Oreos & Peanut Butter

Star Wars: ‘The Bad Batch’ Finale Part 2

Screenshot of Tech, Hunter, Echo, Wrecker, and Omega from ‘The Bad Batch’. Copyright goes to Lucasfilm and the Walt Disney Company.

Hey! Hallie here!

We’re back again! One of my major priorities while I was gone was making sure I caught the finale of this series. It’s been a rocky ride for most of ‘The Bad Batch’. Between a few good episodes there always seemed to be episodes that featured not much of anything. Part one of this series’ finale hooked me back in after a while of feeling disinterested with the series. Its emotional character scenes and major franchise-altering events gave me hope that this series would pull me back in at the last second and drag me into season two hype. After watching part two of this finale, I can’t say it accomplished that. It only reminded me of how frustrating this series could get. Before I go any further, here’s your SPOILER warning! Let’s get into what worked and what didn’t work so well.

The Good:

Omega: She has remained on my good list for about every episode of this show and, now that this season is done, I can confidently say she was my favorite part of the whole thing. From starting out the series as a naive child who was new to the universe outside of Kamino, to becoming the kindest and wisest member of the Batch, her character was fully explored and always a joy to watch grow. Plus she was underestimated and forced to prove herself in every single episode and she took it all in stride. This episode is an excellent example. This time Crosshair hurls insults at her, as well as the rest of the Batch for listening to her ideas. It was satisfying to see her prove him wrong. But, as always, she remains nothing but kind to Crosshair. In fact, she starts out the episode by saving him from a flooding room. As usual, her selflessness doesn’t stop there either. In a very dramatic moment towards the end of the episode, Omega is saved by AZ from drowning at the cost of the last of his power. As he begins to drown in her stead, Omega risks her life to jump right back in and rescue him. All the kindness she showed Crosshair earlier in the episode also earns her his help in this rescue. Omega ends the episode by telling Crosshair that he’ll always be her brother, despite the fact that she barely knows him. Her connection to Crosshair wound up being deeper that Crosshair’s connection with any of his brothers, and that’s purely because of Omega’s patience and bravery. She never fails to impress.

The Stakes: Last episode’s destruction of Kamino was hard to follow up. But I respect this episode’s decision to go with the aftermath of this destruction. The entire Batch isn’t able to get out of the clone facilities in time to escape the destruction and, as a result, end up trapped underwater with most of the debris. This setting adds a sense of urgency and claustrophobia to the episode. The Batch are forced to rush through rooms before they lose power in an effort to make it out before the entire building is flooded. Omega reminds them of the tunnels that lead to the secret landing pad they came in through, but the tunnels are damaged and nearly lying on the ocean floor. The tunnels might be the coolest part of the episode. They’re clear, meaning that the underwater environment outside adds an appropriately dreary ambiance. Also, terrifying sea creatures can see them through the clear glass as they navigate the tunnels, leading to some heart-pounding altercations. At any point in the episode it feels like the characters could drown or be eaten. There’s something very satisfying about how well done this life-or-death scenario is.

The Bad (Batch):

Crosshair: If you were hoping for anything with this character to get resolved, or even come to some sort of satisfying ending, you’ll be disappointed. Crosshair slowly warms to Omega throughout the episode, but he spends most of it just as much of a jerk as he always was. His hero moment, where he saves Omega and AZ, is immediately contrasted again with his claimed loyalty to the empire and decision to stay behind at the very end of the episode. All while his headaches still seem apparent. He wasn’t as understandable or as tragic of a character as he was in the last episode. He was just him. Which, considering his lack of character development so far, doesn’t tell us much. Everything Crosshair did in this season felt like it was prep for season two. Which means nothing about his writing was satisfying. In no case has writing like this actually benefitted a character. I wish they would have done more with him.

The Bad Batch: Here we are again. This section won’t be long. Hunter, Tech, Wrecker, and Echo got nothing. They weren’t developed at all. I know them as The Leader, The Smart One, The Strong One, and the guy from Clone Wars. This season added nothing to any of their characters.

The Finale: I liked this episode’s stakes, but it very much failed in comparison to everything that happened in part one of this finale. Admittedly, part one was hard to beat. This episode definitely didn’t beat it. I almost feel like part one was so good it rose my expectations up too high. This episode wasn’t bad by any means, but as far as finales go, it was a bit of a let down. Especially because it felt like the episode ended at the same place the start of this season began. With the Batch and Omega leaving Crosshair and Kamino behind with not much of a reason to return. Without any major impact on the plot and the characters, unlike the episode before it, there was no way this finale was going to meet the expectations part one set.

‘The Bad Batch’ wasn’t the worst show I’ve seen. I wouldn’t recommend this series, though. At this point I’m not certain I’ll be watching season two. There were parts of my viewing of season one where I seriously considered giving up. After this finale, I’m not convinced season two will be any different for me. ‘The Bad Batch’ had some incredible ideas, but it ultimately didn’t live up to its potential. At least it gave us Omega.

Don’t do anything fun until I get back!

Hallie

International Dramas: Use For My Talent

Screenshot of (left) Shen Yue and (right) Jasper Liu in ‘Use For My Talent’. Copyright goes to Mango TV and Guoyun Culture.

Hi! It’s Annie!

I know I said that it would probably be a bit before I posted another drama review and that my next one would most likely be the K-Drama ‘It’s Ok to Not Be Ok’. That is hopefully next on the list for when I get around to it! But I ended up watching this C-Drama recently when a friend came over and highly recommended it, so we just ended up watching about half of it together. And of course, by that point it only made sense to finish the other half as soon as possible afterwards. The first half of this drama was amazing; and not just to watch with a friend. It was a cute and you couldn’t help but swoon over certain moments with the main couple. And then that last half happened. I didn’t hate it, but I can honestly say that the drama stepped on its own foot in the latter half. So, I’m just going to get into it from there. As always, MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

The Good:

Male Lead- Gu Renqi is definitely one of the sweetest leads I’ve ever seen as well as one of the most shy. But this takes the boss who is afraid of people trope to an entirely different level. He has mysophobia, basically an extreme fear of germs, due to childhood trauma of not thinking he was good enough for his grandfather. And this is definitely an extreme illness. As he develops a crush Shuangjiao, he begins to realize that his mysophobia doesn’t act up around her and begins to feel a bit better, though not completely. One thing that I like about this drama is that it doesn’t credit the relationship for his mental healing in any way. The boss-employee dynamic can often feel a bit odd to me, just because it is a power dynamic I’m not usually comfortable with. But Gu has a knack for treating all of his employees the same in the work place (for the most part) and for not acting much like he’s in charge. So that makes it a bit better. Over-all he’s just a shy sweet guy. He doesn’t ever act overly brooding and definitely is not over-protective in the relationship. Though he can be really oblivious at times, it’s a great character flaw because he doesn’t know exactly how to act around people. I will say that his character began to lack agency as the plot went on when it comes to choosing what to do about his own illness, but it definitely didn’t have anything to do with this character as a whole. That’s all writing.

Second Lead- Half way through this show, I thought there was no way in hell that I would suffer from second lead syndrome. I’ll talk more about that below. But this character makes a direct turn around that actually made me like him by the end of it. And it’s purely because he becomes one of the only smart characters with agency by the end of the show. Lu Xian is revealed a few episodes in to actually be Renqi’s therapist, though this initially does not come off as healthy at all. But, even though he gets seriously and stupidly jealous, his caring nature towards all of the characters never wavers. And that includes Renqi. By the end, despite the fact that Renqi used to be his rival, Xian is the only person in the entire show who is even attempting to understand his mysophobia. He also gives excellent relationship advice that I think everyone should take. Such as, a relationship can’t completely heal your mental health because you have to want to heal for yourself as well as wanting to heal for another person. And that being yourself is the only way to go about trying to get into a relationship. Also that jealousy is not a healthy form of seeing whether or not someone is interested in you. By the end he’s quite possibly the most reliable character in the show. So while this character was far from perfect, in the end I definitely suffered from second lead syndrome.

Sub-Plot Romance One- This happens between a social media influencer who initially has a crush on Renqi, Qianqian, and the bodyguard/assistant/best friend of Renqi, Dongxian. Dongxian is another one of the best characters in the show. And I have to say that this was, to me, by far the cutest romance in the entire show. Dongxian is revealed to be an ex-convict though the show never really goes in depth into what he was convicted for. We can assume it is probably assault related based off of what other characters say. Despite this, Renqi saw his good heart and decided to hire him anyways. And Dongxian is definitely the softest of all the characters on the show. His complete failure to not fall in love with Qianqian is adorable, and though he pushes her away, he always comes running when she needs him. Qianqian is also very independent and strong willed and will never let him believe his own negative thoughts. The fact that they care so much about each other that they were always willing to run to each other no matter what’s happened is adorable. There is a part of the show where Dongxian is temporarily arrested for assault just as he’s about to go and confess to Qianqian who’s waiting for him. In any other show Qianqian might have been angry at him, but instead she is told what happened and is there to hug him right after he’s released. Their boxing date is also top tier.

Mental Health- This show does not shy away from talking about the mental health aspect of Renqi’s phobias. It never treats therapy as something unneeded and it doesn’t over stigmatize it. It treats mental issues and therapy as perfectly normal things, which I was honestly surprised about. I also liked that one of the main characters was a therapist, because you don’t see enough of that in television or film either. This drama addresses everything from panic attacks to triggers and I’m definitely here for that.

The Bad:

Female Lead- Don’t get me wrong, I really started out liking her. And I’ve definitely liked this actress in other projects, such as ‘Meteor Garden’. But the last few episodes of the drama completely ruined her for me. This is one of those dramas that has a super dramatic break up due to a really weird plot twist. But the issue was, the plot twist was not Renqi’s fault. I know that there is a cultural difference here that I have much more to learn about. There’s this idea that when one person does something in a family, it often affects the entire family. But I really despise this line of thinking. I don’t think a person should be blamed for something that a family member did in the past or even present. And she breaks up with Renqi because she believes his grandfather might have been involved in the death of her mother. She only gets back with him when she realizes this is not the case. And she even insults his mental health and disabilities to get him to stay away from her, which was extremely low. I couldn’t forgive her after she attacked his mental health. And then she whined for a while about the fact that he hadn’t contacted her even though she made him think that she hated him. She also constantly exhibited a lack of understanding for his mental health and often tried to force him to do things despite his obvious triggers. By the end of the show, I didn’t want them together. I thought he needed to focus on his therapy and be with someone who understood that and she needed to become a much more understanding person.

Second Lead- Yes, he’s here too. Though I would still say he’s one of my favorites in the show. Why would you want a therapist who has an obvious conflict of interest? And I also didn’t appreciate that he was still determined to date Shuangjiao at the end of it. Just respect her decision! Still, his badassery and kindness truly made up for this in my eyes by the end.

Sub-Plot Romance Two- This occurs between Shuanjiao’s brother and her best friend. Though her brother was caring and the actor was amazing, I didn’t buy this romance. She did not seem interested him at the beginning and most of the things he did to try and capture her attention bordered on insulting. This is another situation where I think there was an immaturity that prevented me from liking this couple. Maybe they should mature a little more before they get together. And I guess it ended with them apart, because he did move to America by the end of the series. But I just didn’t buy them. They spent too much of the series not connecting or communicating properly.

Plot Twists- We really didn’t need the random plot twist about Shuangjiao’s Mom. And I’m never a big fan of plot twist weird break ups. It didn’t last long, but it was such a sudden and awful break up that I didn’t really feel that the relationship was recoverable.

Mental Health- One of the major things that the show suggests about Renqi, is that in order to get over his mental issues he must make peace with his abuser. While this can be true in making peace with what happened to you, I don’t think anyone should be required to become ok with being around someone who was responsible for their serious trauma.

The Romance- This was a serious case of the writers having no idea what to do with the main couple once they got together. It was cute up until then, and then it all went downhill when they became an item. The writers tried, but they just couldn’t figure it out. That aquarium date with the matching shirts was so awkward and the amusement park date was way too out of the comfort zone of Renqi. It just felt like Shuangjiao was still not completely understanding his mental state. You have to ease someone into that, not try and “cure” them altogether. They also had a really bad habit of acting very unprofessional in the workplace after they got together. Their proposal was also one of the worst I’ve ever seen in a drama. I cringed so hard. And then the writers really didn’t know what to do so they added in all the trope-y breakups and plot twists. The only reason to watch the rest of this show for me was that second lead and the one sub-plot romance.

I have a lot of conflicting thoughts about this drama. There were some really good moments and really bad moments. Over-all I think I have to place my stance on this drama someplace in the ‘ok’ area. It’s not one that I would return to, but it was cute to watch once. And the first half of this drama was extremely cute. I think if I returned to anything it would be the sub-plot romance. And there’s also a hidden couple in this drama that’s totally gay that I loved, plus a scene where the main male lead and his best friend are watching and criticizing a drama that made me laugh really hard. It’s basically how my sister and I watch dramas. But if you are looking for a really cute drama with a really cute centered romance from beginning to end, I’m not sure this would be my recommendation. But it does have some really good moments and I’m glad I watched it. I want to apologize once again that we’ll be gone for a few days. Just the weekend this time! Hopefully during that time you can go back to some of our past posts and we’ll be back on Monday!

See you across the pond!

Sincerely, Annie

Superheroes: ‘The Suicide Squad’ Review

Screenshot of Margot Robbie, Daniela Melchior, Idris Elba, and David Dastmalchian in ‘The Suicide Squad’. Copyright goes to DC Films and Warner Bros. Pictures.

Hey! Hallie here!

I, surprisingly, was able to see ‘The Suicide Squad’ right after it came out. I don’t have HBO Max and I’m still not going to movie theaters, so at first it didn’t look like seeing this movie early would work out. But a good friend of mine made watching this movie possible via her own HBO Max account, so here’s my review! Right away I’m going to warn everyone that I’m not a gore person. Gore makes me feel a little sick and is a major reason why I stay away from the Horror genre. This movie has a lot of gore. It definitely earns its R rating. So know going into this review that there were parts of the movie that just weren’t my thing. I’ll go a bit more into that later. As for right now, here’s your warning that there will be SPOILERS ahead! Let’s talk about this movie!

The Good:

Bloodsport: I’ve wanted to see Idris Elba heading a superhero film for a long time. He was so good in all of the ‘Thor’ movies and it only made me wish he was onscreen more. This movie let him shine as the starring role and he absolutely killed it. Bloodsport is a really interesting lead for this movie. He doesn’t see himself as any kind of leader and doesn’t have the motivation to do much of anything at the beginning of the movie. You can tie this attitude back to his relationship with his daughter. This relationship at first feels like a copy of Deadshot’s relationship with his daughter, but once Bloodsport interacts with his daughter you can see that it’s nothing like that at all. His relationship with her is horrible. She deliberately makes poor decisions to see if he will be concerned for her and the path she’s going down, but Bloodsport never criticizes her crimes, only the way she goes about them. His daughter even goes as far as to say that he’s an embarrassment to her. He feels like a failure to his daughter, which both zaps him of any desire to do anything at the beginning of the movie, and pushes him forward when Amanda Waller does recruit him. Throughout the movie we get to see him grow as a person and as a leader, and by the end of the movie he makes the ultimately good decision to save the day. Which, of course, finally redeems him in the eyes of his daughter. He’s an intimidating guy who only wants to do right by the people he cares about, and it makes for a much softer character than you initially expect.

Harley Quinn: I love Harley Quinn in every movie she’s been in so far. This movie is no different. Right from the beginning I knew her character was going to be perfect here. Between her playful banter with Captain Boomerang and her adorable flirting with Javelin, she stole my heart right from her first scene. And her hilarious reaction to Javelin’s death because he isn’t able to finish his last sentence, reassured me that James Gunn had her brand of insane down. My favorite Harley moment occurs when the leader of the island the Squad is trying to infiltrate decides he wants to marry her. Harley goes along with all of it at first and even finds him very romantic. But when he starts talking about the atrocities he’s committed, she shoots him. While he bleeds out on the floor, she explains in a very detailed manner that she promised herself she’d murder the next guy she was dating who had red flags because she deserves better. Not only is the moment empowering, it’s hilarious to watch her have this emotional moment with herself while her now ex-boyfriend tries to crawl away. Horrific but hilarious. She’s captured afterwards, but the killing spree she goes on to escape her captors is the most badass part of the whole movie. Especially while all the brightly colored hallucinations occur around her, as only Harley could conjure in a fight scene like that. Margot Robbie is the perfect Harley Quinn and no one can tell me otherwise.

King Shark: King Shark is one of the most brutal characters in this movie. In fight scenes he rips people apart or graphically eats them. But he’s such a sweetheart. He’s not the brightest character. He’s attempting to read an upside down book when we first meet him and his idea of a disguise is a fake mustache that’s just his finger held up to his face. But he’s so cute. He’s friendly to nearly everyone he meets even if he intends to eat them, and when others display interest in being his friends he promises not to eat them and stays true to his word. No one can say they didn’t feel soft when he tried to make friends with the strange fish creatures at the end of the movie. Or when he wasn’t able to join the rest of the Squad in a bar, so he was left sadly sitting in their bus. King Shark might have been my favorite character in this movie aside from Harley. James Gunn really knows how to write adorable side characters.

Ratcatcher 2: This character is the heart of this movie. She gets along with everyone almost instantly, and who wouldn’t want to be her friend? Just her association with her rat, Sebastian, makes her seem adorable and approachable. After first meeting King Shark he attempts to eat her in her sleep, but rather than being angry at him, she notes that he’s probably just lonely. She befriends King Shark and, when the Shark survives the final battle, she gives him a giant hug. Ratcatcher 2 also lost her father, which instantly gets the attention of Bloodsport. Given his rocky relationship with his daughter, he sees Ratcatcher 2 as a young woman in need of a father figure who he feels he can actually support. Their relationship is really cute, but she has his back just as much as he has hers. I’d argue that she and her rats are the major reason the final battle was won at the end of the movie. And while she sends her rats after Starro, she uses herself to protect Bloodsport from the rats because he has a phobia of them. She deserves nothing but the best.

Rick Flag: I’m not the biggest Rick Flag fan, but this movie really did its best to undo some of the harm the first movie did to this character. He’s no longer ruled by his relationship with his girlfriend and his small friendship with Harley is really fun to watch. Not only that, but his loyalties to the government aren’t strangely corrupted like they are in the first film. Instead of watching Amanda Waller kill a room full of innocents and shrugging it off, he hears about the horrible experiments the government did with Starro and tries to leak the information. For this he ends up dying at the hands of Peacemaker, but his death is a heroic one. Rick Flag deserved to go out like the hero he was always meant to be.

The Government and the Suicide Squad: Whenever you’re telling a story about the Suicide Squad, you have to carry through the messages about government corruption. No moral government would allow Amanda Waller to send anyone out on dangerous missions with the threat of being killed if they fail or refuse orders. This movie does an excellent job of making this point. The fact that it’s actually this exact government that put together the horrific Starro experiments, rather than the bad guys we’re lead to believe it is, sent the perfect message. Even without this plot point, the opening segment of the movie alone shows how disturbingly awful the Suicide Squad arrangement is. All those characters I was worried wouldn’t get character development? They don’t get any. Because they die within the first fifteen minutes of the movie. Half of the characters seen in the trailer turn out to be part of a distraction team, meant to engage with the enemy in a fight they can’t win so another team, our actual main characters, can infiltrate the island of interest at a separate location. Everyone in this decoy group, save Rick Flag and Harley Quinn, end up brutally killed. Including Captain Boomerang. The scene is horrible and yes, one person does try to get away and gets their head blown off. There’s nothing moral about the fact that this team wasn’t told exactly what they were in for. Or that this team was sent in to such an unwinable battle in the first place. That lack of morals displayed by Amanda Waller, and by association the government, is important to every Suicide Squad movie.

The Bad:

Character Relationships: The individual characters were built up pretty nicely, but aside from Bloodsport and Peacemaker’s rivalry, it never felt like the characters were truly connecting. Even Ratchatcher 2 and Bloodsport’s father-daughter relationship received hardly any time. This lack of connection is also the reason why Polka-Dot Man’s death didn’t hit me very hard. Ratcatcher 2 was saddened by his demise, but the fact that she was nice to everyone spoke more to Ratcatcher 2’s personality and less to an actual bond between the two characters. Everyone in this movie felt disconnected and the lack of care the characters had for each other definitely affected how much I cared about the characters as well. And with a few characters backstories relegated to a single sentence in some cases, like that of Polka-Dot Man, I wound up not caring about some characters at all. Not every movie like this needs to feel like found family, but a sense of at least camaraderie would have made me feel more emotionally engaged.

The Gore: Here we get to personal preference. This movie started off with the gore right away. Blackguard gets his face blown off in a graphic manner and I wasn’t prepared for it. I didn’t appreciate how fast this movie got to the gore, nor did I appreciate how quick it was to show human entrails and characters being literally ripped apart. If you’re squeamish like me, I wouldn’t recommend ‘The Suicide Squad’. It’s an action movie and all the action scenes are gruesome. There’s some scenes without gore, but I don’t think those alone can get you through this movie.

Overall I really liked ‘The Suicide Squad’. I wished they had done more to tie the characters together emotionally. A lot of the time I find that is what draws me into a story the most. But there was definitely some good writing for the major characters that interested me. I really want to see more of the surviving cast in the future. I can’t say I know why they chose Peacemaker for their spin-off series and I’m not sure I’ll be watching that, but that doesn’t diminish my enjoyment of the movie. I don’t think you’ll catch me watching this movie again, but that’s because of the gore more than anything else. This movie was good! It wasn’t perfect, but it was definitely better than the last movie that attempted this concept. If you don’t have any problems with gore, I’d recommend it!

Don’t do anything fun until I get back!

Hallie

Disney: Jungle Cruise

Promotional image of (left) Dwayne Johnson and (right) Emily Blunt. Copyright goes to Disney Studios.

Hi! It’s Annie!

When I heard that Disney had this movie in the works, I was ecstatic. As much as Disney Live Action has been disappointing me lately, most of that has to do with remake type stuff. I am more than ok with what Disney has been doing when it comes to original content. Especially theme park rides. I have always loved the idea of fleshing out more of the classic theme park rides in Disneyland. And Jungle Cruise is definitely a classic! Despite my excitement, I was a little scared going into this movie. And that really didn’t have anything to do with the trailers or anything like that. Those were great! It was just how mixed the reviews were when this movie first came out. A lot of people were saying that it was trying really hard to be ‘The Mummy’ or ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ and that it wasn’t nearly good enough for any of that. But, I’m going to be honest here, this is one of my favorite Disney movies I’ve seen in a while. I loved this film and I really had so much fun with it too. But, as always, I am actually going to get into it. So, MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

The Good:

Frank- Frank was a character that I was afraid would be written off as the dumb but tough hero we usually see in movies such as ‘The Mummy’. Which can make for an amusing character, but generally doesn’t have a whole lot of depth. Thankfully, this was not an issue that I saw here. Whatever you think about Frank in this movie, you’re probably wrong. It’s just that simple. Frank has so many layers that slowly peel away over the course of the movie. He’s one of those characters that is unpredictable in the best ways. He just keeps on surprising you and the other characters in the film. And I’m not just talking about emotion based character development. About half way through the film, Frank is impaled with a spear during an ambush and through this you find out that Frank can’t die. At least not yet. He was part of the cursed conquistadors who were originally trying to find the Tears Of the Moon tree. Though the quest began with good intentions, it ended with the conquistadors attempting to slaughter an entire tribe and getting cursed. Frank was the only one who tried to protect the tribe, but he was still grouped in with the curse. Which is that they can never leave the river. Frank is revealed to be four hundred years old and spends all of his time on the river by himself. This was an unexpected and amazing plot twist that gave his character so much depth and wisdom. I loved the message about the importance of other people and love in your life. And Frank is the master of bad jokes. He’s just lovable, and part of that is because Dwayne Johnson is also very lovable. When Frank gets his happy ending, you can’t help but cheer for him.

Lily- Lily is the type of character that I would have been so excited to see when I was little. She’s adventurous, she has just as many action scenes as Frank (if not more), and she’s often the smartest person in the room. Lily refuses to wear skirts, so instead wears trousers everywhere despite people staring and it making others uncomfortable. Her intelligence shines through in every scene she’s in and they spend much of the time focusing on her odd quirks. Often times she’s the one who’s running through towns Jack Sparrow style and causing mischief. And I couldn’t get enough of that. She’s also the one with the signature and beloved hat. I’ve always wanted to see this type of character in an action movie like this. I could watch an entire series of movies starring this character. Lily is definitely a menace, but in the absolute best way. She’s also the most emotionally intelligent character in the film and gives such good advice about truly living. And I really can’t picture anyone portraying this many sides to this character so well as Emily Blunt. She owns this film just as much as Dwayne Johnson. Both together and apart they shine on screen. They both seem made for movies like this.

McGregor- Lily’s brother is also absolutely amazing. He’s both hilarious and a needed foil for the insanity of Frank and Lily. His posh attitude is more witty than anything else and his character development in learning to appreciate the adventuring is even better. He is also the first confirmed gay man in a Disney film. In a heart-to-heart with Frank, McGregor reveals that his family had been attempting to marry him off to several women. All of which he turned down and assured that he would never accept a proposal from because his interests lie elsewhere. If that isn’t enough for you, he goes on to explain that his entire family turned their backs on him except for Lily all because of who he loved. I think that made it pretty clear, though I understand why people wanted more from that. I just hope that we possibly get a love interest for his character in the future. Beyond that, he will be just as dear of a character to you as Frank and Lily. He’s adorable and has some of the best lines in the film. And, of course, Jack Whitehall was amazing in this role. His comedic timing was excellent! Though I do wish they had cast a gay man as McGregor.

Cast Chemistry- One of the best things about this movie was that the cast liked each other and was having fun with it. And you could tell. The characters worked together effortlessly. Nothing felt like it was too forced or had too little of a buildup. They felt like a team from the get-go and they were always completely believable. I would watch these three together in any film after this. They work so well together!

The References- For those of you, like me, who grew up going to Disneyland or any of the parks; there are plenty of references to take you back to your time at Disney. Of course, Frank starts out the movie giving touristy Jungle Cruise rides where he uses many of the actual jokes from the park ride. Such as the back side of water and not taking rocks for granite. But there are plenty of other hilarious dad jokes in this movie and some really cool nods to the killer hippos and the piranhas in the attraction. Plus plenty more. I couldn’t stop smiling with every reference that I caught. Also, look out for a Tiki Room reference that also made its way into the film.

Trader Sam- Have you ever wondered who exactly Trader Sam is after the brief nod in the ride that has now been rightfully removed? According to the movie, Sam is a woman. She’s the leader of a tribe that is completely peaceful and sometimes helps out Frank in scaring tourists, but it appears that she’s pretty done with this. She also helps McGregor for much of the film and she knows about Frank’s curse. Despite the other characters badassery in this film, you would be hard-pressed to find another character more badass than her. And at least Disney is attempting to make Sam a more positive character. I also loved the scene where McGregor was talking to a crowd of men about all the crazy things he saw on his journey at the end, only for all of them to only majorly and comically react to the fact that Sam was a woman. That made me laugh.

The Bad:

The Tribes- I liked what they did to Sam for the most part, but I have to say that I’m a little confused by the presence and the use of her and the other native tribes in this film. Especially after they took out all traces of any kinds of tribes from the ride. And rightfully so. I don’t feel it’s my place to say how well or not well done this was. But I’m not sure the native tribes were written with as much care as they could have been.

The Villains- I have to say it, none of the villains were as good as they could have been. I liked the undead conquistadors much more than I thought I would. That was actually a pretty good storyline. But it wasn’t focused on nearly enough. I would have liked to see more of those characters focused on with the curse backstory instead of mostly just Frank. And I definitely think that Frank needed a longer confrontation at the end with Aguirre specifically. Then there was the entire plot with the nazis and they just didn’t need to be there. I think movies making nazi villains is getting really overused and tired and I constantly asked myself what their purpose in the movie even was. You definitely watch this movie more for the adventure than the battle between good and evil. I’ve seen a lot of people condemn this movie for not having the best villains, but that doesn’t make the film unenjoyable for me. I mean, in my eyes ‘Indiana Jones’ never really had amazing villains. (One of the movies also had nazis as villains.) But those movies were still good because of the adventure. This is the same way.

I didn’t really have a whole lot to say about this movie that’s bad. I really loved it! The characters were amazing and the entire thing felt like one of those lighthearted adventures that could easily become one of my next comfort movies. Will it be the best movie you’ve ever seen? Probably not. But it’s fun, witty, and has such good heart and character chemistry. It definitely stole my breath as well as my attention. And, trust me, my attention span hasn’t been the best these days. Don’t let the negative reviews scare you off! I would say that this movie deserves a try. And I think that Disney really could franchise this one too. I could see these characters in many more adventuring movies and you can bet that I would be right there when they released.

See you across the pond!

Sincerely, Annie

Books: ‘The Mysterious Benedict Society’ Finale

Screenshot of Marta Kessler, Mystic Inscho, Seth Carr, and Emmy DeOliveira in ‘The Mysterious Benedict Society’ on Disney+. Copyright goes to the Walt Disney Company and Trenton Lee Stewart.

Hey! Hallie here!

‘The Mysterious Benedict Society’ has been a favorite of mine for many, many years and while I’m sad to see this season come to a close (Hopefully we get a season 2), there’s a lot I want to talk about. Mainly, the major differences between this series and the book. I covered some of these differences in another post, but there’s even more to talk about now. I also want to talk a bit about my feelings on this series now that it’s come to a close, which I’ll do as I talk about each major change I noticed. With all of that to cover, here’s your warning that there are SPOILERS ahead. Let’s get into this!

Kate: This is probably my most negative opinion of a change the show made. Kate was quite a bit more reckless and helpless than she was in the books. Kate going off on her own to explore the tunnels does happen in the first book, but it’s never an attempt to stop Mr. Curtain by herself. Kate does it to aid the entire group in their mission and she doesn’t get caught. Which means that the hunt for the intruder, who was actually Kate, doesn’t happen this way in the book. There is an expected intruder, though. But an intruder is suspected because all four of the children manage to get Reynie spotted while he’s attempting to spy on the Messengers, though he’s fast enough in retreating that no one is certain he’s the intruder. It’s the fault of all of the kids, not just one. While I don’t have an issue with giving Kate more flaws in the series, I don’t appreciate how little we get of Kate as the level-headed badass I loved as a kid. In the books Kate’s circus days, her bucket, and her confidence make her capable in almost every situation. In some cases she’s even compared to Milligan, which makes a lot of sense considering their familial ties. In the series she gets caught after an excursion, taken to be brainwashed where Constance has to save her, and even more infuriating, doesn’t get to participate nearly at all in her fight against Jackson, Jillson, and their reinforcements. In the books she puts up quite a bit of a fight before Milligan intervenes. In the series Kate is first saved by Milligan, and then by Martina and the tetherball team. I’m alright with Kate being more stubborn and antsy than she was in the books, but the fact that she winds up being far less capable and reasonable in the process diminishes her character for me. I didn’t hate this character. I just miss the Kate I knew from the books.

Martina: Now that I’m done talking about my frustrations with Kate, let’s get to a more positive opinion. Martina is nothing more than a brat in the first book. In the series, she’s so much more than that. She has a large ego and wants to beat everyone at everything, but she reveals to Kate pretty early on that she knows other people don’t like her. It’s pretty obvious that she’s lonely. And Kate, by sticking by Martina in order to try to get information from her, gives Martina the impression that someone finally likes her enough to want to be her friend. I loved this storyline. Not only did it make Martina a complex and likable character, but it put Kate in a really interesting situation. Kate, who spends time with Martina only out of a sense of obligation, starts feeling bad for Martina and even begins to enjoy her company. Which leads to a lot of guilt because Martina doesn’t realize that Kate is basically using her. What’s worse, when Kate is caught, it’s Martina who’s initially framed for the intrusion in Kate’s stead. It’s here that Kate has to balance trying to keep Martina safe while also not revealing to Martina that she is the true intruder. When it all goes wrong in the finale, though, Martina doesn’t stay angry at Kate for long. When she comes face to face with Kate and Kate makes the brave decision to accept blame for the intrusion, Martina realizes that part of her friendship with Kate was real. Later on, she takes the tetherball team to fight alongside Kate. This friendship is adorable and I love the depth it gives to both Martina and Kate. I hope this isn’t the last we see of Martina should the series continue.

Milligan: Not too many changes here except there’s a lot more direct contact between Kate and Milligan surrounding the big reveal. Milligan, rather than turning himself in on behalf of all of the children, only turns himself in on behalf of Kate. And after Kate and Milligan are reunited, we get an extremely emotional scene of just the two of them talking about what they each went through while they were separated. I loved these scenes so much. The reveal that Milligan is Kate’s father was one of my favorite plot twists in any book as a kid, and it’s done justice here. The only thing I missed in this series was the reveal that the name Milligan was actually a clue the entire time. In the book, the last words Milligan remembered being said to him before he lost his memories were “Can we go back to the mill again?”, a question asked by a young Kate in reference to her favorite swimming spot. Still, the series didn’t need this piece of information to make this reveal emotionally satisfying.

Constance: Constance changed a lot in this series and I feel it was all for the better. She does a lot more, like telling hilariously gory jokes and building up her relationship with Kate. I also like that the plot twist from the book, which reveals that Constance was actually two years old the entire time, is absent here. It was a bit of a weird plot twist and I don’t see how it could be adapted to the screen. Instead they reveal that she is psychic, which is much cooler. Constance also rejects being adopted by Mr. Benedict in the series, which makes a lot of sense. In the books Constance is reluctant to accept the adoption, and it’s only through the knowledge that Number 2 and Rhonda were also adopted by Mr. Benedict that she hesitantly agrees to it. In the series, Rhonda and Number 2 aren’t as young as they are in the books and their loyalties to Mr. Benedict have nothing to do with adoption. Without this element, it makes sense that Constance wouldn’t be convinced. And let’s be honest, it’s a miracle Mr. Benedict convinced her to accept the adoption in the books.

Mr. Curtain’s Trigger: In the books, Mr. Curtain’s trigger for his narcolepsy is anger. And he’s an angry man so it’s just as easy to trigger his narcolepsy as it is to trigger Mr. Benedict’s. In the series they make a really interesting mystery out of it. It’s only when Reynie tries to reach Mr. Curtain on a personal level that he suddenly falls asleep. Sticky assumes that anger caused this to happen, which is a nice throwback to the books, but Reynie reveals that his actual trigger is vulnerability. That feels a lot more powerful and really cements this Mr. Curtain as much more complex than the one we see in the books.

Sticky’s Happy Ending: This change starts all the way back in Sticky’s backstory. In the books, it’s Sticky’s parents who use his incredible brain to make themselves wealthy, not his aunt and uncle. But also in the first book, it’s revealed that Sticky misunderstood his parents belief that he was better off on his own. His parents turn up to Mr. Benedict’s at the end of the story to explain that they feel remorseful about what they did to Sticky, and it turns out that they felt Sticky was better off without them because of the way they had treated him. They even used up all their money trying to locate Sticky. So Sticky forgives his parents and moves back in with them. This ending for Sticky always bothered me. After all, his parents used him for money and when he ran away, they tried to convince themselves that it was better if they didn’t go searching for him. Meanwhile, Sticky was homeless and living on the streets. No small apology could absolve parents of this kind of treatment. Well, apparently the series agrees. Not only do they change these characters to his aunt and his uncle, but they also don’t make either character remorseful for their actions. Sticky’s happy ending in the series is Mr. Benedict’s promise to get him into the school he wanted to attend before he was recruited into the society. I like this ending much better for him.

These are the largest changes I noticed in the finale of this series. Overall, I really enjoyed ‘The Mysterious Benedict Society’. The majority of its changes made the story richer and deeper. Constance went from my least favorite character in the books, to my favorite character in the series. The reveal that Milligan is Kate’s father was so much more meaningful to me when there was an entire portion of the show dedicated to the adults. This series definitely wasn’t perfect, but I would love to see a season two. I’m not sure about the creators’ idea to merge the next two books into one season, but we’ll see what happens! After what I saw here, I’m completely willing to see whatever they want to write next for this series!

Don’t do anything fun until I get back!

Hallie

Superheroes: Peggy Carter’s Erasure

Screenshot of Hayley Atwell in ‘Agent Carter’, Copyright goes to Marvel Entertainment and Disney.

Hi! It’s Annie!

Quite a while ago I made a post about why Steve and Peggy shouldn’t have ended up together at the end of ‘Endgame’. I won’t go too much into that because of my previous post, but I did talk a lot about what this decision might mean for the character of Peggy Carter. My main worry was definitely that it would effectively erase the events of ‘Agent Carter’, which is the most agency Peggy has ever gotten. It was amazing seeing Peggy get her very own story to star in and it was also amazing to see how many issues this show tackled. From sexism to discrimination because of disability. It was also one of the first female-led projects that Marvel ever did. I had a lot of other issues with Peggy and Steve, but that was one of the major ones. My fears that Peggy would be treated poorly were softened a bit when Marvel released the information that they would be proceeding with the character of Captain Carter. An alternative universe where Peggy became the super soldier instead. But it looks like this didn’t quite save Peggy in the way I wished. I’m just going to get right into it!

Legends:

This is where everything happened. On Disney+ there is a Marvel series called ‘Legends’ where each episode focuses on a specific character and basically recaps what happened to them in canon. To everyone’s absolute delight, they recently released the episode for Peggy Carter. But this delight was soon cut short when the episode dedicated to Peggy included no information or even hints towards the content in ‘Agent Carter’. Considering that the past episodes have been pretty descriptive in including all the canonical content for characters; this brought into question whether or not ‘Agent Carter’ was being erased from the main canon by Disney. And for how much Disney has been pushing ‘Agent Carter’ into the background, I wouldn’t be surprised. Though ‘Agent Carter’ is on Disney+, they haven’t advertised it as an addition and barely mentioned it when it was first put on the streaming service. They also have not mentioned ‘Agent Carter’ since the final episode, at least as how it pertains to Peggy.

Time Travel and Alternate Dimensions:

Their excuse for getting rid of Peggy’s arc is completely rooted in time travel. It first featured in ‘Endgame’ which allowed Steve to return to Peggy at the end of the film. Now it’s been used in several other ways, which has also included the possibility of alternate realities. This was discussed in the likes of ‘Doctor Strange’ and ‘Agents of Shield’ before. ‘Agents of Shield’ even paired off their main character, Daisy, at the end of the series with Daniel Sousa, Peggy’s love interest in ‘Agent Carter’, who the crew picked up around the 1950s. ( I will never be ok with their decision to remove his disability.) Now with the addition of ‘WandaVision’ and ‘Loki’ it’s clear that we’ll be dealing with alternate timelines much more than we even saw in ‘Endgame’. But this alternate timeline gives Marvel a lot of freedom, and even more freedom than we probably anticipate. They could re-do franchises like ‘X-Men’ with what they’ve created (Disney has even been in talks with Hugh Jackman over a mystery something). But besides creating new or new-ish things, they also have the power to un-include anything from the current timeline that they want to going forward. So in the interest of keeping Peggy with Steve they could feasibly get rid of ‘Agent Carter’ while explaining that it still exists in some universe. I will admit that the idea of a multiverse scares me, but that’s what exists in the comics and it could open the door to a lot of really great opportunities in the franchise. But I still don’t like this at all when it comes to Peggy.

What ‘Agent Carter’ Offered:

I think everyone knows by now that Peggy was one of the first superhero love interests who turned around and kicked superhero love interest tropes in the teeth. Peggy was influential in that way, and I’m very glad that Marvel hasn’t shied away from that. Even now they’re still using Peggy because of how much people love her and how much people credit her for accomplishing. But we also all deserved to see Peggy being kick-ass without the constant presence of Steve or Howard. And that’s where ‘Agent Carter’ came in. Not only did this give everyone the action that we wanted to see from her, but it also dealt with issues that are far too real that people don’t consider. Like the fact that Peggy was still a woman in that time period and that her involvement with Captain America made it seem like she was being protected or shown favoritism because she was dating a superhero. All of her accomplishments were chalked up to the men in her life because she wasn’t considered to have the ability to do what she did. And ‘Agent Carter’ or not, that still would have happened. Peggy deserved for her own story to be told and for people to stop thinking about her in conjunction with Steve all the time. ‘Agent Carter’ was wonderfully for Peggy only. It let her deal with her own problems. Peggy should not have been required to give up her own story just so that Steve could get the girl in the end. That goes against everything Peggy stood for.

Captain Carter:

Many people say that fans of Peggy shouldn’t be complaining because we’re going to get Peggy with a story of her own. In fact, we’re going to get Peggy with a story where Steve won’t even be the major player. Isn’t that what ‘Agent Carter’ covered? Isn’t that what we wanted anyways? Well, yes and no. Yes, Peggy fans have been begging Marvel for the Captain Carter storyline for ages. And now they’re even talking about the possibility of bringing characters like Captain Carter to the big screen eventually. Can you imagine Hayley Atwell in the uniform and shield? I think I would cry if I saw that in theaters. But the thing is, alternate timeline Peggy does not suddenly make up for the failings in the story of current Peggy. Especially because, as I said, Peggy was, in my eyes, the blueprint for making non-super-powered women in movies badass despite their lack of powers and despite their love interest status. Does that mean I don’t want to see Peggy with powers? Of course not! I definitely want to see that! But this being a great and empowering concept does not make what happened to the original Peggy any less messed up. A new alternate Peggy is not a consolation prize for what they did to the old one. And it also doesn’t erase the fact that Steve kissed his own niece in the current main timeline. Eww.

Going Forward:

I’m going to be really sad saying goodbye to characters like Daniel Sousa and Angie. And, of course, Jarvis is probably the side character that I’ll miss the most. Though I’m glad they gave him a small role in the movies so at least he isn’t entirely erased. But still. This feels unfair to more characters than Peggy. And while Peggy will be moving forward, many of these other characters or adaptations of characters will not. (I am personally really hoping that they will cast James D’Arcy as Jarvis in more films.) Peggy moving forward also will be quite different. From what it looks like, we’ll be leaving the Peggy we know and love with story-erasure at the end of ‘Endgame’ with Steve. The Peggy we will know going forwards is probably not going to be that same Peggy. Trust me, I also wanted to see Peggy with Steve. But the more that’s occurred to me about that decision and the more Marvel tries to do to justify this decision, the more I worry that this was a pretty poor way to leave Peggy Carter. It very much reminds me of Elizabeth Swann being left on the island in the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ franchise after having been made Pirate King. All of that badass story just for her end to reduce her to the love interest trope she was fighting against that entire time. Why must this always happen to my favorite fictional female characters?

Anyways, It was probably obvious to long-time readers that I was not going to be pleased with the recent developments involving ‘Legends’. I’m declaring Peggy’s character a giant missed opportunity, just like I did before. But, unlike Elizabeth Swann, at least I’ll get a version of this amazing character that won’t be drowning in that giant mess Disney created. But she just might be drowning in a different giant mess (the multiverse) which still scares me. The only thing I can say right now is, I guess we’ll see what happens.

Update: As I woke up this morning I saw all the controversy around the Captain America Twitter account replacing Sam Wilson with Peggy. While I do believe that this will be temporary, nothing about it is even remotely ok. Peggy is Captain Carter (or Captain Britain) she is NOT Captain America, firstly. Secondly, she doesn’t even exist in the same universe as the other Marvel character specific Twitter accounts. And thirdly, the black man who is now Captain America should not even be hinted at being replaced by a white woman. This is beyond the realm of ridiculous. I already think that Marvel is using Steve too much and is too unwilling to let him go after Sam Wilson rightfully became Captain America. Peggy has been receiving a lot of unwarranted hate for this move that I also do not approve of. But Peggy completely taking over anything Captain America related should not happen. Sam Wilson is Captain America. Peggy is a different character entirely even in the separate universe. Treat them as separate characters, give Peggy the recognition that she deserves without stepping on Sam, and stop using Steve. I swear to you, it isn’t that hard Marvel.

See you across the pond!

Sincerely, Annie

Star Wars: ‘The Bad Batch’ Finale Part 1

Screenshot of Echo, Hunter, and Tech from ‘The Bad Batch’. Copyright goes to the Walt Disney Company and Lucasfilm.

Hey! Hallie here!

If you’ve seen my past reviews of episodes of ‘The Bad Batch’, you know that I don’t usually review one episode at a time. Some of the episodes we’ve seen this season have been slow moving and I’ve been vocal about repeating storylines happening from episode to episode. But we’re now at the two part finale for this series and there’s already tons to discuss. For one, we’re getting a season two! While I haven’t been a huge fan of this series so far, I do have some hope for season two. Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but I’m hoping that the purpose of the next season will be to dive into the individual characters a bit more. As for season one, let’s jump right into the SPOILERS!

The Good:

Omega: Omega is absolutely my favorite character in this series. She’s cute, capable, kind, and so much more complex than she appears. This episode just proves it all over again. At the beginning of the episode we see that Omega is the most outwardly determined to get Hunter back. Which is to be expected after how horrified she was by Hunter’s capture in the last episode. But once the Batch arrives on Kamino, her attitude changes. When the Batch are trying to find a place to land on the planet without getting immediately attacked, Omega instantly leads the group to a landing pad submerged in water. She reveals she knows this area because it’s connected to Nala Se’s secret lab. While they travel through a secret tube system to get to the lab, Omega suddenly seems a lot sadder and a lot wiser. And when we finally enter the lab, Omega notes that not only was she created in this lab, but she was there to see the Batch themselves being created. It’s a heavy reminder that Omega, who ages at a normal pace rather than the rapid pace clones usually age at, is actually older than all of the other characters. No wonder she seems more capable than the rest of the group so often. Omega also gets a few great moments, including activating the droids connected to the training room in order to save the group from Crosshair. And she gets reunited with AZI-3, which was adorable. She ends the episode by looking on in horror as the clone facility, her home for most of her life, is destroyed. Omega went through a lot there, but I can’t say it’s any less traumatic to see it explode. Omega is such an interesting character and I will gladly watch more of this character in the future.

Clone Facility Destruction: There’s never been a canon fate for the facilities on Kamino and it’s left a lot of people to wonder. Especially because the Empire switched over to regular human Storm Troopers instead of clones after the takeover. ‘The Bad Batch’ used its first few episodes to explain why the Empire chose to no longer use clones, so it’s only fitting that the series explains just what happened to the place where the clones started. And it’s kind of tragic to watch. Obviously, even a clone lover such as myself has to admit that the Kaminoans did much more harm than they did good. And the way they treated the clones is the most deplorable of all of their actions. But Rex, Cody, and everyone else was born there. Jengo Fett and Boba Fett’s stories originated from there. It’s sad to see it go in such a brutal fashion. But it’s well earned. The Empire spent the entire season testing the Kaminoans to see if they would be of any use to them anymore. The answer was no. This was the satisfying and horrible outcome.

Crosshair: Crosshair is really interesting in this episode. He’s pretty confident in leading all of his brothers into a trap, but he isn’t after blood anymore. He reveals that he feels betrayed for being left behind. And he definitely has a point. After the episode where the Batch were forced to leave because Crosshair was forced to try to kill the others by his inhibitor chip, I waited for them to go back for him. And kept waiting. And waiting. Evidently, so did Crosshair. When Hunter tries to explain that they didn’t have a choice but to escape Kamino, Crosshair points out that his chip meant he didn’t have a choice either. Whenever Hunter tries to tell Crosshair that their loyalties should be to each other, Crosshair notes that the sentiment is empty after they abandoned him. To be honest, there was nothing Hunter could have said to defend himself. Especially because, while they were speaking, the rest of the Batch were coming into what they knew to be a trap in order to rescue Hunter. Why did they never once, in any of their interactions with Crosshair, attempt a similar operation to get Crosshair back? It’s a good question and I’m glad Crosshair asked it. Crosshair still has an unexplained loyalty to the Empire though, but he takes out the TK Troopers to try to give his brothers a chance to join him. Of course, they don’t accept. It’s the Empire. At which point Crosshair reveals that he removed his own chip and is actually personally loyal to the Empire. That said, this could easily still be the chip talking. Minutes before this Crosshair grabs his head as if he has a headache and after Hunter manages to knock him out, he doesn’t see a scar on the side of his head. We’ll see how everything unfolds in the next episode. At least we got to see an epic reunion fight scene before Crosshair was stunned.

The Bad (Batch):

The Bad Batch: Here I’m talking about Hunter, Tech, Echo, and Wrecker. They get nothing here. Hunter gets a bit more, as usual, because he’s a focus of the episode. But his role in the episode is to sit and react to Crosshair while feeling guilty. There isn’t much personal growth or focus we see for this character. Tech and Wrecker get absolutely nothing. They hardly get lines at all. Echo is very attentive to Omega in Hunter’s absence, which is very sweet. Echo has definitely become my favorite of these characters simply because his small character moments lend to a larger picture given to us by various episodes of ‘The Clone Wars’. But the other characters don’t have that background to give depth to their characters. They’re just there. Once again, I hope season two fixes this.

Underestimating Omega: She’s older than you guys. Obviously don’t throw her into a dangerous situation without backup, but telling her to stay behind or run away for the millionth time? Idiotic. Annoying. Frustrating.

And that’s my review! I haven’t been this hooked by an episode of this series in a while but something about the second-to-last episode got me. It could be the sorely needed, added depth to Crosshair. It could be finally seeing the Batch reunited after so long. It could be the finality of the Kamino storyline. Or it could be the increasing love I have for Omega. In any case, I hope the next episode continues on with this amazing story. And I hope season two uses its time and characters much more wisely.

Don’t do anything fun until I get back!

Hallie

International Dramas: A Love So Beautiful

Promotional image of So Jooyeon and Kim Yohan in ‘A Love So Beautiful’. Copyright goes to Kakao TV and Netflix.

Hi! It’s Annie!

This is the last of the reviews for the four K-Dramas that I recently binged. Despite this fact, this is also the first of the four dramas that I watched. Why did I leave it until last? For the simple fact that I just didn’t like this one as much as I liked the other ones. And really, it’s difficult to compare this one at all to the likes of ‘Vincenzo’, ‘Her Private Life’, and ‘Lovestruck in the City’. Those were by far some of my favorite K-Dramas that I’ve ever watched. And that isn’t to say that this one was bad by any means. It was certainly cute! For those of you who don’t know, this K-Drama is actually based off of a C-Drama of the same name. And I actually heard about this drama from a friend who had watched the C-Drama. Because I’m attempting to learn Korean as a language right now, I’m trying to watch only K-Dramas so that I can get more acclimated to the language. So, when I saw that there was a Korean version of the drama she had recommended, I decided to watch it knowing that it wouldn’t be exactly the same but probably similar enough. Unlike some of my ventures into C-Dramas before, I am probably not going to watch the Chinese equivalent. Especially considering that this wasn’t necessarily the best thing I’ve ever watched. But I’ll just get into all that from here! MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Short Synopsis: Soli is a high school student who has been in love with her neighbor and classmate, Heon, for as long as she can remember. Despite her constant willingness to be by his side, his cold indifference doesn’t seem to change. Until he realizes that her presence at his side has been a comfort to him all along.

The Good:

The Male Lead- I’ve heard a lot of good things about the actor who played Cha Heon in this. He’s pretty young, but people say he’s really good for being so young and that he has a long career ahead of him. After watching this drama, I completely agree with that. Cha Heon is well acted and a very believable character. From what I understand about the original drama, the male lead is much colder to the female lead. Here he is cold at certain parts, but that warmth is always noticeable simmering under the surface. And when that warmth is at the surface, you can’t help but smile at the adorableness. He goes through a lot but he really does have a heart of gold. When he makes mistakes in the relationship, which he does, he very easily concedes that they’re his fault. Even when they aren’t completely (I’ll get to that in a second). But something that I liked about this character was that he was very obviously flawed but also very obviously learned from his mistakes. He’s also so extremely supportive. While this character is a bit too cold at the beginning, his character development and changes make him an amazing boyfriend by the end of it.

Sub-Plot Romance- Hayeong and Jinhwan were nothing short of adorable. Hayeong was one of my favorite characters for much of the show because she wasn’t what the typical female best friend is. She wasn’t overly quirky or demure. She was a relatable character who was bold and wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. Her willingness to tell off Soli’s bullies was always something admirable and made me wish I had a friend like her. She doesn’t originally have a crush on Jinhwan, but after a series of mishaps she starts seeing him differently. And when they are a couple, they just work. They have a mutual respect for each other that goes unmatched in the entire rest of the series. Jinhwan has an illness that he’s initially too fearful to reveal to Hayeong, but she never sees him as weaker for it. And though Hayeong is very conventionally attractive, Jinhwan never has anything but the utmost trust in her. I have seen way too many dramas with overprotective and untrusting boyfriends and I’m glad that this was not one of them.

Character Growth- This series takes place over the course of several years. From high school, to college, and then beyond that. Because of this, all of the characters had plenty of room to grow and change as the series also changed. It became such an in depth look at the characters that they really start feeling like friends to you as you watch the drama.

Friendships- Speaking of which, there is a group of five friends in this drama and they really focus on the bonding between these five. From when Heon wasn’t necessarily a part of the group until Heon was an integral part of the group. The friendships here are so cute and pure and I really do love them so much. This is one of those shows that reels you in with that friend group that you wished you had or were a part of.

The Bad:

The Female Lead- Soli is a character that I had a lot of problems with, simply because the narrative didn’t seem to have a lot of problems with her. What I’m saying here is that she was depicted as being so sweet and adorable that the show overlooked her flaws. They did focus on one flaw, which was that she wasn’t very good at studying. This resulted in her not passing her first attempts at college entrance exams. But this type of flaw doesn’t necessarily affect character development, especially when the show time-jumps and doesn’t only take place while they’re at school. Then, after Soli has a really bad day, which I will get back to, she goes to visit Heon in his place of work. She is already kind of jealous of the nurses at the hospital Heon works at talking about how handsome he is, but this is only amplified when the nurses imply that Heon will be moving away. When she confronts Heon about this, he only says it was something he was considering and hadn’t made a decision yet. This is an example of Heon’s character development that I was talking about before. His coldness and logical thinking can often result in him not communicating properly to the ones he cares about most, and this is something he grows from. But Soli never grows from her rash decision to break up with him right then and there instead of actually talking through their problems. Or the fact that she was very jealous in that situation. In fact, the entire situation is treated like Heon’s fault and Soli’s absolute reluctance to even see him years later because she’s still angry is treated as relatable. Even though it isn’t. Soli failed to do the exact same thing she was angry at Heon for not doing, which was communicate.

The Romance- Obviously, not great. It has some really cute parts. But in the end this couple doesn’t communicate nearly as much as they should. Plus pretty much all the dramatic needless breakups that are possible in dramas are in here too.

Second Lead- Another drama where I didn’t suffer from second lead syndrome! Daesung is a great friend for most of the show, don’t get me wrong. And his swimming storylines and the moment he ran as a teddy bear mascot next to Soli to cheer her on are all cute. But he’s way too obsessed with Soli and also has that mentality that I don’t like where he believes that Soli will eventually come around. He even has this mentality when she’s in a committed relationship during some of the time skips. If a guy friend of mine was not respectful of my relationship, I don’t think I would be friends with him anymore. That’s not a supportive friend anymore. Speaking of which…

They’ll Come Around- This entire drama revolves around the idea that a person who sees you platonically will eventually come around to see you romantically. And while that can be cute in some instances, literally every relationship in this drama revolves around this line of thinking. And I don’t think that it’s completely healthy. Platonic relationships are often just platonic, and I wish there was more of that in this.

Time Jumps- The time jumps in this show are needed. The show aims to cover several different eras of the lives of the characters, which added a lot of development for the characters. But the time jumps aren’t always seamless. And often time jumps also happen within eras, which can lead to some really confusing moments. For example, there’s a kind of dream sequence where Jinhwan comes to school dressed very cool, as he is usually pretty stereotypically nerdy, and asks out Hayeong. The issue is, it seems like they’re on the cusp of dating the next moment. And I’m still confused as to whether or not this scenario even happened. Was it a dream sequence? I feel like I missed something important. And that’s not the only time that happens.

Beyond Uncomfortable- I’m really sick of shows exploiting women’s hardships in order to add some quick drama. This is exactly what happens to Soli on the day she breaks up with Heon. Her bad day is caused because her boss tries to sexually assault her. And that is entirely used as a plot device to lead to their breakup. The assault is never mentioned again and there are no consequences for the actions that happened. This show also deals with several other uncomfortable power dynamics. Hayeong spends much of the show with a crush on her teacher, which is very uncomfortable to watch. From what I understand, South Korea has different laws concerning things like teacher-student relationships. But it’s still disturbing to see any side of that whatsoever and for it to be treated as a regular thing. I have an issue with some boss-employee power dynamics as well, but there are a couple shows (such as ‘Her Private Life’) where they were able to balance it by giving each character a job where they were similarly treated by other employees rather than there being a huge difference in power. And of course mutual respect is also present there. But, even if it’s one-sided, teacher-student relationships are gross no matter how your portray it. This just made me really uncomfortable.

I know I had more in the bad category, but I didn’t actually think that this show was bad! There were some really cute moments in the romance part of it specifically even if it failed in some major areas. The main male lead was so good! And the friendships in this drama are adorable! But there are definitely better things to watch out there. I think I’m going to watch ‘It’s Ok to Not Be Ok’ next because I keep hearing really good things about that one. But it might be a little while because I’m going to be a bit busier than I thought for the next couple weeks. Hopefully I’ll be able to give that one a try soon! And though this drama wasn’t the best, I think I scored with my choices for shows to binge watch this time around.

See you across the pond!

Sincerely, Annie

Theme Parks: Are the Disney Parks Too Expensive?

Promotional concept image of the ‘Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser’ experience coming to Walt Disney World in 2022. Copyright goes to the Walt Disney Company.

Hey! Hallie here!

Before we even get into this post I’m going to answer my own question. Yes. The Disney parks are definitely too expensive. But often times Disney fans, such as myself, have been able to wave away some of the more extreme costs simply because of how much joy Disney brings. The parks are some of the best theme parks you could ever visit and their immersive nature and fun attractions are well worth a high price. But how high of a price is all of that really worth? Because Disney just keeps getting more and more expensive. The most recent news we’ve seen coming out of the Disney parks only seems to prove that. Are the new prices attached to the experiences Disney has introduced a complete deal breaker?

‘Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser’:

Let’s start with the most recent news. When the ‘Star Wars: Galactic Cruiser’ experience was announced, tons of fans were excited. All of the early concept art looked incredible and everyone was ready to see Disney take their immersive skills to the next level. Especially Star Wars fans who have dreamed of being transported to the Star Wars universe for many, many years. LARPers recognized exactly what this type of experience could mean for LARP in the future, as well. Namely, more high-scale and easily accessible LARP experiences. As such, many LARP and D&D fans, or fans of general immersive entertainment, jumped in on the excitement whether they were Star Wars fans or not. And then the price tag was announced. Disney revealed that the two-night experience would cost about $5,000 dollars for only two people. And that’s at its cheapest. What many people didn’t realize about the release of the prices was that these were calculated with the least busy time of the year in mind. Meaning at any given time, this price could be exponentially higher. So what could be worth over $5,000 dollars? Well, with your payment you get valet parking, all meals inside the hotel excluding alcohol, one meal inside the Disney parks, a ticket into only Hollywood Studios in an effort to connect Galaxy’s Edge to the hotel, and the immersive entertainment inside the hotel. Note that none of this includes the costuming that they keep advertising for guests. You could go to all of the Disney parks in Walt Disney World for much cheaper than almost $10,000 dollars for a family of four during regular season. Most people could never afford to take a vacation like that. It seems like the pricing is blocking out the majority of fans. They might as well have slapped a “For Rich People Only” warning on the prices. And while I do know that some fans will save up as much money as they can to attend the experience, part of me hopes it fails. It’s unfair that a rich company like Disney is making experiences like this less and less accessible.

Magic Keys:

Disneyland famously did away with their annual passes during quarantine. With their understandable reliance on a reservation system in order to prevent crowding in the parks during the pandemic, there was a question of whether or not annual passes would ever be available again. Surprisingly, Disney did decide they wanted to bring back the annual pass system. This time under the name Magic Keys. There are far less options for the Magic Keys than there were for annual passes. Also, the reservation system is still in play here. The lowest park pass for California residents is around $400 dollars, which isn’t too bad for a Disney pass. Except you’re only allowed to make two reservations at a time, and as usual, you’re blocked out for the majority of the year. What’s the point of paying for this pass if you can’t go most of the year because of black out dates, and you aren’t guaranteed going at any other point because of reservation limitations? With the price of this key, you seriously risk not getting your moneys worth. As the expenses of the keys go up you see less and less black out dates, which is nice. You also get more reservation slots at a time. But the closer you get to the $1000 dollar mark, the less most are able to afford it despite the benefits of the pass. These rates aren’t as bad as many predicted they would be should this system return, but isn’t that bad in of itself? That Disney has become so expensive that you need to pay nearly $1000 dollars per person just to get a decent annual pass? Most families can’t afford that. And on top of that, the reservation system calls into question whether or not any of the keys will benefit locals. Part of the appeal of annual passes for locals was that you could get in the parks on most days if you found you had a free day. Reservations aren’t a terrible system, but they do eliminate this option. So is the amount locals will even be able to get in the parks worth any of this money? I’m not sure it is.

Disneyland Paris FastPass Prices:

So this is a thing now. Apparently Disneyland Paris decided it was an excellent idea to try out charging for FastPasses. Yeah. This isn’t a new practice in theme parks. Universal Studios does this. But Disneyland is quite a bit pricier than Universal Studios. Universal Studios gives guests the option to buy a package that gets them front-of-the-line access so they have a steady way of making money off of guests separate from the park tickets. Disneyland’s standard prices are so high that this isn’t necessary for their park. They’ll still try it, though, because money.

I’m going to be honest here, I had an annual pass to Disneyland for most of my life. However, for the past few years I’ve switched to a Universal Studios pass. Disneyland passes just aren’t affordable for me and my family anymore. And with Disney adding even more additional pricing and introducing $10,000 dollar experiences, I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to attend the parks regularly again. I hate that so many families who found Disneyland as a major form of escape have had to give up going to the parks because of Disney’s cash grabs. I fear that Disney is going to become a playground for only the rich. And when the Disney parks do something, I fully expect their competitors to follow. Disneyland is setting a truly frightening precedent for theme parks in the future. And they can’t even pay their workers a living wage despite the continued price hikes. Make it make sense.

Don’t do anything fun until I get back!

Hallie

BTS: ‘Run BTS’ Episode 145

Screenshot of Kim Taehyung (V) from episode 145 of ‘Run BTS’. Copyright goes to BTS and the Hybe Corporation.

Hi! It’s Annie!

Finally ‘Run BTS’ is back! I can’t even describe how much I missed this show, though I was really glad that the boys got a bit of a break. And when ‘Run BTS’ comes back, it always comes back with a bit of a bang. Last time they took a little break, we were treated to the pool episodes where the members were dunked with water. Those were some of my favorite episodes they’ve ever released just because they were so funny! This time we got a continuation of BTS Village, which is one of my favorite game series they have ever done on the show. This storyline started out in the modern day at an indoor mock-city for kids, then continued in an eighties detective style, and now we’re going all the way back to the Joseon Dynasty for the most recent episodes. Of course, this is a storyline that is always several parts long in whatever way they do it, meaning we still don’t know who the spies are. Though most of them seem so genuine this time around, that it’s pretty difficult to tell who it is. This was seriously such a fun episode and I, of course, can’t speak much more about it without MAJOR SPOILERS!!! Be warned if you haven’t seen the episode yet.

Kim Namjoon (RM):

Each member was given a specific role within this village, and Namjoon’s was the district magistrate. This involved going around and finding small rolled up notes of rules for his individual mission. If a member completed their individual mission they gained an ability, which was essentially a clue to aid in attempting to figure out who the spies are. Namjoon ended up not doing super well with his mission considering how many other members picked up his clues, but Namjoon also was super helpful. He spent most of the time walking around with Jimin and helped Jimin just as much with finding his items as he spent trying to find his own. He was always open to giving any member any item that he had found that he knew was part of their mission. He barely kept anything for himself. He even helped Jimin when Jimin was caught by a guard. Because that’s also a thing that can happen in this game. Namjoon was one of the most outspoken and logical at trying to find out who the spy was. Namjoon was a spy last time, and something tells me he won’t be this time. But they always reel me in and then surprise me, so I’m prepared to be wrong.

Kim Seokjin (Jin):

Jin ended up with the role of physiognomist. Which apparently has to do with the psychological study of facial features. Jin didn’t really seem to know exactly what his role was either. But Jin was absolutely hilarious to watch in this particular episode. Though he always is. While other members were out there working hard to complete their individual missions, Jin, Hobi, and Yoongi sat and ate for a while. Jin was the last person to get up and the most unwilling to do so. He didn’t succeed in finding as many puzzle pieces because other members had already found them. And he also tried to get a clue too early without having enough pieces, which he laughed a lot about. As he usually does. Jin mostly spent this episode making the staff laugh a lot and walking around in these really adorable glasses that I can’t get over now. Seriously, he looked so good. While he did seem the most unwilling to complete his mission, that still didn’t make me suspicious. Because he was just being very funny and very Jin. I’m not sure this seemed entirely out of character for him.

Min Yoongi (Suga):

Yoongi always gets the most adorable roles and I love it every single time. The first time he was a florist, next he was a photographer, and now he is the village teacher. So cute. He did spend the beginning of this episode eating with Jin and Hobi, but that was only after being kicked by Jimin for stubbornly refusing to do Jimin’s ‘Run BTS’ calling idea. Why is he always so relatable? Despite the fact that he also took a while to get going, he was much less nonchalant than Jin. He was actually being pretty quiet and strategic about attempting to complete his mission. And, to be honest, he was a little suspicious. Many of the members called him out for being the most suspicious of the bunch this episode. And it really didn’t help that Jungkook got a clue after completing his mission that said that “Many people are likeminded with Suga”, though Namjoon thought that this meant the majority would agree with him which would make him not one of the spies if there were only two spies. Though we don’t actually know how many spies there are. Namjoon could be totally correct; but that suspicion is still getting to me.

Jung Hoseok (J-Hope):

Hobi got the role of secret royal inspector who is also a nobleman. So much power! He definitely walked around with all the swagger of someone in power too. Though he did get a late start eating with Yoongi and Jin. Hobi was one of the major players strategically hiding pieces he got from other members missions. Though his search for completing his own mission was halted when he was found out by the royal guard. Hobi had respectfully taken his shoes off to enter an indoor area, so he ended up running away without time to put his shoes back on. He spent much of the rest of the game trying to dodge the guard and he was also one of the members most accused when they all sat down to talk. Though Hobi defended himself by saying that he couldn’t possibly be a spy considering he ran with such haste to get away from the guard and it made his feet dirty. But I’m not sure, Hobi was also one of the ones most suspicious to me too. He didn’t seem as concerned with the mission as others, which I don’t generally associate with Hobi. Or maybe he was just really into his character.

Park Jimin (Jimin):

Jimin was dressed all in pink and was given the role of charming bachelor. He’s that adorable character you see in a lot of dramas who skips around cutely while simultaneously wooing many potential romantic partners. This is, obviously, perfect for Jimin. Jimin’s mission was also adorable, as he was set to collect a bunch of flowers that he then tucked very cutely into his belt. He walked around a lot with Namjoon; keeping him company while Namjoon found most of his flowers for him. Tae also found several flowers for Jimin that he was very willing to give Jimin in exchange for Jimin ripping his beard off. (I’ll get to that later.) Jimin played the carefree role very well, which didn’t make me all that suspicious. Just like Jin, this didn’t really seem out of character for Jimin. Though many of the members suspected him because Jimin doesn’t have a clear role within the village as the bachelor character is often unemployed. (It’s not his fault that he’s unemployed!) Jimin also set out to break the tension in arguments between members by either skipping around or reminding the other members that being kind was more important than finding the spy. A sweet bean. Though he’s tricked me before so I don’t completely trust him. Jimin was one of the only members to get caught by the guard, but it didn’t last long.

Kim Taehyung (V):

Tae was absolutely hilarious this episode. Tae was given the role of warrior, which he took the most seriously of everyone else. Tae wore a fake mustache and beard for much of the episode to get into character and talked in a deep voice. He also carried around a sword that he couldn’t always cleanly get back in the sheathe again, which made him practically laugh off his mustache several times. Tae even decided this episode that he was going to give his camera staff servant names, Dolsoe and Pandong, and asked them to refer him as master. Oh, Tae. Tae, needless to say, took his individual mission very seriously. He was in character with whoever came up to him, and he originally felt that his character would keep all the items he found for other members. But he was quick to give up the items as soon as he saw those members. Except for Jungkook, who he hid from. When he saw Jimin, his mustache and beard was coming off, so he very in character asked him to take it off. Tae joined the later meeting with members by having his staff announce him before he walked in. And he stormed out in a very drama-like huff that he felt would suit his character when he became one of the centers for suspicion. Though to me it was difficult to figure out whether Tae was suspicious or not because he was acting so in character.

Jeon Jungkook (Jungkook):

Jungkook got a role that suited him very well, which was village painter. His individual goal was to find several different colored scarves that had been tied to trees, and he probably took his individual task the most seriously of everyone. Even though Tae ended up finding half the scarves. His hard work was only proven by the fact that he was one of the only members who got a clue in the episode. The other was Jimin, who Namjoon did most of the work for. Jungkook was also the most willing to share his clues with everyone else. There was a moment where he walked around and goofed off with Jimin that was very cute, but Jungkook tried very hard this episode to figure out who the spies were. Because of his lack of reluctance in sharing everything that he had found out, he was probably one of the least suspected by the members. And he didn’t really come off as suspicious to me either. While many might say that Jungkook was trying very hard and that could be suspicious, I think that was just Jungkook’s natural competitive side. But I haven’t really absolved him of suspicion just yet, either.

I seriously can’t wait for the next episode of ‘Run BTS’. These types of episodes have always been my favorites along with the travel themed and amusement park themed ones. I just love the mystery! And these boys are scary good at making themselves seem not suspicious at all. I have literally felt betrayed when someone ended up being the spy that I wasn’t expecting at all during these games. I just love them so much and I’m so confused as to who the spy is now. Or even how many spies there even are. I bet whoever it ends up being will not be someone I’m expecting.

See you across the pond!

Sincerely, Annie