaped your childhood, Spirit is far too often overlooked. Disregarding the recent Netflix series based on the film, this beautifully animated movie was heartwarming and unforgettable.

RELATED: 25 Disney and DreamWorks Voice Actors That Look (Almost) Exactly Like Their Characters

Spirit, the titular lead horse, went on a captivating journey in this film. Narrated by Matt Damon, Spirit broke the mold of several animated animal movies in favor of portraying the horses in a realistic way. Spirit was shown to have a personality identical to that of a INTJ; he had a strong sense of personal integrity and a drive to help others.

9 Eep Crood (The Croods) - ENTJ (The Commander)

The Croods hit theaters in 2013. Following the lives and adventures of a family of cavemen and featuring an all-star cast that included Emma Stone and Nicholas Cage, the film was a significant success. Eep was the lead of the movie, and her storyline revolved around seeking change in her lifestyle and discovering a better world.

RELATED: 20 Wild Details About The Making Of DreamWorks Cartoon Movies

Nothing quite captures Eep's essence better than the description of a ENTJ; she was a strategic leader, motivated to organize a major change in her family's lives. She was the only one who saw the inefficiency of the caveman lifestyle and she conceptualized a new solution.

8 Toothless (How To Train Your Dragon) - ISFJ (The Protector)

Toothless was unarguably the most iconic character to come from How To Train Your Dragon. The film was a massive hit, released in theaters in 2010 and quickly spawning a franchise of its own. Toothless is one of the most beloved characters that DreamWorks ever created.

RELATED: 10 DreamWorks Logic Memes That Are Too Hilarious For Words

Being a goofy, loving companion to Hiccup, Toothless' personality best fits the ISFJ category. This sweet, lovable dragon is at heart, a fierce protector. Toothless is practical, compassionate, and caring, as well as a wonderful caretaker.

7 RJ (Over The Hedge) - ESFP (The Performer)

In 2006, Bruce Willis and Steve Carell humorously starred in Over The Hedge, a film that was inspired by a simple little comic strip. The movie brought the characters and setting to life in a spectacular way, and Over The Hedge is often regarded as one of DreamWork's underrated gems.

RELATED: The 10 Best DreamWorks Animated Movies Of All Time, According To IMDb

RJ is best known for being a shamelessly opportunistic raccoon. He's the leader of the rest of the animals and thinks of himself as being quite superior. RJ fits the description of a ESFP; he is energetic and fun, as well as spontaneous and engaging.

6 Princess Fiona (Shrek) - INFP (The Healer)

Today, Shrek is still regarded as one of the best animated films ever made. Enjoyable for both children and adults alike, the film (and its multiple sequels) is a fun, entertaining watch. Fiona was a fiery red haired princess who lived in Far Far Away with her parents. That is, until a curse was cast on her, causing her to take the form of an ogre at twilight.

Fiona had a freshly complex, multidimensional personality. She was first portrayed as a stereotypical princess, but later on in the film, her true colors came to light. Fiona best fits the description of a INFP; she is loyal, independent, and an imaginative idealist.

5 Shrek (Shrek) - ENFP (The Champion)

Before he met Fiona, Shrek was just your typical swamp ogre who spent the majority of his time scaring villagers. As the film goes on, he meets his future best friends, Donkey and Puss in Boots, and of course, the love of his life, Fiona.

RELATED: 1o Perfect Gifts For The Shrek Fan In Your Life

Shrek's evolution throughout the film series is undeniably an unforgettable one. He goes from living a lonely, solitary lifestyle to being a happy husband and father. Shrek has an ideal ENFP personality; he is energetic, warm, and passionate, as well as having a contagious enthusiasm.

4 Roddy (Flushed Away) - ISTP (The Composer)

Flushed Away was a 2006 film in which Hugh Jackman voiced the lead character, Roderick St. James. Roddy was portrayed as being ridiculously pampered and catered to by his owners, yet quite lonely. He lived a solitary lifestyle and was fairly isolated in the English apartment which he took up residence.

The film's concept revolved around Roddy's eventually rebelling against his wealthy family when he gets flushed down the toilet. He meets new friends and his true colors begin to come out. Roddy fits the description of a ISTP; he lives in the present moment and becomes quite cheerful and spontaneous.

3 Po (Kung Fu Panda) - INFJ (The Counselor)

Po's journey and evolution is certainly one of the most beloved and popular of any DreamWorks character. Living his early life as a modest, humble, and unrelentingly enthusiastic worker at his parents' noodle shop, Po set his sights on bigger dreams: kung fu.

RELATED: 10 Voices We Forgot Were Behind Our Favorite Animated Movies

Po was portrayed as being brave, gentle, and unwaveringly kind. He best suits the alignment of a INFJ, as he has a genuine passion and talent for helping others.

2 Barry B. Benson (The Bee Movie) - ESTP (The Dynamo)

People's views and reactions to The Bee Movie still vary to this day, despite the fact that the film was released twelve years ago. The Bee Movie was and still is considered to be quite the anomaly, and it undeniably made its mark, disregarding how utterly strange and ludicrous it was.

RELATED: 20 Ridiculous DreamWorks Fan Theories (That Could Actually Be True)

Barry B. Benson was portrayed as being an unapologetic rebel. He grows tired of the mundane life of a bee and decides to dream bigger. He heads the big city and sets his sights on the exciting lifestyle of a human. Being an energetic thrill-seeker and brimming with unbridled ambition, Barry the Bee best fits the description of a ESTP.

1 Wallace (Wallace And Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit) - INTP (The Architect)

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit was probably the most unique, quirky film that DreamWorks ever produced. It's a breath of fresh air, and was artfully crafted with claymation and stop-motion. Wallace was the main character of the film, along with his pet dog, Gromit.

Wallace was an inventor. He was a true INTP due to his analytical personality and philosophical demeanor.

NEXT: 10 Movies You Didn't Realize Were Made By DreamWorks

source https://screenrant.com/dreamworks-character-iconic-mbti/

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