#the cgi is the only good part in my opinion

[cayennesugar]

why’d they do Optimus like that though 😭😭😭✋✋✋✋

we were rewatching the bayverse movies and got to this scene, started laughing so hard we started crying and one of us got the hiccups, then clipped it and reversed it so hes gettign raptured. i hope this will be funny to literally anyone else

[archibaldtuttle]

Alien : Romulus - a 7/10 reason to stop making Alien films

This review will be spoiler-free

When I came out of the theater yesterday, after having gone through a viewing of Alien Romulus, I caught myself agreeing with my friends - this was pretty good!

And I am beyond poisoned about the Alien franchise since Ridley Scott got his grubby paws all over it with Prometheus. The only reason I made the effort to move my ass to the theater to see this one was because he wasn't directing (and also I didn't have to pay for it) (thanks sib).

I knew Alvarez from two of his previous films, the 2013 remake of Evil Dead and Don't Breathe. I am pretty mixed on both - they demonstrate solid filmmaking abilities and (in the case of Evil Dead), a deep respect for franchises he's adding to. However they are also a little heavy on the jumpscares for my taste, and in the case of Don't Breathe I just can't praise the film without having to mention that the third act twist is gross in an entirely unnecessary, shock-value way, that does nothing for the film thematically.

That did give me some hope for Romulus however, because that third act twist told me Alvarez likes talking about rape and impregnation. And contrary to Don't Breathe... that's right at home in Alien.

So what about the film then? It's good. Solid premise, I like that we're finally, finally, seven films in, seeing the planet-side society that births all those rundown spaceships. Good pair of main characters with on one side a demonstrably resourceful Rain and on the other a very nuanced look at the franchise's synthetics with Andy. The others are more forgettable but I can't blame that too much on the film - they're well characterized in a few short scenes and that's all I can expect really. The build-up is solid, the various ticking clocks and sources of tensions well established.

What I find particularly notable is the really good setpieces and the use of facehuggers in a way I've wanted to see for a long time. Very good physical effects supplemented by good to ok-ish CGI. The writing is very heavy-handed - I wish more people looked at what O'Bannon did with exposition before they write their own Alien scripts. I do give credit to Alvarez and his co-writer Sayagues for the cool concepts explored and the way they thread Andy's character exploration through them.

The editing is mostly blameless - I wouldn't call it great or even that good, especially with how hectic it gets during some more action-ey scenes, but you can tell Roberts isn't specialized or even used to horror films. I guess he took from his experience on Pressure which would explain a lot... The score is really good, one of the highlights of the film in my opinion - I've liked almost all I've heard from Wallfisch so I wasn't surprised to find out he did this one.

So why did I give this review a very baitey title. It became clear as I was watching the fourth, then the inevitable fifth act unfold, that we were, collectively, scraping the barrel on what can be done with Alien. Prometheus and Covenant, beyond the fact that they were garbage movies, were already trying desperately to find new things to do with the concept. Romulus succeeded, for the most part, in finding new ways to twist it into something interesting, something we hadn't seen before (or at least not entirely). And I'm pretty sure that's it.

I don't want more directors to spend months racking their brains to try and find three or more scene setups that haven't already been done in seven main films, two AVP films and countless video games, in order to string them together into a coherent 2 and a half hour flick. I don't think it's impossible, Alvarez clearly demonstrated that he could do it and I'm pretty sure other people could. But why waste so much time, talent and energy on a series that objectively does not need expanding upon?

I know why, it's because the current studio system is allergic to anything that doesn't have brand recognition. But I think it's sad. And I think it would be a lot more gracious to put an end to a franchise after a pretty good film that did all it could to honor its predecessors rather than try to keep squeezing more out of it until it turns into the horror version of Star Wars.

[kairithemang0]

Disney is such an interesting company, the way it's evolved over time to what it is now. Apart of me is disappointed, another part of me feels as though the current drought of good Disney content was inevitable.

I think about right after Walt died, how the company struggled then. However, even then I think their movies were still good, Robin Hood, the Aristocats, Great Mouse Detective, they're still good movies.

That's the era my parents grew up in, sure looking back on it now you can see the flaws in some of the movies, how the animation wasn't as polished as it was before Walt's passing, but then I compare it to the movies now.

The 2020s haven't been a good decade for Disney, Raya, Strange World, Wish, they all flopped. Encanto only made waves on Disney+, which is a good thing but that's one movie out of 5 that have come out of Disney in the past 4 years

Then you have to look at the remakes, how much money they're getting from those. However, their recent ones are flopping. The public knows what they're doing now, just remaking their old movies isn't going to keep bringing in money. The Lion King, Aladdin, they made over 1 billion dollars, The Little Mermaid? Under 600 million. That's still a lot of money, but Disney is also putting in so much money into these movies just for them to fail. People are sick of the remakes, they're sick of the sequels, but their original products aren't causing any excitement.

I don't know if Disney is still dealing with lost time and profits from Covid, but it's sad to see other studios doing so well only for Disney, who reigned supreme last decade with Moana and Frozen and Wreck it Ralph, to fall behind again

Disney seems to do this a lot, actually. The 80s were bad, the 2000s weren't great, the 2020s are bad again. Maybe the 30s will bring us something good, if Disney gets their act together and figures out what people want again.

People ask for 2d, for that old disney feel to come back. An obviously evil villain. Villains don't need a tragic backstory, they don't need anything, but this twisted foulness, a catchy song, and to be memorably evil.

Scar, Ursula, Lady Tremaine. You look at them and you go "oh yeah, they're evil". Which not to say Disney can't do twist villains, but it fails more often than it succeeds. Turbo was a great twist villain, his motivation was there and he was fun. But Hans? And Yokai? It felt random, out of place, like they were lacking the motivation to be good villains.

Scar wants power, so does Ursula, and Tremaine more of enjoys torturing her adopted daughter. These three are so iconic because they're so unashamedly evil and cruel, they're these powerful figures that spark fear into people who get what they deserve in the end.

But Magnifico? He's so painfully boring, he's so underdeveloped. It's sad, disheartening the way he could've been so interesting and yet fell flat in such a pitiful way.

I sometimes think about once upon a studio, this gorgeous mix of all pieces of disney animated history, every movie in there. No pixar or marvel or star wars, just everyone who started this, who made disney disney. It's such a lovely short, and it just radiates this pure disney energy, vibrant and colorful and magical. That's what disney is missing now, maybe that's me growing up, maybe it's just not for me anymore.

but honestly, i don't think this generation is going to have that nostalgia for disney the way me or my parents did, it's lost that because it feels so manufactured, this charm that only disney could do gone.

a weird way to say this is the new intro that plays at the start of their movies, it just feels so manufactured, like all it wanted to do was slide references into it to remind you of better movies. that 2000s/2010s CGI intro? that's my shit. the basic 2d intro? it's a classic, it's memorable, but this new one just doesn't have that affect

this is one man's opinion on something he once loved, but i'd love to hear other thoughts on what disney has become

[ganeshpnf]

Hiii! What do you think about the movie cast and show cast? Which one do you love more if you have to compare?

Hi anon! And...wow. I dont talk about this much but if I would, I need to make some warnings first. My blog is not open for talking bad, hating for any actors. Anyone who sees this post are free to share their own thoughts, whatever you agree with me or not. But please, be respectful, to all actors and to people say their own personal thoughts. And remember, whatever you like it or not, they are still in characters of the movie and show universe. You have to show your respect. Bad writing, bad plot, inaccuracy is never the actors' fault, they are just doing their jobs. So please, be respectful. Dont forget that people can have opinions, unless they talk bad to any actor, it should be respected. You are all free. I also gotta say that I love every single actor, for the movie and the show, they are all amazing :) But if I had to compare their acting or how I see them most of the time, long post so lets goo!

1- Logan(movie Percy) and Walker(show Percy)

Both of the actors are really talented. Walker is known with his personality and I agree, during interviews and his daily life. But personally, I dont think the same in the show. I know, bad writing, but still. Logan is exactly what I see hoo Percy, his humor and his iconic lines. While Walker also threw some good Percy sass, I would still have to pick Logan. He is too iconic for me.

2-Alexandra(movie Annabeth) and Leah(show Annabeth)

First, kudos to the both actors since they got so many hate and still stayed so strong. Both of them inspired so many things in me, I am so so proud of both of them.

Now, this is hard because both of these woman also had a very big problem with bad bad bad bad writing. Their characters were butchered up and it was not their fault. Both of their acting was perfect. But, Alexandra did a bit better in my eyes with her acting. While I adore Leah, she seemed a bit flat to me. I believe with time, she would get better, but for now, I'll have to pick Alexandra.

3- Brandon(movie Grover) and Aryan(show Grover)

I know this is not Brandon's fault but making Grover with full of sexual jokes was not my favourite thing. He is hilarious to watch, yes. But part of his character angered me. I think Aryan did better in this, he would do even better. His grover made more sense in me, so I will pick Aryan.

4-Leven(movie Clarisse) and Dior(show Clarisse)

This is so hard, because both of them were fantastic. I think I will make it tie. I had tiny "issues" with both, maybe some cringe moments but its mostly because of the writing. Other than that, I cant pick. Leven's attitude and Dior's that powerful scream, its a tie.

5-Jake(movie Luke) and Charlie(show Luke)

Charlie is an amazing actor, his Luke was written to be a bit more sympathic. If I have to talk about Luke, it would make a whole another long post, but Jake's Luke gave me much more Luke vibes. Not only because he is almost exactly with how I imagine him, but also with his attitude, funny remarks about his father which completely summed up his relationship with his father. So I have to pick Jake, he is way too iconic for me.

6-Pierce(movie Chiron) and Glynn(show Chiron)

Well, I know second movie changed the actor but Pierce is special to me because he is THE Chiron in my eyes. He looked exactly of what I imagined, he looked ancient with long hair and I adore it. Glynn's Chiron's acting was a bit soft in my eyes, I wish we got to see him organize the camp more, training the heros etc. Pierce's scene with him training the demigods, I adore it, so I go with Pierce.

7-Stanley(movie Mr.D) and Jason(show Mr.D)

Hmmm, I think I would choose Jason since his lines were a bit more iconic, he slayed with his acting. For Stanley's defense, we didnt see him much, but still I gotta choose, so Jason.

8- Uma(movie Medusa) and Jessica(show Medusa)

I think I already said here that how much I adore Uma's Medusa. I think cgi was a lot better, despite it being 2010. I didnt like Jessica's Medusa since it was too Ovid's story, I really do not like that version :( Uma's acting, snakes were better in my eyes so I choose her.

9-Sean(movie Zeus) and Lance(show Zeus)

First of all, rest in peace Lance :( I adored him in every single project, he was perfect. I first watched him in "Young Sheldon" and not to mention he slayed as his performance in Zeus. About Sean though, he is the Zeus I see most of the time, I love him, his power in the throne room scene, perfection, him threating Poseidon...I would go with Sean.

10- Kevin(movie Poseidon) and Toby(show Poseidon)

This is also so hard because I literally...cant choose? Like Kevin's first scene is just so powerful and gave me the Poseidon immediatly. But Toby...his scene with Sally, I just cant. Its a tie, sorry.

11- Steve(movie Hades) and Jay(show Hades)

Look, I love the actors but...I really dont see both of them as Hades in my eyes? One of them was too evil, other one was too silly. Like okay, I accept them as Hades, in other universes. But I cant compare them, so you can call it a tie.

12-Catherine(movie Sally) and Virgiana(show Sally)

I love Catherine, she is so close to what I see when I think of Sally. But Virgiana...She was just perfect. I had some issues of her character but thats an another topic. For now, I pick Virgiana.

I cant think of more of the main cast but I need a moment to talk about movie Athena because I think she is too underestimated. Like she is perfect, THE Athena. She looks exactly like her, she is just too dam sweet. I love her so so much.

This is it. Im no fan of both of this adaptations tbh, but actors are all so great and talented! My fav adaptation would always be musical, I would talk about it one day.

Please remember to be respectful, you are all free to share your own thoughts :)

[voidsteffy]

Kalki 2898 AD thoughts (spoiler-filled and long af)

Ok so.... I watched it in Telugu, and 3D. 3D wasn't that special methinks cz only the huge jaguar jumping scene in the start got me. Nothing much 3D-wise.

Now, watching it in Telugu........... Um... Even the dubbing sounds like wonky Telugu and I didn't like that.

Time for points I liked and didn't like--

Liked:

1. The idea of that world: how Kaasi is the first city and now the last city of this Yuga. Priyanka Dutt really headed a dedicated team. I loved the tarot scene because it reminded me of Godavari and made me want a Shekhar Kammula cameo too👀😭

2. I liked how the Vyjayanti logo took us into the world. And the whole premise it started off on. Love the Pareekshit and Ashwathhama Athah...! Kunjarah premise references

3. Loved how the Shiva Linga Ashwathama is meditating near is most likely The Kaasi Viswanath Lingam

4. The CGI with Mr. Amitabh Bachhan

5. Bujji. Unpop opinion maybe, but I liked Bujji more than Bhairava. Was I the only one who wanted Bujji to be the genderbent preserved consciousness of Bujjigaadu (Bujjigaadu: Made in Chennai reference 🤭)

6. How the flames give way to the bearer of Kalki avataram while just a Yuga before, the sea gave way to Vasudeva - the carrier of Krishna avataram. Nice nice. Probably the thing I liked most about this movie.

7. The cameos (will talk about this later)

8. The scale of the vision.... HATS OFF. I want into that man's head istg. All 3 movies: Yevade Subramanyam, Mahanati and now Kalki 2898 AD are three distinct visions and superb visions. I'd love to even see all the concept art for this movie!!!!

9. Call me silly but APRIL ONE VIDUDALA REUNION!!!! (iykyk)

Didn't like (hyper spoilers ahead):

1. Bhairava's character needs more depth. A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL PROLLY TEASE ME/ DISAGREE WITH ME ON THIS POINT. But he does. He's shown as a selfish mercenary whose aim is to settle in the Complex. (I have dreams like you no really a little less touchy feely. But they mainly happen where it's warm and sunny. On an island that I own tanned and rested and alone surrounded by enormous piles of money). He's got debts all over Kaasi and he uses all his money for things like building Bujji and automobiles and thrusters and stuff. But what makes him tick (other than scratching Bujji who he abandons half the time)? What is he scared of? I feel like it would have worked better if Bhairava didn't go to the Complex at all and was banned from it. It gives his hope to see the Complex a touch of whimsy and desperation.

2. Disha Patani's character. The story just forgets about her after the party song which is the most pointless song of the movie btw. I feel like even Nag Ashwin didn't want it there on first thought.

3. SRI KRISHNA DID NOT REMOVE ASHWATHHAMA'S MANI!!!! It was Arjuna who did it as far as I know. After causing the death of Abhimanyu and fellow warriors and family members by unfairly means, Ashwathama almost faced the wrath of Bheema after being dragged to the Pandavas' tents However, Krishna couldn't let the Pandavas commit a sin to revenge a sin. He said, though Ashwathama caused the death of unarmed unaware Kshatriyas, he himself is a Brahmin by birth and thus killing him would be an unforgivable sin. Therefore, completely cutting his hair and taking his mani would be comparable to death. So it was Arjuna who took out the mani on Sir Krishna's advice. (As far as I read and heard from pravachans since my childhood) I disliked how the story started with this inaccuracy and it took me out of the flow. Or maybe Nag Ashwin wanted to change this part of the story to include the curse and pave the story's base? Dk

4. The fights never stop (not in the good way): Bhairava's first fight was SO. LONG. Actually, Bhairava's every fight was so long. Most unnecessarily so. His fights with Ashwathama go on for so long I actually started wondering why the all powerful giant hadn't killed our hero. I'm mean, I know, but I get annoyed by such drags.

5. Late emotional connect: Mrunal Thakur's character dying didn't even pinch. Because I had no emotional connect to even feel the horror of what had happened. But yes, I did cry when Rajendra Prasad's character died soon after bcz that meant the death of the one character who spoke the best Telugu in the movie.

6. As I mentioned, I watched the Telugu version and was disappointed by the lack of diction, even in the dubbing!😭

7. The main point: Almost every scene reminded me of a different movie. A lot of people keep saying it's Dune + Star Wars but here, all I've got to mention -> Loki morphing into many Lokis, Sakaar's neck electrocution thingy (EXACT SAME), Troy: Legacy and Aagardian vehicles with the flying vehicles of that 5000 units bounty hunter. Coco wrt to the city's inner infrastructure (resembles the city in the afterlife, except make it sepia tone). Star Wars with the jedi light saber that Bhairava's dad teaches him to use. Bujji = JARVIS without the English politeness. Prince of Persia: sands of time and John Carter wrt the setting and vibes of the outdoor fight sequences. Mariamma's light rope handles??? From Iron man 2 as well as Wonder Woman. When Sumati imagines everyone dead at her feet it gives Tony from Age of Ultron. The Complex looks a lot like the Singing kingdom from The Marvels. There was an episode of Nebula in Marvel's What If? Animated series -> the concept of the complex or dystopia and the bar seems a lot like it.

8. Ashwathama and Karna weren't friends per the Mahabharatam. "Ashwa uncle" keeps calling Karna "sodara" (pure telugu word for brother) and not "mitrama" (pure telugu word for friend/ally) and it sort of irks me. Also, I think Sri Krishna's voice could have been sweeter (the pitch, Krishna could melt mountains with his voice. Here Krishna's voice sounded something like what we could match to Balarama)

Ok done with that.

Now, cameos..... I mean it's a Nag Ashwin movie and I went in expecting cameos after my experience with Mahanati tbh.

Ones I liked: Malvika Nair as Uttara (that was how I had imagined Shakuntala to look like in Shaakuntalam btw), DQ as Captain/Pilot, Brahmi garu as the fed up landlord, Avasarala Srinivas as gambler (missed him in Mahanati), RGV as the food vendor, Rajendra Prasad bcz the man speaks the best Telugu in this movie (as I mentioned before)

Ones I found Meh: Mrunal Thakur as the pregnant lady (only bcz there was no emotional connect, didn't know anything abt her character except that she's pregnant), Faria Abdullah as the showpiece-angel-dancer??, Disha Patani

Ones I wanted to question: Vijay Devarakonda as Arjuna (like........... I feel like Rana would have been the perfect Arjuna despite that opinion originating from his KVJG days. But maybe Tarak? Maybe you could have CGI-ed NTR sr and reminded us of Nartanasala!!) I have nothing against Vijay Devarakonda, but he just didn't fittttt

Overall: a beautiful effort and a mindblowing idea but the lagging screenplay, some music choices and slight misinformation reduces its impact. Liked it and would recommend bcz this is all people would be talking about and you wouldn't want to stay uninformed on a global phenomenon.

[rainbowlapisart]

Now that time has passed I wanna share my thoughts on Deadpool and Wolverine as a film, though I will preface by saying it isn't very positive... also, I admit I was high in the theaters watching this, so please treat this post like what it is: just an opinion.

The opening dance sequence was of course amazing, though there was some noticeable CGI. And I think the concept alone of Deadpool literally digging up Logan's grave is a hilarious way to start the movie.

Unfortunately Deadpool feels lamer and more like an asshole in this one. Especially after his character development in the last film I just can't see him desperately wanting to join the Avengers of all teams. Nando v Movies mentioned this but what the hell even is the Avengers now? And why is Happy in charge of who gets let in? And why wouldn't they let Wade in? Yeah he's gross and crass but he has special forces training and is nigh-unkillable. Y'all let Hawkeye in but not Deadpool?

The setup is interesting though I can't fully get behind the idea of anchor beings-- and the further idea that their death leads to "associated" universes collapsing as well as theirs? I don't know, it comes off as "yeah we have all these other characters you care about but Wolverine is the important one so they'd die without him", which is kind of an insult to those characters and that universe.

I admit, I was never big on Wolverine as a character, I always thought he was cool as hell but the only movie of his I've seen was Logan, which was awesome. So I admit that it may just be a case of the movie wasn't meant for me, but still I am a Deadpool fan so of course I'm gonna see this anyways. Super glad we got a good suit for him but I wish we didn't have to wait until the very end for him to put the cowl on.

The Johnny Storm/Captain America tease and bit was really funny I will say. Personally I was too stoned to get the joke at first, I honest to god thought he was just Chris Evans, but now that I've sobered up the misdirect is really funny.

Deadpool is directly responsible for getting Johnny Storm killed. I know Deadpool is a murderer and maybe I shouldn't give a shit about this, but it just feels like an unlikable thing for him to do. Like... that's a guy. That's a hero. It's not like he was being an ass to Wade or anything, he was an ally to the two and got killed for no good reason.

There was barely any screentime for the side characters that were some of the best parts of the first films. After Deadpool 2 I was really excited to see the X-Force working together in the next movie. The dynamic between Wade, Cable, and Domino are really fun and I think this Wolverine would've fit right in. It feels like a missed opportunity to not have the X-Force be the team to help fight Cassandra.

Speaking of, how about those cameos? I never watched Elektra or Blade so these kind of meant nothing for me. I watched this with my dad and he got pretty excited. Laura doesn't really do anything that memorable other than talk to Logan, and of course Channing Tatum's Gambit is the best character in all of cinema. Completely and utterly obsessed with him and I need a trilogy about him immediately.

I didn't love Wolverine's whole "letting his universe down" thing. It gets hyped up so much then when we learn what happened it was a bit underwhelming. I just can't see a universe where the X-Men are taken down by a mob of humans.

I laughed my ass off lots of times. "The Proposal. :)", "Suck it Fox, I'm going to Disneyland", "There's only ever gonna be one Blade", "He has risen, babygirl!", and pretty much everything out of Nicepool.

In general it kinda feels like it's regressing what was so good about Deadpool 1 and 2. It also feels like it's more for fans of the Fox Marvel movies than Deadpool fans. I hope that since this movie is "Deadpool and Wolverine" that means we can get a more proper Deadpool 3 in the future that brings back those who I missed dearly.

[slutisnotabadword]

I just finished Marvel’s Echo and I was excited to go on Tiktok so people’s thoughts and opinions.

That was my first mistake.

Cause all everybody wanna mention is either CGI and Daredevil, or just some shit that didn’t involve the show at all. And I’m like… what is wrong with you people? Like genuinely.

Echo is a good show. Is it a 10/10, no. But not even show or movie needs to be a 10/10. People’s obsession with perfection to the masses is crippling the entertainment industry. Not every movie is gonna be like Avatar or Endgame. Not every series is going to be like ATLA or Stranger Things. There was a time that people cherished mediocre tv shows and movies. The early 2000s is FULL OF THEM. But we still ate that shit up, and still do till this day.

Echo was about taking the wrong path after experiencing pain. It’s the two paths that we see every hero face. It’s the good side or the bad side. Maya chose the bad side, which we don’t see that often. And the story is also about connecting back to your roots after cutting that part of your life out. As a person of color, I instantly related to that shit and I loved how they portrayed it. The dialogue was great. The comedy was great, and it didn’t seem to be out of place either. The tone was great as well.

The only criticism I have of the show that at time it didn’t feel like there was much of a beginning to end when it came to the plot. But other than that, I don’t have any problems with this show.

And spoilers, btw, but when Maya and King Pin came face to face in like the final showdown or whatever, I kind of like the direction they went with. Maya didn’t defeat him by beating the shit out of him or killing him. No she defeated him by fucking with his head. She showed him his deepest pain and FORCED him to come in terms with that shit. And it fucked him up so bad that he had to leave!

I give the show a solid 7.5/10. I would even raise it up to 8 just because of the cinematography, the music, and the filmmaking. The filmmaking of this show was spot on.

[creepers-creatures07]

I’m so nervous to post this

I saw Beetlejuice Beetlejuice yesterday and I really liked it. Some parts I felt like they were too quick or there was more potential to it, but I still thought it was good.

SPOILERS

I did like this movie, I loved that they used practical effects rather than cgi (I especially loved the claymation of Charles’ death) and I loved that Micheal Keaton could still play Beetlejuice (including the rest of the cast that reprised their roles).

I will say this, and I don’t want anyone to attack me, this is my opinion and I’m okay if you don’t agree with me, just like how I don’t agree with your opinion but I’m not attacking you, please respect my opinion… I do not ship Beetlejuice and Lydia (do not attack me or send me death threats. I do not hate this ship, it’s just not my cup of tea but if you like it then I’m not going to judge you, and I expect you to do the same for me, please). But I really did like their dynamic here, I feel like Beetlejuice was less pervy to Lydia and he respected her which I like (seems like he got a bit of character growth) and I had a lot of fun watching them get married (almost) again and Beetlejuice taking control of everyone and making them sing.

I also loved Delores, I love her design and that she was Beetlejuice’s wife. Speaking of them, I also liked how their backstory was told (I also head canon Beetlejuice to be Italian since he literally spoke Italian). The only thing I wish was that Delores got more screen time and more was done to her character because I feel like she got defeated too easily. I really hope she returns for the triquel because you can’t just leave off an interesting character like her and I think she deserves the spotlight!

I liked Astrid too, I know some people don’t like Jenna Ortega but I thought she was okay, but I did think her subplot with Jeremy was kind of whatever (but I did like the plot twist and I wish there was more to his character because he was only around for like 20 minutes and then he was sent to Hell).

There’s not much else to say, this movie wasn’t a masterpiece but I say it was a good enough sequel and I will watch it again, and some parts of the movie felt a little nostalgic like especially the beginning with the credits, I loved that.

I can’t wait to see what the third movie will be like because I have a feeling there will be one.

Also R.I.P Bob, you will be missed.

[rise-my-angel]

I blame the idea of the spectacle for the downfall in the franchise. Don't get me wrong, big moments can be great, but the constant striving for it to keep the audience addicted to adrenaline is what has caused the really shallow writing in my opinion. It takes a really self aware person to realise they are getting nothing but CGI keys jangled in their face as if they were a baby.

I think that's what the earlier seasons achieved, the perfect mix of much quieter moments with effective use of dialogue, writing and set to get their money's worth, and the big dramatic moments for the later parts, where they save their best for last and bring EVERYTHING to the table. It's all about having money to fund the big moments, vs having barely enough money to cover everything.

You have no idea how thrilled I am that you said everything I was thinking. The thing I hate about reviews of HOTD so far is how good things look. The dragon fight in episode four, oh but it looked so spectacular. But that's the thing, their effort was put all into making that fight look as wonderful as possible so that it avoided the simple fact that the story, characters, and action were all poor.

My best example, is actually probably unpopular beacuse I know people really liked the Battle of the Bastards. And I did too, the action cinematography, the chaos, one of my favorite shots of the show where the camera does a long take just following Jon through the chaos as he experiences it. It also looks good, they clearly made a great effort to make the battle as cinematic as possible.

But here's the thing. Hardhome is better. Hardhome does NOT look as good as the Battle of the Bastards. It is very chaotic, it is disorienting, fast paced, a lot of cuts and its very loud and there are so many bodies in the scene that it feels hard to keep track of how many people are even dying around them. But that's the point.

Hardhome takes you on a journey of chaos.

It's like a 20 minute sequence with an amazing build up. The meeting with the elders, it's a dark room of people standing around a fire. It doesn't look good, now it doesn't look bad it just isn't a cinematically pleasing shot. But it's over six minutes long of mostly Jon giving everything he has into convincing these people that he's being genuine. It's his passion and his raw honesty that Jon looks his enemy in the eye and tells them that they deserve to survive and that he wants to protect them. How when they ask how Mance Rayder died, Jon does not give himself an out. He is honest and says he shot an arrow in his heart, and how he stands there firm and not afraid when they start to threaten him, only to have Tormund put a stop to it and give context. Looking these parents and grandparents in the eye and telling them that if they don't let him protect them, their children won't even survive long enough to have children of their own. And pleading that even with all of them it may not be enough but "At least we'll give the fuckers a fight."

It is a fantastic scene filled with hope, that sets the stage for whats about to happen.

There's no dwelling on shots. The moment Longclaw clashes with the weapon of the Walker, Jon realizing whats happened and actually killing it occurs really fast in a manner of seconds. What it dwells on, is the aftermath of Jon so overwhelmed by what happened he falls to his knees, the snow misting around him that blurs anyone else from view. Even the moment where the Walker raises his arms and the dead rise, is not a dwelled on, cinematic shot. It is very raw, and rough and what it focuses on, is that close up of Jons face. And the realization in him of shock turning to a desperate despair that he could've gotten all of the Free Folk out of there and it still wouldn't be enough. It focuses on his face, beacuse the intensity and emotions are about him. Not the shots.

You remember the visuals of it, but really, the visuals aren't what gives you the emotions. Hardhome was not shot to be visually appealing, it was by design, extremely chaotic and overwhelming because not a single person in that fight had a chance to get the upper hand.

Battle of the Bastards on the other hand, is a cinematically amazing battle with a terrible story. The stakes mean nothing, because the story to get there was inconsistent, nonsensical, some people acting completely out of character and is won because of a deus ex machina. The story and characters surrounding it are completely not worth the quality of the battle itself. It's shallow. It's remembered as good because it looked good, not beacuse it was good.

That to me, is the House of the Dragon problem. Such a focus on making it look good, sweeping shots and amazing cinematic focus especially on the dragons, but it runs hollow. Because what do you have beyond the good looking shots? It's rare I ever feel the emotions of whats happening more then I do what the spectacle is showing me is happening.

The worth of a lot of these scenes, are rooted in a desperation to make a visually appealing story. When Game of Thrones was at it's best when it was people standing or sitting around a room and talking. It was the dialogue, the mystery, the intrigue. We never needed beautiful visuals for our eyes to feast upon because the spectacle was always in service of what the actual emotions of the scene was portraying. Not the stand out part in and of itself.

There's nothing wrong with spectacle alone, but House of the Dragon is relying on it to push through it's worst parts and hoping that the nice images and pretty colors is distracting enough that you forgive the poor story. Yeah the story and characters and writing is bad, but boy those dragons, look at them.

General audiences will fall for spectacle beacuse we appreciate good visuals, but general audiences didn't need spectacle to get them through season one of Game of Thrones. They were confident enough in what they already had, that they did not need to pad out the visual fluff to feast the eyes rather then the writing feasting the brain.

Audiences are smarter then to value visuals over writing, but House of the Dragon fans are relying on the visuals to get them through the bad writing because they have nothing left, and really, they deserve better.

I do not need spectacle to be impressed by the immense scale of a scene. Hardhome is a fast paced, confusing and chaotic sequence that has never left me since the day I watched it air live. Not a single one of these grand moments in either season of House of the Dragon, despite having more chances to use it's visuals to enhance it's storytelling, has come anywhere near as smart as Hardhome was.

Visuals do not impress me. Using the visuals to enhance the story you already are telling, is what impresses me.

Not using your visuals as a crutch to power through bad storytelling.

[nerves-nebula]

Hello. I have never seen an "teenage mutant ninja turtles" show, comic, or movie. The characters however, appeal to me. If any one show or movie would suffice, where should I begin? Other sources have not been helpful.

OHHH GODDD OK WELL. OK SO. the thing is that different iterations are SO different i'm not entirely convinced that comparing them to each other is very ?? helpful?? a lot of people these days get into tmnt through the 2018 animated show Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles. HOWEVER, that show only has like 2 seasons and is not the end all be all of the tmnt universe.

it's kind of hard for me to advise you to watch or read any one specific piece of tmnt media to get into it, because I kind of just already knew about it the entire time growing up?? like i never really actively watched it but i was generally aware of the concept for my entire life.

and i'm not sure exactly ABOUT the tmnt characters interests you, so i wouldn't know where to point you.

with all that as a disclaimer here's some of the more popular film/tv shows (I'm about as lost as you when it comes to the comics to be honest)

ROTTMNT/rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles. it's the newest series as far as i know and it has fantastic animation. it's very funny and lighthearted most of the time and the boys even get magic powers (eventually) it's the one that really got me into tmnt. this one kind of switches around the roles of the characters. Usually you'll see Raph being depicted as the rash one, or the one with anger issues who strikes out on his own (and i still think thats true to an extent in rottmnt) but he, as well as Leo, are definitely portrayed in a different way than normal in rottmnt. which i like tbh it's fun. (i could write a whole essay about how their characters are different but also kind of the same in rottmnt vs other media but that would take all day)

TMNT 2012 series. The 2012 series is very influential as well, and heavily beloved by many. I haven't seen all of it yet, but it's biggest drawbacks (to me at least) is its very 2010's american childrens show style of comedy which can come off as uncomfortably cruel/annoying if you aren't ok with it. it's also an early years CGI animated show, so sometimes things don't look as good as they could. STILL it's definitely interesting and i like the dynamics between the brothers there so I'd give it a chance.

TMNT 2003 series. honestly i havent heard a lot about this one, but i really like the style and ive watched a few episodes of it, and it's definitely solid, sorry i can't say much more than that.

TMNT 1987 series. also can't say much about this one but it is hella goofy from what i've watched of it. it's also the original cartoon series i believe, airing as a sort of "saturday morning cartoon" situation.

TMNT 1990 movie. this one is part of a trilogy of tmnt movies, but i've only seen the first and a half movies. I really enjoyed the first one, it was a fun time and kind of campy, and the guy who plays casey jones is cute. this one is live action and the turtle costumes can look off putting to some people, but personally i liked them.

im sure people in the replies/reblogs of this post will add their opinions too haha

[ponytailzuko]

writing down my overall thoughts on the live action

first of all, i walked into my step dad watching it of his own free will - and then me and my entire family sat down to watch it. both my step dad and mom had never seen the cartoon in their life, so this was a first time viewing for them. they enjoyed it. my mom even asked where season 2 was. so i think the live action served its main purpose - get new people who haven't watched or wouldn't have watched the cartoon into the franchise. they did it! yippee.

anyways, my own thoughts have an inherent bias due to having seen and loved the cartoon. i believe my parents when they say that from their perspective, it holds up on its own. obviously, i don't think it was ever going to be better than the cartoon, but wanted to write my opinions what i liked, changes i enjoyed and changes i didn't, etc.

putting it under a read more because this sucker is long:

i don't know anything about film making - set design, props, fashion, cgi, etc. nothing particularly stood out to me in a way that ruined the show, and i only really pay attention to it when it serves the story. so i'm just not going to comment on it for the most part. most of this is about writing choices i liked or disliked. anyways here we go.

the good:

aang was a highlight for me. i know some people have problems with moving his backstory to the very beginning of the story, but i liked it. it immediately made me get in aang's shoes and feel his connection with his people, his home, and gyatso - and made it very easy to connect with his grief when he woke up from the iceberg. live action really emphasizes the last airbender part of the title throughout, and how aang feels isolated in his duty as the avatar, as the last airbender preserving his culture, and by being from another world - lost in time.

i liked how he sought out his past lives so often. really makes him feel like a child who doesn't know what he's doing and had the rug pulled out from under him by losing gyatso too soon. he's looking for adult guidance, and kyoshi, roku, and kuruk are all there telling aang THEIR version of how to be the avatar. feels like good set up for later when aang gets to define HIS version of the avatar, and how he wants to bring peace to the world. we already see it with their versions of the avatar feeding into aang's feelings of guilt and self-isolation - that he needs to do things on his own. it gets concluded with katara and sokka declaring him family, and they won't leave no matter what.

in that nature: adding more emphasis on katara's grief as well, since it was APPARENTLY not enough for people watching the cartoon and called her whiny for mentioning it. in general, it feels weird that katara's flashback to her backstory happened in season 3 of the cartoon when there was a whole episode dedicated to aang and zuko's backstory all the way in season 1, another one for zuko's backstory in season 2, and then bato of the water tribe elaborated on sokka being left by hakoda. glad to get katara backstory earlier. love you katara <3

and from that: sokka and katara's conflict being about if she should waterbend. feels very natural and something they would fight over. it is a vital aspect to their culture, but also if word gets out there is a waterbender in the village, there could be another raid.

aang stealing zuko's notebook is another highlight. it is both such a petty kid thing to steal and be upset about someone reading your diary, but also it actually serves a purpose in giving aang a guide for his avatar journey. the show sacrificed paralleling aang and zuko's backstories like the storm, but they still intertwine aang and zuko's story through this notebook and the connection aang makes with zuko through it. very sweet.

in that note: the set design adding little things such as those little statues in zuko's room. feels like it really was lived in by someone obsessed with finding the avatar for 3 years. i really liked details like that they put throughout the show

suki extrapolation with her mother and her conflict of being duty-bound to her village but wanting to see the world, and how this relates to sokka. made me genuinely invested in their relationship in a way i wasn't from the cartoon. i also loved the actress' portrayal of suki, she's so awkward and i love it. need to see more of her.

iroh in season 1 of the cartoon feels less like his own fleshed out character and more of a comedic relief expansion of zuko's b plot. he's made to make zuko's slice of the show more fit for a fun kids show by giving him someone to talk to and be funny with. he's a fun tea-loving uncle, but it's hard to parse what he really feels until later. live action iroh keeps that fun tea-loving aspect, but he has his own baggage and its GREAT. i think i genuinely enjoyed live action iroh more than the cartoon. he has so much more growing to do. could talk about this version of iroh (and his relationship with zuko) forever. i need season 2 just for him.

iroh and aang's prison arc together.

making zuko's crew have issues with him earlier and making them 41st division was nice. i really liked that change.

secret tunnel with familial love between katara and sokka was so cute. enjoyed it.

the ???:

azula and ozai's addition is a 50/50 to me. i think the sick power plays ozai is doing between his two children are genuinely interesting. the change in how ozai doles out praise and the dynamics between azula and zuko is also interesting and i enjoyed it. but i also find their screen time unnecessary. could be used to further the dynamic between the main protagonists, or they could be saved for season 2 or 3. did like how azula used zhao to thwart zuko and it fucked zuko up immensely in the head. very nice. also not sure how i feel about azula being good at archery, feels like getting good at a nonbending discipline isn't something that meshes well with her character for me, but that's a nitpick.

combining plotlines such as jet and the mechanist in omashu + the change with bumi was... fine? it served its purpose. liked some aspects and didn't like others.

the spirit world stuff was really cool and i enjoyed how koh preys on people lost in the fog. very interesting concepts that got us to be able to experience katara and sokka's backstory first hand. felt immersive to me. but also wtf, wan shi tong? katara and sokka being gone from the plot for so long? come backkkkkk! COME BACK! DO WE HAVE TIME FOR YOU TO BE IN SPIRIT JAIL WHEN I HAVEN"T SEEN YOU GUYS INTERACT ENOUGH? i did like yue being in the spirit world and interacting with sokka. that was cute as hell.

northern water tribe and yuekka had parts i liked and parts i didn't. they kept the sexism and arranged marriage but also yue opted out? feels detrimental to yue and sokka's relationship and how they connect to each other out of their sense of duty. did really like hahn being nice, it would have been really interesting to see how yue felt stifled with an arranged marriage even if hahn was perfect. also liked yue being able to waterbend and the little scene with yue and sokka making dessert, so cute. yue freezing sokka to the ground before sacrificing herself.... didn't like that. wish they let sokka let her go, understanding it was her choice.

katara in the nwt as well. katara fighting master pakku and losing, but everyone watching thought she was SO COOL. loved the guy asking how she did the ice disks and she has to teach him. but confused on the fact that pakku doesn't take her as a student, and we don't see her being taught but people still refer to her as a master. i'm going to assume she learned waterbending by learning from her fanclub and also teaching them her moves.

why did they almost kill momo?

the bad:

everyone and their mother has said the exposition is bad so i won't hammer it home too much. this isn't actually much of a problem for me because it was actually necessary to get the point home to my mom who was watching it for the first time. i was also told that screen test audiences asked for the exposition to be added in the first episode after production, so i don't have much to say there.

aang's decision to leave home not being running away but due to the fact that he was stepping out to get a breather. this felt like a weird change to me, since the rest of the show hammers in about aang running away from his problems and his duties in a way the cartoon doesn't. would have felt WAY more heartwrenching to see the temples under attack while aang runs away from being the avatar and it would have hit harder when gyatso tells aang to let go of that guilt and pain... that it wasn't his fault. it was harder to feel the root of aang's guilt when i know that he didn't even plan to leave for very long. alas!

continuing from that point about aang's attribute of 'running away': lack of episodic plotlines. everyone and their mother has also hammered home about the lack of them from cartoon. i don't actually hate the change, but i do think it does some disservice to aang's character that they didn't adjust for. i'm being told that aang runs away, but i haven't been shown aang doing so. i've been seeing aang do his duty as the avatar and research it every episode. give me a reason to believe why this is a character flaw that aang needs to face.

similarly, i think this does a detriment to katara's role in book 1. since aang is more focused on what he needs to do as the avatar, katara becomes more his partner in finding out more about what it means to be the avatar instead of pushing him to be more motivated into doing so. (ex: 'we need to continue on our journey and not stay on kyoshi island' or 'we need to help haru in this village')

aang, katara, and sokka get separate plotlines so much that they don't feel like a solid dynamic. again, detriment of the lack of the smaller episodic plots. does make more sense that katara says aang is family at the end of season 1 instead of the beginning for this reason, though.

katara feels like one of the weakest aspects of the show to me. katara doesn't get the narration. katara isn't the first thing when aang gets out of the ice. and katara's rage just feels lost. i think a simple script or direction change in ep 1-2 to make katara's actress play her with more of that rage during her arguments with sokka would've worked wonders. katara has this feeling of anger at injustice that motivates her throughout the cartoon and i don't feel it here. also miss some of her sass - katara should've hit aang in the head with an acorn.

sokka's weird engineer arc? he's a warrior. why are you saying it's okay to not be a warrior when he is - what is up with setting up sokka as a disappointment to hakoda? HELLO? DOES ANYONE HEAR ME? i'm confused where they're going with this, please tell me that sokka has misinterpreted and created that memory due to insecurity. this is where my bias is totally coming in. this worked fine for my parents who hadn't ever seen it. BUT WHERE ARE THEY HEADING WITH THIS?

kinda wish information about zuko's situation was dropped more subtly throughout instead of zuko being like "my father banished me and i need the avatar to get back" like episode 1. like ok give me a moment to just be like "ugh this zuko kid is a fucking BITCH" before i have to feel for him, damn.

also zuko going straight to barbecuing feels weird to his character when they're also trying to tell us that zuko's capable of kindness and also has a strict honor code? zuko is against using bounty hunters in a way he's not in the cartoon. he talks down on the terrorism in omashu since its not 'honorable', but he also was about to burn katara who was down on the ground. of course, realistically if you're throwing fire around, you are going to burn people. but there was a suspension of disbelief in the animated version that isn't in the live action. zuko does things such as immediately resorting to fire instead of hand to hand in his fight with sokka. in the live action, i'd expect zuko to use MORE hand to hand in comparison to fire, not less. plus the fact they took out moments such as zuko not burning zhao in the agni kai or holding his hand out to save him during the north. weird dissonance at points with his character for me.

[olderthannetfic]

Probably the most unpopular opinion in a while, and I know people will be more up their own ass than actually see the sense in my statement. https://olderthannetfic.tumblr.com/post/745141659431485440/httpsolderthannetfictumblrcompost74501789457#notes But... for fucks sake. If the only stuntperson you have is a white one, or pale one, and you wanna bitch and moan about CGI... just paint their skin. Like if there ever was a good reason for black/white/yellow/brownface, then it's probably in situations where someone could get killed if they're not 100% trained in what they're about to do a stunt for. Put those folks in a wig, paint any body parts that are visible in the shot, and just fucking leave it at that.

But more people would probably cry and wail and be indignant about it, and would demand that an untrained stuntperson do a stunt they can't do, just so the superficialities match with an actor. Nobody is taking away work from people if the only person who knows their shit in this situation is a white one, or someone pale, or whatever. If a black stuntperson is better than a white or asian stuntperson for an actor who's white or pale asian, then likewise, paint them white/pale and put them in wig.

--

Eh...

The big issue outside of that particular set accident is that there generally aren't experienced, high level black stunt people or whatever other category of worker because nobody has given them a chance historically. You don't get top people without creating entry level opportunities and mid-career training.

The correct way to handle this is to hire a more experienced white stunt woman and a black understudy she can train on the job.

[featureenvyproductions]

whelp I guess I'll post this thing - Fate For A King

I wanted to finish my tutorial first but I have good news and bad news - rambly Footnote below*

aNYWAY so I think I posted at some point about this other traditional animation I was doing where I used only shit from dollar tree. Here's what I ended up with. It's called Fate For a King. For anyone who cares there's some blood but in my opinion it is cartoony. I did draw it with paint and sharpies after all. (If you survived kids animated movies in the 80s this should be about the same amount of traumatizing )

Basically yeah I just get sick of art being inaccessible and I hate that people just decide art forms (like traditional animation) are obsolete just because CGI has improved a bit. So I combined the two hatreds and made traditional animation out of materials that are extremely accessible and cheap that just about anyone who was interested could hypothetically find and afford. I did the first part a tutorial where I show people how so they can make something like this too. Part 1 was about the setup and pencils. Part 2 is going to dive more into how I did the ink and paint process, since I used page protectors for cels and they're HORRIBLE to work with. And Part 3 will be some suggestions on how to put it all together (this version uses software I already have but I am doing more research on what you would do if you needed something free, or even if you don't have a scanner) so stay tuned. Together we can eat elitism for breakfast. If you can make shit you should and I'm going to tell you how soon. In the meantime I hope you enjoy this fable about creepy deer and my feelings on corporations (also sorry the music is Like That and it's it's the hokey synthesized instruments. I dead ass didn't have time to record it because I was trying to get this done in time for a meet up yesterday. Maybe Some day)

* bad news is I will need to take my sweet fucking time getting back to it. Good news is THATS BECAUSE SOME INDIE FILMMAKER PEOPLE ASKED ME TO DO A LITTLE ANIMATED SNIPPET IN THEIR REAL MOVIE. I'm excited but I need to focus on that because I have imposter syndrome and constant paranoia and fears of failure

[totallycrazy]

Just finished my rewatch of 'Eighty-Six' today.

It's a good fucking show. You should all go watch it.

While a lot of people dislike the heavy use of CGI in anime, I will say that it was extremely high quality, and, in my opinion, was probably better suited in portraying the fluidity of combat the show protrays. You can animate a few scemes with as high qualtity as you can get with CG, but an entire show? Whole episodes, for a mecha anime with as much emphasis on movement and speed in it's combat as 86, there's no way you can keep that up.

The themes also hit extremely hard. Not to spoil anything, but the series' depictions and discussions of systemic racism and segregation will probably never not be relavent or innaccurate. It goes to great lengths to portray the situation as never black-and-white, always as shades of gray.

A big point is made about how, in a society where minorities are treated as sub-human, people who grew up in the system will always be inherently prejudiced, no matter how nice they try to be. Good people, even saints by the standards of their fellow man, will still unconsciously and accidently reflect the inherent prejudice present in the only culture they've ever known.

All of these discussions are wrapped in a show with stellar writing, action, characters, worldbuilding and general quality that is hard to find in most shows in the medium.

If you haven't watched 86 and are even the slightest bit interested in mecha anime or the things I spoke about, definitely give it a shot. It starts slow (for the standard of the series) but goes hard starting the second half of part/cour 1 and doesn't take it's foot off the gas for a while after.

Check it out y'all.

[starsopinions]

Damsel is surprisingly good!

I am going to be honest with you, going into this film I was fully expecting a classic Netflix tween empowering movie. Let's just say I was pleasantly surprised!

SPOILERS AHEAD

Starting with the good! Firstly, I really enjoyed the femininity and girlhood aspect. This theme is woven through a lot of aspects of the film and it makes it feel well-rounded and shows multiple different examples of woman- and motherhood. It was shown through Elodie's birth mom dying, her relationship with her step-mom and obviously Elodie's connection to the previous victims. I really enjoyed how all the women/offers/victims helped each other indirectly. Victoria's messages helped Elodie get out alive even though she couldn't herself. (Victoria is the definition of a girls girl). Think about Elodie’s relationship with her sister Floria, marriage, The dragon's children being murdered and the dragon's reaction to that, Lady Bayford's relationship with Elodie and Floria and Elodie being sacrificed by her father.

Another thing I liked was Elodie’s dress. It obviously restricts movement and is a symbol of Elodie’s freedom and control, or lack thereof. That, however, isn’t the only thing it is used for. Throughout the movie, Elodie repeatedly uses her dress to survive. For example, She is saved by it when she jumps over the ravine and she uses the sleeve as a bag for the light worms. This shows that Elodie is being resourceful and smart by using all the available material. Besides that, it also shows that she isn’t giving up like she is expected to which is nice to see. It would have been so easy for her to conveniently find a bag in a cave somewhere and use that, or for her to simply be able to jump that far. Instead, the movie is clever and makes Elodie innovative which makes her more likeable and more deserving of survival. Additionally, it is also really cool to see all the different iterations of the dress as time goes on and it makes for an epic transformation.

And now, a speed round of parts I enjoyed: Prince Henry not having a redemption arc (he threw her in that cave without a second thought). The CGI looked amazing and the dragon was honestly terrifying. The costume- and set design both did an amazing job. Floria was adorable.

There are a few things that I would have done differently. Starting at the beginning, it feels a bit rushed. I would have liked to see Elodie’s people actually struggle, there was a lot of telling that they were poor but Elodie is married off before we actually get a chance to see it for ourselves. And while we're at it, although I liked the bond and dynamics between Elodie/Floria, Elodie/Lady Bayford (her stepmother) and Elodie/Lord Bayford (her father) they should have spent more time exploring their relationships. Especially Elodie and her father's bond should have been stronger, right now we only get a few scenes of them together, so imagine how much harder his betrayal would have hit if we were shown how close they really were. That is not to say that it is bad right now, but it is definitely something that could be improved upon.

Another aspect I would have liked to see more of is the colonizer plot which is implied but not developed further. It is mentioned briefly that the people of the kingdom Aurea invaded the land and tried to slay the dragon and her children. It could have been delved into more by showing another flashback, for example. It also would have been cool if that was also one of the reasons the dragon was upset. For me, the dragon's redemption arc isn’t really a redemption at all but more of a 180°. I think the dragon getting tricked is a good plot point but the dragon was EVIL before (taunting and playing with her victims) and it could have been dragged out a bit more in my opinion. It is also quite weird to me that the dragon goes with Elodie at the end. You would think that the dragon wants her land back and with the kingdom gone, she can have it back. It is also weird to me that Elodie would want the dragon to go with her because although it is obvious that the dragon isn’t the actual evil in this scenario. She still tried to kill you, your sister and she actually did kill your father. So overall it would make more sense to me if the dragon stayed behind to claim her own land back or they should have more scenes where the dragon comes around and isn't evil anymore.

The last thing I want to complain about is the set-up for Elodie being sacrificed. There were some great starts on that. Queen Isabella getting Elodie’s name wrong, The girl on the balcony, the creepy masks. Those are all great beginnings but I want it to be WAY more suspicious and weird. I liked how Lady Bayford stormed in and tried to stop Elodie from marrying Prince Henry but I wish it came from a more creepy place, right now she just thinks he isn't right for her. Maybe she heard people on the market talk about a ritual, or maybe she talked with the family of the other girl who was sacrificed, that kind of thing would be an amazing set-up. I don’t think it was bad how it was but it just could have been better.

Overall, I feel like I have been very negative in this review but that is not my intention at all. I actually really enjoyed the movie. It obviously isn’t a cinematic masterpiece but I don’t think they intended it to be. It had potential to be even better but I honestly think they did a fantastic job.

This is my first time writing a review without watching or reading anybody else’s opinions, so I am completely in the dark about what the general opinion is. My prediction is that it is written off as a classic tween movie just because it has a “girl boss” female lead when in reality it is so much more than that and I had such a good time watching! Would 100% recommend!!

Obviously, these are my opinions! If you feel differently, then that is 100% okay and you are always free to share your thoughts!

Thank you for reading all the way to the end (I would be eternally grateful if you liked/reblogged) <3

Until next time,

Star ☆

[anneangel]

When I try to explain why 'I love' and 'don't love' The Hobbit, trilogy and book:

Peter Jackson, screenwriters, Warner Bros executive directors: Do you like The Hobbit Trilogy?

Me: oh, yes. I love 90% of it. And the cast is wonderful and the soundtrack incredible. I love 'movie Smaug', and I find interesting that the dwarves gain more prominence than in the book, transforming them into more central characters in the plot.

Peter Jackson, screenwriters, WB: What are your criticisms about it?

Me: There are many good scenes from the original plot that were changed for the movie without need because were already good in the book, many tense scenes in the book were transformed into 'action scenes', such as the escape from the Misty Mountains, Mirkwood and the escape in the barrels. And why revive Azog when just Bolg would be enough? And you guys shit on the character Beorn. And, well, the name of the movies are 'The Hobbit', there should be more Bilbo in this, right?

Peter Jackson, screenwriters, WB: So you like the book that much?

Me: oh, yes, I love 95% of it.

Peter Jackson, screenwriters, WB: Do you even have something honest criticisms of book?

Me: well, there could be SOME female participation, and I could follow Gandalf's journey to the White Council and Dol Guldur, both happen, but in the plot of the book it 'll not be narrated to us because the focus is on Bilbo and only him. And Thranduil doesn't even have a name, he's just called the 'Elvenking' of the Forest, let alone his son Legolas. Radagast is underused and only mentioned once. I would like more to be 'narrated' than 'told' to us. Understand? More dialogues actually describing what they went through, and less summarizing as 'after much deliberation they decided', it's something told. Maybe if the book was more 'narrated' than 'told', then it would be much bigger than it is. Well, It would be interesting to see the narrative from more perspectives.

Peter Jackson, screenwriters, WB: but that's exactly what we try to deliver in the movies! We gave you Galadriel, Tauriel and gave you Bard's daughters, hey, there's your female representation. And we gave you the White Council and Dol Guldur, we gave you more Elrond, and Radagast and even Saruman. We even gave you a badass and handsome Thranduil and we even gave you Legolas. Fuck you, we even gave you Frodo!

Me: Correct. I like the fillers created for the trilogy, nothing against them, the intention was great, the actors play their characters very fine and everyone did wonders with what they had, truly cool, the problem is that I don't like the PLOT of the fillers. Only that.

Peter Jackson, screenwriters, WB: So, in your opinion, the problem is our bad writing plot for fillers?

Me: oh, that's right. Exactly. With the exception of this, everything else was very good.

Peter Jackson, screenwriters, WB: But you can't just blame us! Others also failed miserably in this production, right?

Me: Oh, but the costume designers did relatively fine, cinematographers and art directors too, with the exception of Beorn's design, everything else is tolerable. Even if it wasn't faithful to the book on some aspects, but that's why it's called 'adaptation'. Including the CGI was 'ok', which many complain about, but I think it's an excessive criticism because it's reasonable compared to other current Worldwide Box Office movies similar to The Hobbit Trilogy.

Peter Jackson, screenwriters, WB: So, for you, what really left something to be desired was the plot written of the fillers and plot of changed scenes? Is it?

Me: Oh, yeah. I wouldn't be so critical of the 'need' for to be three movies, if the filler plot and new scenes was better written. But hey, I still like a lot about The Hobbit, whether it's the book or the movies. For example, now just talking about The Hobbit makes me want to read my favorite parts of the book and watch my favorite parts of the trilogy! Haha! Understand now?