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Showing posts from March, 2018

Ready Player One Review

What I liked: I bet all of the developers loved making this film, I saw so many video game and movie references in the background of scenes. I bet all the developers just inserted their favorites like the ninja turtles, a whole platoon of halo soldiers, and orcs. That it was a video game made it possible and exciting to have all kinds of absolutely random physics and logic defying things happen. Obviously, I loved the T. Rex and who would not enjoy seeing Mechagodzilla or a cyborg orc driving a monster truck? Early in the movie they made good use of the video game architecture in a way that reminded me a bit of secret rooms in super mario. The characters visit the world of the Shining, which was amazing and hilarious. I loved the variety of characters, vehicles and weapons that we get to see and it is more fun (at least for me) that they draw from more than strictly the 1980's. I also really liked the music, for the most part the selections were great for the scenes. The book was

Wrinkle in Time Review

What I liked: I liked Charles Wallace, that kid was funny. I liked that the ladies in crazy dresses were warriors and that the kids were warriors too. You know me I'm all about a good action movie with awesome fighting, but I liked that at least in this universe the defining characteristics of warriors were compassion, kindness, and love. Similarly, I liked that the bad guys weren't launching a massive military conquest of the universe, I mean everyone is doing that these days. Surprisingly, I liked the Mrs's dresses. They were crazy and over the top but it was fun that they changed with every teleportation and that they were completely absurd. The outfits were rather like the Mrs's wearing them, over the top and fantastical. Knowing all of them from other shows I may have had some unfulfilled expectations. At no point did anyone say "You get a wrinkle, and you get a wrinkle, Everyone gets a wrinkle!" which I must admit was a little disappointing. I also think

Coco Review

What I  liked: The skeletons. They were fun They were fashionable. Even when they had some assembly required they didn't seem to mind very much. They were also remarkably dexterous for not having any muscles or connective tissue, but they do have hair. And eyebrows, which is some cases is illegal. Also for not having lungs or diaphrams, they are pretty remarkable singers. The songs were all lots of fun and stick in your head. And the bonus flexibility that detachable limbs provides them, the skeletons also have pretty great dance numbers to go with their songs. The spirit animals. I have seen Alebrija in fairs and museums seeing them on the big screen in all their neon fully animated glory was great. Some skeletons have better spirit animals than others, The great great grandmother has an awesome winged jaguar. Others are ... less impressive. Frida kahlo made some very...um... artistic appearances. Like my reaction to most art installations I agree with the sentiment that it was

Greatest Showman Review

What I liked: This was a solid musical. There was a little tap dancing. There was a whole lot of chorus lining. There was minimal dialogue. The plot proceeded whether it seemed likely or not. And unlike LA LA Land, this movie committed to being a musical the whole way through. I liked the aerial silk number and would have liked to see more of it. I definitely thik that next year show choirs will be performing numbers from this musical. The daughters had a great suggestion that there were too many dead things in the museum. They were ahead of their time, interactive museum exhibits are all the rage now. Also when your centerpiece exihibit is a guilotine beheading a mannequin, the call for somehting less dead is just good sense. I aspire to be a tree in a ballet production. What I didn't: Since this whole thing was a giant anachronism anyway I really wish that they had put in some really awesome circus routines. The chorus line was quite impressive, but they would have been even

Black Panther Review

What I liked: Most of the Mavel CU takes place in boring places like New York or fake Russia. Real Russia was already copyrighted. Unlike these settings that are essentially genericified giant cities, Black Panther clearly draws from exisiting inspiration but succeeds in creating a vibrant, imaginative world. Wakanda is beautiful, the buildings are cool, the costumes are beautiful and functional, the technology is elegant. This is the kind of setting that most comic book stories need. I also really liked how the women were presented. I think Wonder Woman would have been at home in Wakanda: the general and royal guards are really awesome women warriors. The queen mother and leaders of several of the tribes are clearly respected leaders. Black Panther's Q is his sister, who is spunky and a brilliant engineer who solves every problem from neurosurgery to questionable stablization of probably not unstable metals. The main spy we encounter is Black Panther's ex-girlfriend. I appre