#marvel/disney's stellar writing

[fandomtrumpshate]

Listed fandom fun

A bit of random data before we jump into the rankings for listed fandoms …

Since the numbers post yesterday we've had signups for nearly 60 new auctions, bringing the current total to 779. That beats the number of signups for 2016/7, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021, and puts us withing spitting distance of our record last year of 819. Can we do it? Will we do it? Signal boost FTH posts and encourage others to participate. More money raised for good causes, more fanworks in the world — it's a win/win!

We posted yesterday about the state of our unlisted write-in fandoms (we've had nine new ones since then!). Time to check in with the rankings for the listed fandoms.

At the top of the pack we have:

87 K-Pop * 66 Good Omens 50 Sherlock Holmes * 44 Harry Potter * 37 Marvel * 32 DC * 31 Mo Dao Zu Shi / The Untamed 27 Red, White, & Royal Blue 25 Star Wars * 23 Scum Villain's Self-Saving System

Our first tie is for 11th place -

22 Avatar The Last Airbender 22 Teen Wolf

And after that, nearly every other place is a tie. And which ones are ties for which places can be shifted slightly with just one signup. Or completely upended with two. Where will your fandom land?

Remember that if your fandom isn't here (or in the rest of the list below the cut), you can write it in. Signups are OPEN through Monday!

19 Supernatural 18 9-1-1 and 9-1-1 Lone Star 18 Locked Tomb Trilogy 18 Stranger Things 17 All for the Game 16 Our Flag Means Death 16 Tolkien * 16 The Witcher 15 Boku no Hiro Akademia (My Hero Academia) 15 Original Work 15 Percy Jackson and the Olympians 14 Baldur's Gate 3 14 Hockey RPF 12 The Old Guard 12 Tian Guan Ci Fu (Heaven Official's Blessing) 11 The Magnus Archives 11 Star Trek * 10 Check Please! 10 Dungeons & Dragons 10 Haikyuu!!! 10 Hazbin Hotel 10 Jujutsu Kaisen 9 A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones/House of the Dragon 9 One PIece 8 Doctor Who * 8 Hades (video game) 8 Heartstopper 8 James Bond 8 Kingsman 8 Merlin 8 Naruto 8 Suits 7 Dragon Age * 7 Justified 7 Raven Cycle 7 Rusty Quill Gaming Podcast 7 The Sandman 7 Shadowhunters 7 SK8 the Infinity 6 Captive Prince 6 Critical Role 6 Final Fantasy * 6 Fullmetal Alchemist 6 Hannibal 6 Kinnporsche 6 The Maze Runner 6 Queen's Thief 6 Stargate 6 Steven Universe 6 Top Gun Movies 6 Yuri!!! On Ice 5 Alex Rider 5 Grishaverse 5 Interview With The Vampire 5 Malevolent (Podcast) 5 The Murderbot Diaries 5 Nirvana in Fire 5 The Owl House 5 RWBY 4 Erha He Ta De Bai Mao Shizun (The Husky & His White Cat Shizun) 4 Genshin Impact 4 Les Misérables 4 The Magicians 4 Pokemon 4 Witch Hat Atelier 3 Arcane 3 Disney's Descendants 3 Elder Scrolls 3 Hetalia 3 Hunger Games 3 Legend of Zelda 3 Spy x Family 3 Tian Ya Ke / Word of Honor 3 Trigun 3 Welcome to Night Vale 3 Wheel of Time 3 Young Royals 2 Benoit Blanc Mysteries (Knives Out, Glass Onion) 2 Disco Elysium 2 Encanto 2 Gundam Wing 2 The Last of Us 2 Leverage 2 Miraculous Ladybug 2 Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries 2 Mysterious Lotus Casebook 2 Schitt's Creek 2 Super Mario Bros. 1 Assassin's Creed 1 Attack on Titan 1 Diamond no Ace 1 Fire Emblem Three Houses 1 Homestuck 1 Stellar Firma 1 Wednesday / The Addams Family

[maddys-nerd-blog]

Good evening! Hope you're having a marvelous day! My top 5 question is, what are your top 5 favorite TV series you've watched? They can be recent shows, or something nostalgic from your childhood ;)

OMG IT WORKED!! My first real post!! 🤣 thank you for your question!!! And I’m having a pretty good day!

Ooooo that’s a good one!! I’ve got tons but if I HAD to choose just five, it would be…

5: Batman the Animated Series. Top notch writing quality and some of the greatest superhero stories ever told. The soundtrack by Shirley Walker in particular is something legendary and should be honored forever. Plus Harvey Bullock is my personal fave cuz I’m cringe 😂

4: Midnight Diner; Tokyo Stories. My FAVORITE live action show personally, the actors are really really good and the episodic nature of the series makes you relate to the character it chooses to focus on. Don’t watch it if you’re hungry tho 🤣🤣🤣

3: Gargoyles. Disney’s greatest series from the 90’s. Top notch voice cast, stellar animation, iconic characters, the stories are rich and touch on ancient myths and folklore, and the themes are strong and serious! Lightening in a bottle!

2: TMNT. This franchise got me through a lot in recent months. I’ve been super stressed out in my life and it wasn’t until I jumped onto the turtle wagon that I found motivation and inspiration again. Iconic, fun, inventive and all around creative in every version! I’m grateful to this franchise 😊 oh and Leo and Donnie are my favorite turtles!!

1: One Piece. This anime saved my life. It was this anime that gave me the inspiration I needed to keep thriving, and to create. The entire world of OP is inviting and immersive, it feels like a whole other entity to explore, the characters are all complex and interesting, the bits and pieces that are sprinkled to add mystery to the overall story is also fun! It’s thanks to this series that I’m pursuing a storytelling career. Brook is my fave Straw Hat, Pedro is an MVP, and CARROT SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE CREW OMG 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Thank you for the first ever ask I ever got!!! 😁😁 sorry it took so long to do 🤣

[crystal-lillies]

Having seen that the Disney Plus "MCU Timeline" section has the events of the Defenders-verse occurring before Civil War is interesting, but it does make some kind of sense, given that they all took place relatively soon after one another and it would give a somewhat flimsy but believable explanation as to why their movie crossover cameo material remained confined mostly to post-Avengers 1 era references that the movies referenced in Phase 2.

But now they're committing to a narrative that was only vaguely implied, then denied: the Netflix shows are inextricably part of and canon with the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

So if they're going to continue these characters' stories, they have to operate with this narrative, which means whatever happens in Daredevil: Born Again is going to show how much the execs give a shit about actually making their content better from here on out.

They made a point to scrap what they had and hire a whole new team to write and direct. They made a point to announce that they were going to focus on better storytelling. So we'll see.

If the new creative team for Born Again is looking to the Netflix show as a source, I only hope they think of better material that truly continues the spirit of what was laid down.

And if there was anything they wanted to keep secret from spoilers, I would hope it's that they bring back Foggy and Karen. (And the other Defenders-verse cast, but in a Daredevil show, l will settle for Foggy and Karen. ..........and Maggie, and Claire. And Mahoney. You can't just screw over a stellar ensemble and hope to tell the same amazing story!)

[mk-wizard]

This is the very last thing I’ll say on this subject.

Don’t accuse someone of being a bigot of any kind because they don’t like race/gender/religion/orientation/etc-bending. Most of us don’t like it BECAUSE we support that group. In fact, a lot of watch/read media of that group, admire artists of that group and have dears friends and family of that group. We don’t agree with bending because we know too well that these are people who deserve better representation that just painting over a white straight Christian male.

Calling someone a bigot is a serious accusation and it is a very low blow when the person clearly isn’t that. Not agreeing with someone for good reason is not bigoted. It’s an opinion and I know many people don’t like to hear this because I hate being the girl to say it, but some ideas in fiction really do stink and we can do better especially for the group we’re trying to make look good. If they’re worth our time, they’re worth our love and they are.

THIS is why I’m not and never will be sorry for saying “bending” stinks. And for the record...

I’m a huge Miles Morales aka the next Spider-Man fan.

I think Kamala Khan Ms. Marvel has potential and killing her was spiteful writing.

While I think the Disney versions should be respected, I see nothing wrong with a BIPOC Little Mermaid, Peter Pan and such when done right.

If a character’s appearance has never been confirmed (like with most characters in novels) and it could make sense, the character can possibly be BIPOC.

I see nothing wrong with adaptations that go their own way as long as they are well written.

I want Vixen, Cyborg, Jon Stewart Green Lantern, Bumblebee, the Prowler, Miles Morales Spider-Man, North Star and more minority heroes to FINALLY get their time to shine and on their own two feet.

I see nothing wrong with the descendent of an existing character being BIPOC or mixed or vice versa.

Samuel Jackson is a blue moon case when he played Nick Fury, but he was a damn beautiful bright blue moon.

I love Sho from Netflix Voltron and I was happy to see him finally get a happily ever ever (he’s gay and married on screen, and even KISSED).

Ruby and Sapphire who are both females are one of my favourite couples.

One of the favourite webcomics right now is Court of Roses by @nintendonut1 which has tons of LGBT+ characters and romances.

I’m also a huge Black Panther fan and his movie still is one of the best modern superhero movies I’ve ever seen.

I also think Wakanda Forever is one of the better modern superhero sequels.

I think the Blade trilogy is right up there beside the classic Superman and Batman films.

On NCIS Los Angeles, Fatima is one of my favourite characters.

And it was not just one, but TWO black YouTubers who convinced me how detrimental “bending” is to the very groups you’re trying to represent.

I’m a devout Christian who is 100% convinced that the Lord Christ came to Earth as a BIPOC man.

I think all cultures deserve respect which is why I believe good casting matters. I would NEVER cast a white person to play a Native American, an African warrior or so on, but I also would not cast a BIPOC person to play the part of King Arthur or the Greek God Zeus. I am sure the actors are stellar, but seeing them pretend to be another colour is uncomfortable and pretty ridiculous.

So no. I am not a bigot of any flavor. I am an artist who holds art to a high standard because it is supposed to represent life. When it represents it cheaply, I hate it.

[just-fandomthings]

I posted 3,064 times in 2022

That's 109 more posts than 2021!

236 posts created (8%)

2,828 posts reblogged (92%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@fanboygarcia

@just-fandomthings

@justsomeoneunordinary

@javachik

@eagerforthesky

I tagged 2,792 of my posts in 2022

Only 9% of my posts had no tags

#queue’d - 347 posts

#tony stark - 239 posts

#moon knight - 162 posts

#steven grant - 149 posts

#important - 131 posts

#marc spector - 131 posts

#moon knight spoilers - 129 posts

#loki - 120 posts

#bucky barnes - 114 posts

#ofmd - 113 posts

Longest Tag: 137 characters

#but if the latter i want to know your secrets to searching for a post and finding it bc the search function on this site never works 😂😂

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

I really hate how marvel and disney looked at Ms. Marvel and decided to do everything in their power to give this show a difficult time— like they wanted it to do poorly. (Don’t get me wrong- Ms. Marvel is fantastic! The acting is stellar, the production and set design is incredible. The show is a breath of fresh air.) But:

Ms. Marvel is the ONLY marvel series to premiere new episodes on the same day as another show on Disney+ (Obi Wan Kenobi.) That limits viewership— it puts one show against the other. And then Marvel/Disney also decided to release Multiverse of Madness to Disney+ on the same day they release new episodes for both Obi Wan and Ms. Marvel. Limiting viewership once again. Why not release Obi Wan or MoM on a different day of the week?? Wednesdays have been the day for Marvel for over a year now, ever since Loki premiered.

I mean, I am yet to come across a single Ms. Marvel post today, while my dash has been flooded with MoM posts. And, not to mention the overall lack of promotion for the show in comparison to Loki, which received promotion above and beyond any other show. They certainly (purposely) undersold Ms. Marvel, which is just a shame because it’s one of their best shows.

I’m not saying I’m surprised Marvel/Disney is doing this, because I’m not surprised at all at this point, but it’s just really disappointing. Ms. Marvel deserves so much more attention than it’s getting.

262 notes - Posted June 22, 2022

#4

Rewatching Eternals rn and I just have to say, it’s a shame more people don’t see the beauty and value in this movie. This movie is about moral conflict, about finding yourself, and about love. Eternals has the most stunning visuals we’ve seen from any MCU product thus far, is filled with genuine and powerful representation, and overall it’s an incredible movie. Yes, it has any flaws, but so does everything else marvel has put out. And I really, really recommend that people take the time to watch this movie and then give it the appreciation it deserves!

364 notes - Posted January 12, 2022

#3

You can be certain that the funeral was not a sad occasion: one touched with the grief of loss, of course, but the joy of having known so fine a man as this. Certainly, his passing contributed to my decision to go to Romulus. There was nothing now to keep me from taking my leave, and of all of us, I considered him least likely to come back from the dead. The devil would surely not wish to part with such good company.

- Spock, The Autobiography of Mr. Spock

1,084 notes - Posted September 5, 2022

#2

“There is one last subject I must address. I have tried on many occasions to write about Jim Kirk. This seems to me an increasingly impossible task. Jim Kirk lies at the very heart of this account; he is present on every page, the ink in which these words have been written… How do you write about someone that you have so deeply loved?”

- Spock, The Autobiography of Mr. Spock

2,699 notes - Posted September 15, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

I know this was pointed out in the show but I need to emphasize it again: Marc’s psyche fragmented to include Steven to protect him (Marc) from the pain and abuse and trauma he had and was still experiencing. Steven was Marc’s protector. Whenever Marc got overwhelmed, he turned to Steven for solace and safety.

And in the end, when Marc was being attacked and in danger, what did Steven do? He protected him, without thought, without hesitation, he protected him.

Steven’s last act was to save Marc, again.

2,989 notes - Posted April 27, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[possibleplatypus]

2016: #givecaptainamericaaboyfriend

Disney: 🙈

2016: Watch Steve kiss Sharon right after Peggy's funeral! See how Straight he is? Isn't it so sad that he waited too long for this romance?? 🥺🥺🥺

2019: Steve goes back in time to marry Peggy! 😍😍😍 His true love! Isn't it romantic?? 💖💞💕 He's been pining for her all this time, and vice versa! Who's Sharon? He and Bucky talked about it before he left so it's all cool. Why aren't you happy?? Stop criticizing us and just be happy for Steve's happy ending!! 😤😤😤 we even played It's Been a Long Long Time for them, you guys like that song right?

2021: Look at how cute a couple Steve and Peggy would have been if she'd gotten the serum! 😍💗💗 NO their scenes don't look like the stevebucky scenes from CATFA at all roflmao you're crazy 😆😋😂

2022: Steve was the Straightest Straight Man to Ever Straight!!! He was a virgin before the serum (couldn't get a girlfriend, the poor thing) but he definitely Had The Sex before he died. He didn't die a virgin, of course not, are you kidding? 🤣🤣 That would have been TRAGIC 😭😭😭 He lost his virginity to a GIRL after he got the serum! A girl, specifically 💃 Because he's Heterosexual and was finally attractive after he got swole. You got that?! It was Specifically a Girl he'd had sex with, write that down!!!!

[spiderdreamer-blog]

GARGOYLES: THE TOP TEN EPISODES (WITH FIVE HONORABLE MENTIONS)

It is not an exaggeration to say that Batman: The Animated Series is as influential as The Simpsons in changing the face of American TV animation in the 1990s. Its dark, noirish aesthetic, complex writing, and stellar voice cast paved the way for action cartoons to evolve and grow. Even Disney felt the need to branch out at the time, calling on Batman episodic director Frank Paur and a development executive/former DC comics writer named Greg Weisman to create Gargoyles, which ironically started life as something far more akin to their typical comedy-adventure Disney Afternoon lineup. But Gargoyles was no mere Batman copy, quickly developing its own identity with a focus on a then-unique serialized consequences-driven narrative, an ever-growing fantasy/sci-fi kitchen sink, and medieval history. It has its flaws; namely, I am much less interested in secretive world-shaping societies than Greg Weisman continues to be even now, and it inevitably runs up against production realities of the time now and then. But it holds up remarkably well on the whole in its ambitions and complex characters. With that, today I'll be looking at what I think are the top 10 episodes of the series. Though given its nature, multi-part stories will be treated as one episode.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

"GRIEF":

The Avalon World Tour arc has always been the most...divisive section of the series since it aired. And I can see both sides of the argument. On the one hand, it was a much-needed expansion of lore and worldbuilding, serving a useful purpose in showing that there were many other heroes and gargoyle clans around the world. Goliath and his clan felt less tragically alone. And many of the episodes by themselves are genuinely excellent (two are on the list proper, for example). But on the other hand, it arguably didn't need to be as long as it was (though some of this can be blamed on the initial airings getting clogged up with reruns because of the production schedule), and many of them sideline our main characters for clear backdoor pilot spinoff leads, not all of whom are terribly interesting. "Grief" avoids most of these problems by offering a unique setting in Egypt (you knew they had to go to the Sphinx eventually), progressing the story of the Pack, and the guest characters are compelling because of how well they fit into the series' larger themes. A Wings-era/pre-Monk Tony Shalhoub is wonderful as the Emir, a sad, angry man who only wants to see his son again, while Tony Jay is marvelously imposing as Anubis, who basically functions as a more morose version of Terry Pratchett's Death with lines like "Death is always pointless. That is the point." A great little tale, showing off the strengths of the World Tour rather than its weaknesses.

"HUNTER'S MOON":

It might seem odd that I'm putting the televised series finale here rather than on the list proper. And being fair, it IS great, thrilling and tragic in equal measure; one cannot help but wince audibly when one character echoes another's weakest moral moment. But it's here primarily because while it's a good finale, it clearly sets up so much MORE story that got fucked up so badly in The Goliath Chronicles that Weisman had to basically toss out the whole thing when he did the comics, and I'm admittedly not as hot on the whole X-Men racial metaphor "what if we had a gargoyle KKK" stuff as I used to be. Plus, it's a little harder to take the Hunters seriously when they look so Liefeldian in retrospect. Still, this keeps things personal, and has a lot of great character beats, such as Goliath sliding dangerously close to a Demona-like mentality only to back away at the last moment, Xanatos coming in clutch, and a love triangle that feels refreshingly adult in how it's handled. Credit is also due for the voice performances by Diedrich Bader, Scott Cleverdon, and Sheena Easton as the Canmores. They have to cover a lot of emotional ground, accents, AND feel like siblings; Cleverdon in particular does a great job of suggesting one possible journey and then swerving wildly in the other direction while keeping it consistent.

"A LIGHTHOUSE IN THE SEA OF TIME":

This is admittedly not necessarily the best episode on a technical level. The Sunwoo animation is functional but not spectacular, and the action scenes lack a personalized touch. But the message of the show (READING GOOD) is as pertinent as ever, and handled with remarkable insight rather than feeling preachy. By keeping it character-based in Broadway's initial disinterest, then awe at what he comes to see as "precious magic", and Hudson's shame, it avoids sounding like an after-school special. Jeffrey Robbins in particular is a great character who could have felt cloying thanks largely to a warm, naturally wistful performance by Paul Winfield. We also get our first real hints to the tragedy of MacBeth's past as he speaks eloquently of the dream of King Arthur and Camelot, and magic that was stronger than anything "except the human heart".

"LEADER OF THE PACK":

David Xanatos is one of the best cartoon villains in history, and part of the reason why is he barely feels like A villain at times, even before character development starts to kick in. He does some pretty bad things, make no mistake, but Jonathan Frakes' performance and the writing always keeps him on the side of compelling and likable. As well as dangerously smart and capable. At the time, he stood out among the crowd because he so rarely delved into petty sniping or needless aggression towards his enemies or minions...and that only made him more dangerous. This episode shows that plainly, with him playing both the Pack and the clan like fiddles in terms of getting them to fight just so he can get his girlfriend Fox out of jail early. There's other good stuff here too, like Lexington having to learn a lesson about prioritizing his family over vengeance, but the meat is that wonderfully diabolical feint. It's clever, it's stylish...it's Xanatos.

"AVALON"

Your mileage may vary on this one, admittedly. As a big bad, the Archmage lacks the complexity and depth that most of the other antagonists have; he's ultimately a pretty standard evil world-conquering wizard. But they have quite a bit of fun with those conventions (he has to be prodded by his future self TO conquer the world instead of merely Scotland), and when you hire the legendary David Warner to BE your cliched evil wizard, you bet your ass he's going to chew all the scenery and have a blast while doing it. There's also another great Scottish history flashback, and important character development for characters like Katherine, Tom, and the Magus, who becomes one of the most heroically sad figures in the entire series. Add in a newly important character in Goliath and Demona's daughter, Angela, some fun action scenes, and the entrance of THE King Arthur into the fray, and it's a strong story all around.

(Though one thing that gives me pause now that didn't then is that Tom and Katherine eventually get into a romance after they met when the latter looked like he was MAYBE 10 and she was already getting handed off for marriage as an older teenager. I get that when you spend 1,000 years on an age-slowing magical island, that sort of thing becomes academic after a while, but even so...)

And now, for the full list.

10. "THE SILVER FALCON"

This is mainly on here because of my personal tastes. I LOVE detective fiction and noir movies, that shit is like candy to me. And kid's shows taking on these never-out-of-style genres tends to lead to fascinating results, such as in my all-time favorite movie, Who Framed Roger Rabbit. It helps that this IS genuinely really excellent in its construction: snappy animation, clever writing, and sharp on-the-move pacing. It's ironically the most Batman-esque episode they ever did, with a mystery involving old-time crooks, but Broadway and Elisa as a team help it feel distinct. They were always one of the most underrated pairings, and the story gets good comic dividends out of Elisa's frustration at what she sees as childlike antics while Broadway is trying to earnestly prove himself as a detective. Naturally, he does, and this is a good showing for Elisa too, brave and stalwart in the face of gangsters like Tony Dracon, sleazy as ever.

9. "FUTURE TENSE"

I don't think even people who despise the World Tour arc can slam this. It's a genuinely unsettling story that's like a magician's trick in keeping you looking at one hand while he's actually up to something completely different. This is probably one of the most harrowing apocalyptic future stories ever told in Western animation. Bombshell after bombshell drops, keeping us and Goliath emotionally off-balance as the urgency ratchets up to a fever pitch. And even considering how far we've come in depicting this kind of content with more graphically violent stylings since, it's still chilling to watch cyber-Xanatos coldly murder his own son and gut-wrenching to watch a blinded Broadway die as he thinks he sees the sun.

Even the final revelation, which it plays fair with (a lot of little things increasingly don't add up), feels less like a relief and more another sadistic twist of the knife. Was it a dream? Or a prophecy...

8. "SHADOWS OF THE PAST"

Even if this hadn't kicked off the World Tour in earnest, they would have had to do a Goliath Actually Deals With His Trauma story at SOME point. And this is a damn good showcase for it, with atmospheric, moody animation as we return to Scotland and the literal ghosts of the past. As Goliath gets gaslit, the eerie horror ramps up, as does the suspense about what he might do under these influences towards his fellows, and it's honestly a pretty brave position to put your protagonist in: vulnerable, but still very dangerous to those around him. Bonus points for a posthumous redemption of the Captain, one of the most sympathetic supporting characters, and a darkly ironic final shot.

7. "THE EDGE"

The big mission statement on Xanatos as a character. Far from looking towards vengeance on the gargoyles or punishing subordinates for beating him in sparring (one of my favorite Frakes deliveries is easily his dead-serious response of "I'd fire you if you did" when Owen queries if he should pretend to lose), he wants to know if he still has the mental and physical edge to keep doing his thing. Which puts him in rather marvelous parallel with Goliath, still brooding over having to move to the clock tower and leave Castle Wyvern behind. Both seemingly prevail here...and both are also lying to themselves JUST a smidge. It's wonderfully subtle characterization, and another key factor in Xanatos differing from other villains at the time. Rather than hating and envying Goliath, you kind of get the sense he wants to BE him (or, if you're a fanfic writer, other possibilities open up) when he speaks glowingly of him being "the greatest warrior alive". Has some damn good action too, especially the Statue of Liberty climax.

6. "THE MIRROR"

A fan favorite, and it kind of killed me not to put it in the top five. This is perhaps the greatest show of Gargoyles' range, a merry, unabashedly romantic reality-bending farce that tweaks the characters' typical self-seriousness. Even Demona, usually so fearsome and angry, becomes a figure of comedy here as she's endlessly frustrated by Puck twisting her words and obeying the letter but not the spirit of her desires. Puck himself is a star attraction, with free-flowing animation accompanying his every move and a killer voice performance courtesy of Brent Spiner, an entire dimension away from Data: hilarious, but with just the right undercurrent of plummy menace that hints at the REAL chaos he could unleash if properly motivated.

5. "EYE OF THE BEHOLDER"

The first real cracks in Xanatos' armor, both figuratively and literally, come about in this awesome Halloween episode. It's shadowier than usual, with a great monster in Were-Fox just absolutely tearing up the town as Xanatos tries to stay in control but finally has to cede it...and admit to himself that he truly cares about at least one thing other than money and power. It's a good showcase for Goliath too; he may not be a mastermind type, but he's cleverly adapting to Xanatos' tactics while still ultimately showing that he's an uncommonly decent guy at his core in working to save people he has no reason to. Also features the most iconic shipper moment in the whole shebang with Elisa and Goliath as Beauty and the Beast.

4. "DEADLY FORCE"

AKA "The Gun Episode", and even now, it's some incredibly harrowing shit to watch a main character accidentally shoot another to the point where she very well could have died. Even beyond the message and imagery (which is refreshingly nuanced rather than being simplistically "anti-gun"), this is an incredibly important character episode: Elisa's family is introduced in a way that shows she is not merely the gargoyles' sidekicks, but a person with her own life. And Broadway evolves from a seemingly typical fat-character-who-eats-a-lot into a figure of regret and anger; if you never thought Patrick Star could be frightening, Bill Fagerbakke's powerful performance here will disabuse you of that notion. Also features some prime material for Owen Burnett, Xanatos' ever-stalwart right hand man, calmly fighting and maneuvering through situations, and Goliath beginning to recognize just how important Elisa is to him.

3. "THE PRICE"

I love when shows do unusual character pairings, and this has possibly the series' best as Xanatos and Hudson square off: the cocky immortality-seeking businessman versus the patient, tired old soldier. It's handily the late Ed Asner's best showing as Hudson, with his gravelly tones never straining too much for effort as he considers Xanatos' arguments and offers his own matter-of-fact perspective. Xanatos, for his part, is genuinely needled for once, unable to offer convincing counters to Hudson cutting through his bullshit, and quietly impressed by his fortitude. The B-side is great too, with the snowy atmosphere adding a lot to the NYC settings, and Robo-MacBeth offering some genuinely formidable fight scenes. Not to mention Elisa's CMOA when she saves a mid-air stoned Broadway from doom with some well-placed shots and a carpet truck. Badass.

2. "CITY OF STONE"

The only reason this isn't number 1 is because while the present-day story is good, it feels more "typical" outside of landmarks like Xanatos and Goliath uneasily teaming up for the first time and Demona's iconic, quiet breakdown. Not bad, not at all, but the true meat is in the flashbacks to her and MacBeth's backstory, fully laid out across time for a true Shakespearean tragedy. Far from the murderous tyrant of the Bard, MacBeth is a good man himself beset by paranoid kings and allies, with no one truly convinced that he could be as loyal and honest as he says he is. And the scope of Demona's hatred and its consequences is laid bare here, with a certain set of scars becoming iconic in their repetition. John Rhys-Davies and Marina Sirtis pull out all the stops here, with the occasional glimmers of happiness and light underscored by the doom we all know is coming, especially if you know Scottish history. We believe MacBeth wholeheartedly when he says that he's just so tired in the present. So much pain and grief could have been avoided...but the tragedy, of course, is that the grinding wheel of fate for these two is inevitable.

"The access code is...alone."

1. "AWAKENING"

Multi-part pilot episodes were generally Disney's stock-in-trade for their initial run of shows, and I can't say most didn't JUSTIFY their length (though if you're wondering, outside of this, the best ones are Gummi Bears' single-episode "A New Beginning", the two-part "Darkly Dawns the Duck" for Darkwing Duck, and DuckTales' five-part "Treasure of the Golden Suns"). But Gargoyles had easily the strongest one out of the gate in how it used the length to carefully, step-by-step set up this world, these characters, and the conflicts that will play out across the tapestry. While some figures like the Trio are clearly held back a bit for later, they still make an incredibly strong impression, and Goliath gets an arc here that is so elegantly constructed in taking him from tempered optimism through despairing cynicism and back around again. Elisa Maza proves a "strong female character" with Salli Richardson's naturally smooth performance giving her empathy and toughness in equal measure. Xanatos puts a strong foot forward with his initially mysterious motives that can still seem genuine, already regretting that he has to potentially waste resources that he can't control. And the supporting cast is already rich, with figures like Princess Katherine, haughty, then regretful and seeking redemption, the Captain, whose road to Hell was paved with good intentions, and the Magus, arrogance brought low by grief. Even a seemingly one-note brute like Hakon is well-drawn in his simplistic mindset. And the visuals are insanely memorable too, with fluid fight scenes, meticulous character behavior, and a unique take on NYC nightlife that sets it apart from the brooding, haunted Gotham.

Gargoyles may have aged, but in most ways, it's like a fine wine, and something I've grown to appreciate more even with my criticisms over time. I hope this list is proof enough of that.

[artturifocus]

Modern Medieval Media - The Arthurian Revival

As I sat thinking about what to write for this week’s blog post, I thought to myself, “Teodora, why don’t you write about some modern forms of media inspired by Arthurian legend and do a deep-dive into all of the references and allusions they contain?”. A stellar idea, if I do say so myself. However, a roadblock soon made itself known. I revisited my favorite animated films as a child (and, who am I kidding, even now) that could’ve worked for my idea, like The Black Cauldron, The Sword in the Stone, and Quest for Camelot only to discover…

They are based on modern works themselves?!

That’s right! The three aforementioned titles are based off of Lloyd Alexander's The Chronicles of Prydain, T.H. White’s The Sword in the Stone, and Vera Chapman’s The King’s Damosel, respectively. In order to perform the best deep-dive I possibly could, I decided that perhaps it would be to hold on doing reviews on those films until I first review the books they are inspired by. The marvelous new blog series titled Modern Medieval Media, otherwise known as MMM, will have to be on-pause until I get my hands on those books.

Or does it?

While I wept tears of joy for getting to read more cool MMM (oh yeah, that’s so going to be a thing), I asked myself, “Where did this renaissance of MMM come from in the first place?”. The Chronicles of Prydain is a book series that first began in 1964. The Sword in the Stone came out in 1938. Finally, The King’s Damosel was published in 1976. The second book in particular had much influence over how we view Arthurian legend which was only strengthened by the Disney film by the same name which later came out in 1963. Disney would later make a film using Alexander’s series of young adult books that came out a year afterwards in their 25th feature length animated film The Black Cauldron in 1985. Warner Bros. then made Quest for Camelot in 1998 based on Vera Chapman’s book. Dare I say, this smells like a medieval resurgence to me. At least when it comes to animated films and young adult books. Unfortunately, I cannot quite say that I am a connoisseur of live-action MMM. Not yet.

Well, to say the least, finding connections is hard. Lloyd Alexander, for example, was inspired to create his stories after doing military combat training in Wales and becoming inspired by the land and its legends, which cannot be a shared experience among all MMM creators. We can start by looking for something a little earlier than the 1900s however, at a period conveniently titled The Arthurian Revival.

The Arthurian Revival lasted for the majority of the 19th century in Victorian England which brought in a slew of paintings, translations, and reimaginings of the famous tales. Call this a sort of nostalgia or patriotism of the past, it was successful and the people could not get enough. One of the most popular texts of the era was Alfred Tennyson’s Idylls of the King published in 1859 which was responsible for “covering the career of Arthur from birth to death” (Watson). Thomas Malory’s republication of Le Morte d’Arthur that came prior also held much responsibility in this revival. The Arthurian Revival also encouraged castle and local tourism to spots said to be important in the original tales. This discovery of touristic destinations did not stop in the 19th century and later made its appearance through the “discovery” of Camelot in Cadbury in the 1960s (which is suspiciously around the same time as some of the 20th century MMM mentioned in my introduction… fascinating).

One of the greatest effects of The Arthurian Revival was what was viewed as a priority in Arthurian legend. While the history of Arthurian legends remained, what proved to be more appealing to the public were the ideals that King Arthur held of righteousness, justice, and rising from small beginnings to the top. This made King Arthur into more than just a cultural figure, but a character that could be molded to fit an array of storylines and situations.

Finally, it can be said about The Arthurian Revival that “The Victorians regarded the Arthurian legend as the starting point of their history; the revival of interest in Arthur and his court regarded him as a national hero” (Watson). Can’t the same be said for almost any other culture? We look up to our national heroes to give ourselves a cultural identity and show the strength and depth of where we live. I believe it doesn’t just have to be where we live though that we find heroes. From Heracles to Mulan, we find cultural heroes all around us and perhaps it is because of how culturally ingrained and real these characters are that we feel more inspired by their tales.

-

This blog was so fascinating to write and only served to increase my reading list! I was not aware of The Arthurian Revival and now I am intrigued to learn even more. The paintings from the era are gorgeous. I definitely recommend giving them a look. Next time, on MMM, I hope to potentially get my hands on the first book of The Chronicles of Prydain. A Welsh-inspired fantasy novel? Sign me up!!

As I shall always say, I never consider myself to be an expert, nor do I plan on telling falsehoods. Please let me know if something I have said is utterly wrong, and I shall edit this blog or bring it up in future blogs. I appreciate your help!

Radulescu, Raluca. “How King Arthur Became One of the Most Pervasive Legends of All Time.” The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2019, https://theconversation.com/how-king-arthur-became-one-of-the-most-pervasive-legends-of-all-time-71126.

Watson, Edward. “The Arthurian Revival.” Clas Merdin: Tales from the Enchanted Island, 1 Jan. 1970, https://clasmerdin.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-arthurian-revival.html.

Wood, Michael. “History - Ancient History in Depth: King Arthur, 'Once and Future King'.” BBC, BBC, 17 Feb. 2011, https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/anglo_saxons/arthur_01.shtml#six.

[disneyadaptations]

Two-time Oscar nominee Scarlett Johansson will produce Disney's Tower of Terror movie, which will be developed as a starring vehicle for the studio's Black Widow actress, Collider has exclusively learned.

Toy Story 4 director and Inside Out scribe Josh Cooley is currently writing the script, though plot details are being kept under wraps somewhere on the tower's top floor. Johansson will produce via her company These Pictures alongside Jonathan Lia, and though there's no director formally attached yet, Disney will aim high, according to sources -- especially since Johansson is coming off of dual Oscar nominations for her stellar work in Marriage Story and Jojo Rabbit in addition to her high-profile turn in Marvel's Black Widow.

Representatives for Disney and Johansson had no comment.

Tower of Terror is, of course, based on the popular Disney theme park attractions, which culminate with a free-falling elevator drop that results in some priceless photos. The exhilarating ride features a creepy narrator who sounds like The Twilight Zone host Rod Serling, and there were always long lines due to high demand from thrill-seekers. The ride was previously turned into a 1997 TV movie starring Steve Guttenberg and Kirsten Dunst, though a new theatrical feature has been in development since 2015, when John August was tapped to write a treatment about five people in a posh hotel who take an elevator and disappear after it's hit by lightning.

[popculturebuffet]

Ducktales: The Treasure of the Lost Lamp Movie Reviewcap! (Patreon Stretch Goal)

Hello all you happy people! And we have a special review today for two reasons. The first is that this is my second patreon stretch goal review, having hit the 15 dollar goal back in march thanks to my wonderful friend Emma, the same patreon whose responsible for the Green Eggs and Ham Reviews,  who helped me hit the 15 dollar goal.  As a result you fine people are getting three movie reviews each based on a Disney Afternoon Movie with Treasure of the Lost Lamp today, a goofy movie at the end of the motnh for  a weeklong tribute to my favorite dogmandadguy.  Extremley was going to be part of it but the length of this review convinced me otherwise, but I will be doing it this summer so keep an ear out. If you want to help me hit my next stretch goals do yourselve a favor and zip on over to my patreon YOU CAN FIND MY PATREON HERE. My next stretch goal at “OH Look 20 Dollars” would give everyone patreon and not, a monthly review of Darkwing Duck as decided by my patrons, reviews of BOTH season 2 mini series from Ducktales 87, introducing Fenton to the world and blighting it with Bubba before the 2017 series fixed him, and as a brucey bonus added last month a review of Danny Phantom the Ultimate Enemy. And if that wasn’t enough if you help me get to the goal after that at 25 unlocks another trilogy of disney film reviews, this time for the proud family and recess movie and the best kim possible movie, and dcom period, so the drama as well as Bryan Lee O’ Malley’s two stand alone graphic novels, lost at sea and seconds for you Scottaholics in the audience.

The other reason now the shilling’s done. is that the plan WAS to review this back to back with Treasure of The Found Lamp, to the point the orginal review had a whole thing about that, why it was delayed etc... but now that review’s been scrapped all together as something sudden and wonderful happened. After just kinda giving up someone came through with a translation of Della’s first apperance so presumibly i’ll be doing that as part of the build up to mother’s day, and since I still want ot do maternal instincts too, and already had to let the Floyd Gottfredson birthday special slide away as well... it had to go as I want to leave the only open space on the schedule for the lovely person who found the story for me. But this review is still done, i’m very proud of it so join me under the cut won’t you?

Behind The Scenes: Before I get into it i’d just like to note this article from SyFy Wire. It , along with articles I found via wikipedia citations, was an invaluable resource. 

The film was an experiment: It was an experiment to see if one of their tv properties could bring in theatrical money, to see if a movie made on a cheaper budget and still rake in decent money, to see if a film could be made being outsourced to several diffrent places, and to see what one of those places, their recently aquiried french stuido, could handle this kind of work. 

The film, if succesful would be the first of Disney’s MovieToons line, a series of films based on their shows. As you can tell by the fact only this movie and Goof Troop happened and the Movie Toons label wasn’t applied to that one it very much failed. While the film was warmly recevied by people who liked the show general audiences didn’t turn out for it. As a result the MovieToons label was scrapped, future projects with it were canceled.. but the stellar work put in by the french stuidio lead to it perserviering for several more decades and lead to them working on the Goofy Movie, which we’ll get to later this month but needless to say was a MUCH bigger hit with a much bigger budget. 

As for why the film failed... I have two theories. THe first is that parents were stupid back then and didn’t want to pay to see something on the big screen they could see on tv’s. This is a stupid mentality to me as generally a movie of a tv show puts in a ton of extra effort and usually goes bigger and dosen’t go home. It’s a likely theory given most liscened films of the era didn’t do quite well, with all three hasbro films tanking. And look I get Transformers the Movie is cheesy and killed a lot of people’s childhood toys, but damn if it ain’t aweosme.. and also something I need to cover at some point. Thankfully this died out by later in the 90′s with Rugrats getting a hugely succesful if flawed film, a better sequel and a third one that was also a crossover with the wild thornberries. 

And even now in 2020 we’re getting the Loud House and Rise of the TMNT movies sometimes this summer, we were SUPPOSED to have gotten the bobs burgers movie this summer but arne’t because Disney is being a dick about it.

And we got a phineas and ferb movie last year. With this trend hopefully thsi means we’ll get a Ducktales 2017 movie at some point since season 4 left a huge sequel hook laying right there to grab for a feature film.  One final note: The film was conceptually thought up as a 5 part serial like “Treasure of the Golden Suns”, “Catch as Cash Can”, “SuperDucktales” and “Time is Money, something that DOES show as the movie weirdly has act breaks. In a feature film. Yup. 

The Guest Cast:

I won’t go into the full cast since I’ve sung Alan Young and Russi Taylor’s praises PLENTY on this blog before, and I plan to go into Beakly and Launchpad’s actors when they show up in the pilot movie. But i’d be remiss if i didn’t talk about our three guest actors for our three new parts. 

First up is Merlock voiced by legend and if I had a hall of fame, hall of famer Christopher Lloyd.. I need to get me one of those. Lloyd is of course known for playing Doc Brown in back to the future but has done countless other films, voicework, and other good stuff. Among his MASSIVE filmography includes The Back to the Future Trilogy (Already mentioned it but it bears repeating), Star Trek III, Who Framed Roger Rabbit as the pants destroyingly terrifying Judge Doom, The Addams Family duology as fester, a role rip torn would ironcially play for the animated series made to captalize on said movie, Hey Arnold! The Movie, The Oogieloves in The Big Ballon Adventure (Look everybody needs money sometimes okay?), and Art of the Deal: The Movie, which was not, thankfully an ego filating nightmare made by trump himself but a film made by funny or die parodying his terrible book and having Llloyd return as Doc Brown. TV Wise he’s known for Taxi, Back to the Future the Animated Series, Cyberchase and he most recently popped up on Big City Greens. How I missed that ep I.. do know as I haven’t watched season 2. Gonna fix that later this month. Lloyd is utterly awesome, a great guy and thankfully still alive at the time of this writing, so I was happy to have him here. 

Less familiar to me but still known is Rip Taylor, a comedian known for his flamboyant unique way of speech and his marvelous mustache. He showed up in things occasionally and always seemed like the nicest guy and his passing in late 2019 truly is sad. He does a terrific job here but more on that in a moment. 

Finally we have Richard Libertini, a comedian I never really saw in anything besides this who according to IMDB was most famous for his ablility to do a foreign accent. I REALLY hope all of them aren’t as horribly racist as this one. We’ll.. get to that in a sec as it’s time for the plot!

A Treasure Uncovered:

We open our film gorgeously. The animation is great in the film, having some rough edges I chalk up to the film’s hectic production, the studio being new at working at disney properties, and the film not being meant for HD. That being said a few rough spots here and there aside.. the film looks ungodly gorgeous. Like most theatrical films based on a cartoon it takes an already great style and makes it look great. It feels like a more fluid evolution of the cartoons look and it’s a shame we didn’t get more movies in this style for both this show and others, ESPECIALLY Darkwing Duck. Can you imagine a Darkwing Duck movie with this lush animation? Hopefully we’ll get one eventually. 

So our heroes are going to somewhere in the Middle East. That’s.. that’s all wikipedia gives me and all the film gives me. As usual Scrooge is after treasure in this case the Treasure of Collie Baba, the greatest thief there ever was based obviously off Ali Baba from 1001 nights and that one Beastie Boys song. 

It’s here we find the WORST thing about the film, the thing that makes this a hard one to watch depsite otherwise being pretty good, and that makes my skin crawl knowing i’m a white man and a BUNCH of white guys, Ducktales series creator who did the voice casting for this character, the writers who wrote him, the direector disney them fucking selves who thought this was okay. 

The film has some horrible steroytping. It starts with a bunch of backgorund guys surronding Scrooge, with crooked teeth and steotypical voices. This on it’s own is odious. 

It somehow gets worse. Then we meet one of our antagonists. We meet Dijon. 

This Fucking Guy 

Djon is horribly offensive reminding me of other such luminaries in being ungodly offensive yet somehow getting put to film as Jar Jar Binks (With all respeect to his poor actor Ahmed Best, this is not his fault), Rob Schinder as a Sterotypically asian preist, Skids and Mudflap, Rob Schinder as a sterotypically mexican bandit, The Whitewashed cast of The Last Airbender, and Rob Schinder as a stereotypically asian preist. What i’m saying is Djon is an AWFUL, horribly offensive character.. and that Rob Schinder should be shot up into space, not to watch cheesy movies, he’s not funny enough for that, but instead to be sent to a satlitie that’s liveable, but also filled to the brim with spring loaded boxing gloves. Just tons of boxing gloves that feel like getting punched by a heavewight boxer all hidden... they could hit his legs, his face, his nuts, his face and his nuts, the point is he’s in constnat pain unless he moves carefully. 

And lest you think i’m exaggerating for starters this is his design. 

It just screams “vaugely but sterotpyically middle eastern” along with cowardly. The fact he’s also a literal rat is just the icing on the cake made of broken glass, shrapnel and broken DVD’s of Transformers; Revenge of the Fallen. They say if you eat a reveng eof the fallen dvd John Tutoro appears at the foot of your bed and watches you while you sleep.. and by they I mean me. It was a bad bet. I got rid of him with some insese and a bribe of five dollars. 

Oh but that’s just design.. when he talks it’s MUCH worse. His voice is like if they took Apu from the simpsons and said “This but MORE offensive”, and his perosnality is WORSE. He’s a thief.. and not in the endearing loveable rogue way but he’s a pick pocket and a running “Gag’ is that he’ll often grab eveyrthing within reahc. As the deisgn shows he’s a coward running at every opportunity. Oh and to top it all off he’s the willing servant of the white coded, given all ducks in this series are white coded and voiced bby white actors, big bad. And the actor is naturally VERY white to make this cocktail of offensivness so complete that if Disney ever got rid of this film I GUARANTEE the republcian party would be running in with accusations of cancel culture gone amok and never shutting up about this like they did the muppets. Which for the record THEY DIDN’T CANCEL THEM, YOUR POINT IS ILLEGITMATE, THEY JUST WANTED TO BE SENSTIVE YOU GHOULS. 

I do have a reason for bringing up Disney’s content warnings... most damming of all given just how DEEPLY uncomfortbale this character is.. there isn’t one for this movie. I double checked: There isn’t even wanring notes on the website. It’s just.. on there. And given just how ghastly a sterotype Djon is.. that’s not right. Seriously they DID put them on certain episodes of the show, theyk now this sort of thing is wrong and they done wrong.. but for NO reason they haven’t done so for a film released 31 years ago. Around the same time as the series and just offensive as that show at it’s worst if not more so. This is flatly inexcusable.. par for the course for Disney’s incompetence but still horribly furstrating, disgusting and shameful.. which has been the theme of the last three days really. I expect better because when it comes to putting that warning label on this stuff, they usually are better. First the scheduling mixup and now this. You already do a handful of things wrong Disney why add this to the list?!

It’s just draining not only to run into another Disney Fuckup after a weekend of dealing with one of their worst in recent memory, but just to watch Djon. To see this horrible caractrure saunter onto the screen and go on with his harmful schtick, to see that THIS is what Ducktales 87 reduced non white people to more often than not.  It’s remarkable just how throughly and awesomely Frank and Matt completely and totally reversed this. Instead of horrible sterotypes in the reboot, we got TONS of loveable people of color, an endearing latino hero, a smart african american buisness woman who takes no shit but is still a consumate professional, and an egyptian HERO with an intresting story and a strong moral code instead of this horrible reminder that racisim in media was such an afterthought not ONE person brought this up during the scyfy wire stuff or in any inteview i’ve seen. No one cared. Djon was POPULAR enough that he got three episode sin the series. THREE FUCKING EPISODES. This film could be GOOD.. but it’s just so bogged down EVERY FUCKING TIME this artists interpreitation of what Tucker Carlson sees when he looks at a middle eastern person I had to pause to compose myself and had to take a break writing this review to avoid tyiping this in all caps and using the phrase YOU RACIST MOTHERFUCKERS every other sentence. And again i’m white, I get this is second hand offensiveness.. I do... but it dosen’t mean I can’t be offended other white people were so callous about other cultures behaviors this happened.

And what makes me feel worse.. is that I just sorta... never thought about white people voicing non white characters. Things like this I noticed sure, I realize now part of the reason I didn’t like this movie the first time I saw it was this alex jones version of a looney tune, but I do feel shame for not noticing or caring long before this. Sure I loved it when a character of color got played by a person of color.. but I didn’t realize just how deep that problem was and how LONG it went on for before the outcry post george floyd and the call to action lead to most shows still going course correcting. It’s why stuff like this extra botehrs me: because THIS was just as okay at the time. No one blinked twice about this and odds are the creators involved still haven’t. And that.. that’s just terrible and it hurts to think about and  I still have most of the movie to go.  

The Pyramid of Peril:

So we do get a gorgeous unvewling scene of a box Scrooge found out about from Collie Baba’s horde that should lead them to the treasure. This scene reminds me of Indina Jones.. and I bring this up because the poster was specifically made to mimick an indinia jones poster, to the point of getting drew struzan to do it. THe creator of Ducktales objected..l but I do not get WHY. While I”m not sure if he had yet, Speilberg flat out admits the Carl Barks comics were an inspiration for Indina Jones, with the iconic bolder chase coming from a similar scene in one of Barks Stories. Gotta cover that too. So yeah I don’t get not wanting an indina jones style poster when both were inspiried by the same work and it’s just simple logic and it looks so neat. Thank you. 

Scrooge finds seemingly just clothes.. and a map. Jeff Dunham’s Most Racist Puppet reports to his master, Merlock. Merlock is a.. meh villian. Christopher Lloyd does try.. but Lock is your standard evil overlord wants to take over the world type. He dosen’t have much depth, or personality and only his style saves him from dragging the film down along with Dana Carvey’s most racist disguise in master of disguise. He does have a deent shape shifting gimick and being played by Christopher Lloyd means he’s acted TREMENDOUSLY. Alan Young was apparently in awe watching him work and that’s wonderful to hear. The guy did his best. Weirdly Merlock would show up in tons of other works, mostly video games.. but even weirder he NEVER showed up in ducktales 2017. Both Djon and Gene would, Djon thankfully renamed we’ll get to all of that tommorow thank god. I need it after this. But Frank has outright said they didn’t use Merlock because there simply wasn’t anything they could do with him they couldn’t dow ith magica. My likely guess is the might of found a way to revamp him EVENTUALLY, it’s not like radical revamps weren’t there thing come on, they just had way more stories with Magica and didnd’t get around to it before the show was canceled. Just make him some sort of evil god or something. it’s what I might do. There’s a lot of angles with him. Though I would’ve still gotten christopher lloyd back. I mean most of the recasting is good but he’s still alive and deserved a better shot at things. 

So Merlock sends Djonn to go with scrooge as his guide to find the treasure, as there’s something of imense power within it. And I gotta ask WHY does Merlock need a minon. No really. This isn’t a situation like reboot magica where he’s trapped in another realm. He can shapeshift into any animal. We only see him use falcon, rat, cockroach and bear but theoritically he can become anything and bear alone is still a LOT. Why does he need this sterotype even other sterytopes ar eashamed of? The film dosen’t NEED Djonn. Just let Christopher Lloyd monologue and leave this post 911 propogranda cartoon at home. 

So our heroes nad rejected jar jar prototype head into the desert, and seemingly find nothing before finding a small pyramid all while Merlock follows desecretley as a mighty hawk. 

Scrooge makes the boys and Djon dig... because they clearly forgot the “work hard” part of his ethos. 

Our heroes unveil the pyramid... and while Merlock SAYS he searched the desert and I get it’s hard to see thourgh all of that.. the dude is immortal, had decades to search and had Mickey Rooney there on standby to force him to go comb the desert. I have an artist rendering of that hang on

So our heroes enter the pyramid and it goes.. really how you’d expect: there’s a bunch of traps our brave explorers have to pass, the boys minintpret a juinor woodchuck saying about loosing your marbles to mean using the ones they actually have which geninely comes in handy as they trip the traps and Rob SChinder as a carrot stumbles into one. Also launchpad is wearing a hawaiin shirt and shades. This has no baring on the plot, but it does bring the movie up a notch in my book and I question why the reboot never used this outfit. Then again they also never properly used Donald’s Quack Pack Outfit (Which bad show or not, is objectively awesome), or his Quack Shot Indiana Jones Riff Outfit, so  it’s not like there isn’t a presdecnt for not giving a character a cool costume change from a previous medium. I really should do a top 12 missed opportunities list for the 2017 cartoon.. the ideas for stuff are really piling up. 

OUr heroes eventually find the treasure which has insidiously clever security the more I think about it: at first I thought it had none, just a pit with some... scorpions? I mean their supposed to be but they look like they crawled out of the same stygian hole in the sky Doofus crawled out of. And if your asking me “wait which Doofus” the answer is both. Both these abominations crawled out of a stygian hole in the sky.

But the treasure is on a platform surrounded by scoprions with the only way out being the trap filled way they came in. Unless someone comes in with a full team and a bunch of lootin sacks, they aren’t getting out with EVERYTHING. They can steal SOME of the treasure but there’s no way to get any signifigant portion... and the team thing itself is an issue, something Collie defintely predicted being a thief himself: while some thieves can work well as a team, hence why we have four oceans movies 3/4 damn good, and for the record 12 is the bad one, 8 is how you do a soft reboot and a female led reboot right, a good chunk of professional crooks will turn on each other or try and swinldle... and tha’ts dangerous in a trap filled temple but hey some criminals ain’t so smart.  If they all were Rudy Gulliani wouldn’t have two razzies for preparing to pull his pants down, and have waved his phone around on tv like a dare for future adminstrations to arrest the shit out of him would he? 

But Scrooge has his family so they get loading. But not before Webby finds the lamp. Not knowing about it Scrooge has no intrest in it, but Webby does. We also get a really simple but hilarious gag where SCrooge dickers over the idea for a second.. before Webby picks up a Jeweled tiara to possibly take instead. The best gags to me are often the ones that just let the character’s perosnalities take the lead and bounce off each other. It’s why when I reviewed the four lilo and stitch crossovers recently I harped on character interaction as their biggest weakness: it’s what MAKES a good work for me. It’s why my faviorite comics and shows often follow a loveable group of disfunctional misfits. I like a group of big personalities who despite in theory should NOT be able to work making it work anyway. And it’s honeslty what’s made Scrooge last so long: Scrooge on his OWN is awesome.. but iwth the boys, donald, and in the case of this series and the reivival Webby and Launchpad, with people to bounce off of who he contrasts heavily with, from Launchapd’s buffonery to Webby’s inehrent sweetness in both versions, to the boys genuine honesty and sense of adventure.... it makes him truly stand out. He’s a great character on his own, don’t get me wrong.. but it’s the people around him that give him chances to show WHY. A good character on it’s own is fine and dandy.. a good character with other good characters around them is where it gets truly special. 

Merlock naturally bursts in and in a VERY Black Heron move needlesly outs what micheal bay sees when he closes his eyes as a bad guy... no really he grabs the guy with his talons as he captures the treasure and reveals he’s a bad guy. I don’t even get why keep Djonn alive. He’s done all Merlock possibly could’ve needed and Merlock is ruthless... this makes no sense and only happens because they need Djonn for later in the plot.

Our heroes barely escape, rafting out on the platform itself in a thrilling sequence.. but it’s the one right after that catches my attention. Scrooge utterly defeated, having searched for this treasure for forty years and unresponsive to everyone else. The anmation, coupled with the incomprable Alan young’s acting makes this the highlight of the film for me. Beneath the armor of wealth and skill.. is only a poor old man who just lost something he’s been chasing after most of his life. Scrooge tries his hardest not to be vunerable and both shows and the original comics all use that so when he truly is devistated like this, and i’ts belivible since this treasure is a personal goal of his and as someone who has had things that they seek out specifically, loosing them always hurts. It hurts to ALMOST reach a goal only to have it crumble out under you

But while this alone is good.. what’s next makes it great. Webby sweetly offers up the lamp. Scrooge turns it down, and her genuine gesture reinvgorates him and reminds us of who he is “I’ll find it if it takes another 40 years”> Scrooge may be bitter, mean and selfish a lot of the time.. but deep down, he’s a good man and one who will not give up, and a momentary setback can only stop him so long as long as he has his family to remind him of who he truly is.. and what’s truly important. It’s genuinely sweet and to me is also a reminder of why 87 Webby is a good character: Shes’ not perfect, her main personality trait is often Girl Sterotype”.. but she’s a genuinely sweet small child with a huge heart. It’s telling that while 17′ Webby is almost completely diffren,t and far better, that heart remains her biggest strength. Sure her reboot self could kill a man nad no one would ever find the body, but it’s her heart and empathy that makes that possible and makes her Webby.  That inherent loving nature is what makes Webby webby wether she’s a toddler having a tea party or a tween getting ready to intergoate a guy with a meat tenderizer while saying ‘Cute girl stuff”. 

Gene Genie Let’s Himself Go:

It’s a few days later and this is the point where it REALLY becomes obvious this was written as a bunch of episodes. Though to the film’s credit while it does ake this feel like a compliation movie as a result... it dosen’t hamper the film’s quality, condiment from Rush Limbaghs’ hot dog stand does that just fine, but once you notice it it’s impossible to unotice it. Weirdly though it seems chunked up into four episodes rather than the usual five, likely cutting down an episode, though I can’t see where they cut out material frankly if they did and i’ts just as likely they woudl’ve had to make one to fill in the space.

So Scrooge is in a mood, being grumpy with his secretary Mrs. Featherly, quackfaster in all but name, and having to be sent home. So while Duckworth goes to fetch him Webby polishes her treasure at long last readying for a tea party, something the boys roundly reject because their sexist little twits and swo were the writers or executies who assumed all little boys act the same. It’s easily my biggest pet peeve with the series as a whole: anytime this crops up with the boys it turns them into the worst dicks imaginable. It’s telling this, being mean about her wantin ga tea party with her surrogate brothersi s TAME. Normally they’ll say she can’t do things because she’s a girl or mock her hobies outright instead of just be mildly dickish. And while she dosen’t look much younger Webby is VERY CLEARLY, in this series anyway, supposed to be say 5 or 6 to the boys 8-10. 7 at most. SHe’s a small child and while it is realistic for older kids to bully younger ones, it’s not fun to watch. It’s why I get annoyed at all the big sibling bully characters.. some work, but most aren’t fun to watch because there’s nothing funny or intresting about it. It’s the same deal here. 

Thankfully that quickly goes away as the lamp moves when Webby rubs it and does so again to prove it did move. Huey finishes it and we’re introduced to Gene, the best part of the film.  Gene is a Genie and he takes a second to dart around before messing with the appliances in the kitchen, as he was last around during the time 1001 Nights Came About. Cleverly though, and so we thankfully don’t have 80 dozen fishout of water jokes that have already been done before. As you can probably guess i’m not a huge fan of time travel fish out of water stuff. Now from another dimensoin or planet, i’m on board with with Star Vs, Steven Universe and Sym-Bionic Titan being great examples of this, as is the comic resident alien. (Despite having the wonderous Alan Tuduk the show sounds way more mean spirited and misses the entire point of the comic as given by the author in the credits, i.e. that the alien is supposed to NOT be a threat and just be gently waiting for a ride) The inverse is also good with Amphbia and owl house, taking a human and plopping them into our world. But time travel stuff just usually runs the same beats of “look at the shiny thing” and what not. The only time i’ve sene something SIMILAR work is with thor where their society is SIMILAR to vikings time but still it’s own thing.. it also gave us a classic gag in..

So yeah i’m glad they dropped this and instead had a clever way around it: Gene reads the encylopedia at the mansion. Granted it’s Scrooge so I don’t know how current it is and given this came out in 1990 thus HOW racist it is. It’s not a questoin of IF it was, but how much.

But having caught up the kids confront him with the fact he has to grant wishes. This lamp runs on what I now realize are Aladdin rules: Whoever currently holds the Lamp is the Genie’s master, they only get three wishes, and that dosen’t reset if it changes hands. The only big diffrence from the usual is Gene dosen’t have to TELL them about the wishes like Genie did, and Gene very begrudginly agrees to it. He also seem’s phsyically pained when doing so. 

So since all 12 know about him, each of the kids gets a wish though it seems unfair with HDL. Their one person, they shoudln’t get 9 wishes just because their brain is spread out over three bodies. 

This film continues the weird simliarties to Aladdin by attaching rules though they instead come up as a result of our heroes talking rather than the Genie just flat out tleling them: both share the “you can’t wish for more wishes” thing, a common rule in these stories and usually only broken nowadays as a clever twist as the rule is SO common place, not having it is a twist. But it is there for a reason: to limit the sheer power of a reality warping wish. The wishes can also only go so far. In a nice line, when Huey, Dewey or Louie suggests wishing for peace one earth, Gene says “No pipe dreams’ He can’t bend people or reality on THAT scale. He can bend reality as we find out, but it’s smaller scales like turning someone’s possesions over ot someone else, warping the bin into a castle, or bringing inanitamte objects to limited life. Still HUGE feats worth of a genie, so Gene’s power isn’t so nerfed it’s unusuable, but it does explain why his evil pervious ownder Merlock, more ont hat in a bit too, didn’t just wish to have eternal dominon over the earth or something. Gene can do just about anything but he can’t change the world on a fundemental level. 

And I do LIKE having rules in wished based stories like this, I chalk it up to growing up with Fairly Odd Parents... though they eventually went too far in the oppsoitie direction, pulling rules out of their ass to suit the episode, instead of simply having some very standard, very understandable rules that still pose challenges but don’t outright cheat so the episode can happen. 

So Webby does her first wish.. and wishes for a Baby Elephant, something Gene is against as he prefers they keep the wishes small: otherwise he gets found out, and the fight over him begins. So one of the boys wishes him away. Or Webby does. Point is it’s gone though not before Beakly sees it and Scrooge smells something is up. Our heroes try to hide gene, but gene thankfully simply dresses up like a modern kid and thus is able to pass as a friend of there staying for the night. 

So with the rules established and what not the kids find a clever solution: they simply go a ways away from the mansion into the woods, far enough from town to avoid any suspcion, and same iwth the mansion and just wish for all kinds of stuff: a giant bunch of ice cream toys, standard kid wish fufillment but it’s nice... in part because the kids treat Gene like one of them. Wihle they STARTED asking him about the wishes, this starts the bonding process. Soon he will be part of the hive mind.. SOON. 

Until then though after using another wish to make scrooge not mad at them for coming home late and missing dinner, that night we find out Gene’s backstory.... and it’s an utter tearjerker. As it turns out Merlock wants him back because he’s Gene’s former master and as you’d guess.. it was NOT a happy existnace, used contstnatly to do horrible things with no power to stop himself. Pompeii and Atlantis were both directly Merlock’s fault and it was only Collie Baba stealing the lamp that put an end to his hell. He also answers the two obvious questions botht he audeiince and the boys have: How the hell is Merlock still alive and shoudln’t he be out of wishes then? The first is simple. Unlike pretty much every DBZ Villian whose WANTED to do so, Merlock wished for immortality first chance he got, taking the Zamasu route instead and thus leaving him free. 

As for the wishes thing it turns out his amulet, in adition to shapeshifting, also gives him extra wishes becuase fuck it. 

But the boys sweetly offer to protect him. 

The next day, Apu’s Cousin let’s Merlock know the maps in the mansion and Merlock has him help sneak in with Merlock taking rat form. This backfires as Mrs. Beakley notices the form and chases after him with a broom

Meanwhile Webby has her tea party with Gene after he and the boys played cops and robbers earlier, and he’s bored.. though nicely not because it’s a girly thing, but because the stuffed animals aren’t alive and she naively has him fix that. This leads to 

Which sadly is jsut scrooge vs a duck toy but admit it, you want that movie for Disney Plus yesterday. Call Charles Band Disney. CALL CHARLES BAND! 

Whelp Scrooge Still Sucks:

Scrooge takes for a turn for the obnoxious in the next part, but i’ts fine by me as it’s part of the plot. Naturally this reinactment of Cult of Chucky has lead to Scrooge finding out about the Genie. To his credit, Scrooge is tactical about his wishes. As said by the Duck himself “I could wish for a diamond, no the world’s biggest dimaond, no ten world’s biggest diamond, no a diamond mind, no the MINING INDUSTRY!”

The sheer power this gives him is TERRIFYING, both because of his status.. and because unlike the kids who all wished for simple kid stuff and used up their wishes quickly, he both gets how much he can do with this and could conquer the world economy if he truly wanted to. 

The obnoxious part comes in as he treats Gene as not a person, figuring he’s just there and forces him into the lamp despite the kids protests after Gene grants his first wish: Collie Baba’s treasure. It also dosen’t feel like the wishing nor him using the lamp to get the tresure back goes against his hard work ethos: for the former while he is getting all this magically, he’s still having ot use his wits to get the most out of it, and he did earn the lamp itself square. For the latter, he already earned the treasure square too and had it stolen. He’s onlyg etting back what’s by all rights HIS. Granted he plans on giving most of it up for a tax break but still it’s his by right. 

However the reason his assholery works is twofold: first it’s Scrooge. While he’s not a TERRIBLE person, in the comcis and this cartoon he isn’t a GOOD person either. He DOES have a good heart and will usually do the right thing, but his first instnct is always to get more money and to be a cantakerous old bastard to eveyrone and everything. While he’s subtly grew out of “I hate eveyrone and everyone hates me” as his guiding principal, it’s still his defualt reaction to most situations. But he first relents by letting Gene attend the party, part of why the Collie Baba thing stung so bad was that he’s told the historical society he’d get the treasure for years only to come back empty handed, if shrunken. But he still manages to have a good time while Asok and Merlock infiltrate.. well I’mRunningOutofINsultingNIcknamesCanYouTell steals the silverware. Yes... that.. that really happens. 

Look we’re almost done, i’m almost free of this racist mummies curse. Let’s continue. Gene sees melock and freaks and drags SCrooge with him and while at First Scrooge is cranky...

No but now I want a Donkey Kong Country crossover too dammmit. And to talk about those games. Another thing for the list. But Scrooge is righ tot be a bit surly...

Okay now your just pushing it. As Gene whisked him away without telling him anything other than vauge worries... but then he gets a full idea of why Gene’s so terrified when Merlock shapeshifts into a bear and starts breaking the door down. Eh, could be worse. 

Gene shrinks them to escape and Merlock leaves thinking they fled but leaves Skids Minus Mudflap to go look for them. Scrooge sneaks out but bumps into a cart running from the photo you see when you look up stereotype on google. I mean I assume.. let’s try it. 

Huh you know I HOPED but I never expected... 

So Google Proving My Point plans to give his lamp to the master because of his weird Torgo-Esque obession with helping a man who clearly wants to murder him but takes his sweet time doing so because plot, and Gene figuring this COULDN’T POSSIBLY go as bad as Melock getting him urges the dummy to keep him and make his own wishes.

This goes about as well as you’d expect....

Wiped Out With A Wish:

Scrooge returns home to find Watto has wished to take his poessions, fortune, everything and Scrooge gets thrown in jail for breaking into his own house. We get two great moments back to back. The first is Scrooge lamenting loosing his fortune in jail, and realizing the sheer power and risk of the lamp, especially since he worked hard to earn it, every bit of it.. and Sam Wilson’s 70′s Backstory came in and took it all in an instant. 

The second is Scrooge’s family coming for him, including Launchpad , Beakly and Webby obviously and bailing him out. Though Beakly is UNGOLDLY annoying in this scene, sobbing hysterically and adding nothing and it’s not nearly as funny as the  film thinks. Turns out Goliath getting buried wrapped in chains threw them out. 

Scrooge takes a bit to rebound from all this.. but eventually realizes something: he knows the security of the bin inside and out. He had it put in after all. So it’d be easy enough to break in. So they gotta break in to break out the lamp, undo this nightmare, and END THIS MOVIE. Seriously this review has taken two days  as is I do NOT want to miss my invincible review. 

So they break into the bin, and it’s a tightly paced Scene, scrooge going in one way while the kids go the other and we even get a nice callback as the marbels come in handy to get past one of the traps. It’s just a good scene. it’s only real flaw is that Launchapd just sorta disappears as does Duckworth despite the fact their in a plane, and the bin later gets turned into a floating castle. Kinda a plot hole to not have Launchpad crash in to save htem just saying. 

Scrooge eventually does get to Djonn, whose been ignoring the imminent threat of Merlock while Gene sweats it out... and this backfires horribly as Merlock hitched a ride as a roach (Though there was a hilarious scene of him getting fried constnatly by lasers when Louie went through a laser hallway, as while Louie had the directions, it dind’t take into account passengers on your head. 

So Merlock remanifests in full gets the Lamp and unleashes his wrath on Tin Tin in the Congo and turns him into a wild pig. 

Not you sweetie. He then forces Gene to turn the castle into a fortress and float it back to his home in parts unknown. It’s a DAMN cool scene with impressive and horrifiing animation as the bin melts and crumbles into thte castle and the kids barely make it up the stares as they shift and disolve. Really top notch stuff.

Scrooge stands up to Merlock... and this naturally goes poorlyw ith Gene begging Merlock not to respond.. and Merlock having him blow scrooge off the top of the forgtess storm eagle style, though scrooge understands. And this is the true reason why scrooge being a dick didn’t bother me so much. Because it helps create a great contrast between him and Merlock. Both thought of Gene as a tool rather than a person.. but Scrooge grew to realize he was wrong and what he was dealing with wasn’t some magical goodies creator.. but a child forced to constantly grant wishes, in sheer agony to do so no less, likely so sick of it because again and again and again people used him as a slave to get what they wanted and to hell with what Gene wanted. He realized he was terrible for making this poor boy into his slave simply because that’s his job. In contrast Merlock could give no shits and is a malevolent monster who glefully uses Gene despite the pain the wishes put him through and his protests. It’s why Gene is the best part.. he’s  athroughly likeable, throughly inncoent character with tons of personality and a truly tragic and horrifying backstory and Rip Taylor acts the hell out of every scene with the guy. 

Thankfully the marbles come in handy one last time and Huey, Dewey or Louie snipes the lamp away and a struggle for it insues between Scrooge and Merloc mid air. it’s fucking awesome.. and it get sbetter in how scroogewins. He simply gets rid of Merlock’s amulet, taking it then throwing it. Grante dhe COULD’EVE used it for unimited wishes.. but it was too risky to do that and as we’ll see in the ending , Scrooge realized the Lamp was too powerful to keep around for much longer and too much of a tempting target for his rogues.. not that we see them this movie as the crew wanted it to bea ccesaible and thus kept hte cast to the main cast from season 1 and just made new vilians and a new supporting character, but still. 

He does use his second wish though to undue the damage Merlock had done and the bin and clan mcduck are returned to duckburg in good condition.

Time for our ending, which is genuinely and wholly touching. With the lamp too dangerous to use Scrooge considers just sending it to the earth’s core, which horrifies the kids as it’d mean Gene would be trapped there forever... if the molten lava iddn’t just outright destory the lamp and probably kill him. But Scrooge.. isn’t the bastard he likes to potray himself as. Instead he makes Gene into a real boy. He gives the poor kid HIS wish, which designrates the lamp and undoes all the spells... so Merlock is PROBABLY dead but he does return for some games so maybe not? 

And so we end on two things: Gene happily playing cops and robbers with the boys finally free.. and Birth of A Nation grabbing all the loot he can in his patns and running off. Ha ha ha thank god i’m done with this prick. And no I will not be looking at his ducktales episodes unless I have to. 

Final Thoughts:

This movie is OKAY. It has a solid plot, gene is a wonderful chacter, the animatoin is pretty prettay pretty good, and the voice acting as usual is excellent, with Rip Taylor being the standout. 

But as my paragraphs of rage shoud’ve made Clear Djonn is just BAD. Easily the worst character i’ve encountered in my year of reviewing and some of the worst writing i’ve ran into. And that writing includes a goblin man voyerstically forcing two teenagers to make out, making jokes about santa renaming himself Clem the sceneafter he tearfully confessed to letting the elves and ms. claus die, accidental transphobia via the u-men, and Bryan Lee O malley thinking we needed more than one volume of Julie Powers being around.  This was disgusting, even by 1990 standards and especially by 2021 standards and it drags the film down considerably. Without it the film is okay.. with it the film is just VERY hard to watch any time he pops up.  He made getting through the movie a nightmare and while I pause a lot becaue it’s a bad habbit I did so more simply because as I said earlier in the review I could not stand him. 

It makes it a hard film to recommend. If you can stomach the racisim, then it might be worth it, but be aware of what your putting up with going in. But if you can’t.. there’s no shame in that, it’s carbombya levels of bad. Which yes was a real fictoinal country. It was so bad Casey Casem quit transformers over it. True story. So yeah, it’s an okay film, on par with the series at it’s best for the most part.. but Djonn just spoils it for me. 

If you liked this review, like it, share it around that sort of thing and if you want MORE disney movie reviews, in addiiton to the goofy movie one later this month, if you help me hit my 25 dollar stretch goal on patroen.com/popculturebuffet, i’ll do reviews of the Recess, Proud Family and Kim Possible MOvies (Well so the drama anyway), so help me out would you and i’ll see you at the next rainbow.

[blow-ur-mind]

I posted 1,315 times in 2021

12 posts created (1%)

1303 posts reblogged (99%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 108.6 posts.

I added 1,843 tags in 2021

#sam wilson - 350 posts

#gifs - 348 posts

#tfatws - 320 posts

#food - 181 posts

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Longest Tag: 139 characters

#but as you said it's telling the level of reaching some will go to in order to project their wants just cause they want to see two yt men k

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

Stephanie also wrote Monica’s story in Marvel Voices. Really would have preferred the if the MCU has stuck much closer to Monica’s actual comic origins instead of what happened.

14 notes • Posted 2021-02-18 00:56:37 GMT

#4

Teyonah Parris said that Monica has “definitely been through some things and seen some things…we actually do get to learn particularly what those things are Monica has seen and gone through and how they have shaped her life.” Parris went on to say, “We will actually touch on that A LOT through the course of the show.”

Hopefully this is actually about Monica and gives her backstory that’s actually about Monica’s character. It would be nice to see/have information about her parents Maria and Frank. However, she was an afterthought to this show so there probably won’t be much. The quote is here. 

18 notes • Posted 2021-01-10 21:13:42 GMT

#3

This was pre-show, but this quote from this paper still stands. “The act of turning Monica into a child who loved Carol and looked up to her is loaded with anti-Black racism. A proud and impassioned woman who knew what she wanted Monica was effectively changed into a cute child sidekick in the movies. Instead of the trailblazing woman of color that was progressive in the 1980’s Monica Rambeau now has her image attached to the child version of her seen on screen. Her upcoming appearance in 2020’s WandaVision show on Disney+ has Teyonah Parris cast as an adult Monica, but the damage to her image has already been done. Monica’s position as a hero did not save her from being marginalized or having her actions capitalized upon. Her regression took her from a place that a sidekick would hope to reach and turned her into a shadow of herself in two different mediums. For Monica Rambeau being a Black hero meant being more than just undervalued and exploited. It meant being forgotten entirely.”

57 notes • Posted 2021-05-03 22:20:22 GMT

#2

Would have liked to have seen this. 

62 notes • Posted 2021-05-15 04:24:58 GMT

#1

I know we don’t have much information about the show yet, but I’m starting to get concerned about Ironheart. There’s been a long standing issue with how Black characters are written in this universe, and even with this new TV platform it’s already off to a bad start given the poor treatment of Monica and now Sam. Heck, even what happened with Lamar. I know people are saying “that’s the point,” but I still think they could have found another way instead of a tired old trope. I hope they remove that gun violence that’s in her comic origin I don’t need or want to see lackluster commentary around it. Plus it always felt like that was there cause she’s from Chicago IMO. Hopefully, the writing team actually wants to write a good story for her which doesn’t seem the case with Sam on his show. As far as “iron fam” members being on her show, I’d be fine with Rhodey being her mentor as long as they do not make them related, or say he knew one of her parents from the Air force. That’s it though no one else and that Ai of Tony is not needed. I really hope Riri doesn’t get treated like a side character on her own show. The track record with Black female characters is either to not be included at all or they are written as props like Monica and Maria were. BP remains an exception where the Black women there were shown the most respect. 

65 notes • Posted 2021-04-11 14:48:15 GMT

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[mediawhorefics]

Hiii this is very random but what are your favorite movies of all time??? Across all genres :) love youuuu x

oh helll yes !!!!!! thank you for giving me an excuse to talk about films. i fucking love it. i’m choosing to interpret favourites as in ... comfort movies, films i’ve seen 1000000x, films i can rewatch over and over. they’re not necessarily what i think to be the best movies of all time, just movies that mean a lot to me, that i can quote by heart, etc. 

titanic: i hate to give james cameron rights but he wrote one HELL of a romance and i’ll fight anyone who complains its insta-love or not meaningful when they have such an incredible connection and its SO well written. always in my heart @ rose dawson fav female character ever!! 

1917: i don’t want to talk about it but that’s emotional support wwi movie sir !!! my man george mackay did ALL OF THAT for 2h and got snubbed at every award show.... and people complained it was like watching a video game??? that movie is packed with SO MUCH character detail in such subtle performances i am obsessed with it. william schofield is IT re: traumatized repressed protags. 

the social network: best divorce film of all time. fleabag voice: this is a love story. ahead of its time. visionary. andrew garfield DID that!

pride: found family !!!!! solidarity !!!!!!!!  gay joy !!!! this movie is just IT. like yeah it’s rough and sad at times but it’s just so fucking delightful and comforting. 

captain america: the winter soldier: character-driven action films are SO sexy !! fleabag voice: this is a love story. other mcu films wish. they fucking wish !!!! marvel never topped this and they never will. end of. 

the departed: ok me simping for scorsese is very much my ‘straight male trait’ BUT the departed is one hell of a movie so i deserve a pass. 

star wars: revenge of the sith: i accept zero criticism over this. any prequels haters, the door is right there. i do not want to hear it. we got shakespeare levels of tragedy and drama over here and i LIVE for it. anakin’s downfall is like.... the epicentre of the saga, it is EVERYTHING. and !!!!! rots has the best lightsaber duel in the entirety of the star wars universe. (an argument COULD be made for some clone wars duels like maul/ahsoka but........). i mean best friends turned enemies anakin and obi wan fight on a lava planet ????? A LAVA PLANET ???? while yelling at each other cos they are so mad that they can’t see eye to eye ????? it ends with anakin catching fire ??? and obi wan yelling ‘i loved you’ ?????? the theatrics. the drama. the betrayal. the music. the fact that the stunt coordinator whose third eye is wide wide open said it was designed like an argument between a husband and a wife. i mean, you’re gonna look me in the eye and tell me any of the rey and kyle ron’s lightsaber duels even come close to that???? pffff. p l e a s e. revenge of the sith is IT. 

anastasia: 20th fox’s anastasia has like... zero historical facts and i love every second of it. it’s romantic as hell, has a better soundtrack than most disney films, has an iconic villain AND it’s actually quite touching. if we forget the fact that the romanovs were terrible people who made their whole country suffer terribly rip. 

you’ve got mail: my fav romcom. enemies to lovers except its set in BOOKSHOPS and romanticises autumn ?? did they write this for me specifically?? also ft. america’s sweetheart tom hanks as the love interest??? and a leading lady obsessed with p&p ?? he brings her daisies when she’s sick after her store closes because he remembers they’re her favourite flowers :(((( 

the eagle of the ninth: don’t @ me it has scotland and homoeroticism and a stellar soundtrack. is the slave thing fishy? sure. is the attitude re: empires and stuff not great? sure. but i love it despite its flaws. fleabag voice: this is a love story. also a lot of the fics are chef’s kiss so. also not to be this person but jamie bell in this movie is so hot. i mean he’s so hot. his *** energy is off the charts. 

dunkirk:  OH YOU KNOW. me, a war movie stan, a chris nolan stan & a harry styles stan: i’m gonna love this movie ??? a normal ??? amount???? narrator voice: she did not, in fact, love the movie a normal amount. 

lotr: fellowship of the ring: i mean does it even need an explanation?? it’s fellowship. every second is perfect. yes, even the weird elrond transition while frodo is ill at rivendell. and my man boromir breaks my heart the whole time. the ULTIMATE comfort movie. just joy joy joy joy. i mean tremendous pain too lots of it is really sad, but joy. i’m due for a rewatch soon. 

labyrinth: this movie is WEIRD in the best most fun way !!!! it has an amazing female empowerment finale AND david bowie being iconic looking like THAT the whole time ?? FAV. 

mulan (1998): bi !!!!! rights !!!!!!! bi4bi jocks !!!! has the best disney song in ‘i’ll make a man out of you’. no i don’t accept constructive criticism.

pride and prejudice (2005): does it need saying??? hand flex! proposal in the rain !! keira knightley looking like that !! 

i mean there’s a lot more lbr but that’s all i can think of rn lol

[undertheinfluencerd]

https://ift.tt/3jGBK6a #

The Hugh Jackman-starring Van Helsing failed to make a lasting impact, but a forgotten anime prequel is considerably better than the movie. Released in 2004, Universal’s action-horror movie was an early attempt to connect its roster of classic monsters. Written and directed by Stephen Sommers, who successfully updated The Mummy in 1999, the movie failed to strike the correct balance between action spectacle and cheesy homage to old-fashioned monster mashups like 1943’s Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman.

The Mummy successfully honored the classic monster of 1932 while delivering an Indiana Jones-style adventure. Sommers failed to achieve the same feat in Van Helsing, which doubled down on action and CGI instead of a gripping narrative or character development. Van Helsing follows Jackman’s gung-ho monster hunter traveling to 1800s Transylvania, tasked by the Vatican to destroy Dracula (Richard Roxburgh) and protect the survivor of a Romanian family (Kate Beckinsale). His mission involves vampire brides, werewolves, and Frankenstein’s monster (Shuler Hensley), but before all this, Sommers’ film opens with Helsing battling Mr. Hyde (Robbie Coltrane) atop Notre-Dame.

Related: Van Helsing: Dracula’s Brides Are The Movie’s Best Villains

The events preceding this event were detailed in a little-seen animated short film released the same year, titled Van Helsing: The London Assignment. The 30-minute story features Helsing (voiced by Jackman) and his sidekick, Friar Carl (David Wenham), pursuing Dr. Jekyll (Dwight Schultz) and his alter ego, Hyde, through the streets of London, all the way to Buckingham Palace. Although primarily intended to promote the live-action film, the prequel is a more streamlined and entertaining adventure that isn’t weighed down by its commitment to portraying many of Universal’s Classic Monsters. In fact, The London Assignment suggests the entire endeavor would have been better served as an animated TV show.

The animation doesn’t shy away from some violent imagery. The opening sets a grotesque, Gothic tone visually reminiscent of the Jack the Ripper murders, recalling 2001’s From Hell. Sharon Bridgeman’s direction suitably echoes the energy of Sommers, but the relative simplicity of Jekyll and Hyde’s rampage provides a more cohesive story than Van Helsing‘s desire to throw every monster on the screen to conceal gaping holes in its script. The prequel begins as horror, succinctly establishing Hyde as an intimidating presence as opposed to his live-action counterpart. Sommers’ film crammed too many villains into one story, none of them appearing much of a threat amidst ghastly jokes and an inability to decide which monster was to be most feared. Jekyll and Hyde‘s solo outing generally fixes this problem, also giving him his own “romantic” motive in common with classic monster films.

The story then transitions into a fantasy adventure, inserting steampunk gadgets and an engaging fight atop a speeding train in the London Underground that evokes the thrilling silliness of the bus chase in 2001’s The Mummy Returns. In fact, the animation bears a stronger resemblance to Sommers’ earlier work than his own efforts, incorporating various wacky set-pieces including a showdown atop Tower Bridge. It demonstrates how the monster-hunting adventures of Van Helsing would have been well-suited as an animated show, in which its fantasy elements wouldn’t be hindered by contemporary visual effects, unlike Sommers’ previous creations, including Dwayne Johnson’s Scorpion King. The long format of a series would allow more time for character development while introducing a diverse gallery of monsters in various scenarios.

With several of the film’s actors reprising their roles, the animated short is a superficial but lively piece of entertainment that improves on the dour sensibilities of the live-action disaster. It doesn’t boast stellar writing, and its story may prove too eccentric for some. However, the animated steampunk action of Hugh Jackman’s hero captures a greater sense of fun than the demoralizing advertisement for Universal’s Classic Monsters prevalent in the live-action Van Helsing.

Next: How To Make The Van Helsing Reboot A Proper Horror Movie

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[19-bellwether]

Disney's Marvel movies are generally great in execution but marred by lackluster themes and writing. Fox's X-Men were typically the opposite, great ideas with fluctuating execution. Of course there are exceptions on each side, but that's the vibe I've gotten as someone who's watched through both universes.

One thing I'll always say that Fox had over Disney was a stellar found family. Every member of the X-Men genuinely like each other and have different dynamics from pair to pair. On multiple occasions, you actually get to see when someone new is brought to the school and how they're welcomed and made to feel at home. The movies take time to let these teens and young adults act their age even if it's basically filler. They're a group of people that found family in each other first, and a team of superheroes second. It's an instance that mutants as a metaphor for oppressed people shines bright. The X-Men universe is warm and hopeful (when the mansion isn't being blown up for the tenth time).

While the MCU let some characters build up relationships, the Avengers never really feel like anything more than coworkers. Few try to connect with people outside their personal bubble and most seem indifferent towards the rest of the team. Age of Ultron tried to portray them as a group of friends but didn't go all in, and following movies abandoned it altogether. That's one of the biggest missed opportunities from Disney's Marvel: the cast rarely got to be their true identities with each other rather than their hero identities.

[neodemon591]

Loki Series Review

Loki is an MCU television series that is directed by Kate Herron and created by Michael Waldron. The series stars Tom Hiddleston, Sophia Di Martino, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Wunmi Mosaku, Sasha Lane, Tara Strong, and Owen Wilson. Set after the events of Avengers Endgame, Loki is captured by the mysterious Time Variance Authority (TVA) who monitors the sacred timeline. Loki reluctantly teams up with the TVA as he travels through time and space to help stop a greater threat that threatens all of existence. I don’t really know what I was expecting when I first saw the trailers for this show or if I’d be as interested in it compared to the previous two MCU shows on Disney Plus. It turns out Loki blew past my expectations and is easily my favorite of the MCU shows and one of the best things Marvel has put out into television or film. 

It goes without saying how much we as an audience adore Tom Hiddleston’s performance as Loki. Even though the first two Thor films aren’t the best, he’s easily the best part about those two films. The character has changed a lot throughout the MCU and here it kinda reverse engineers that character's journey to something new. We see Loki mature and grow as a character throughout the series that’s a different journey from what he goes on in the films. Hiddleston just knocks it out of the park in this show with the dramatic acting as well as a fair amount of comedy. We really get to see the character of Loki shine in this show that I don’t think we fully saw in the films. 

The entire supporting cast around Hiddleston is stellar and all the actors/actresses do great work. It’s a plethora of riches with all the characters in this show where they all have their own arcs and motivations. In my book there isn’t a bad performance or a poorly written character in this show, everyone is great. There’s a few surprise characters that pop up in the show that steal the episodes they’re in, if you’ve watched the show you likely have an idea of who I’m talking about. I just don’t want to spoil it here in case anyone hasn’t finished or started this show yet. What makes these great characters work is the writing from Michael Waldron and the various other writers on this show, superb job. 

The visual landscape of this show is incredible, as it's reminiscent of Doctor Who, Blade Runner, and other trippy 80’s aesthetics. To add on to the visuals is the score composed by Natalie Holt who creates this wonderful, yet eerie and strange music that fits the overall nature of what’s going on. I can’t think of any problems that I had with this show, though some may find one of the episodes early on rather dull and boring. Aside from that, this show did wonders for me and the themes of free will versus determinism were explored in a wonderful way. Loki also set up how the rest of the MCU is going to look and shape in the years to come. This was an amazing beginning and while I look forward to season two, I just want to appreciate and take in what we got with this new entry in the MCU. 

[lunchador]

Don't mind me but I'm rambling. I'm gonna yell about this here cuz it is my fandom blog and that's what it's for.

Man, The Boys is the perfect example of seeing a comic, seeing the potential, and gutting it for something better. I used to be a fan of Garth Ennis, I used to say he was the kind of writer that could balance edgy in a fun way that wasn't too much, but after revisiting his work I'm like....very unimpressed. And I feel as he keeps releasing series they keep getting worse 😬 I can't say this on FB because some of my male friends hold it in high regards(lots of them read it as angry edgy teens) but Preacher? Kinda a super shit comic. I genuinely think the show was attempting something better by polishing up the core concept (also the casting? Chefs kiss). I liked The Boys. I own The Boys. But the show is a fantastic example of how a comic adaptation does not need to be faithful. I think they made the characters a lot more engaging, they kept the graphic violence but I'm not rolling my eyes at it, and made the overall plot more of an arc versus the previous baddie hero of the week style that made it feel disjointed. And it's nice not to be able to expect what is going to happen next, not like how some shows throw it in a new direction solely to fuck with you versus genuinely interesting. They still sprinkle tons of comic stuff nicely in the show (my friend and I screamed at love sausage). I think the timing of the show is excellent in both that there is a corporate superhero burnout with so many movies and shows being churned out (often playing it too safe where money > interesting) and also reflecting irl events in an eerie but clever way. The whole comic and show is assholes, and I'm thrilled to love to hate them. I couldn't even do much of a reread because it's just not that good to me anymore. Absolutely crazy that Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg read those two comics by Ennis and were like yeah, let's do this.

I feel the same way about Mark Millar though. I cannot stand his comics, I feel like he's pretty good with coming up with a concept but someone always executes it better on his behalf. Kingsman? Kick ass? Wanted? All superior to the comics. I think red son and jupiter's legacy are ones I did like, but I am very interested to see how netflix (?) Does jupiter's legacy in the wake of the boys. Not quite the same, but an edgy superhero series I highly expect people to make a comparison. It's about children of superheros that are struggling to live in their shadows. Drugs, sex, violence, drama.

On the other hand, I am screaming about the Invincible adaptation. IM SO FUCKING EXCITED. Invincible is in my top favorite comics, it got me INTO comics, and I always thought it was vastly superior to Kirkmans famous work Walking Dead. This I do hope sticks close to the comics (though maybe slightly better writing for women characters haha). I already know exactly what they're doing for the first arc and I really really hope we can get further than that because the series gets so fucking WILD. Insane all of the merch and now a show we are getting after the series ends. It's also super long for a western comic series at like 26 trades I think. I hope the show is a success for multiple reasons.

With the old guards success, I hope amazon finally does something with the rights they bought to Lazarus a few years ago. Greg Rucka is truly one of the best comic writers out there and that series is perfect for tv. Which reminds me I need to watch stumptown cuz I just bought the comic to reread and it's so good!!!!

And y the last man finally has its feet on the ground after being in development hell for like 10 years. Brian k vaughn writes the most human characters out there. And also paper girls is gonna be a series!!!! Fucking hell yeah!!! Hopefully it catches people attention as stranger things did. It's gonna be fun. And I hope saga never gets adapted. I truly think nothing will be able to capture it. Leave it as is.

And I'm still sad Chew ended up falling into development hell. Originally showtime wanted to use to to replace Dexter as that ended as their new bloody crime show, then it fell to an animated series which is better imo to pair with how weird it is and showcase the art style but I think the last I heard of it it was pretty much not happening. Especially since iZombie got surprising amount of traction and I guess they expected it to be too similar.

I'm also still bitter about Deadly Class's cancellation. I had a lot of potential. Great cast, good cinematography. It's such a fun tragic comic.

Locke&key was alright, it's such a good horror comic but I wouldn't be able to tell you what would have made the show better. Something didn't quite click for me.

I'm kinda really burnt out on marvel/dc. I don't think either is impressing me lately besides scattered things. I don't think I'm excited for any of the disney+ shows besides falcon+winter soldier and even then expectations are tentatively low. Maybe wandavision? I didn't give a shit about them in the movies but it's heavily based on a run of comics I did enjoy so I'm wary. I know only care about Hawkeye for Kate and she-hulk for the actress. Though I've been having a surprising amount of fun watching Doom Patrol and I enjoyed swamp thing. It's weird. It embraces that weird. There's something I feel like Umbrella Academy is missing it could learn from doom Patrol. Like ua still feels like it played it a bit safe. Idk. Haven't finished it because I'm not as motivated to.

And Faith?? Is gonna get a movie??? A plus size hero??? AHHHH. I have my first issue signed by the author I met at comic con a few years ago.

And watchmen of course.

And outcast, and happy, and powers! And I kill giants was turned into such a good movie!!! So many image comics!!

I just read nailbiter is gonna be a series so that's gonna be bloody and violent and full of serial killers lmao. The ending of that comic got a little ??? For me but I own the whole series so i guess that says something.

What a time to be a comics fan!!! We are so fucking spoiled lmao and there's still sooo many untapped series. I think Criminal would make a fantastic live action drama show. Who does like Intricate crimes and heists and overlapping stories And wic+div would make a stellar show especially if they really had fun with the music. And so many comics I like would make amazing animated series like pretty deadly, or chew, rocket girl. Haunt is another Kirkmans series that has potential to be a fun gritty superhero violent adaptation. Except the ectoplasma attacks haunt has looks like violent jizz sometimes. Idk. Like, URGHHHHHHH. Gimme gimme gimme more comic stuff.

And there's so many good things I'm not even aware it was a comic initially.

And there's so many things I hear good things I have yet to touch like black lightning, runaways ( I love the comics!!, Cloak and dagger (also great comics )

Old comic shit is good too. I've been rewatching the Spawn series. Adult animated superhero stuff is seriously underrated. The tank girl movie is FUN. ROCKETEEEEER!!!!! Disney was supposed to do a remake with a black girl. What happened to that?

I dislike all the cw shows though lmao too cheesy. Also why I can't get into agents of shield though I tried for Robbie.

So many THINGS