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The 2’s are my add ons, since I don’t think Tumblr lets you quote individual parts of a post.

165729537888/a-few-well-a-lot-of-random-moments-from-tlnm.  “I would happily give up being a secret ninja if it meant not being the son of Garmadon.” At the end of the movie, he does give one of these up. Nice foreshadow.

2 Was Lloyd able to give up (if that’s what he was giving up) being the SECRET Green Ninja because Lord Garmadon finally stopped attacking?

Lloyd not being able to throw and catch is the best thing they could have ever done to his character in the movie. “Oh Luh-Lloyd…I should have taught you how to catch.” The look Garmadon gives his son when he is proud. Also, the first time he starts “smiling.” Lloyd’s scramble when he realizes he’s missing an arm. “NO DAD NO PLEASE I NEED YOU HERE WITH ME RIGHT NOW” great line, dad’s begin to tear up everywhere. the driving joke when Lloyd floors it, everyone is cheering while the dad is just screaming. Lloyd letting his dad teach him even though he knows it all is so touching.  The “could have changed” montage made me tear up. Lloyd’s eyes when Garmadon said “Father and-” Lloyd & the cat This was the moment Dave must of cried in the studio. the second half of his monologue was so touching and emotional I began to cry as well. Well done Dave.

2 Were these bonding moments in the 2nd or 3rd 3rd of the film? 

Dave Franco manages to sell Lloyd’s changing feelings toward his dad. But I’m not sure what Lloyd accepted about his dad. 

& I’m not quite buying Lord Garmadon’s possible change of heart at the end? Did he finally stop attacking Ninjago City? What happened to the volcano lair, was it moved back out to sea, or is it still stuck on Ninjago Tower?

Garmadon set up his party, moved the top of his volcano to the top of Ninjago Tower, had a conversation alone, with his general, and with his ex-wife all in the time it took Lloyd to float down to the ground.

2 I noticed that too, it somewhat broke my suspension of disbelief for me.

“Why is he telling us all of this now so far in our adventure?!” Because that is the Ninjago way, Jay.  

2 So is Wu a figure it out yourself person vs actively instructing/teaching person?

“Inner Peace?” no, the ninja literally had an ‘inner piece’. like the piece was inside of them, like Lloyd saw. The pun we all thought was funny on the first poster for the movie actually was the moral for the ninja.

2 I’m somewhat torn on this thinking it something I should have seen coming, & it was a clever pun like one of the voice actors said.  But also disappointed me somewhat, because martial arts media/teachings generally emphasize finding inner balance/peace to achieve spiritual enlightenment, which besides Lloyd I didn’t see any other ninja achieve in this film.

That & I think Adventure Time was able to do a more fascinating discovering, harnessing a previously unknown power arc with Princess Bubblegum.

“Let me check your fingers and toes! You…still don’t have fingers and toes, which is good!” Also, Lloyd’s loving gaze during that moment because now he totally sees him mom differently.

2 I still don’t get what Lloyd meant when he said “I’m sorry for taking you for granted,” because it seemed to me he never did that during the film. Unless it was the combined bits of wanting to stay home from school, or his b-day night where he stayed out late, didn’t tell his mom, & refused dinner not knowing his mom made him a b-day cake.

Lloyd being the Master of Life is so great, and i love it, but its also disappointing that he never got his green power.

2 I’m still confused about Green being a combat applicable element, or is it more Chi/Qi based, & thus an unseen passive ability like they show in atla/lok, or if Green is supposed to mean something like empathy.  

A Few (well, a lot of) Random Moments from TLNM that were Very Important to me: (tons of spoilers)

Keep reading

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Movie!Lloyd Garmadon’s conflicts an analysis has spoilers

key anything after a 2 is me, as is anything with no Quote in front of it.

 Man vs man sort of Lloyd vs Lord Garmadon, it describes part of their conflict, especially at the start, but then the conflict is negated when they patch up their relationship at the end.  

Quote from Garmacondrai 156848130145/more-snippets-from-the-lego-ninjago-movie.  Well really from usatoday /story/life/movies/2017/02/05/sneak-peek-lego-ninjago-movie-first-look-exclusive/97405104/

It’s about a son having to live with this father who’s a threat to Lego-manity (but) more about the son’s journey of forgiving him and learning to accept him for who he is," Theroux says.

Quote from Garmacondrai 159608298652/me-remembers-that-garmadon-canonically-doesnt#notes Me: *remembers that Garmadon canonically doesn’t care about Lloyd in the Ninjago movie and that we’ll finally get to see Lloyd actually deal emotionally with these issues, but also that the movie is about redemption and acceptance.*

2 Lloyd definitely forgives his dad in the film, as for accepting him for who he is, & being redeemed, the film made that unclear.

I’m not sure what Lloyd accepted his dad as, was it: 1 his dad wasn’t going to change, & was going to stay an evil warlord, his dad’s unchanging nature?  Considering the exchange between them before Lord Garmadon took off with the Ultimate Ultimate Weapon with Lloyd wanting his dad to return to Ninjago City to as father/son to save it from Meowthra & become a hero in the process, while Lord Garmadon disagrees & wants Lloyd to become his General #1 to help him conquer Ninjago City.

But then 1 heartfelt conversation later after Garamadon’s been (is there a term for holding something in one’s mouth but not chewing or swallowing?) well this by the cat, after which Lloyd says he forgives his dad.  

Or 2 Lloyd accepts Lord Garmadon has changed after said heartfelt speech where Garmadon was in a cat’s mouth?

The film is trying to lead me somewhere, but I don’t know where it’s leading me, & the place I can see it leading me has an unconvincing path leading to it.  

I personally don’t feel Lord Garmadon redeemed himself, or does he redeem himself by being a more present father to Lloyd?  Well that’s up to you to decide. 

Did the Lloyd having to earn back his friends’s trust bit ever go anywhere? Granted I can see why team felt more betrayed/angry at Lloyd & buddied up to Lord Garamdon even though Lord Garmadon was ultimately the one who directed Meowthra to destroy their mechs. Fighting with Lord Garamdon isn’t personal for rest of the ninja like it is for Lloyd, but Lloyd “betraying” them, hello [Cartesian Karma] despite being a very unintended consequence is.  

Man vs nature feel like this could have applied to the ninja team as a whole, somewhat.  Granted the ninjas aren’t supposed to survive nature, but learn from it, as they’re city kids & don’t quite know how to survive outside the comforts/luxuries of the city.

Or not quite vs nature, not quite vs machine. More like don’t rely so much on machines/mechs, get back in touch w nature/your natural ie elemental abilities, & use your mind.

Mechs could be seen as really pretty crutches from this light. Hindering the Ninjas development of their natural abilities, thus necessitating their destruction/temporary/permanent removal.

Man vs self Lloyd clearly has some internal conflicts going on. Lloyd is likely ashamed of Lord Garmadon being his dad at the start, as everyone ostracizes him for being the son of Lord Garmadon.  quote “Honestly, I would happily give up being the Green Ninja if it meant I didn’t have to be the son of Garmadon.” Ie “I would give up the identity that people love me in to no longer be hated.” Or “I don’t want to fight my dad anymore.” But he also craves Lord Garmadon’s acknowledgement, wants him in his life.

Quote Garmacondrai 156990220210/ok-ok-but-like-ive-watched-this-trailer-like-10#notes. If a kid is abandoned by their parent, you’re gonna swing either way. You will either hate them and want nothing to do with them ever again no matter what they do to try to mend the bond, or you will miss them and want them back, and blame yourself for them leaving. I feel like Lloyd favours the latter.  

2 I agree except for Lloyd blaming himself for Lord Garmadon leaving. Really Koko why didn’t you tell Lloyd you’re the one who left to give Lloyd a better future?!

Quote spacecocosaurus 165604053883/next-point-i-want-to-talk-aboutlloyds-growth-in, You can’t choose where you come from, but you can choose to accept and embrace it.

Quote Found My Place - Oh, Hush! feat. Jeff Lewis (Official Lyric Video) PFQs2iHi3Ew.  With our main man Lloyd. (* that’s me) double l-o-y-d. my dad is bad but ya we still family,

2 I suppose the ending could be read as Lloyd accepting Lord Garamdon as his father, & no longer being ashamed of it like Koko hinted at in her confrontation with Garmadon on the tower. I’m just confused on what Lloyd accepted about Lord Garmadon himself. 

Maybe someone will count how many times & where Lloyd refers to Lord Garmadon by either Dad or his surname to denote his change in feelings towards him. 

Man vs society part of this explains why Lloyd has mixed feelings on his dad. Everyone hates him for being Garmadon’s son, likely seeing him as a scapegoat for all the feelings they can’t express to Lord Garmadon. So Lloyd can’t say intimidate the people who bother him into not bothering him, because it’d just justify their misguided preconceptions about him: his dad is bad & so is he, that & there’s too many people to intimidate.

This could have played into a try hard attitude as the Green Ninja, with Lloyd daydreaming being able to reveal himself & get accepted that way.  Using 1 identity to wash away the “sins“ of the other. But nothing like that happens in the film.  Unless the film was trying to imply this attitude/mindset when Lloyd took the Ultimate Weapon, but which I read as an act born of desperation.

bonus Found My Place - Oh, Hush! feat. Jeff Lewis (Official Lyric Video) PFQs2iHi3Ew critique/questions. .

I knew I was strong, 2 did they, especially Lloyd or the team?

With our main man Lloyd. (* that’s me) double l-o-y-d.  ….  Just me & my clique. & our mechs look sick.

2 They don’t when they’re totaled by meowthra.

Lloyd the legend of the ninja lives, well it’s just too bad that his dad is garmadon. Yeah he’s evil but he loves his kids, ya he’s so savage.

2 If Garmadon actually has more than 1 neglected kid, I’m flipping.

Koko big shouts to the mama that can make it on her own with a legendary son at home.

2 Who is Lloyd being considered Legendary by?

We the best & you know we ain’t braggin! 

2 I guess when you’re considered best by default.

… Now I found my place with lord garmadon, now I fit in, I’m comfortable in my skin, I’m throwing caution to the wind. 

2 I suppose you did that Lloyd when you revealed your alter ego/secret identity as the Green Ninja.

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In the case of Lloyd I think it’s denial of the similarity due to the civilian populations’ sheer hatred of Lloyd Garmadon,  The Green Ninja is so beloved & Lloyd so hated that people’s mental images of the 2 wouldn’t overlap.  Like “the Green Ninja is so cool, no way can he be that despicable Lloyd Garamdon.”  

It’d be confirmation bias at it’s worst.  Anything Lloyd does that confirms people’s suspicion/hatred of him is kept in mind, anything that doesn’t is dismissed. Anything the Green Ninja does is already cool.  But you can see how the city’s collective images of the 2 identities would diverge so far that they wouldn’t come into contact, except to juxtapose them.  Lloyd Garmadon is simultaneously a scapegoated devil/demon child/spawn & the Green Ninja an angel.

In Ninjago, if we can't tell who the person is under the mask, we always look at the eyebrows.

DANG RIGHT

seriously people in Ninjago are dumb cuz look the green ninja has green eyes and there is literally only one person in the Lego universe that has freaking green eyes you dummies

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The Lego Ninjago Movie Questions has spoilers.

Does anyone else feel Master Wu was sloppy with his lessons? Why didn’t he teach the ninja about their elemental powers earlier? or maybe they refused to learn?

You’ll never truly defeat Garmadon until you see things from a diff pov. You have the power to win the battle w/out fighting. When you start using your minds, you won’t need your mechs/machines. They could do that if you’ve taught them that Wu!

At the very least Nya thinks the SNF is useless w/out mechs, gee Wu, wonder why?!

Patience, courage, hard work, all skills of a true Ninja master. I’m really starting to think Wu didn’t teach them as much as he could/should have.

Begin training go back to basics. What are these basics?

When Lloyd says something along the lines of we can find the ultimate ultimate weapon by remembering what Master Wu taught us. I’m just left wondering what did Wu teach you, he only just told you about having elemental powers yesterday?! 

Speaking of Elemental Powers, I feel like the videogame did a slightly better job on making sure the player/viewer understood how Lloyd got to the conclusion he did.  As much as I appreciate the pun, & needing to look at the saying differently, ie literally & with a different spelling, the one used in the tagline that’s put on posters for this film, [so okay there was at least 1 thing that needed a different perspective to understand], I still feel like the unlocking of elemental powers could have flowed better, or come together more organically.

How good of a combatant are each individual ninja? I got the sense that they might not have been as good a hand to hand combatant as I’ve been lead to believe. 

Why did Koko let Lloyd go on believing Garamdon left them, instead of her leaving Garamdon behind to give Lloyd a good life?

Did anyone catch what Garmadon did in each attack? or what each General said before they were fired?

What did Wu mean when he said But you must promise to walk a different path. 1 that only the son of Garmadon can walk. No matter how hard it may be. Did he mean forgiveness, something else?

Is Lloyd  the only ninja w no combat applicable element?

You’re in the natural world now, elemental powers come from this lush, green world.  Green being a connector of the rest of elements due to possibly being their origin, really makes me think of Chi/Qi, especially atla/lok’s take on it. Is that what’s Lloyd’s power base is? Or should I consider his elemental ability to connect people emotionally, possibly via empathy?  

What were the other Ninja doing when Garmadon was putting Lloyd’s arm back on?

That’s not who I am Lloyd. People would never see me as a hero. [have u seen megamind?] 

If I couldn’t change then what makes you think I can change now?

I get that Lloyd & Garmadon patched up their relationship at the end, but does anyone else find themselves not quite believing in Garmadon’s probable change of heart? He went from wanting Lloyd to be his General #1, to now being okay with Lloyd being just his son. The beat didn’t quite land for me. Would someone mind explaining?

Anyone feel like doing an analysis on how Lloyd’s feelings towards his dad changes throughout the film?

When did Lloyd take Koko for granted? That beat doesn’t make sense to me.

What different perspective did any character gain?

So does Nya know what a cat is? she doesn’t recognize it as 1, when it destroys her mech, but then does recognize it’s a cat when she sees it again. Maybe she was just too shocked the 1st time around? 

Why is the mayor’s office so exposed to the open air?

Was the kid’s Lloyd minifigure that was missing it’s right arm made of wood?

bonus video game questions. in the videogame each character unlocks spinjitzu elements by finding inner balance/peace. Think something like this should have happened in the film.

What Wu was trying to teach us Invisible, 1 w elements, still pissed he either didn’t teach his students this, or maybe they refused to learn?

While it makes sense for Wu to catch them in the Destiny’s Bounty, I would have liked Lloyd’s Dragon Mech to be the 1 used, same as in the video game, could have used green as a symbol for renewed hope.

Considering the videogame & jr novelization share some lines, along with some elements/situations from DK’s Essential Guide, I’m left wondering how much each scriptwriter for each piece of media knew.

bonus questions on Found My Place - Oh, Hush! feat. Jeff Lewis (Official Lyric Video) PFQs2iHi3Ew

note anything after a 2 is my additions.

With our main man Lloyd. (* that’s me) double l-o-y-d. my dad is bad but ya we still family, ….

But just because you’re diff, doesn’t mean you’ll never make a difference. as long as you’re w good friends, you can save the world!

2 Shame the friends don’t have very clear personalities.

Cuz we got the power that we never knew we had.  

2 Thanks Wu for not telling the ninja about their elemental powers until very recently.    

With our main man Lloyd. (* that’s me) double l-o-y-d.  …. Gimme nunchucks quick.

2 No 1 in the team actually has nunchucks as a personal weapon.

Nya keeping everybody else in check, 2 if only they could expand on this somehow.

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The Lego Ninjago Movie Critique has spoilers

This film’s main narrative & meta narrative don’t mesh well. It makes me think of a less successful execution of what Forbidden Kingdom did.

[The Framing Device: The bulk of the plot comes from a story told from antique store owner Mr. Liu (also played by Jackie Chan) to a bullied boy from tvtropes], to inspire him, Lloyd serving as the example to the boy. I feel like the synergy between TLNM & its framing device doesn’t exist at quite the same level that TLM’s does.

Granted TLM had the advantage of being the 1st to have said framing device, & studios can’t pull the same twist twice, once the cat’s out of the bag, or the genies’ out of the bottle.

But beside the repeated lesson/moral of [but just because you’re different doesn’t mean that you’ll never make a difference in Found My Place], Liu/Wu’s repeated words that to be a good/true ninja takes hard work, discipline, courage, patience, & again Lloyd serving as an example of a bullied kid being able to take action that affects people, except Lloyd has friends backing him up.  & in general, the boy likely supposed to take the general lesson of if Lloyd can do x thing, then so can “I”. I’m not sure what more lessons for the boy exist in this story.

Granted I couldn’t quite catch what Liu/Kid were saying to each other before & after Lloyd’s story concluded. I do recall at start the kid implying he had no friends, that people picked on him, that he felt powerless because he was a kid.

& at end Mr. Liu offering to train the kid.

If anyone has better memory/recollection, feel free to refute me.  

9/24 add on. ScreenJunkies News w/ Epic Voice Kid!! WfFOLEdJuhg, bought up a pt that the kid who remained nameless was supposed to be an audience surrogate for kids, getting them to sympathize w kid, get what’s happening, being told. The kid who’s doing the review just seemed to be impatient for the Lego to show up.

Also bought up in at least 2-3 review I’ve seen, at this point, 3 films in the Father/Son relationship thematic core is the LCU’s safe route, getting familiar/stale.

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The Lego Ninjago Movie Spoiler full Review

Table of Contents: Personal Background, Review, crush/love letter, Ambivalent, Things I wish they: expanded on, had, had done, Irritated slightly by, kept in, noticed.  The things I enjoyed: thought clever, funny, lessons, liked, tugging on Heart Strings, Fun observations. 

Background I’m not part of the Ninjago show fandom (though I have seen spitbrix’s & tannerfishies’s videos on the subject). I just saw the 1st TLNM trailer on May 21st & have been intrigued ever since & somewhat crushing on Lloyd Garmadon for 4 months.  My crush kind of died yesterday, after I’d seen the film twice. Why? read on to find that out, & what I thought of the film in general.

Review If I were to give this film a letter grade it’d be a C, not an A as it didn’t do everything right, not a B as it didn’t have only a few missteps, but not a F because I don’t think the film failed so badly as to warrant that grade, or a D for barely passing.  

No the final grade I’m giving this film is C for average, not extremely good or extremely bad, just in the middle, maybe somewhat forgettable to general audiences.  To me at least this film causes me enough pain to want to forget it sometimes.  

When this film lands it lands well, the heart of the story is well executed, when it doesn’t stick the landing it drags the score/grade down, but not enough to ruin 100% the film/or my experience of it.

Sure I came out of the film feeling mainly disappointed, I had spent around 3 hours with the film, & $15.59 for my 2nd viewing, but just because it disappointed me doesn’t mean I want other people to not see it, or for this film to bomb at the box office, as I’d like the Lego aesthetic to still be present on the big screen, & would like Lego to do well on future films advertising in house brands.

In crush terms, yo Lloyd the makers of the film set up a great profile (marketing) for you, yet the “date” I went on with you showed that you weren’t as great as your profile set you up to be.  The allure, intrigue, mystery I felt for you made me want to get to know you, & your story was wanting. The charm you showcased in trailers also seem to have been lost/cut out in your film.  (I had hoped that your film would make me fall for you more, that the time I spent obsessing over you wasn’t wasted, that you as a whole would be worthy of my attention when I finally got to see your story.) I suppose 1 sad irony of this situation is that I wasn’t able to take my owned/your representative minifig to see you on the big screen on the day of your film’s premiere.

& Yet your platonic chemistry with your dad, your desperation in wanting to fill that dad shaped hole in your life, & you working through your mixed emotions on your dad was what saved your film for me.

In short you weren’t a horrible date, but you weren’t the best you could have been either. Like your mom who expected the best of your dad, & her wanting the best for you, I too expected the best showing from you, which I didn’t get, but I still do want the best for you despite that disappointment, just maybe not with me in whatever possible futures still exist.    

The rest of this post will be a list of either emotions, followed by what parts of the film invoked that emotion in me, or things I wish the film had done, & maybe not done or likes & dislikes.    

Ambivalent: I’m not sure this film should get a sequel.  I’m also unsure about recommending this film.  

Expanding on Lloyd being bullied. Dorling Kindersley hereby abbreviated to DK’s Essential Guide memorably detailed the harassment Lloyd faced in school, producing a spirited protective response among fans, the book also generated sympathy for Lloyd in me, but that sympathy really had nowhere to go in the film.

Kate Howard’s adaptation of the film into the jr novel did flesh this issue out as well, 1 memorable exchange being Kai offering a hug out the anxiety/stress thing, + articulating that Lloyd was finding it tougher to cope with the ostracization.  

Things I wish they:

Expanded on Koko’s backstory. The team’s camaraderie.

Had: More Martial Arts. For a martial arts film, this film has a surprising lack of it.  Only showcase of martial arts moves I recall is Lord Garmadon vs Wu, & slightly during Garmadon’s 2nd attack, with Wu beating up mooks while Lloyd steals the Ultimate Weapon, hell Wu gets most close quarters combat scenes!  Only scene involving other people were when the ninjas were fighting Garmadon’s many fired generals, & that scene was too brief.  The ninjas return to the city after Garmadon steals the Ultimate Ultimate Weapon is more of a showcase of each ninja’s individual elemental powers, not martial arts. The Ninja Formation Featurette set up my expectations to be high, I’m disappointed at the result. (especially considering I had forbidden kingdom on the brain when I went to see the film.)

When DK’s Essential Guide bought up the ninjas relying too much on their mechs, I didn’t know the issue would extend to the majority of action/fight scenes in the film.

I really wish they had kept in that scene with Lloyd & the baby which they showcased in Trailer 1 + Outtakes, especially what they had in outtakes! That showed good physical comedy reminiscent of Jackie Chan’s old work. At least we would have 1 ninja having time to adequately showcase their martial abilities/skills.  

More time, really felt like film was too short to do all it could have.  

More interior shots of the Destiny’s Bounty.

Had done: Had the ninjas use their personal weapons. DK’s Essential Guide as well as the 1st time we saw the ninja in Trailer 1, hyped me up for that.  

Instead both above issues/scenes are kept to the 1st few scenes of Good Morning Ninjago.  

Speaking of the other ninja, while I expected this film to lean more to Lloyd + friends, instead of being a true ensemble piece, & expecting not to be disappointed with that, I am surprisingly sad about the other ninjas not each getting much time to shine.  Hell if I hadn’t read the Essential Guide or seen the Behind the Bricks Featurette, I likely would have no or very little sense of their personalities.

A more personal beef was I wish they could have showcase Lloyd’s dragon mech more.  It hurt when the mechs got totaled by Meowthra, but it didn’t hurt as much as it could have.  Wish the film could have shown us the Ninja 1st debuting the mechs, then montage the ensuing status quo of ninja mechs beat garmadon, that would have made it really hit home when the mechs weren’t able to beat the Garma Mecha Man, signifying a change of the status quo in Lord Garmadon’s favor, & have the pain of the mechs being lost hurt that much more when Meowthra totals them.

Like Ghost in the Shell Have a montage of the city to get to know the place, Lloyd parkouring home after the 1st day isn’t enough, all that have 1 or all of the Ninja be able to take a moment & just appreciate their city, find it beautiful, like that mind controlled garbage guy did vs the Major in her invisibility suit.

Dorling Kindersley hereby abbreviated to DK’s Essential Guide + The Making of the Movie excerpts made me really interested in Ninjago City, just a shame we didn’t get to explore it more.

DK’s Essential Guide actually set up a lot of things that wasn’t in the film. Like each member of the team getting an arc, & using their preferred weapons in hand to hand combat, their personalities, detailing Lloyd being bullied, Garmadon’s army, really expected that new General #1 who tore off Lloyd’s arm to play a bigger part, like she took over the Shark Army ala Starscream when Garmadon left to track Wu, giant stone dog guards that would guard the Ultimate Ultimate weapon temple, & help Jay complete his arc.  Maybe the ninjas using a Tornado of Creation to rebuild the city after Meowthra’s destruction. Maybe more expansion on Lloyd/The team all being Master Builders. The DK & Lloyd’s Scholastic book give the impression that Lloyd designed & built the teams’ mechs himself.

Irritated slightly by: the use of hard knock life.  the Ultimate Weapon random montages.

Kept in maybe trailer 2’s going back to roots, & what Lloyd says before his arm is torn off, I haven’t felt this good in a long time, & Lloyd’s yeah but I feel like there’s more to Garmadon that I need to know.   

What I Noticed: the film is more consistently heartwarming, but the marketing was more consistently charming, funny.  

Some shots were definitely made to be seen in 3d, especially some in the mech battle in Garmadon’s 1st attack, I saw the film in digital.

eyeofthewolfe, I really envy that you’re 1 of the people who aren’t feeling like me, I want to be part of this in-group of yours. But ultimately I’m not, hope you’ll still accept my point of view as valid, & that we can continue to talk while still respectfully disagreeing with how we each see the film.  

Since I want to end on a good/happy note.

What I thought was Clever took my 2nd viewing to recognize the parallels between each Lloyd/Dad scene + the concept of catch, granted I like they were more subtle with it in the Behind the Bricks featurette.  

The Inner Piece metaphor, which I should have also taken literally considering this is a lego film.

The 6 or so cut shot of the effect of Lloyd’s Dragon Mech Missile Massacre.

Some of what those poor fired generals said to Lord Garamdon when he asked for suggestions.

Despite being somewhat irritated by not calling it, all said fired generals banding together to become antagonists.

Wu’s lines about defying the [The Mentor Dies] trope.

Funny some of what Garmadon does during that GMA style montage & other attacks on the city.

Apparently Wu’s like Sun Wukong’s master Old Boy in the odd birth department.

Lessons learning to see things from a different point of view.

Learning to rely on something else besides tech.

Liked the score, voice acting. 

Tugging on Heart Strings nearly every scene with Lloyd & his dad whether bickering or bonding. The scores A Wish & A Ruined City, Arm Popping Flying Lesson, The Lady Iron Dragon, Here Kitty Kitty, Big Hug.

& the Koko/Lloyd scenes.

Lloyd, Misako, Nya teaching the fired generals new life skills.  

Fun facts 1st viewing 1 kid I presume gasping in outrage when the Kid referred to Lloyd as just a kid.  

2nd viewing really like some kids commentary on how Wu couldn’t die & other show references. Wish I could recall what jokes got the most laughs though.

Lloyd really reminded me of RWBY’s S2 Blake in worrying bout what the antagonist was up to, which the vol 5 theatrical showing was advertised in the theater I was seeing the film in. 

That & he was a nice mix of Atla’s Zuko/Luke Skywalker in the dad issues department, although Lloyd/Wu’s bond more reminiscent of Zuko/Iroh.

Maybe another comparison could be made between this film’s familal relationship & Despicable Me.

[aberrantchaser-blog]

Note: bold type is my additions. Kind of feel like applying limyaael’s advice to this quote [What sustains the system? Likely blood/inertia at least.

Where does the system stop? Know what limits the class/caste system, whether it’s bound to place, culture, society, or a mixture of them.

Know your ventilation system and your carnivals. Magic being able to aid in social mobility upward, well before the magic ban anyway.

Possibly expand on What is the internal reality of each caste or class? Remember that relationships/interactions are more complicated than just “top” and “bottom.”

Not sure if this applies Know how class and caste interact with other factors in the society.

Think yourself into it. try to think of the character’s body and mind as a citizen of that system would think of it.  If you say that your system encourages citizens of certain classes or castes to think about their minds and bodies in certain ways, then show it doing so. ]

The Three Classes of Auradon

So where the Isle separated by base skillset, Auradon separates by birthright. See, on the Isle everyone starts out equal. Having a rottenest of the rotten parent might give you an edge in learning how to do whatever you do, but it still falls to your own natural inclinations to find where you survive in the world’s structures. 

Carlos is the son of the cruelest and meanest Conqueror of the old class of villains, but Carlos survives as the target of bullying and as a victim. Every Tremaine in the books is flirtatious and manipulative, but Dizzy isn’t. Jafar was cunning and crafty but Jay… prefers to live off what his body can do.

No, in Auradon your fate is set by your birth rite. Everything is so rigidly locked into place that there’s very little movement out of where you began to where you might want to be. Limits further cemented by a lack of magic to tip the scales and allow for a sudden thrust in mobility.

Class One - Nobles

(Examples: Ben, Chad, Audrey.) If you were born to a noble house, you carry a noble status. The bright lights and movie star life that is being the most beloved and pampered child of your own corner of the land. Ben, raised to rule with kindness and strength, actually is fairly complete as a person. Needing to serve his people as much as they serve him.

Chad and Audrey however… wanted for nothing and are petty, self-important, and all around terrible people. Chad moreso than Aurora’s daughter.

Class Two - Adventurers

(Examples: Lonnie, Jordan.) While not… royal, they carry a personal freedom to do what they wish. They’re a little more grounded, a little less self-important, but they don’t seem to aim for a conventional lifestyle. If the world still had villains and monsters to fight, they’d be exploring ruins and fighting monsters. Instead they turn their skills into fashion and flash. Not wrong, but it doesn’t seem to help the world turn.

They are at least overall better people.

Class Three - Workers

(Examples: Doug, Jane.) Workers seem to gravitate to practical skills and a mundane dull future. Seeking only the basics of job security and love. They don’t aim for the stars like an Adventurer, nor do they demand them like a Noble. There’s an unfortunate Huxlean element to staying within your lanes in this world I dislike. Further adding fuel to that ‘Auradon is a disney colored dystopia’ fire. But these are the ones that make the world work.

I mean, it says a lot that anytime someone who isn’t a Noble heads toward what they want, Audrey or Chad is there to go ‘that isn’t how the world works!’ at the top of their lungs. Angry that they might not get everything under the stars and moon to themselves. (Mal getting Ben, regardless of how Mal did it, Ben wasn’t happy with Audrey in the first place. Chad getting angry at VKs on the tourney team, then Lonnie on the R.O.A.R. team.)

This is why when I write fic, the Auradonian nobles who I liked the films for are a hell of a lot kinder to everyday people than any of this.

[aberrantchaser-blog]

The parents don’t want possible divided loyalties among kids who can claim descent from 2 villains. Or no loyalty: think something similar to half blood/breed discrimination: “that kid can’t be trusted because they have 2 villain parents, maybe they won’t be loyal to either parent”. 

Or the parents don’t want to share credit for a kid’s success due to ego/pride. That personality, talent, skill all came from me!

Also if what ruffoverthinksthings says about pure blood holds true, then a dilution of power in children might prevents the kid from saying “I’m more powerful than either parent with said insane powers, I’ll do what I want,” rebelling against their parent’s plans for them as a tool/servant in the process.  

I loved the Descendants movies on Disney Channel and have recently started reading the first book in the series…. am I the only one to think its weird that every villain is a single parent or that none of the villains seem to have coupled with another villain? All of the VK’s never mention another parent or have 2 villainous parents… which I think is super weird because everyone is stuck on an island, there are only so many people to produce with and how cool would it be to meet a VK with 2 evil parents… like would they have insane powers (depending on who their parents are)?