#but Jurassic World was a fun mix of nostalgia and ''what if they DID get the park up and running for the public?''

[monkeymindscream]

I have successfully rewatched all six Jurassic movies; my love of dinosaurs is indeed buzzing at the forefront of my skull once again. Does anyone know of a place I can pirate Prehistoric Planet?

Jurassic Park is back on Netflix. I can feel myself falling back into a hyperfixation as we speak.

[briangroth27]

Stranger Things 2 Review

Stranger Things’ second season went up on Netflix last weekend and I loved it! Every episode felt full, many supporting characters from Season 1 got a turn in the spotlight, and the tone recaptured the first season’s perfect blend of dread and comedic moments that endeared me to the realistically-drawn characters. This was the television season I was looking forward to most this fall, and it did not disappoint!

Full Spoilers…

I really liked that Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), and especially Will (Noah Schnapp) got to take center stage among the kids; it was smart to flesh out the rest of the central ensemble and it feels like we’ll be going into Season 3 with everyone on relatively equal footing development-wise. In particular, Will being absent for much of Season 1 made his time in the spotlight a crucial gamble that paid off in spades: Schnapp is just as great an actor as the rest of the show’s cast! That said, I missed Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Nancy (Natalia Dyer), and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton), who all felt like they had less screentime this year than last. While the latter two weren’t doing nothing—they had a crucial subplot that felt like the natural outgrowth of how the people of Hawkins ignored Barb’s (Shannon Purser) death—it didn’t require them to do much that we needed to see onscreen, so it felt like they vanished a bit. Perhaps Wolfhard, Dyer, and Heaton had other commitments while Season 2 was in production, but if that’s the case, I wish their plots had been more economical to cover more ground in the same amount of screentime.

Season 2 definitely felt like the natural continuation of Season 1’s events; branding this as Stranger Things 2 instead of Stranger Things Season 2 gives the impression that it’s a sequel instead of the next season in a TV series, and it definitely feels like it. I’ve seen some criticisms that said the joy of discovery wasn’t present this year like last season, but I’m willing to part with it in favor of reuniting with familiar friends on a new adventure. I like sequels and I’m always game for more time with characters I like. Though the threads may not have been as balanced as they could’ve been, I liked that everyone got to go off on their own adventures before reuniting in the climax. Mixing up the character interactions and moving new people into the spotlight provided some great fresh pairings, like Lucas/Max (Sadie Sink), Dustin/Steve (Joe Keery), Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown)/Hopper (David Harbour), and Will/Joyce (Winona Ryder)/Bob (Sean Astin). As nice as it was to see familiar locations like the junkyard come into play again, it’s time to flesh out more of Hawkins’ geography, as it’s starting to feel a little claustrophobic. New locations like the arcade definitely help, though. I loved that the Upside Down was creeping into Hawkins at an accelerated rate, creating some great imagery with the rotted pumpkin patches, decaying forests, and vine-covered tunnels just beneath its surface. Hawkins looks like the quintessential 1980s Hometown, USA, so corrupting it like this is great symbolism. However, I would’ve liked a greater exploration of the townspeople’s inhumanity and grime just below the veneer of wholesomeness the town projects. So much of Stranger Things is inspired by Stephen King as it is—the Duffer Brothers originally wanted to do IT, but couldn’t—so translating the brilliant parallel between societal evils and supernatural ones in IT’s Derry to Hawkins would’ve been a smart way to give the Upside Down’s corruption a little more weight by contrasting its evil with the evils of the real world. By no means does the Upside Down have to control the citizens to make them evil—that would be a copout—but seeing that some of the people are horrible in their own way would bring an added layer of dread to the town and further cut off our heroes’ sources of help. Billy (Dacre Montgomery) and his father (Will Chase) are a good start, but surely they aren’t the only bad people in town.

I loved how communicating through lights evolved into the map of tunnels beneath Hawkins and hope that distinctive Stranger Things aspect continues to develop in the years to come. Joyce seeing the Mind Flayer in a VHS tape’s distortion was very cool too. The CGI was excellent throughout the season, particularly when it came to the Demodogs. There wasn’t a moment as creepy as Hopper cutting open the Will dummy and pulling out cotton in Season 1, but then there wasn’t any moment in Season 1 that matched that high point of weirdness either. Even so, the horror aspect was great here! It felt like several supporting and even a few main characters—including Hopper and Steve—could die at several points. I wonder if the season-ending Snow Ball was supposed to represent that the heroes don’t have a snowball’s chance in Hell of escaping the evil pervading their town (or maybe that’s just my love of puns). I wasn’t a fan of the year-and-a-half wait for this season and don’t look forward to another long hiatus, but if Stranger Things becomes an annual Halloween tradition for the next 2-3 years, I’m definitely on board. I was impressed that the trailers didn’t show much from the latter half of the season; that was a nice surprise!

I loved all the 80s references this year, with things like the Aliens movement detector sound effect being incorporated into the score during some of Dr. Owens’ (Paul Reiser) scenes and a riff that sounded like Gremlins’ theme song while the kids were chasing Dart in the school. The kid-friendly Halloween songs they used while trick-or-treating, like “The Monster Mash,” “Ghostbusters,” and “Spooky Movies,” made me think of Halloween when I was a kid (it’s a shame they couldn’t use “Thriller” in more than one excellent trailer, though!). The Police’s “Every Step You Take” was the perfect note to end on, given the government watching everyone all season, the Mind Flayer watching the Snow Ball, and how creepy that song actually is. The show’s orchestral score once again conveyed the feeling that this was a lost miniseries from the 80s perfectly. The fashion in Eleven’s Chicago adventure made me think of the 80s X-men/New Mutants comics, which was a cool peek at 80s punk style completely removed from Hawkins’ small-town world. The kids’ homemade Ghostbusters costumes were awesome, as were Max’s Michael Myers costume and Steve & Nancy’s Tom Cruise & Rebecca De Mornay (from Risky Business) outfits. While the characters played out scenes adapted from Gremlins, ET, Stand By Me, and even Jurassic Park, it never felt like nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake or inorganic to what the show is. The Goonies reference in Bob’s guess about what Will’s map led to was fun too. As pointed out in the behind-the-scenes series Beyond Stranger Things, having the kids play Dragon’s Lair and Dig Dug were cool hints at the direction of the season, since Eleven would go up against a “fiery” monster in the gate room/its “lair” and several characters ventured into the tunnels under the town. The kids’ science class learning about Phineas Gage was also a cool way to foreshadow what happens to Will, since Gage’s personality changed after his brain-damaging accident. I’m looking forward to the Back to the Future references next season, since it’ll be 1985. With the Upside Down monsters being so plant-like, maybe we’ll get Little Shop of Horrors references in Season 4/1986? 

Possibly the largest controversy of the season dealt with Eleven’s solo trip to Chicago in episode 7. I liked the episode, but it shouldn’t have aired in the middle of a cliffhanger: it disrupted the flow too much. Without Eleven in the preceding episode at all, they could’ve split “The Lost Sister” up and cut back and forth between Chicago and Hawkins in both “The Spy” and the reconfigured Episode 7, just like the earlier legs of Eleven’s journey were interspersed with the events in Hawkins. If the contrast between Chicago’s punk scene and Hawkins’ wholesome appearance were too extreme to cut back and forth, “Lost Sister” could have been placed before “The Spy.” I agree with a comment I saw on IGN’s “Lost Sister” review, which pointed out watching it first would show Mike and Hopper in danger before we knew what was happening (Mike screaming “it’s a trap” would spoil the twist, so just show him struggling with the guards and not saying that line), which would be a cool teaser. Either of those solutions would’ve been better than the jarring—but still engaging—side trip to Chicago taking up an entire episode in the middle of a Demodog swarm.

Eleven/Jane Ives Though she was sequestered from the rest of the main cast for most of the season, I liked a lot of what they did with Eleven/Jane this year. I loved the secret family she and Hopper built. Their conversation about being “halfway happy” in compromise was bittersweet and I liked seeing how they figured each other out, both in real time and in flashbacks to the start of their hidden family. Moments like their father/daughter arguments were relatable, things like Eleven wanting to go trick-or-treating as a ghost and awkwardly laughing at Hopper trying to dance were fun, and her psychic temper tantrum felt both realistic and worked as a reminder that she is definitely dangerous. Regarding those fights, it was smart to allow Hopper and Eleven to be angry with each other, but never to let them get to the point where they truly hated each other. That made them coming together again in the end believable instead of a last minute moment of civility that was supposed to make up for nine hours of hatred.

Eleven being instantly jealous about Max and Mike seemingly having fun together didn’t work as well and annoyed me a bit—especially since she knew he’d been calling her every day for nearly a year—but she’s a kid who’s been locked up and abused for a long time and you don’t have to look past her time with Hopper to see she isn’t perfect or eternally understanding, especially when it comes to seeing beyond appearances. Meeting her birth mother (Aimee Mullins) and learning as much as she could about her was emotionally satisfying and it was cool to see Terry Ives was as much a fighter in the end as her daughter. I felt Eleven’s side story in Chicago was a worthy use of her time that brought her to a place where her vengeance and feelings weren’t as important as those of people she didn’t know—she discovered empathy for strangers when she considered orphaning Ray’s (Pruitt Taylor Vince) kids—and that was a great development for her character. I just wish she hadn’t continued to shun Max once she got back to Hawkins; the two of them having a talk would’ve been better, because shutting down Max’s attempt at being friends undercuts much of the understanding she found in Chicago (not to mention at that point, she was yet another person shutting Max out, which had become repetitive). Along with bonding with Max in Season 3, I’d love to see Eleven and Will finally get to interact and become friends (and maybe even step-siblings?) when he isn’t trapped or possessed. Developing a friendship between the two would be a smart outgrowth of the many parallels between them—Eleven was even mistaken for Will at several points in Season 1—and I’m sure their connection to the Upside Down would be a powerful bonding factor. I loved that she got to shut down this year’s invasion by finally closing the gate she’d opened in the first place; the Mind Flayer will definitely remember both her and Will, so perhaps they’ll face its early attacks together.

Mike Wheeler At first it seemed like Mike wasn’t given much to do this year beyond being angry/depressed about Eleven vanishing and concerned about Will. I understand the reasoning for both��I think he actually was experiencing the “anniversary effect” of PTSD Dr. Owens thought Will was going through—but I would’ve liked to see more variety to the writing in his scenes. Then I watched Beyond Stranger Things and realized Wolfhard’s understanding of Mike this season is brilliant: he can’t impress his friends by constructing D&D maps and running campaigns since everyone’s into video games now, he can’t lead a quest to save Will (until Byers’ major episode at Halloween, though even then, Joyce leads that charge), and he can’t even find Eleven, much less help her or have her as his secret friend. I love that this builds him missing Eleven into a larger problem of him losing his place as leader of the team. Matarazzo also pointed out that while the kids struggled to find someone to talk to about what they’d been through with the threat of the government hanging over them, Mike was the sorest about being the leader who’d saved the day and couldn’t talk about it with anyone. With this in mind, the entire season focusing more on Will, Dustin, and Lucas becomes something of Mike’s view of his friends after losing his place in the group. I agree with a comment I saw elsewhere that wished Mike had gone off to find Eleven on his own, meeting up in Chicago; as impractical as that might’ve been for a kid in real life (but not in a movie), it would’ve given his feeling of being out of place a direction instead of watching as Joyce, Hopper, and Bob worked out how to help Will. That said, I absolutely loved how angry Mike got about Steve telling the kids they were on the bench during the climax, as that’s exactly what his dad (Joe Chrest) had been saying in lectures earlier in the season. That was a moment where his need to have a place and function in the group coalesced with the plot perfectly, since he (and the other kids) had literally been left out of the plan to defeat the Mind Flayer.

Still, Mike wasn’t one-note in his struggle to belong this year and Wolfhard played all the sides Mike showed very well. Mike essentially eulogizing Bob by knowing he helped found the AV Club was a glimpse at a distinct texture to a relationship we didn’t see onscreen, though I assume Mike and Bob interacted at least a little while Mike was hanging out with Will. I liked the brief scene of Mike almost having fun with Max in the gym, even if otherwise constantly shutting her out wasn’t a good look at all. He doesn’t have to be perfect, but I would’ve liked more reason to not let her in than what I took from it: a girl in the group reminded him too much of Eleven. Perhaps she represented too much change happening to the party in general: if she joined, he thought she’d be another person moving him out of relevance within the group (particularly considering how invested in her Dustin and Lucas were). I liked Mike reclaiming his position a bit with Will, comforting him after his Halloween episode and propping up his courage as their spy; those felt like great moments of their friendship we didn’t get to see much of last year since Will was missing. I’m sure they felt like old times for Mike as well: finally he got to be the old Mike, at least to an extent. Mike screaming at Hopper and even attacking him for hiding Eleven for nearly a year was another great scene. I didn’t see that reaction coming and both actors delivered powerful performances. Mike’s dedication to calling Eleven every day was touching and, as pointed out on Beyond Stranger Things, I liked that they got to be reunited in two very different contexts at both the besieged Byers house and the Snow Ball. Unlike Nancy and Jonathan, this may imply Mike and Eleven’s friendship/relationship is stronger than just being pulled together in times of tragedy and high drama (not to say a middle school dance is without drama!).

Dustin Henderson Not only did Dustin have a love triangle to contend with this year, but he also found a pet from the Upside Down and discovered an excellent, unlikely surrogate brother in Steve. It was also great to get a glimpse of his home life and I hope we see more of his relationship with his mom (Catherine Curtin) next year. I liked Dustin’s friendship with baby Demodog D’Artagnan—and that it had a payoff in the end—but he shouldn’t have lied about his cat’s death to his mom. Allowing her to go on searching for it when she clearly loved it so much was a little cruel and the exact thing Nancy and Jonathan spent the season fighting. Watering down the truth would’ve worked here; he could’ve just said a wild animal got it. Dustin comparing lying about keeping a dangerous animal to Lucas bringing Max in on the Eleven secret didn’t seem equivalent at first, but then I remembered that anyone else finding out could lead to everyone’s death by cover-up. I liked Dustin’s resigned position that he’d accept being removed from the party for his disloyalty especially after he was the one to enforce the rules of reconciliation when Mike and Lucas had their falling out in Season 1. I also appreciated him accepting Lucas and Max getting together instead of flying into a jealous rage, which wouldn’t have been in-character or fitting at all. Matarazzo’s explanation that Dustin thought discovering a new species of slimy lizard would impress Max because his mom laughs off the things that excite him—so he thinks that’s what all girls like—was a cool example of Dustin’s inability to see what’s in front of his face when he’s overcome with excitement, much like he doesn’t consider the somewhat obvious truth about Dart’s origins. That Dustin got a heroic moment at the end by standing up to Dart so the others could flee was great; that made up for the danger he put them in earlier.

I loved Dustin’s brotherly bond with Steve and this was my favorite new bit of chemistry of the season. Pairing Dustin with Steve while they were both heartbroken and on the same ends of love triangles worked well to bond them. I’m also glad the series’ format allowed for leisurely scenes like Dustin and Steve strolling down some railroad tracks discussing hair products. Character bits like that go a long way to not only endear the characters to the audience, but they also show us what they’re like in (relatively) normal circumstances. I want more of these moments for every character in the coming seasons. I liked Steve trying to give Dustin advice about girls, even if he was wrong that acting like you don’t care about women makes them like you (Nancy moving on after Jonathan didn’t make a move for a month proves this). On the other hand, he was right about reading the electricity between you and someone you like, and trying to explain that to Dustin was a funny moment. Steve driving Dustin to the Snow Ball and giving him some parting courage was a perfect culmination of their brotherly arc. I loved Dustin’s “Steve” hairdo and while his walk around the dance continually getting shot down was sad, Matarazzo acted it so well! I also love that Dustin’s reaction to being shot down wasn’t played as though Steve was wrong about being confident, but (according to Matarazzo) that he’s not Steve Harrington. That’s not only more tragic, but it perfectly references Dustin’s insecurities about not being Mike’s best friend like Will and Lucas are because he only met the guys in fourth grade. I hope Season 3 has Dustin finding the confidence to live up to his own potential, rather than just being the best person he can in relation to someone else’s standard. If he’s infected with the spores from the tunnels and they corrupt him in some fashion, that may be the perfect vehicle to force that confrontation on him.

Lucas Sinclair Like Dustin, I enjoyed getting to see Lucas’ home life a lot. Lucas’ sister Erica (Priah Ferguson) was an especially hilarious addition to the cast and her attitude played off Lucas’ perfectly; here’s hoping she returns in a major way next year! His parents’ (Karen Ceesay, Arnell Powell) advice about women was humorous as well. I thought it was funny that the most nuclear families, the Sinclairs and Wheelers, feature parents who don’t seem particularly involved in their kids’ lives at all, though I was happy to see the Sinclairs seemed much happier together than Mike and Nancy’s parents. Lucas navigating how to handle his crush on Max was a fun plot that added depth to him and their banter was a lot of fun as well. He also proved Steve’s advice wrong by giving Max what she wanted and showing her he cared about her. I liked their bonding moments, particularly on top of the bus in the junkyard. Watching Lucas practice lines in the mirror before the dance was also great! His argument with Mike about the coolness of Winston from Ghostbusters was good, and I totally missed that Winston has the “Judgment Day” speech in the film and Lucas gets to call the climax of the season Judgment Day.

I like that Lucas is constantly the most grounded and practical of the kids (like Winston is among the Ghostbusters, now that I think about it); McLaughlin even said that if Lucas had found Dart instead of Dustin, there wouldn’t have been a second episode with the lizard in it. That characteristic plays well off of what the rest of the kids bring to the group, particularly Dustin, and McLaughlin performed it excellently, never coming off as a jerk, even when he was trying to be the voice of reason. One thing I would’ve liked to see more of from Lucas, however, is a reaction to Billy’s racism. It felt like he understood why Max wouldn’t let her brother see him (even if he didn’t vocalize it) and it was terrifying when Billy attacked him in the season finale, but I wanted them to dig into it more. Watching Lucas process and deal with any of the “there’s a certain kind of people you don’t hang around” talk from Billy would’ve added a great deal to his outlook and character. The Sinclairs seem to be one of the few African-American families in town, so is this relatively normal for him, or is having it thrown in his face something new? If he and Max had a real, out-in-the-open conversation about her brother, how would that have gone? He doesn’t seem to have any misgivings about pursing an interracial relationship—he might be too young (and too wrapped up in his crush on Max) to consider the ramifications yet—but would his family? Would the rest of the town? This is an area where the Duffer Brothers could absolutely have taken a page from Stephen King and drawn real-world horrors—particularly in a small, Midwestern town—as parallels to the rot of the Upside Down. The Ghostbusters costume argument brought up the assumption that Lucas was “supposed” to be Winston (and Mike couldn’t) because he’s Black and briefly touched on the issue of race, but the kids sidestepped it for the most part. Billy’s villainy would’ve resonated more if Lucas had scenes dealing with what he represented, and even moreso if it turned out Billy hadn’t just brought racism to Hawkins, but it had always been there.

Will Byers Some reviews have said Will’s plot felt too similar to his predicament last year—communicating through lights/crayons, being captured by the monster, etc.—but I liked the variations on the theme this year. The map of corruption in the town was both a cool visual aspect and a great expression of Will’s own infection, as the Mind Flayer had also wormed its smoky tendrils into his body. I loved that his connection to the Mind Flayer was a double-edged sword that rarely actually helped the heroes, unlike his Christmas lights last year. I totally expected Will to be a conscious solider against the Upside Down this year—particularly with Eleven absent from much of the action—so twisting it to make him the spy for the monsters and leading several soldiers to their deaths was brilliant! This was an especially cool reversal of how honest we know Will to be, even to the point of telling Mike the truth about what he rolled against the Demogorgon in the first episode when he didn’t have to. Making Will the Mind Flayer’s eyes also created a cool obstacle for the heroes: they had no safe haven unless he didn’t know where he was. No conversation about Will this year would be complete without pointing out that Schnapp is a fantastic actor: he did an excellent job of playing his attempts to be a normal kid with his friends, the loneliness of his post-Upside Down captivity, the pure terror/sadness of what was happening to him, the Mind Flayer’s pawn, and even the villain. His reaction to the soldiers burning the vines in the tunnels, the interrogation scene in the shed where he’d first disappeared (nice callback!), and his exorcism scene were particular standout moments for Schnapp (and all the actors involved). Mike, Jonathan, and Joyce sharing their memories with Will to bring him back to the surface was a powerful, incredible sequence! I’m glad the Duffers didn’t go with their initial idea of making Will slip into “evil Will” flashes where the Mind Flayer took over his body—and even killed Bob!—as that would’ve taken his possession a little too far.

All that said, the girl asking Will to dance at the Snow Ball by calling him “Zombie Boy” didn’t work for me, particularly as we were told he was very sensitive about that term. It would’ve helped if they’d established that Will was interested in any of the girls before having one ask him to dance just so he could be partnered up. The first season hinted that he might be gay—Joyce evaded Hopper’s question about whether bullies’ taunts about him being homosexual had any basis in fact—and making Will deal with that bigotry next year would be another way to bring real-life horror into Hawkins, especially in the mid-80s. Will being stunned at the girl’s proposition was cute—and it was probably just a throwaway moment to get Mike alone for Eleven’s entrance—but they could’ve had Will just be content with the normalcy of a dance instead (which would’ve contrasted Dustin’s lap around the gym nicely). Who Will is in normal life when he’s not being directly tormented by demons is definitely something I hope we get next year, since we haven’t gotten to see much of him being himself. I’m also eager to see what he brings to monster-hunting without the benefit of a connection to the Upside Down. Maybe if someone else is the Upside Down’s target, Will can step up as the person with experience and guidance in surviving it. It’ll be interesting to see how Will grows after having survived such an intense connection to the Mind Flayer as well, and how that shapes his outlook on the real world. Maybe surviving that horror could actually help him cope with any anti-gay hatred he faces, if the Duffers choose to reintroduce and expand on that aspect.

Max Hargrove Max was a great addition and I hope she returns next season! Sadie Sink held her own with the rest of the cast, bringing an equally natural feel to her character and a fresh attitude to the gang. It’s good to have more women in the cast and it’s neat that she, not one of the guys, is traditionally the “coolest” of the kids. I liked the guys being bewildered at the “wonder” of a girl liking video games and skateboarding (even if they forgot Nancy was willing to dress up as an elf with them just five years earlier), but I was also glad Max never acknowledged any strangeness about her liking genre stuff: of course girls have always liked it too! Max being genre savvy was a cool way to incorporate a few criticisms about certain nostalgia aspects of the first season when Lucas told her the truth about Eleven and the Upside Down. However, I hope that’s where the meta commentary ends. A little bit goes a long way for me, so Max writing Lucas’ tale off as a derivative story worked as an in-joke while also making sense given the context of what she’d seen, but I don’t think I need any further commentary from the fans voiced on the show. Max’s arc this year mainly focused on wanting to be accepted as part of the party and it worked well without needing to make her the audience’s eyes too much: the show didn’t assume you hadn’t watched the first season (we didn’t even hear Lucas tell her the truth). At the same time, she was thankfully never presented as an annoying girl trying to worm her way into their secret club. We can all relate to feeling like we don’t belong and wanting to fit in, so it felt original that Max had to struggle even to be accepted by the “nerds” of the school. These aren’t bad kids—and of course there are extenuating circumstances with the government threat—but it was a nice change of pace from the popular kids being the ones to exclude everyone. That she’s a girl trying to hang out with a bunch of guys also felt like a timely reference to the fact that she is a girl who likes nerdy things and there’s a lot of absurd pushback (to put it lightly) facing vocal female fans nowadays. Once she was in with the party, I loved that Max was totally in; these are her friends and it was clear she’d do anything to help them.

Next year I hope Max and Eleven bond as friends. Their spat this year shouldn’t have lasted to the end of the season as it was and I hope Eleven comes around between this season and next. I also hope Max finds a family among the party, particularly as she has it much tougher than anyone else in terms of her home life; maybe coping with and surviving that abuse is something that can bond her and Jane. The clear abuse she’s suffered at Billy’s “overprotective” hands was scary and portrayed well without being too graphic. I loved that she stood up to her brother to save Steve and Lucas in the end, and that Billy’s a little afraid of her now. I’m interested to see how their relationship develops because they’re good together (though the story told on Beyond Stranger Things about the origin of their kiss—that it wasn’t in the script until Ross Duffer realized the idea of a kiss freaked Sadie Sink out and its addition led to her having even more anxiety about it (and McLaughlin felt weird about it too)—is troubling, so I hope there was more conversation about the kiss’ addition than we heard and that this is the last time something like that ever happens). If she and Lucas are still together by the time Season 3 starts—and hopefully they are; they have great chemistry—I’d like to see how she deals with a small town’s prejudices about interracial dating as well. That prejudice could also be an obstacle unique to the two of them that the Duffers could play up. Max and Erica seems like it’d be an amazing pairing as well, so hopefully we get to see them interact! We got a lot of older brother/younger brother interactions over the past two years, so getting to see Nancy taking on an older sister role with both Eleven and Max (and Erica; why not?) would be great too.

Eight/Kali Prasad Eight (Linnea Berthelsen) and her crew of misfits and castoffs (Kai Greene, James Landry Herbert, Anna Jacoby-Heron, and Gabrielle Maiden) had an 80s X-men/New Mutants vibe that I liked a lot, particularly once Eight took on the Professor X role and trained Eleven. I thought their sisterly relationship was well-written and acted, and I liked that Eight was such a contrast not only to the rest of Eleven’s found family, but to everything she knew from the lab and Hawkins. Eight’s quest to kill all the former employees of the Hawkins facility, regardless of the effects on their families, has been criticized by some as one-note, but I think it makes her a great parallel to Eleven. I loved that Kali is the person Eleven could’ve become had she not met her friends or spent so much time with Hopper. I really liked her point about allowing Eleven not to take revenge on the people who hurt her, but warning Jane never to take her choice away. I feel like that’s the nuance other reviews are asking for. Eight is driven to violence by revenge, but she does care about her crew, did care about Eleven, and respected her enough to allow her “sister” to make her own choices. It’s only when Eleven stops her from carrying out her own wishes that they have a problem from Eight’s point of view.

The degree to which Eight has been changed by meeting Eleven was left as an open-ended question in Season 2, so seeing how she reflects on Eleven choosing not to kill will be very interesting. Were her eyes opened by Jane’s empathy epiphany, or will she see Eleven as a weak victim who can’t do what’s necessary to prevent others from being hurt? There could be no redemption for the lab workers in Kali’s eyes, but I wonder if we’re being set up for a redemption arc for her. I fully expect her to track Eleven down next year, causing problems for Jane’s new lease on life in Hawkins. Just as Eleven is allowed to reenter society around Halloween 1985, Eight finally finds her and upends her peaceful life? Sounds about right. I also wonder if Kali will locate the other test subjects and continue building the X-men vibe by recruiting them to her cause. If a portion of Season 3 were Kali and her Brotherhood coming to town and the heroes there having to deal with them instead of the Upside Down, I’d be all for it. I’m glad Eight has an entirely different set of powers and I wonder what abilities the others might have (given the Stephen King inspiration, one is totally a pyrokinetic). On the other hand, as much as I’d like to meet those other kids, I feel like it would shift the show too far away from the established cast to bring on a nearly equal number of new characters…unless Netflix wants to make the seasons longer from here on out, of course. I’d have no problem with that! Perhaps a standalone miniseries about her recruiting them could work between seasons as well. Kali’s illusion-casting was cool, especially the electric butterfly and bringing Brenner (Matthew Modine) “back” to manipulate Eleven. I wonder how that could be used to illuminate the other characters’ inner thoughts and fears if it were used against them.

Steve Harrington I loved that the hints of the good guy Steve is from Season 1 were vindicated here; he was only the jock asshole on the surface/to impress his friends last year and he does have a heart…and really does love Nancy. I thought it was a nice twist that he was genuinely hurt not because she didn’t want to party and act like teenagers with him (and even that suggestion was his attempt to do whatever he could to make her feel better), but because she said their love was bullshit. I also like that despite his clear sadness, he put Nancy and her needs first by driving away from the Snow Ball at the end of the season (unless he’s just acting like he doesn’t care…I hope not, though). Nancy being supportive of Steve taking care of the kids along with his lack of drama about her and Jonathan makes me think that they can develop a friendship next season and I hope that’s the case. I definitely agree with Keery that there’s no need for a physical confrontation between Jonathan and Steve over Nancy; if anything, the three of them just need to discuss where they all are. I love that this is a second love triangle that didn’t explode into angst or fighting, but mature acceptance.

I knew Steve was a good guy despite his mistakes back in Season 1, but I had no idea he’d be such a surprisingly great scene partner for the kids, especially Dustin! Keery seemed to have a blast with the kids and played the big brother role perfectly. His and Dustin’s brotherly relationship developed excellently—even if it started because Steve just happened to show up at the Wheelers’ when Dustin was there and was totally a last resort—and I hope it continues into the coming years. Hopefully even though Dustin failed to be Steve Harrington at the dance, Steve will be there to console him and help him out in the future (even if not all his advice is spot-on). As I’ve seen elsewhere, Steve having no qualms or embarrassment about being a babysitter was cool of him and totally unexpected. There wasn’t even a second thought to him protecting the kids, like when he got Max out of the way to fend off the Demodog while they were trapped in the old bus. Waking up after being beaten by Billy and thinking Mike was Nancy was a totally surprising—and hilarious—moment. I hope there are many more humorous moments like that as we get to see him interact with the kids more. It was also neat to see Steve totally over his position as “king of the school,” much less concerned with being cool than the guy who bent to his friends’ peer pressure was. I wonder if that maturity will take him to college next season, or if he’ll hang around town. I hope it’s the former; he could always just come home from school when things start happening again. Being away and coming back home will provoke more change in him than sticking around town treading water, so I hope that’s what they do with him. It’d definitely be good to see what he wants out of life too.

Nancy Wheeler Nancy’s one of my favorite characters and while I liked her hunting human monsters this time—and outsmarting the government by intentionally getting herself and Jonathan captured so they could get a confession on tape—I wish we’d seen more of her this year. Though Nancy getting to shut down the government project for Barb was cool, I do wonder if her and Jonathan’s quest was a little undercut both by saying all the agents who were around when Barb died and Will disappeared are gone (if that’s true) and then most of the current staff getting killed by Demodogs. It’s true the government got a public black eye and the project has been permanently shut down through Nancy and Jonathan’s efforts (and Eleven shutting the gate), though. I wouldn’t mind a Season 3 that had no military component and just had those in the know in Hawkins against the Mind Flayer as it tries to return. Maybe it would’ve been better to shut down the lab at midseason to free up Nancy and Jonathan for more interaction with the growing Upside Down threat. Specifically, I wish she’d been around to help Steve and the kids hunt Demodogs; Nancy would’ve been useful in the junkyard, the tunnels, or as backup for Eleven and Hopper (though I get the narrative and emotional reasons you’d sequester those two one final time). That said, Dyer was great with what she got, be it romantic comedy with Jonathan, her turmoil over what Barb’s parents (Cynthia Barrett, Aaron Munoz) had been put through for a year, or helping to drive the infection out of Will at the end. Nancy thinking she and Steve were at fault for Barb’s death was a great, tragic bit of self-inflicted guilt, no matter how wrong she was: it was Barb choosing to wait around after Nancy told her to go home that got her killed, not Nancy and Steve sleeping together. I loved that Nancy accepted the rifle from Hopper when they were being swarmed by Demodogs, she was the one who used a hot poker on Will, and that Jonathan turned away from his hurting brother to find comfort in her arms, rather than the other way around. The show is very good about crafting strong female characters and I loved that they subverted gender norms by making Nancy and Joyce the ones willing to do whatever it took to save Will, while Jonathan couldn’t.

Dancing with Dustin and giving him a pep talk at the Snow Ball was a sweet, perfect moment. What a great nod to Dustin’s crush on her in Season 1, back when he offered her their last slice of pizza and argued that she “used to be cool” (even if his then-current assessment had been that “something was wrong” with her). I like that she also tried to get Jonathan to socialize more, snagging him an invite to the Halloween party and even suggesting he might meet someone there. I wish we’d seen more moments of friendship between the two of them to further develop their romantic bond, but the fact that they’d grown apart over the past year worked too. I’ve certainly had life get in the way of keeping in touch with friends, so that felt realistic (particularly in an era without social media). The Snow Ball left things a little unresolved as to whether Nancy and Jonathan were together-together, and I’m game whether the show wants to explore that relationship or not. Perhaps Nancy, Jonathan, and Steve need to find themselves separately a bit more before any pairing can healthily take off. I’m very interested to see where Nancy goes now that Barb has justice and she can finally move on. What are her interests and goals in life? We know she doesn’t want to repeat her mother’s decision to settle for a perfect nuclear family, so what does she want? The similarity between Murray (Brett Gelman) and Nancy—their need to “pull back curtains”—would be an interesting direction to explore in the future. I don’t want her to go full-on conspiracy theorist like he is, but perhaps she’ll become a reporter. Whatever direction she takes, I’m excited to see her journey towards becoming more self-aware continue.

Jonathan Byers It felt like Jonathan got the least to do out of anyone—his incorporation into Nancy’s quest to help Barb’s parents felt more tangential since Will did come back, for example—though I did get the impression that he’s grown a lot since Season 1. I think this year’s Jonathan is in a much better place to be in a relationship, unlike last year when ending up with Nancy would’ve felt like the clichéd loner “good guy” (with a stalker streak that was never a good look) “deserved” to get the girl at the end of the horror movie just by virtue of not being a jerk. This season, he seemed more settled in his home life and comfortable with how things had been going; Jonathan generally felt healthier this year, since he didn’t have to be the guy looking after his family to as great a degree. Heaton was good at showing us lighter shades of Jonathan like that. Jonathan and Nancy’s earlier monster hunting connection and mutual impulse to watch each other’s backs as they got justice worked to play up their connection and stir the tension between them. While I still would’ve liked more development in their romantic relationship, the moment where he and Nancy compared scars and talked about their friendship vanishing was a fun bit of reconnection. I also liked that at every turn, Jonathan was right there with Nancy insisting they weren’t together and looking for ways not to share a bed with her; it would’ve been cheaper if the hotel only had a single room available or for him not to offer to sleep on Murray’s couch. I liked the Temple of Doom homage with Nancy and Jonathan (unsuccessfully) fighting the urge to sleep together; that was fun! I’ve seen this pointed out elsewhere, but if they are together at the end of the season, then I wonder if their relationship really can survive normalcy and times when the world isn’t ending. Whether they can or not, that would be something interesting to explore.

While I liked Jonathan’s reaction to Will’s predicament once he got back into town and his attempts to help his brother were great, I would’ve liked to see him react more to not being there for Will and Joyce. That was such a drive for him in Season 1 that removing him from the equation could’ve yielded a bigger reaction once he realized what he’d been missing. That said, I wonder if the fact that everyone survived without him—and were more capable of doing what needed to be done than he was—will lead him down a path where he doesn’t feel as needed for his family’s survival anymore. We started to see this in Season 2, when he trusted Will to take care of himself while trick-or-treating and Jonathan let himself go to a party. Where will Jonathan go if he doesn’t feel like he has to be the one to care for his whole family? I don’t want him to feel guilty (and especially not emasculated) that he couldn’t face Will’s pain or turn up the heat, but I’d like to see what he wants to do with a clean slate and the ability to move forward, trusting Joyce to handle things and Will to fend for himself.

Billy Hargrove Billy was the final form of every 80s movie bully (and everything Steve seemed to be on the surface last year) and while Dacre Montgomery did a great job making him a constant predatory threat, there didn’t seem to be much complexity to him in the writing. Just like Henry Bowers in IT, Billy made for an intimidating human villain, but while one scene showing us a glimpse of the parental abuse that drove him to be so psychotic is appreciated, it’s too little too late. In a movie that’s more forgivable, but with nine hours to tell the story it doesn’t quite fly. I’m also glad the Duffers don’t think Billy’s abuse at the hands of his father excuses his actions, but only shows where he learned that hate. I liked Billy crying and then suppressing it after his dad left his room—Montgomery’s acting was very good in that scene—but none of this redeemed him for me and honestly, I don’t need to see him redeemed. I also don't think his reaction to being drugged and threatened by Max is equivalent to Jonathan knocking sense into Steve in Season 1. Steve realized what he did to Nancy was wrong and took steps to change right away. He even showed up at the Byers house at the end of the season to apologize to Jonathan, not to find Nancy to win her back. Billy’s violence-induced "respect" for Max is not at all the same thing as the violent moment that made Steve reevaluate his life.

Making Billy a racist on top of everything else would’ve worked better if they’d given Lucas a moment to reflect on why he couldn’t hang out with Max, if Max had a realization about why Billy acted the way he did, or if anyone had confronted Billy about it, forcing him to try to justify himself (not that there’s justification for that). As it was, he was terrifying both whenever he’d threaten Max and when he came after Lucas, but it seemed like there could’ve been more explored with him and the racist angle felt like just one more horrible thing about him. It’s possible Billy’s anger also comes from repressing his own homosexuality, given his reaction to what his father called him and the vibe he gave off when confronting Steve at the end of the season. If Billy is gay, then 80s-era prejudices against both he and his step-sister’s burgeoning interracial relationship could work to bring them closer together (if he can work through his anger issue and develop real respect for her; there’s no excuse for the way he acts). Dacre Montgomery doesn’t think Billy is racist or homophobic, but while he may not be playing either of those aspects and I could be misreading Billy—Montgomery definitely knows his character better than I do—the script left it too open-ended to dismiss as a possibility. I’m not sure his interpretation lines up with what we saw of him “protecting” Max either; if he were so concerned about her and who she hung out with, it wouldn’t have taken his father threatening him to get him to go hunt Max down. Whatever is driving Billy’s anger, we also should’ve seen a happy moment between Max and Billy to show us why her being a “constant” in his life was a good thing in his mind. I do agree with Montgomery that Billy’s insane amount of insecurity about being a man (and the man) is probably a large part of what’s feeding into his anger and lashing out; his early insults and attacks on Steve over no longer being the “king of the school” and getting dumped by Nancy definitely speak to that. As uncomfortable as the scene where he flirts with Mrs. Wheeler (Cara Buono) was, I liked the scene immediately after where Montgomery’s expression revealed it was all an act. That was the one bit of trope subversion his character got this year that reminded me of the undercurrents Steve got last year. Either way, I’m definitely interested to find out what “sinister” plans Montgomery and the Duffers have for Billy next year; how much worse can he get?

Barbara Holland I always thought Barb was fine; neither dull nor the perfect, slighted best friend some parts of the internet made her out to be, but analysis like this (and check out great analysis of all the characters here and here) and a rewatch of Season 1 left me seeing her as a judgey, jealous friend who couldn’t handle Nancy starting to pull away. She may have had good intentions in being protective of Nancy, but when it came time to face Nancy’s decisions, she couldn’t deal with what Lucas and Dustin overcame with Mike and Eleven (and because of her death, she never got the chance to learn from and grow out of her mistakes like everyone else did). That said, it did bother me that no one in town cared she’d gone missing except Nancy and her parents, so tying up that loose end here felt appropriate. It was sad her parents spent a year thinking she’d just run away or something, and moreso that they were spending all their money—even having to sell the house—in the search. I was satisfied with the justice Barb got here.

Joyce Byers Winona Ryder was great once again and I’m glad her efforts to save Will were listened to this year. There was a definite sense that she had more control and influence over things and, as I’ve seen pointed out elsewhere, it was great to see her take charge of getting answers about Will’s health rather than having to force Hopper to investigate or needing to justify her methods (like when she bought so many boxes of Christmas lights). Like Nancy, I’m glad Joyce was the one willing and able to do anything to save Will from the Mind Flayer’s influence, even though it hurt him. It was also cool that Ryder got to explore a healthier Joyce this year; she was understandably pushed to the limits of her sanity last year, so seeing her as a veteran of the Upside Down and its attacks on her family was a great bit of development. Moments like her concern for Will when dropping him off at the arcade felt relatable as well; even if he hadn’t been abducted by monsters from another dimension, her concern for his medical condition felt like something any mother would express (and his exasperated desire for her to see him as a capable person rather than a kid needing protection was spot-on too). The one area that felt a little lacking with Joyce’s portrayal this year was that she didn’t seem to even notice Jonathan was gone. Of course she was consumed with worry for Will, but an acknowledgment that Jonathan was missing would’ve been nice and some reaction to what he’d done with Nancy would’ve been better, since taking on the government could’ve had direct and deadly results for their whole family.

I liked her relationship with Bob; it brought out a new, almost carefree side to Joyce that we hadn’t seen in her interactions with Hopper, which are almost always fraught with tension over supernatural goings-on. At least at first, it felt like her relationship with Bob was a window into who she possibly used to be. David Harbour’s assessment that Joyce had a relationship with Bob because he seemed to be the safe, dorky father figure is probably accurate, but I would’ve liked to hear what Ryder’s thoughts on it were. The Duffers saying she would’ve left town with Bob had he lived gave his death a bigger tragedy, but I feel like she has a stronger connection to Hopper so I’m more invested in seeing where that goes. I’d also like to see Joyce interact with the other parents more; does she have friends anymore? It would help if she could talk to them about what happened, so perhaps the government facility shutting down will give her at least some ability to discuss a watered-down version of what she’s been going through. It’d also be cool to see what Joyce’s dreams are and what she hoped her life would turn out like. That could bond her with not only the younger kids in the face of so much danger, but the teens as they’re about to go off to college and forge lives for themselves. An attempt to build her life beyond her job at the store and as Will and Jonathan’s mom would also definitely be welcome.

Jim Hopper The change in Hopper from the start of Season 1 to the beginning of 2 (to say nothing of his journey through the rest of the season) was immense, going from a man barely holding it together and caught up in the memories of his dead daughter to a far healthier man building a life for his new surrogate child. Hopper and Eleven’s familial connection was an excellent aspect of Season 2 and one I never thought I’d love so much. Like Joyce being concerned about Will even during a benign trip to the arcade, Hopper and Eleven shared a lot of realistic parent/child moments that grounded the supernatural strangeness of their lives. Glimpses of their happier moments were excellent and, as Harbour pointed out on Beyond Stranger Things, very “dad” things like Hopper trying to guilt Eleven into coming out of her room to share overdue Halloween candy were played perfectly. Life lessons like the fact that even well-meaning parents can let their kids down worked very well too. Eleven’s psychic tantrum felt like a real argument between a parent and a child—even if amped up by her powers—and the push and pull between what was best for her development and what was safest for her created an excellent tension for Hopper to deal with; Harbour played it perfectly. His apology to an empty cabin was excellent and their reconciliation in the truck on the way to the facility was outstanding too. They need each other to build a new family out of their fractured lives and I can’t wait to see how that develops (particularly now that she’ll be able to leave the cabin safely within a year); I was very happy to see that she’s now legally his daughter. I absolutely loved his “You did so good, kid,” moment after she closed the gate and Hopper carrying her out of the gate room was a brilliant connection to Brenner carrying her out of the tank after her early tests with the Upside Down (that was a callback I completely missed!).

I’m glad Hopper didn’t go full-on nefarious Men in Black like the end of last season implied, instead just helping to cover up things in town without any qualms about setting the government straight the moment he realized they weren’t living up to their side of the “keep the Upside Down sealed” bargain. I like that his maybe-relationship with Joyce is seemingly back on track by the end of this year and I wonder if they’ll actually get together next season (or between seasons). If they were to get married, Eleven and Will as step-siblings would work really well given their shared traumas with the Upside Down. Hopper being absolutely done with the kids’ D&D allusions was perfect, so putting as many kids around him as possible would be hilarious! Has Joyce been taking Mike and Will up to have playdates with Eleven? Do all the kids regularly trek up to Hopper’s cabin to hang out with Eleven on weekends and play D&D? Did someone get an NES? I would love it if Hopper and Joyce actually enjoyed playing it just as much as the kids will (I remember my parents playing my Sega Genesis X-men game by themselves often, so the adults being into a video game or two isn’t outside the bounds of reality). I’d also be interested to see if sheriff is the end of Hopper’s career path or if he wants more out of his work. Could he be recruited into further government projects into the supernatural, or will he do something smaller, like running for Mayor of Hawkins? I hope the spores in the tunnels didn’t do anything to him, but I can’t see the Duffers letting that go so easily, especially since he’ll be directly in Eleven’s (and possibly Will’s) orbit. Perhaps that experience with the supernatural will be a way to bond him and Eleven even closer and give her a chance to directly rescue him.

Bob Newby His name literally being “newbie” may have been on the nose, but I liked Bob and the distinct flavor he brought to the character mix. His innocence and sense of discovery created fun clashes with the other characters’ temperaments, like when he was decoding Will’s map. He almost felt like a glimpse into what any of the kids could’ve become had they not had these run-ins with the supernatural. His tech and puzzle-solving knowledge were fresh skills some shows would’ve just randomly given to Mike or the other kids simply because they’re nerds—as if that means they know everything about all nerdy things—so I was glad the Duffers gave them to a new character. Those skills made him invaluable and allowed for a very tense escape from the government facility. I felt he truly cared about Joyce and her boys, which was refreshing to see, and he bonded well with Will. I liked the tragedy that his well-meaning advice about facing your fears was the absolute worst thing he could’ve told Will, and that Will trusted him enough to listen. Bob’s suggestion to move the family to Maine was a cool, sly Stephen King reference; they probably wouldn’t be any safer there! I was sorry he died, but I wish they hadn’t shot it with such a tell; instead of Bob and Joyce having a moment of relief that he’d escaped, having Bob continue running for his life and getting snagged by the Demodogs anyway would’ve been a bigger shock.

Allies I was shocked Dr. Owens turned out to not only not be morally gray or outright evil, but genuinely cared about Will, Eleven, and the others. That was a great change of pace from the stock government scientist and a clever subversion of Reiser’s character in Aliens. I believe he truly did believe doing whatever was necessary to stop the spread of the Upside Down was the best course of action, but once it came to harming kids, he was done. I respected that. I expected him to die, so his survival was a surprise and I hope he continues to be an ally in Season 3 and beyond. The government trying to burn away the infectious Upside Down infestation was a great way to make them problematic in that they were still running tests, while proving they weren’t completely oblivious to how dangerous it was (even if they had no idea how far it had spread). That was a cool split between their deal with Hopper and their own interests. I’d like to see what the larger government wants with the Upside Down testing, though. Are they thinking it could be used as a way to “teleport” behind enemy lines? If an army battalion (or just one operative with a nuclear weapon) entered the Upside Down in Hawkins and punched their way out in Moscow, for example, that would be a powerful military advantage that could clinch the Cold War for the US. Eleven and Eight’s powers both seem to be in the same vein as Cold War psychic experiments (and it all started as part of Project MKUltra), so elaboration on specific goals there would be cool too. Maybe some of the test subjects didn’t escape and are government-backed child soldiers now. If Jane being number eleven means she’s the latest and youngest, there’s no telling how old the earlier subjects are now.

It’s always good to see Mr. Clarke (Randy Havens), the kids’ science teacher. He didn’t have as big a role to play as the kids’ source of science this year, but all his scenes were great. I love that he’s so into science and always seizes the opportunity to pass on that love and curiosity to the kids. I’m not sure if I want him to learn about the Upside Down or not, because the kids’ flimsy excuses are entertaining. He’d have his mind blown by what they’ve seen, however, and that could be fun in and of itself. I also wonder just how much the kids are overlooking due to not having a background in science that could be useful to fighting the Upside Down. Officers Powell (Rob Morgan) and Callahan (John Reynolds) gave welcome returns as possibly the least effective cops (Callahan far moreso than Powell) on TV. I love how small-town they are in their all-too human reactions to things, even if they’re rarely helpful as law enforcement. As fun as they are, I wonder if there’s a way to preserve that quality while subverting the trope of the bumbling detectives. Ted Wheeler is still totally useless, but while I can almost see why Karen would be attracted to Billy after knowing him on his best behavior for two minutes, I wish we’d gotten more depth to her than a joke about bored housewives. Both of her children were gone from the house for days and she barely seemed to care (even if they did give flimsy sleepover excuses). I’d like to see her build a friendship with Joyce instead of continuing to just be an oblivious parent; there were hints that there was more to her in Season 1 and I hope there’s a return to that in Season 3. Digging into the Karen she wanted to be instead of the one who chose the safe life could be a revelation to Nancy—and Nancy venturing into a role in a male-dominated field like investigative reporter a boon to Karen—and I’d love to dig deeper into those dynamics.

Conspiracy theorist Murray Bauman was a nice nod to the fact that other people are taking note of the strange things going on in Hawkins. I liked his rundown of the myth Eleven accidentally created about herself and his complete misreading of Hopper’s dismissal as naiveté, not being in on the conspiracy. Other shows might have had him be so keyed into the mysteries that he’d suspect Hopper’s smokescreen right away, so his total obliviousness in that area felt fresh. His stunned reaction to what was really happening—much bigger than anything he’d imagined—was great too. His plan to water down the truth about the lab was cool as well; a clever way of holding off on letting everyone know about the Upside Down while still being rooted in human behavior. It didn’t feel like the plot was forcing them to keep their mouths shut about monsters just because doing so would change the whole show’s status quo, but like there was a real reason to. Explaining it like this was also easier to swallow than revealing the truth and then having people go back to disbelieving once the government said it was a lie, in an odd way. Even with the explanation that Murray has an obsessive need to expose secrets and illuminate the truth, his investment in the love lives of two teens he’d just met was a little unnerving. He didn’t come off as creepy, I guess, but just weird. I don’t need to see him return—with the government shutting down the facility, he’s served his purpose—but becoming something of a journalistic mentor for Nancy, if they go that route with her, could be cool.

I wasn’t too enamored with the members of Kali’s crew. They were fine foils for Eleven’s friends and definitely brought a distinct flavor to the show, but nothing Kali couldn’t bring by herself. With so little screentime to split among so many new characters, they didn’t feel as fully-formed as they could’ve been. I might’ve cut a few of them or combined their traits into fewer characters. Still, it’s good that they were so diverse; that was a realistic contrast to life in Hawkins. I definitely appreciate that there was an even gender split in the crew too. Perhaps given more time with these characters, I’d like them better.

Enemies I really, really hope Brenner isn’t still alive. He doesn’t need to be. Now that Eleven has discovered and come to terms with as much of her past as possible, bringing him back would feel like a step backwards. Through her interactions with Eight—who acted the way Brenner wanted his subjects to, even if she aimed herself at him instead of the government’s enemies—and Hopper, it feels like Jane’s already defeated the ghost of Brenner’s influence and his physical return wouldn’t be much of a fight for her soul. Now, if Eight shows up in Hawkins and uses an illusion of him to manipulate/terrorize Eleven, that could work. Then again, Millie Bobby Brown’s reading of Eleven’s relationship with her Papa as a warm one—because he was the first person to hold her and she felt there was care there, despite the abuse he inflicted on her and her mother—adds so many layers to the conflict that I hadn’t considered before. Her assertion that she wouldn’t channel her anger or fight as much without Brenner having been in her life is also a fascinating look at Eleven’s survival skills and her ability to make a positive out of the abuse she suffered. I’d like to see Eleven deal with that, but I wouldn’t want them to take her will to fight out of her hands or give him too much credit; I believe she’d be a fighter with or without Brenner in her life, since her mother certainly was in the end and would’ve taught Jane that instinct had she been there to raise her. Brown’s interpretations of their relationship almost make me hope he is alive. Almost.

The Mind Flayer was an imposing step up from the Demogorgon (just for fun, check out this incredible cosplay!) and the Demodogs were cool underlings. What’s going to happen with the Demodog Dustin and Steve put in the Byers’ fridge? It seemed dead, but they do like the cold… At any rate, I love the mythology of a being that’s so ancient even it doesn’t know where it came from, like Dustin theorizes the Mind Flayer is. The show is digging into Lovecraftian themes and I love it! Of course, if they’re going full-Lovecraft, it may also mean the Mind Flayer isn't necessarily evil, just that it’s a force of nature that wants to survive. That’s more interesting. Dustin assumes it wants to control everything because that’s what the D&D character wants, but nothing says he has to be right. Or maybe controlling everything is how it survives, so it needs to continue corrupting everything to perpetuate its existence. If all the beings it’s controlling die, how can this psychic monstrosity continue to inhabit any world?

I hope the Mind Flayer is defeated in Season 3, opening up 4 and 5 for new, even more terrifying threats. I feel like the next step beyond infiltrating the town is burrowing into the people (particularly as we know psychic interaction is possible through Eleven’s watery middle-ground void; that’s where she first met the Demogorgon), which could be cool. Though again, I don’t want the Upside Down to be the source of evil people in Hawkins. Perhaps the Mind Flayer already has a foothold here through the smoky portion of itself that was possessing Will. I wonder where it fled to… If Upside Down beings start taking over Hawkins citizens—or even just altering their perceptions to harm our heroes—that could be the perfect time to bring back the similarly-powered Eight.

 Though I would’ve liked to see more from Mike, Nancy, and Jonathan this year, I thought the writers did a great job of fleshing out the rest of the cast and expanding the story from where they left it in Season 1. They didn’t lock themselves into cliffhangers or open-ended scenes in the season finale this time, so they can do pretty much anything they want. I’m definitely optimistic about where things could go in Season 3 and beyond! We need to see these characters in their status quo so we can see how it changes when the supernatural elements return, so I do hope we get a little more of their normal lives next time; maybe a more expanded season would help. What are the characters’ lives and relationships going to look like in a year? What have the Mind Flayer and the other denizens of the Upside Down been planning? It feels like the stage has been set for a huge showdown and I can’t wait!

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Double Review: The Mummy 1999/The Mummy Returns

Since I saw The Mummy recently, I decided to look at the last reimagining of the classic monster movies, The Mummy (The Brendan Fraser one). These ones are pretty well-remembered and well-liked, and there’s a good reason for that; they’re fun, pulpy Indiana Jones-style adventure movies with plenty of jokes, action, and excitement. As someone who loves pulpy Indiana Jones-style adventure movies, these definitely appeal to me. Still, as much as nostalgia has made these films into memorable modern classics, they definitely have some problems that I feel nostalgia has blinded people too. And so, here today, I have come to talk about The Mummy and its sequel, The Mummy Returns.

What is this series bringing to the table? The series begins in the 1920s, where archaologist Evelyn Carnahan and her brother team together with former legionnaire Rick O’Connell to find the lost City of the Dead: Hamunaptra. Upon finding the city, they inadvertently unleash an ancient evil known as Imhotep, a man who was cursed with immortality and mummified for his blasphemous acts in ancient times. Over the span of the first film, they work to defeat him before he can use Evelyn as the vessel to resurrect his long-dead lover; in the sequel, they must stop him from fighting and killing the Scorpion King, another ancient being who made a deal with Anubis and commanded his armies. If Imohtep can kill him, he will gain control over the most powerful army in the world.

The first film, The Mummy, is a very strong if somewhat cheesy film. It’s got the Indiana Jones vibe down pat, with good comedy combined with pulpy action and plenty of thrills and likable protagonists, including our lovable rogue Rick, who is likely Brendan Fraser’s strongest performance ever (with apologies to George of the Jungle). The antagonists too are entertaining; cowardly jackass Beni is hilariously pathetic and pitiful, and big bad Imohtep is a surprisingly tragic and complex villain for this kind of movie. Arnold Vosloo’s performance definitely helps cement him as one of the coolest cinematic villains ever, and the early CGI only serves to enhance his creepiness with how unnatural and corroded he looks. Then we have the incredibly handsome and incredibly badass Ardeth Bay, who manages to take on a room full of mummies alone and survive somehow. He was originally slated to die, but he was so cool the director changed his mind.

The sets look pretty good… the CGI, though… It’s kind of easy to be forgiving since this movie came out in 1999, but then you remember that Terminator 2 and Jurassic Park exist and you just kind of sigh and shake your head. Still, as fake as some of the effects look, the movie is still impressive as a spectacle, and the movie has good pacing so you’re having far too much fun to care about that. That’s another shocker; this film is paced quite well, with about an hour of solid buildup before Imohtep rises from the grave. It’s a very slow and suspenseful build to his release, which makes it all the cooler.

You know what isn’t cool, though? How inaccurate a lot of this film is. From showing the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx near Thebes in the opening to the fact Hamunaptra is actually a real place in India to the ignorance of the true final plague of Egypt (which is the death of all firstborn sons of Egypt, not the plague of boils), there are a lot of geographical, mythological, and historical fuck ups in this movie. The plague thing is actually the biggest ones, since it was the Hebrew god who sent the plagues upon Egypt, making it very strange that a cursed Egyptian man would be using them. Thankfully the movie runs so much on coolness and charm that it’s easy to let this slide, but still. With such a rich mythology and country before you, there’s really no need to pull shit out of your ass like this.

Still, as far as cheesy action adventure films go, this one is very solid, and I’d rank it alongside films like the Indiana Jones movies and National Treasure in terms of enjoyable, pulpy, archaeological fun. Despite its flaws, it’s very easy to see why The Mummy is so well-loved these days.

Next we have The Mummy Returns, and boy is this one stuffed sequel! I’d compare it to Dead Man’s Chest in terms of how bloated and over-the-top it is, and I mostly mean that in a good way. This is a pretty fun, action-packed film, though this does come at the cost of a few things, most notably pacing. Instead of a slow buildup to the big plot, we get tossed into action almost right off the bat, though we at least get some warming up and reestablishment of the characters from the first film as well as an introduction to Rick and Evey’s young son. Yeah, that’s right, this one takes place in the FUTURE! …of 1933. Not too much time has passed since the first one. Anyway, the pacing isn’t so much a problem, as we already know most of these characters, allowing you to toss them into the situation and watch how they react and play off of each other. The problem with this action-packed fast-paced plot is that it ends up leading to a lot of spectacle, but not ones you’d like to see. Imohtep doesn’t do nearly as much as the first movie, and in fact one of his biggest scenes – in which he creates a wall of water to crush the heroes – is a rehash of the sandstorm scene of the first film. And when we finally get to the thing the movie has been building up to – an awesome showdown between Imohtep and his god-like powers and the equally powerful half-man half-arachnid Scorpion King – Imohtep is stripped of all power and becomes a mortal. This is such an absolutely wasted opportunity that it kind of stings, even if the final confrontation has some cool moments mixed in with some absolutely cheesy ones.

Since we’re on the subject of cheesiness and the final battle, let’s talk about the Scorpion King. He appears twice in the film: once during the prologue, where he is played by Dwayne Johnson in his big breakthrough into film. He’s pretty cool here, badass too… but this apparently conflicts with his heroic portrayal in The Scorpion King spinoff movie, where he is a traditionally heroic character. This would be a problem I’d discuss normally, but I only bring it up to point out that Word of God is that this is merely a descendant of Mathayus (which is the heroic Scorpion King’s name). So yeah, no problem there. The REAL problem comes from the fact this cool character played by a cool actor who got huge billing is really only in this one short prologue at the beginning and gets five minutes of screentime, and that may be being generous. But he appears in the final battle right? Yes and no. While a monstrous scorpion/human hybrid that looks like Dwayne Johnson appears, it is not the man himself, but a creation of the most unsettling, uncomfortably real early 2000s CGI you will ever see. The Scorpion King of the finale is an absolutely ridiculous nosedive into the uncanny valley, and squanders the big name they got. This final battle is just one disappointment after another, huh?

In a lot of ways, this film reminds me of A Nightmare on Elm Street 4, in that it seems more concerned in being a special effects spectacle than being a great sequel. To its credit, though, despite definitely being a spectacle film, it’s actually still pretty good. The armies of Anubis especially are a badass sight to behold, and it’s a shame they aren’t around much either. There’s also the sinking of the Scorpion King’s oasis at the end, which is like the ending of Jumanji when everything is sucked back into the board on a grander scale (pretty amusing, since the temple was that of Johnson’s character, and he is now starring in a Jumanji continuation). Overall, it’s pretty good spectacle, even if the special effects are not quite as impressive as the first film’s to the point of being distracting at times; again, this is most prominent with the entire final battle.

But speaking of Anubis… hoo boy. The first film had some minor mythological miscalculations, but THIS movie just straight fucked mythology up the ass. And they did it from the very opening of the movie! The problems begin with the concept of selling your soul to Anubis. Let me walk you through the reasons why this entire plot is bullshit from the get-go:

1. The entire concept of selling your soul is a Christian folklore concept. No, not even a main Christian concept; Satan is not the ruler of the damned in the Bible.

2. All deceased are destined to meet Anubis, so the Scorpion King selling his soul is just nonsensical for Anubis to accept, because he’d get the Scorpion King’s soul regardless of whether he lived or died. And the Scorpion King was making this deal to avoid death. There’s a huge conflict of interests here.

3. The biggest problem is this: Anubis is not an evil god. Anubis in this movie is very much the same as every depiction of Hades in every movie about Greek mythology: because he is dark and rules over the dead in a way, clearly he’s evil! In reality, Anubis is one of the good gods; a true god of evil in Egyptian mythology would be Set, or even the serpent Apophis. In fact, criticize The Mummy of 2017 all you want, but it was actually mythologically accurate in that regard, as Ahmanet in that movie makes a deal with Set to overthrow the pharaoh. It’s actually a much more sensible deal, it makes more sense mythologically, and Set is actually getting some personal gratification there as he himself overthrew and usurped his brother Osiris.

So yes, the entire basis for this plot is mythologically bullshit. Maybe this all would be easy to accept like some examples of Hades like the ones in Disney’s Hercules and Kid Icarus: Uprising if Anubis actually showed up and had some sort of screen presence, but no, he’s just a vague shadow hanging over the movie who never once appears. This was such an easily solvable problem, I’m not sure why they didn’t have him show up if only for one scene.

Still, I can’t say the movie is totally bad or unenjoyable or anything. It’s fun and solid action, and while Imohtep is not used as well as the first, by the film’s end you’ll feel really bad for him if you didn’t already. This film cements him as a tragic villain, and if for nothing else I enjoy it for that. If I’d say one other thing was truly great, it’s Brendan Fraser’s acting during Evelyn’s temporary death scene, a showcase of his often underutilized acting chops.

All things considered, when it comes right down to it, the first movie is definitely the better film. It has more solid pacing, better humor, Imohtep at his best, and a very solid story. Still, the second film is a fun ride, and not really bad so much as a bit overstuffed with special effects and really weird choices. Still, I definitely recommend both films heartily, as they are both fun fantasy adventures in the vein of the Indiana Jones films, and the world definitely needs more movies like that.

Shame there were never any sequels to this. Oh sure, there was the Scorpion King spinoff prequel film, but that’s it. They never made a third one. What a sad state of affairs that is. So much potential for more stories. But can you imagine making a third film without Oded Fehr. Arnold Vosloo, or Rachel Weisz, and just had really shitty CGI and a horribly underutilized villain? That would suck, right? I’m glad they never did that.

[lastgenpodcast]

Star Wars, Han Solo, Its Directors, and Kathleen Kennedy. What's the deal here?

It was recently announced that Lucasfilm and the directing duo of Phil Lord and Chris Miller have parted ways on the upcoming untitled Star Wars film centered on a younger Han Solo.  This announcement came via StarWars.com and has subsequently hit the echo chamber that is the internet.  The reaction has been pretty solid towards posing the question, "Is this worrisome?".  Sadly, when you look at the recent history of Lucasfilm and its directors, the answer leans yes.  

Now, let me preface this.  What you are about to read is not going to be an article claiming that Earth has burned to a cinder.  The film will still come out and the franchise will move on regardless.  Still though, what's the deal with the majority of directorial choices made by Kathleen Kennedy and Lucasfilm?  Kathleen Kennedy's resume speaks for itself and when she was announced as the new head of Lucasfilm, personally, I could not have been more excited.  This is the woman who produced 17 Steven Spielberg films, the Back to the Future Trilogy, Scorsese's Cape Fear, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Sixth Sense, and many many more films that fill the lexicon.  She understands everything a person in the film business can and she has handled large franchises before.  Perfect, right?  

Towards Star Wars, things started great.  A smart, if safe, choice for the re-entry into the Star Wars universe was chosen in the form of J.J. Abrams who has two very distinct talents.  Working with younger casts, and making a film comfortable to ease into.  He is a populist director with a massive amount of charisma and a strong eye.  To restate, his ability to get performances out of younger actors is comparable to that of Spielberg.  He is THAT good.  On the other hand, beside the dead horse joke of lens flare, he does not exactly have a style of his own.  

When you see a Tarantino film, you know where you are.  You don't need to be told it was directed by Tarantino.  Same goes for select modern day directors such as David Fincher, Wes Anderson, Christopher Nolan, and even Guy Ritchie.  When you walk into a film directed by these folks, you are told it visually and audibly.  Abrams, not so much.  He is a fantastic chameleon.  He has an innate ability to mimic film styles.  There is no better example of this then in Super 8, a film I really enjoy, which is a giant hug to Steven Spielberg.  His Star Wars entry was likewise in that it had his staple of young actors firing off fantastic chemistry but it still felt and looked exactly like a Star Wars film.  That is not a complaint either.  As I said, it was the smart, safe choice and paid off in spades.  The Force Awakens was a hit and besides some folk begrudging how similar it was to A New Hope (the mimic point arises again), it was embraced by the fans and movie goers at large.  

Following this we learned that Rian Johnson would direct Episode 8 and hot off the financial success of Jurassic World, Colin Trevorrow would helm the finale of the new trilogy.  In addition, Josh Trank was attached to an unnamed Star Wars project with Gareth Edwards earning the opportunity to show us exactly how the plans for the Death Star got into Princess Leia's hand with Rogue One.  This did not happen all in one afternoon mind you, but there it was.  A lot of wheels were in motion and excitement was high.  

Then Fantastic Four happened.  

John Trank had a fresh take in his low-budget, found footage, superhero film, Chronicle, but his followup film with 20th Century Fox, Fantastic Four, was an utter disaster.  Not only was the film a critical and financial failure, reports surfaced of over $100,000 worth of damages to a rented home, issues with the producers, and Trank being "erratic".  All of this lead to re-shoots that occurred only months before the targeted release date and many unhappy executives at Fox.  Let's be honest too, if the film wound up being a success, all the other issues would have gone by the way side.  Keep that in mind.  

With all of the bad vibes spreading over Trank and his behavior, he was bumped off his Star Wars film.  Lucasfilm was gracious in allowing Trank to state that he departed the project, but everyone knew the deal.  He had lost the gig.  The question then arose as to why a largely new, stranger to big budget film, director was even given the reigns at a Star Wars film with everything that was riding on it?  Sure, Chronicle is great but it seemed a large jump and may have hurt Trank's career in the long run.  

Then came Gareth Edwards and Rogue One.  Edwards got much deserved attention with his film Monsters which was a low budget indie hit.  It showed a filmmaker who can do a lot with sci-fi without having to show a special effects cluttered mess.  He followed that up with 2014's Godzilla which is neither great nor terrible.  It suffers pacing issues and dispatches the most interesting character way too early.  It also barely features Godzilla on screen, which I liked, but it did feel a bit empty as a result too.  After that, onto Star Wars.  The shoot of Rogue One had some issues at hand though and ultimately Tony Gilroy was brought in for re-shoots and was paid to the tune of 5 million dollars to do so.  Now, re-shoots are not uncommon, on the contrary, but bringing in another person on the paycheck of 5 million is not exactly common practice either.  We don't know the specifics of why Gilroy was brought in, but obviously the product at hand was not stitching together very well in the eyes of the producers.  In particular, the ending was retooled quite a bit, or all together depending on what source you read.  Upon release, Rogue One was a box office smash but definitely had its share of criticism towards pacing and lack of character development.  It also used CG to recreate some lost folks and the reaction was mixed.  Truthfully though, towards Tarkin, many people who were not aware of who Peter Cushing was and that he had died over 20 years ago, had no clue the character was CG.  Make of that what you will.  With all of those concerns though, Edwards brought a new look to the Star Wars cinematic universe.  It had a grit without being dour, felt more tactile, and improved upon the "lived in" feel that the best Star Wars film have.  Full marks to him on that.  Yet, despite the film being a box office monster and successfully introducing a new tone, the question remained towards the motivation on the heavy retooling and bringing in Tony Gilroy.  Was this another un-experienced director who bit off more than he could chew?  And if so, how did this get by the powers that be.  Maybe hiring the director who made heads turn by showing less and accomplishing more, was not the guy to then tell, "Show everything".  It seems an odd match.  

Now for the uplifting piece.  Rian Johnson.  The director of The Last Jedi, aka Episode 8, seems to have it all rolling. His enthusiasm for the project is addictive, his knowledge of the series makes him seem trustworthy in his love of the lore and quite frankly he is the best damned director of all the people chosen for this new run of Star Wars films.  None of the other filmmakers made a better film than Looper, Brick, or even his three episodes of Breaking Bad.  He also is the only director that I can sit down and get a sense that he directed it.  Johnson has his own style and it seems he was given the leeway to inject it into his entry of the series.  Granted, I am basing this off a teaser for The Last Jedi, but it feels different from the other "saga" films in a good way.  If anything, it feels very "Empire", which is exactly what most fans want to see and hear.  This choice seems the most inspired and fitting.  J.J. Abrams fit extremely well due to what needed to be accomplished, but this choice seems to fit in the effort and need to expand the films into a larger. more original, story.  

For Episode 9 we have Colin Trevorrow.  This may be the most head scratching one for me.  I get it, Jurassic World made a ton of money but I think the nostalgia machine was turned so far up, the film would have had to arrive on fire to not make money.  Nothing in that movie stands out beside the assistant woman being tortured slowly by dinosaurs who drag her over the ground and sky to eventually eat her.  It's a total rehash of the original with no new interesting characters or events.  More recently, The Book of Henry was released and the reaction to this offering by Trevorrow has been pretty harsh.  It's sporting a Rotten Tomatoes score of 24% and to quote one review (trust me, many echo this sentiment) it's "grotesquely phony and manipulative".  So, that's something.  I find myself in total agreement with an article recently written by Owen Gleiberman in Variety where he states, "To my mind, Trevorrow has never made a movie in which he has told a powerfully and convincingly emotional story. His aesthetic seems to lack the human factor."  Did Kathleen Kennedy and Co only look at box office receipts?  I understand the business of the business but making a quality flick also is good for business isn't it?  At this moment, I have zero enthusiasm for Episode 9 and many folks are starting to rightfully question WHY Trevorrow gets this honor.  That being said, PLEASE, prove me wrong and make the best Star Wars finale film yet.

Finally, we find ourselves five months into filming the unnamed Han Solo film and the directors just packed their bags and left.  Did it really take this long to realize a "creative difference" existed?  Miller and Lord have been making quality and bank off of comedies for the most part.  21 Jump Street, 22 Jump Street and The Lego Movie all have a great off-center feel to them.  It would be a good guess that they would bring that very approach to Han.  That would be my guess anyway.  Behind Rian Johnson, I felt the most excitement towards this match up.  Han needs to be a silly, fun romp.  Miller and Lord are a perfect fit for the need.  Again though, are the folks at Lucasfilm only looking at box office receipts and not the actual product produced by the talent at hand?  Were they unaware of their previous works and tone created in such?  What was the disconnect here and why so late in the game has it fallen apart?  

In conclusion, out of the 6 directorial choices made, he have one that never made it to production, one that required a second hand to come in for extensive re-shoots, another that left while approaching the finish line, and a director who has yet to make a compelling film but people like dinosaurs.  

Does this fall on the shoulders of Kathleen Kennedy?  She is ultimately the one calling the shots.  Her resume is beyond compare but she has also had the blessing of seeing Steven Spielberg in the directors chair for 17 feature films.  Is finding the right fit for this franchise proving to be a larger problem than anticipated?  I can't imagine so but based on the current results, that seems a question to be raised.  

In the end though, Star Wars will be fine.  Kathleen Kennedy will be fine.  Hell, the Han Solo film will probably be fine despite this development.  Too much money is at risk and mountains will be moved to ensure the investment is paid in full with interest pouring over everyone's head.  In closing, don't panic but definitely shoot first.  

[jurassicparkpodcast]

Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous Delivers A Jurassic Experience You Won’t Want To Miss | NON-SPOILER REVIEW

Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous represents an exciting moment in the Jurassic World franchise, as it provides us with our first adventure within the universe which takes place entirely on our television screens.

The show is set primarily during the 2015 Jurassic World incident, and allows us to explore Jurassic World (both pre and post Indominus Rex breakout) through their eyes. Whilst this is a kid-friendly look at the Jurassic World universe, the show by no means pulls it punches, and provides a fun and exciting experience which I think will resonate with long-time fans of the franchise as much as it will with the young people who it has been created for.

The story of Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous is refreshingly slow. Rather than rushing to the large dinosaur set-pieces which we have all come to know and expect from the franchise, the show takes it’s time to explore the Camp setting, allowing us to experience some of the activities the kids get to experience as a part of their normal camping experience. A big concern of mine coming into the show was that we may not get the time to explore Jurassic World as much as many of us would like, so I was glad to see that I was wrong, and that the show did take the time to build upon the wider-established canon of the world.  I also appreciated that the story found ways to connect to moments from Jurassic World without making them feel shoehorned in. The events, as they unfold, felt logical – and whilst there were some moments where I questioned the concurrence with the events of the film, these moments were few and far between. The advantage of eight episodes in the first season is that they provides the writers with ample time to build a connection with audiences – developing a story which has real depth to it, and which only further helps to enrich the franchise moving forwards. I was surprised to see that the story here is not self-contained, but rather, may have ramifications for the franchise moving forwards – even in a post-Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom world. The story overall does a good job of juggling action and character development with world building, and that is something which I am incredibly glad to see.

Of course no story is complete without a strong and competent cast of characters, and Camp Cretaceous brings us a cohort of six Campers, plus two Camp Counsellors, as recurring characters throughout the eight episode run. I was impressed with how diverse the selection of characters was. Each of the kids has a well-fleshed out personality, with the series gradually unpicking each character and their tropes as it progresses. I like how we get a mixed bag of kids from different backgrounds here as I feel it will make it a lot easier for young people to connect with the show, and resonate with the experiences these young people have. The characters see good growth and development across the eight episodes, with some forming into natural leaders, whilst others concur the emotions which may have prevented them from achieving their full potential earlier in the series. Even the adult characters here feel well written – with a good dynamic between the two counsellors which doesn’t feel like a far stray from the dynamics we see between many of the main characters in the Jurassic World films. I was pleasantly surprised by just how well developed the array of Campers we spend the show with were.

Whilst the humans are big characters within their own regard, I think it would be remiss to also not count the Dinosaurs as characters – and there is a fantastic variety here who really help to breath depth into the show whilst also adding a sense of impending danger to the adventures the characters undertake. The trailers have already shown characters like the Indominus Rex and Bumpy, as these dinosaurs have moments and set pieces which help them to shine. I also appreciate how some additional work has been put into the show to integrate other animals, like the Sinoceratops, helping to create a more coherent universe which connects the dots between both Jurassic World and Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom. This is a small detail, but one which helps to fully immerse viewers in the wider Jurassic universe. I also appreciated how the show felt consistent in terms of the confines of Jurassic World dinosaurs. It is well established, at this point, that there were certain dinosaurs who were present on Isla Nublar, and the show is respectful of that pre-established canon, something which I think long-term fans of the franchise will really appreciate.

We mentioned Isla Nublar and the island itself is arguably one of Jurassic’s biggest characters at this point. The world we get to explore through Camp Cretaceous is both familiar and new, something which I think, again, will really allow viewers to connect with this show. The Camp itself feels like a nice blend between Jurassic Park and Jurassic World – hitting some of those key nostalgia beats whilst still presenting us with something which could have easily functioned as a part of the modern park. I have to admit – I love how some of the locations and vistas which we explore felt as though they may have taken prompts from Jurassic World Evolution and the Evolution of Claire. It helps to ground all of these properties as set within the same universe, and adds some great visual continuity for people who have had the opportunity to experience all of these different projects. It is also fun getting to re-visit some of the iconic locations you will know from both Jurassic World and Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom – allowing us to see some of these locations in new and interesting ways. Whilst we aren’t going to talk spoilers just yet, I do want to add that ahead of the shows debut, I was adamant that I wanted to see more of the functional park – and we do get a taste of what that looks like in this show, which is very satisfying.

An important part of this show is the fact that it is animated – something which I feel had some people worried in terms of the cohesion between this show and other Jurassic World properties. I am happy to share that the animation here feels incredibly high quality overall, and it is able to find a balance between the unique style and flair that Dreamworks bring to all of their projects, whilst also maintaining the overall Jurassic World aesthetic you have come to know and expect. A Carnotaurus will look like a Carnotaurus, and will not stray too far from the pre-established visual identity we have from Fallen Kingdom, which is a great way to really double-down on grounding this as a canonical show set within the same universe. The dinosaur designs also feel as though they have had a lot of texture work put into them – with their assets feeling high quality, letting them pop on screen. There were moments where I was really impressed with the fluidity of the animation too – with some of Bumpy’s movements, in particular, feeling very dynamic and lifelike at times. If you were worried about how Jurassic would translate to the animated realm, it is safe to say that it translates pretty flawlessly.

The last thing I wanted to touch on within this review is the canon of the show – as this is something which I feel will be important to many Jurassic fans. We have heard on several occasions that this show will fit in within the wider Jurassic canon – and I am happy to say that for the most part, it is consistent with the pre-established events from the film. There are nods to moments from the first Jurassic World film at certain points which help to ground it within the canon, and there are a few fun little details which we will talk about later in the month which really help to call back to some older Jurassic Park projects – including one very unexpected nod to Jurassic Park III. The series doubles down on the Jurassic canon in ways which delighted me as a (arguably over-obsessed) fan, and even took the time out to officially add some details to the canon which had only been speculated about up until this point. I am very happy to see that the writers for this show clearly put a lot of time and energy into researching the wider world ahead of this show, as it is clear that they put a lot of work in to ensure that the sequences which we experience on screen can be placed within the pre-existing Jurassic World timeline without causing major inconsistencies.

I think that is enough gushing about the show for one review, but I am genuinely very delighted with the outcome of this show. Going into Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous, I was a little bit cynical about the “kids” focus of the show. I was unsure as to whether there would be much that I would appreciate from a more mature standpoint, but actually, the show has a lot of subtle moments and extra details which have been crafted in specifically for people who are larger fans of the franchise. There is a lot of fun content woven into the very fabric of this show which is incredibly satisfying for long-term Jurassic fans. Whilst there is more that the show could have done in terms of exploring both the world and some of the dinosaurs who inhabit it, Season One is very much about focussing on bringing these characters together as they explore Jurassic World, and it does a fantastic job of grounding both the characters, and us as an audience, within that world. I am excited to hopefully see this show used as a catalyst for much more in the way of extended Jurassic media in the future.

That’s it for our advanced review of the show – and our big thanks to Universal Studios, Netflix and Dreamworks Animation for allowing us to check out the series in advance. Stay tuned to Netflix, where you can catch the full series on September the 18th.

Check out Tom’s mini review above and also find Brad & Tom’s full non-spoiler podcast below.

Written by: Tom Fishenden

[breegullbeakreviews]

Since I’ve spent this week going on a much needed vacation, I’ve decided that it’s time for another mass movie review. Here are my thoughts on everything I’ve seen since the last one.

- Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (06/23/18): I know I said I’d try and be more positive going forward, but this is my new least favorite film of all time surpassing even Batman v Superman. It’s joyless, uninspired, and it’s the only film I’ve ever checked my phone during. I was bored out of my mind. This was something I saw with Movie Pass and not something I would have seen without it.

- Ant-man and the Wasp (07/05/18): It’s good. As one could expect it’s a drastically lighter film than Infinity War was. For completion’s sake I’m glad I saw it, but outside its post credits scene it’s largely forgettable.

- Skyscraper (07/12/18): Another only with MoviePass. It’s PG-13 Die Hard 1 staring the Rock. It’s not a ground breaking film by any means but it’s a dumb fun action movie.

- Sorry to bother you (07/13/18): Wow. This is a great film. The surreal world the film creates mocks are own and while I’m not 100% on board with how it ends, I like most of what this film is preaching and how it’s preaching it. I fully expect this film to get so recognition during award season for its writing.

- Won’t you be my neighbor?(07/17/18): I’m usually not one to go see documentaries and I only have vague memories of Mr. Rodger’s Show. That being said I watched this with MoviePass and it’s hard not to get emotional watching it. I can’t say if this is a guaranteed winner of any awards, but I expect a lot of nominations.

- Death of Stalin (07/19/18): It’s a period piece comedy set in the fallout of Stalin’s death. The issue is that the comedy is really understated and dry to the post by where the film didn’t really hold my attention. If this film did one thing right it’s that it sort of made me forget that the main cast are all playing horrible people. One of the higher ups is portrayed as a villain using this death as a power play and you root against him, but he’s just the worst of a bunch of terrible people.

- The Wolverine Extended Cut (07/24/18): Up until now this was the only X-men movie I hadn’t seen. I decided to correct that with a rental. I had heard really bad things about it and I don’t get the hate. Its finale is down right silly, but it’s a bridge between the Wolverine we knew and the one we got in Logan and I can appreciate that.

- X-Men Days of Future Past Rogue Cut (07/25/17): Days of Future Past is a good movie, but I had never seen the Rogue Cut. If you haven’t seen the movie you might as well watch this version, but the extra content isn’t needed. It’s all back loaded on to the film and slows the back half down.

- Teen Titans Go! To the Movies (07/26/18): I saw this the day of the first big MoviePass outage. This movie is hilarious and honestly I think it’s funnier than Deadpool 1 and 2. The humor is a combination of commentary on superhero films as a whole and the rest is super lowbrow humor. There is an extended sequence of the Teen Titans pooping in a prop toilet followed by a musical number. The soundtrack is also great.

- Happy Death Day (07/28/18): my parents DVRed it and I watched it with them. My thoughts haven’t changed, but I’m still curious as to what the alternate ending is.

- Teen Titans Go to the Movies (07/30/18): I saw it again. Was the only person in the theater and I still laughed my ass off.

- Eight Grade (08/02/18): This film gives me serious Lady Bird vibes. It’s a coming of age story about a girl about to move from one school level to the next. What I liked vastly more here is that the lead never came across as full of herself. I do not know what it’s like to be a teenage girl, but this film did a much better job getting me to relate to that experience.

- The Spy Who Dumped Me (08/03/18): It was fine. This wasn’t a movie I’d seek to watch again, but I don’t regret having watched it. It was a nice blend of comedy and action.

- Christopher Robin (08/10/18): I get the bad reviews. I don’t agree but I get it. Unless you know Winnie the Pooh than this movie doesn’t work. The film relies heavily on nostalgia and if you don’t have it for these characters than it’s not going to do anything for you. It’s once you’ve disconnected in this way that you see that this film is somewhat similar to the live action Smurf’s film with Neil Patrick Harris. A grown up is having problems and computer generated characters come from there world to his to help him learn a valuable lesson. It’s certainly s better movie, but honestly if this film has any other characters I’d probably not have enjoyed it.

- Blood Fest (08/14/18): Despite being an avid follower of Kinda Funny, I haven’t really had any interest in other content in the Rooster Teeth Family. That being said I had seen the teasers for this and decided to check it out at the premiere. This movie was a blast. While far from perfect, the imperfections mixed with the practical effects give it a B-movie feel that actually enhances the movie. I can see why people wouldn’t like this movie, but it’s one of my favorites of the year.

[allisonswrittenwords]

Sun, palm trees, warm weather.

Credit for one out of three?

Oh don’t worry.  Spoiler alert, the sun eventually came out!

My most recent travel/experience/travel experience took me on my first cross-country trip, to the west coast and to Southern California.  It was a trip that was three months in the making, and began in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, December 21st.  More specifically, it began in the first class cabin of an American Airlines jet bound for Dallas/Fort Worth (the layover airport on the way to Ontario International Airport), which was another first.  If only we could have maintained that lovely status for the second leg of the trip, but it wasn’t possible.

Also not possible? Sun when we arrived.  It became a thing the next day, but for that day (and a brief portion of the next morning), it was all about the rain.  It was also chilly when we arrived (it got up to 70 on our final day, but was a suitable 60-something degrees on several days, sometimes cooler), but still better than at home this time of year.

There were palm trees though!  Lots and lots of palm trees!

After a chill first day, the next day was a trip to Universal Studios Hollywood.

I love theme parks, and I love ones that are open and fully operating in the middle of the winter months.  Even if you have to wear a sweatshirt to be able to enjoy the attractions, it is still nice to be outside in fresh air and getting the adrenaline pumping on some rides (ok, those were indoors, but still).

Also awesome?  Ordering something called a Krusty Burger, and it not being something possibly construed as gross:

And the Flaming Moe?  It’s a thing, sans the mixed ingredients and children’s cough syrup.

(It wasn’t mine, but it was orange soda and it looked awesome!)

One of my favorite things about Christmas is light displays on houses, so amusement parks silly with exterior illumination are the stuff of amazement.

And I’m a sucker for things like backlot tours.  I love seeing how things work!

And breathtaking views?  Amazing!

I also saw a few famous individuals…and Arnold Schwarzenegger on a giant poster.

I soared through the skies at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, rode with The Simpsons (twice), helped Optimus Prime stop Megatron’s attempt to quash his attempt at absolute power, saw the Waterworld stunt how (yes, a stunt show based on the Kevin Costner movie, no pee-drinking done there)…

and took in a bit of Grinchmas.

I also got kissed by Beetlejuice…

  …Spit on by a dinosaur on the Jurassic Park ride (no pictures available)…

And my boyfriend has a picture of us with “Doc Brown” on his camera.

I also made some quick videos of the Backlot Tour, if you’d like to see them.

Go on, click play!

In all, the perfect first full day in California.  And yes, the rain stopped early in the day. It didn’t rain again the entire trip either!

The next three days involved preparing for Christmas and celebrating Christmas.  I did get a Thor mug, a Thor “Little Golden Book” journal, Sixteen Candles Funko Pops (and the Blu-Ray!), a bracelet, and a Kindle Fire Stick.  My “dumb” TV became a “Smart” TV!

I also have a snazzy Thor stocking waiting for my return to California…

I’m now the envy of every eight-year-old boy.

And Olaf may not have survived the God of Thunder’s presence.

The day after Christmas took me on my next awesome adventure.  Because two in a week when you’re visiting some place for the first time?  Why not!

I heard some insane rumor that it is the happiest place on earth.

That’s right – Adventure #2 of this trip took me to the Disney Park of the West Coast…Disneyland.  It doesn’t have a creative name, folks, it is what it is.

Having been to Disney World five times, I can safely tell you this is the smaller of the two United States parks, but it is the original, and since I like nostalgia and all, why not see how the magic all started?

So much magic!

By far, my favorite attraction (aside from one of my Disney World favorites, Space Mountain), was the Indiana Jones ride, which is not at Disney World.  It involves sharp twists and turns while riding in a Jeep (buckled up for safety, of course!) through caves, and an encounter with the boulder that’s nearly as famous as the eponymous hero.  And Pirates of the Caribbean has not one, but two drops, and begins its journey with a restaurant overlooking the start point.  I also got to experience the revamped Star Tours ride (I saw the original attraction on my last visit to Disney World in 2007).

And then there were the Matterhorn Bobsleds.  As I recall, there is something similar in Disney World, but this felt so classic and fun.

With the help of Fast Passes, we got on the good stuff quickly, and had time for everything else we wanted to do.  It was truly the perfect day, fun and weather wise.

And I even got my “First Visit” pin that I’d been promising to get.

Magical.

And slightly dangerous.  Only because I don’t read signs.

My final day in California was chill by choice – lunch, a morning of exploring the mountains, and t-shirt weather.  If only that had been the case on other days, but I was grateful for no snow.

And of course, my trip was topped off with In-and-Out Burger (twice) and Jack-in-the-Box…twice.

Like my first time having Tim Horton’s in Michigan in May 2016 made me an Honorary Canadian, I am an honorary Californian for having In-and-Out and Jack-in-the-Box.

Ah yes.

And much like my trip began, it concluded in the First Class cabin from Ontario to Dallas/Fort Worth in the early morning hours, one week after I arrived.

The final part of my flight was spent in Coach.

Can’t win them all, folks.

And there you have it, my first California trip!  We’re planning to go back this summer, and at that time, we’ll see where the adventure takes us!

Until the next adventure, check out some of my other travels and experiences!  I’ve been writing them since 2015, and as long as there is something to do, I’ll be writing about it to share with you!

And until the next trip, how about another good California song?

      Allison’s Written Words Travels and Experiences: My California Adventure Sun, palm trees, warm weather. Credit for one out of three? Oh don't worry.  Spoiler alert, the sun eventually came out!