Movie Review: Acrimony (2018)

January 12, 2019January 12, 2019 ~ Alyxwrites ~ Leave a comment

Black-Dress-Taraji-P.-Henson-in-Acrimony-2018-1

Summary: A faithful wife, tired of standing by her devious husband, is enraged when it becomes clear she has been betrayed.

There will be spoilers because I don’t care.

Pros:

Leading Characters. I don’t think any of these characters are that interesting apart from the two leads, nor do I think the acting is that great throughout the movie. I will give a shout out to Ajiona Alexus as Young Melinda, she is great with her facial expressions and you do sympathize with her.

Taraji is always a Win. Taraji P. Henson is a very good actress and I generally think she does a great job in her roles. I think with the writing she was given, she managed to elevate in certain places throughout the movie. The narration (while I didn’t like it) was humorous in some areas and you can tell that she was truly affected by what was going on with her. I think Taraji is very engaging to watch even when she’s playing crazy.
Lyriq Bent as Robert. It’s kind of weird but while the character was mostly crap, Lyriq is really good at this role. He’s this man who is down on his luck and he just keeps trying to make this battery thing work and you can tell he really wants it too, but he’s so narrow focused on his own problems that he doesn’t see what he’s doing to his wife.

The Idea of the Story. The whole woman scorned thing is okay, I mean we’ve seen it many times before and this isn’t anything different but the idea of watching this woman stand by her man for a long time and then finally let it go and the things he promised are given to someone else, all that’s fine. I wouldn’t mind it so much if the execution was good… I guess I’m getting ahead of myself.

Cons:

The Narration.I won’t say I hate narration but I HATE unnecessary narration. We first see them in court and then we see Melinda in therapy and she’s talking about her feelings. We then get to see her entire backstory with Robert and Taraji is narrating it while she’s telling her therapist. I usually dislike this setup because NOW we get to hear her tell us her feelings and thoughts instead of allowing us to live in the moment! THERE WAS TOO MUCH NARRATION! Gah it was so annoying. You want me to feel bad for her but you are literally telling me in the narration that she KNEW something was up! She kept saying “Con man!” because YES I know she’s telling it from her point of view, but dang Tyler Perry, trust your audience to get that from Ajiona Alexus’ acting. There’s a part where young Melinda sees Robert’s home and they have an intimate moment and we can CLEARLY SEE that he’s affecting her with his Nina Simone and his charisma, WE DIDN’T NEED THE NARRATION TO TELL US THAT! It was super annoying.

Over the top. Sometimes things being over the top is fine but it does not work in this movie. It’s ridiculous to be honest. They wanted me to feel bad for Melinda, which I did for a little while. It wasn’t until the crazy stuff later on that I was like “nope”. I mean, in the beginning when she was younger, she found out Robert was cheating and she literally ran her jeep into his mobile home until it tipped over. She busted her face, got internal bleeding and had to get her uterus removed. I mean… why? Why couldn’t it just have been her breaking an arm or leg, or hurt her neck? I mean jeez. Then later, after she gets the divorce, she decides she wants to sue him for half of everything once he gets his battery off the ground. Look, I get it, you were there the entire time he’s been failing and you feel like you should get something, I get it, but listen, you divorced him and he gave all the money you spent on him and more. I know it’s not necessarily all that you probably deserve but it wasn’t like he divorced you after he made it big ya know? Plus, I’m sure seeing him give everything he said he was going to give you to someone else had to be upsetting, I get it. Completely. But you stalk his fiancée on Facebook and leave threatening messages and then try and sue him. I mean what? lol it doesn’t make sense and I feel no sympathy anymore. If anything, I just feel bad for you and not in a good way. If the movie wanted that then great job but if they wanted me to feel for Melinda lol psht. Just ridiculous.

The Last Two Acts. I think the first act with the young versions and up until the divorce was fine. Painful but fine. When they get a divorce and she sees that he is now living the life he always said he wanted to live she loses it. Now, I don’t mind her being upset and the whole “woman scorned” thing but wow, the movie begins to take this break neck pace where it starts to get embarrassing and my friend kept rolling over because it was so painful to watch. It was like a car wreck. It went from this woman feeling betrayed to this “misery” thing and it was just… ugh ridiculous.

The Women. I don’t know what Tyler Perry’s issue is with black women, but literally all of the women in this movie are just out of their minds. Melinda of course has her issues that come full force later in the movie and I think it’s ridiculous that no one in her life addressed it beforehand. I know the black community has a hard time with mental health but still, considering the fact that Melinda knew her father had the same issue as her, it must have been mentioned. Why not more often by other people? They all seemed to know that she had this anger issue, so why hasn’t it ever been helped before? It’s a movie, she can go to therapy. Then her sisters were just stereotypes. Brenda was the one who just knew all the answers and was constantly putting Robert down and always always in Melinda’s business. I know she’s the oldest sister and she was protective but there are boundaries ma’am and you keep crossing them. The second sister, she was so timid… I guess? She was the other extreme to the oldest sister where she was always so mellow and tried to be the peace keeper but she always sided with Brenda. Then you have the lady that Robert ends up with and at first I was like okay, because she was like “I didn’t know about Melinda” when they were younger but she for some reason, started watching all of the videos he’d sent over the years (even though he was JUST issued a restraining order from the company) and you can clearly see her falling in love with him again and I’m like… girl lol, just because he’s brilliant doesn’t mean he’s not crazy. I just can’t. The only sane one was the friend.

Bad Acting. Outside of our leads the acting was horrible. I thought the friend was fine but the sisters, the other woman and the husbands were all just bad.

Overall, this movie is so bad I could barely finish it. I wanted to give up. I knew it was going to be bad but I hoped that it wouldn’t be so terrible since the two lead actors are good at their jobs, which they are. There’s nothing wrong with telling the story of a woman who wasted her life with someone who didn’t give her everything and more that she gave. I get it. I really do. Anyone who can relate, sure, but there’s a line between you feeling like you are owed and then just going crazy. It’s just so over the top that it’s not even good or interesting storytelling. It makes the main character who we’re supposed to sympathize with look bad and as the audience, I no longer care. The acting is bad minus, the women in this movie are stereotypes and terrible. The last two acts of the film are rushed and full of bad writing. I just can’t. I’m done with this movie lol.

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars.

Have you seen Acrimony? What did you think of it? Let me know your thoughts on the movie down in the comments below. If you liked it, tell me, I’m curious.

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Anticipated Movies of 2019

January 11, 2019January 11, 2019 ~ Alyxwrites ~ Leave a comment

2019 is going to be an amazing year, that’s what they all say. I’m interested in seeing the number of movies that come out this year. 2018 was a great year for movies but it was a weird year for ME seeing them lol. I hope I can do even better this year and see the ones that I really want to see.

I’m sure there is also going to be a lot of movies that pop up during the year that won’t be on this list but that’s fine because this list contains the movies that I know about.

So, just like last year, I’m going to do my most anticipated movies by month.

January

Glass- January 18: Security guard David Dunn uses his supernatural abilities to track Kevin Wendell Crumb, a disturbed man who has twenty-four personalities. I still have to watch Unbreakable, but Split was legit so I’m down for this movie.

February

What Men Want- Feb 8: A woman is boxed out by the male sports agents in her profession but gains an unexpected edge over them when she develops the ability to hear their thoughts. This has Taraji P. Henson in it, and it’s like What Women Want, which I really enjoy lol. I hope it’s good since 2018 wasn’t very nice to Taraji with those other two movies.

Happy Death Day 2U- Feb 14: Tree Gelbman discovers that dying over and over was surprisingly easier than the dangers that lie ahead. I thoroughly enjoyed the first one so I’m down for this one.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World- Feb 22: When Hiccup discovers Toothless isn’t the only Night Fury, he must seek “The Hidden World”, a secret Dragon Utopia before a hired tyrant named Grimmel finds it first. The first two are fantastic movies, so I would imagine that this would be the same. The animation looks better than ever and I’m excited!

March

Chaos Walking- March 1: A dystopian world where there are no women and all living creatures can hear each other’s thoughts in a stream of images, words, and sounds called Noise. Apparently, it’s based on a YA novel, these don’t usually do well when they’re “dystopian” at least not consistently, but Tom Holland is in it sooo I’m there.

Greta- March 1: A young woman befriends a lonely widow. I saw this trailer on YouTube and it looks bonkers! I’m down.

Captain Marvel- March 8: Carol Danvers becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes when Earth is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races. Need I say anything more? I’m excited. I just hope Brie Larson kicks butt in the role because I love her, and I think she’s a great actress, but the trailers don’t do anything for her acting ability.

Us- March 15: A mother and father take their kids to their beach house, expecting to enjoy time with friends, but their serenity turns to tension and chaos when some visitors arrive uninvited. But Alyx, I thought you didn’t like scary movies… I don’t know. However, I want to support the culture lol and it looks interesting. Sooooo I’ll be there… scared, watching through my fingers.

Dumbo- March 29: A young elephant, whose oversized ears enable him to fly, helps save a struggling circus, but when the circus plans a new venture, Dumbo and his friends discover dark secrets beneath its shiny veneer. I know people don’t like these “live action” Disney remakes but I’m optimistic and open to them. I have always loved Dumbo the animation movie so I’m excited about this one! Dumbo is so precious!

April

Avengers: Endgame-April 26: The Plot is unknown. Listen, Infinity War kicked me in the stomach so I’m ready. I don’t even care if they have the Care Bears come down and do a Care Bear stare, I’m there.

May

John Wick: Chapter 3- May 17: Plot Unknown but it’s the third installment in the series. John Wick kicks ass and I’m there.

The Sun is Also a Star- May 17: A teenager finds love at a difficult time in her family’s life. I really loved the book so I’m looking forward to the film. I wasn’t too impressed with the casting (I like Yara Shahidi but Natasha is Jamaican and described as having darker skin). Plus, Everything, Everything the film was okay so I’m like hmmm but I am optimistic.

Aladdin- May 24, 2019: A live-action retelling of the 1992 Disney film of the same name. I AM SO OPTIMISTIC! I’m curious because Guy Ritchie has a certain style and I wonder if it’ll fit this kind of movie. I really hope it’s good and I’m there.

June

Dark Phoenix- June 7: Jean Grey begins to develop incredible powers that corrupt and turn her into a Dark Phoenix. Now the X-Men will have to decide if the life of a team member is worth more than all the people living in the world. I’m optimistic lol, I don’t think X-men Apocalypse was that great but there were parts of it I liked. The last time dark phoenix was done it wasn’t very good, so we’ll see how this turns out. I mean, the promo photos were pretty great so… optimistic.

Toy Story 4-June 21, 2019. When a new toy called “Forky” joins Woody and the gang, a road trip alongside old and new friends reveals how big the world can be for a toy. Do we really need another Toy Story film? Not really… but will I be watching it? Most definitely.

July

Spider-Man: Far from Home-July 5, 2019: Peter Parker and his friends go on summer vacation to Europe, where Peter finds himself trying to save his friends against a villain known as Mysterio. I AM SO EXCITED! I really enjoyed Tom Holland in Civil War and I thought Homecoming was great, so I hope they keep that vibe they had in the first movie and make the sequel even better.

The Lion King- July 19, 2019: CGI re-imagining of the 1994 Disney classic. I wouldn’t call it “live action” it’s a CGI remake and I’m there. I thought the teaser was lovely, Simba was so precious and I’m curious to see how they’ve updated it. I’m into it.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood-July 26, 2019: A faded TV actor and his stunt double embark on an odyssey to make a name for themselves in the film industry during the Helter Skelter reign of terror in 1969 Los Angeles. This has a great cast.

August

The New Mutants-August 2, 2019: Five young mutants, just discovering their abilities while held in a secret facility against their will, fight to escape their past sins and save themselves. Another year and no movie, so I’m still waiting to see it!

September

It: Chapter Two-September 6, 2019: Twenty-seven years later, the Losers Club have grown up and moved away, until a devastating phone call brings them back. I loved the first one…. another horror lol I know, I might even go past my “3 a year” quota if there are some I want to see, and I want to see this one. Great cast (though I still don’t like Chastain as older Beverly) and I’m interested to see how our adult Losers Club takes down Pennywise.

October

Zombieland 2- October 2019: Columbus, Tallahassee, Wichita, and Little Rock move to the American heartland as they face off against evolved zombies, fellow survivors, and the growing pains of the snarky makeshift family. I LOOVE the first one and it seems like the original actors are back so I’m there!

November

Kingsman 3-November 8. Plot unknown. I loved the first one, the second one was just okay, so I hope this one brings the trilogy back to being solid.

Frozen 2-November 27. Elsa, Anna, Kristoff and Olaf are going far in the forest to know the truth about an ancient mystery of their kingdom. I don’t even care, I love the first one. It doesn’t bother me at all nor is it annoying so I’m ready to see what happens next. The only thing that annoyed me was them playing that super long Olaf Christmas short in front of Coco. That was uncalled for.

December

Jumanji 2- December 13. Plot unknown. I really liked the first one to my surprise so I’m curious to see what they do for the sequel.

Little Women-December 25: Four sisters come of age in America in the aftermath of the Civil War. I LOVE Little Women and I’m excited for this adaptation. I love Emma Watson, Saoirse Ronan and the other great acting talents in this film. It’s also being directed by Greta Gerwig who did Lady Bird which I loved so yeah, exciting.

Star Wars: Episode IX-December 20. Plot unknown. I have come to terms that I am not a big Star Wars fan. I enjoy the movies and I have enjoyed the new trilogy, so I’m interested in seeing the last one.

Not really Anticipating but want to see:

January

The Kid Who Would Be King- Jan 25: Looks like it’s about King Arthur. I mean, it might be terrible, but the trailers seem fun.

Serenity- Jan 25: I have no idea what this movie is about, but I like Anne Hathaway and Matthew McConaughey.

February

Miss. Bala- Feb 1: Gloria finds a power she never knew she had when she is drawn into a dangerous world of cross-border crime. Surviving will require all of her cunning, inventiveness, and strength. Based on the Spanish-language film. It reminds me of all the other films that are similar to this but it looks nice and I enjoy Gina Rodriguez.

The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part- Feb 8: No idea what this movie is about but the first one is cute so why not.

Alita: Battle Angel- Feb 14: The trailer seems interesting, it reminds me of Astroboy… I mean if anything the graphics look good.

March

Five Feet Apart-Mar 22: A pair of teenagers with life-threatening illnesses meet in a hospital and fall in love. I’m not to sure if I think it’ll be any good, but I want to see Cole Sprouse not in Riverdale and I wonder if it’ll make me cry.

April

Shazam! – April 5: We all have a superhero inside us, it just takes a bit of magic to bring it out. In Billy Batson’s case, by shouting out one word – SHAZAM! – this streetwise 14-year-old foster kid can turn into the adult superhero Shazam. I’m not really anticipating this one, I’m just interested in seeing it because it looks fun.

The Best of Enemies- April 5: Civil rights activist Ann Atwater faces off against C.P. Ellis, Exalted Cyclops of the Ku Klux Klan, in 1971 Durham, North Carolina over the issue of school integration. I saw this trailer when I saw The Hate U Give and it looks good and Taraji P. Henson is in it so even more reason to see it.

Little- April 12: A woman is transformed into her younger self at a point in her life when the pressures of adulthood become too much to bear. I’m definitely going to see it to support! Plus it looks like it’ll be a good time.

May

Pokémon Detective Pikachu- May 10: In a world where people collect Pokémon to do battle, a boy comes across an intelligent talking Pikachu who seeks to be a detective. I just want to see what happens, plus I think the Pokémon designs are pretty dope.

Rocketman- May 17: The story of Elton John’s life, from his years as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music through his influential and enduring musical partnership with Bernie Taupin. Taron Egerton is playing Elton John… sure lol. I like Taron, so why not.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters-May 31: The crypto-zoological agency Monarch faces off against a battery of god-sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah. I enjoyed the first one minus the boring human stuff but this one seems interesting.

June

The Secret Life of Pets 2-June 7: Plot unknown. The first one is cute so I’m into seeing the second one.

July

August

Hobbs And Shaw- August 2, 2019: A spinoff of The Fate of the Furious, focusing on Johnson’s US Diplomatic Security Agent Luke Hobbs forming an unlikely alliance with Statham’s Deckard Shaw. I like both characters in the franchise, they were both fun in The Fate of the Furious, so this should be fun to watch.

Artemis Fowl- August 9, 2019: Artemis Fowl II, a young Irish criminal mastermind, kidnaps the fairy LEPrecon officer Holly Short for ransom to fund the search for his missing father to restore the family fortune. I read the book in middle school and I remember liking it, so I’m curious to see how the movie holds up. I will read the book again to truly compare but I can’t help but think this will be another A Wrinkle in Time mess.

September

Spies in Disguise- Sept 13: When the world’s best spy is turned into a pigeon, he must rely on his nerdy tech officer to save the world. Voice talents of Will Smith and Tom Holland, and the trailer was charming so sure, I’ll watch it.

October

Gemini Man- Oct 4: An over-the-hill hitman faces off against a younger clone of himself. It’s basically like Looper with Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon Levitt it seems like, but I’m interested in seeing it.

Joker- October 4. A failed stand-up comedian is driven insane and becomes a psychopathic murderer. lol sure, why not.

The Addams Family-October 11. An animated version of Charles Addams’ series of cartoons about a peculiar, ghoulish family. It has a great cast being led by Oscar Isaac who is always a win in my book… but I’m not like off my seat for it even though I really enjoy The Addams Family. I’ve always thought that if they ever did anymore live action films Oscar Isaac should play Gomez Addams.

November

Charlie’s Angels- November 1. Plot Unknown. LOL sure. I’m curious.

Sonic the Hedgehog-November 15. A cop in rural town of Green Hills will help Sonic escape from the government who is looking to capture him. lol I’ve always liked Sonic… I think he looks a little weird on the poster, but I will wait to pass judgement when it’s released.

December

I’m sure there are movies that will pop up throughout the year that won’t be on this list but I’ll probably add more as I discover more.

What movies are you anticipating this year? Let me know in the comments below!

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Best Movies of 2018

January 8, 2019 ~ Alyxwrites ~ Leave a comment

Another list that I am SUPER late with but here it is! I didn’t see a ton of movies this year as I wanted to but listed here are the ones I thought stood out the most that I saw.

Honorable Mentions: Ready Player One, Crazy Rich Asians, Annihilation, Ant-Man and the Wasp

10. Bumblebee

I haven’t reviewed this yet and I don’t know if I will, but I thought this was very good. I was surprised. I don’t care for any of the Transformers movies. I think I’ve only see the first two, but I really enjoyed the adventure, but I was also really into the friendship (also seemed a little romantic lol) that bloomed between Charlie and Bumblebee which was shocking to me. I also very much enjoyed the action. Yes, be shocked people lol.

9. Love, Simon

I very much enjoyed this movie. I even teared up at the end. Nick Robinson did a very good job in this role. Simon is so likable, and you root for him throughout the movie. Unlike the book where I hated some characters, I generally liked everyone (all the main characters) in the movie. It’s a nice teen, coming of age movie for those who may be in the same struggle as Simon.

8. Sorry to Bother You

I haven’t reviewed this yet and I do plan on it, but this movie is bonkers. I mean, I really liked it. I think it’s one of those you either “love it” or you “hate it” because it’s weird. I get the message, I like the quirkiness of it and I thought it was handled in a very original way. Great movie experience.

7. The Incredibles 2

Something we’ve been waiting for for years! I don’t think it’s better than the first one but it’s a nice follow up. I loved seeing the Parr family again and I loved seeing Elastigirl really use her powers because she’s awesome. The story is interesting, the characters are STILL likable, and the action and adventure aspect is so much fun!

6. Avengers: Infinity War

I haven’t seen it again in a while, but this movie really kicked me in the stomach. It was great seeing 10 years of MCU movies come to a head in this film. I think the direction was handled well since there were so many characters in this film to juggle. I thought it could have been a mess, but it wasn’t. I do think there was some issues which doesn’t put it in the Top 5 of my MCU movies (at least right now it doesn’t) but it’s Sooooo worth it.

5. Mission Impossible: Fallout

This movie is dope! I love the Mission Impossible movies and Ethan Hunt is awesome! Shoot, the Avengers need to let him help them take down Thanos lol. It’s because of these movies that I know spy movies don’t necessarily HAVE to be convoluted. Fallout is so much fun, you get to see Tom Cruise RUN LIKE A CHAMP! Plus, Henry Cavill was also great in it and we got to see the best moment ever.

4. A Quiet Place

Anyone who knows me knows I don’t like horror films. I know that “horror” is a wide genre so there are smaller umbrellas of horror I would enjoy (like I want to see Happy Death Day 2 U) and this was one of those I really wanted to see. I would consider it more of a thriller than anything but it’s one of those movies where you MUST watch since it’s so quiet. It forces you to be quiet and pay attention. I think all the acting is very good and the use of sound and music in the film is top notch. Great directorial debut by John Kransinski and of course Emily Blunt is always a win.

3. The Hate U Give

Based on the bestselling novel of the same name. It is a great book adaptation and I think the movie was well done. The acting, the story and the passion behind it was all handled very well and it shows. Sure, it’s a little different from the book but it’s still very good. Amandla Stenberg was great and powerful as Starr Carter and the story hits so close to what has been happening with black people and police. Very relevant.

2. Black Panther

I mean what can I say? It’s Black Panther. I argued for a while if this will be my number one movie and I settled with it here. It is such a win for black superheroes, for black nerds, for black people and for people in general. The story may be familiar, but I think you can tell there was love behind it. I mean, the costumes, the musical score, it’s funny and it has a lot of emotional moments that are totally earned. Plus, my husband is in it and he killed that villain role! Everyone in this movie DID that.

1. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Listen, if you have not seen this movie and you’re a Spider-man fan then what is wrong with you? This is THE BEST Spider-Man movie (fight me) and I’m so glad that Miles Morales is at the helm in this. I love Peter Parker, I have and always will love Peter Parker but this movie having Miles as the lead was a smart move because it follows the message of the movie… anyone can be behind the mask if you let go. The animation is beautiful, the music is used well in the film, the action is so good, the characters are ALL interesting, I mean there are a lot of characters and they all get their time to shine. Miles is a fully realized character and if you don’t know much about him going into the movie, then I reckon you’ll love him by the end. This was such a great movie experience and I recommend for any Spider-Man fan to go out and watch this one.

So what are your thoughts on my list? Remember, this is my opinion so if you disagree, please tell me what your list is in the comments below!

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Worst Movies of 2018

January 5, 2019January 5, 2019 ~ Alyxwrites ~ Leave a comment

Soooo I am super late than usual with this list but I wanted to make sure I shared what I thought were some of the worst movies of 2018. Unlike 2017, I did not see a ton of movies this year. It’s been an interesting year as I have been working on graduating from my master’s program (Which I did whoooo!) but I realized I saw enough movies to make this list. I saw a few more that I wanted to add even after the year ended.

There are plenty of movies I didn’t see that I heard weren’t very good but I can’t pass judgment because I didn’t see them.

Dishonorable Mentions:The Commuter, Teen Titans Go To the Movies, Father Figures, A Wrinkle in Time, I Feel Pretty, Solo: A Star Wars Story

10. The Darkest Minds

Another unfortunate mistake of a movie that should have been a television show. This movie is so dull and uninteresting and I think such a missed opportunity. I already have ranted enough about it so you can just read the review to see why. I don’t think it’s the worst on the list, it’s just boring.

9. Red Sparrow

This movie was a slog. I don’t think it’s the worst thing ever but it’s a slog. It’s so long and for no reason. I don’ know why spy movies feel the need to be so convoluted. I have no idea what the book is like but the movie felt like it was just something to see Jennifer Lawrence try her hand at. I’m not an accent expert but her Russian accent wasn’t that great, I wasn’t that invested in her character and the movie is overall cringy. I understood what was going on, I even completely guessed the ending because it is what I would have done but boy it took a long time getting there. sighs

8. Pacific Rim: Uprising

I thoroughly enjoyed the first one. It’s not a masterpiece but it was fun to watch and enjoyable. So, my question is, why do they keep making sequels to these blockbusters where the main character (or one of them) is the kid of the hero of the first film and they’re this huge tool? I mean, John Boyega is likable but his character is kind of lame in this film. He’s not that funny or charismatic (which is sad because I think John Boyega is both of those things naturally). The story… lol what story? Doesn’t really kick in until the end otherwise it’s a bunch of people talking. It’s also pretty boring until the end and that’s a shame.

7. Proud Mary

I had to see this twice and I was bored out of my mind both times. I was actually on my phone most of the second time I saw it and kind of fell asleep. I like Taraji, I think she’s a good actress and it was cool seeing her kick butt and she’s great with emotional acting and I loved the stuff with Mary and Danny. BUUUT the movie is boring and all over the place, it’s underwhelming, the side characters are stupid, the action was lame outside of a few pieces and I wanted to like it but I can’t, Taraji can’t even make me like the movie.

6. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Another boring, dull mess. It wanted to be tension filled and interesting but it focuses on stuff that I cannot imagine anyone caring about when the movie should have stuck with the idea of wanting to either save or kill the dinosaurs. The entire second act of the film is just so out of place and all of the characters are stupid. ALL OF THEM. I mean, the ending alone is just ridiculous.

5. Fifty Shades Freed

I actually forgot this came out this year lol, but it’s bad. It’s better than Darker whichis just the worst, but it’s still so bad. Again, all of these characters are just so stupid and nothing makes sense. I still need to know why Ana was promoted to that job when she was just an assistant and barely had qualifications. I wish it worked that way. The whole thing with Jack Hyde was lame, you’re mad over something Christian had no control over? Also, you didn’t know he didn’t want to have kids until AFTER you married him? Aren’t all three of the movies taking place within like a year? Pfft. So dumb. Her wedding dress was beautiful though.

4. Acrimony

I haven’t reviewed it yet and I definitely will but anyone who really knows me knows I do not know like Tyler Perry and do not care for his movies. There are a few here and there I like but most of the time, meh. So, I only wanted to see this because of Taraji P. Henson and even she could not save this movie from terrible writing, terrible pacing and what is clearly a rush job. That’s all I got for this bit, you’ll see what I completely think in the review.

3. Show Dogs

Still can’t believe I watched this. I thought it was something else but alas. Y’all it’s stupid. It’s a kids movie but I can’t imagine a kid actually sitting through this unless they like to see talking dogs. So so bad.

2. Samson

Oh boy. I like this bible story and I love the adaptation with Hedy Lamarr. The acting is poor, the wigs and beards given in the third act of the film are terrible, the entire Samson and Delilah storyline was glazed over. I guess in the end it was about Samson but he wasn’t interesting, he’s a jerk but wasn’t an interesting jerk. Taylor James didn’t have any of the charisma that Samson seemed to have considering how he got away with a LOT. The stuff with the Prince and the King was just so hammy. I laughed a lot when I wasn’t supposed to.

1. The 15: 17 to Paris

WHAT EVEN IS THIS MOVIE??? Y’all this movie is so bad it’s laughable. The first mistake was taking this 5-minute incident and turning it into a feature length. Second mistake, casting the real guys to play themselves, they are not actors and it shows. The dialogue is bad, the acting is bad and I just cannot. It’s a nice idea to honor the guys who did a great thing but not this movie. Not at all.

What movies from 2018 were on YOUR list for being the worst? Let me know in the comments below!

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Movie Review: Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle (2018)

January 5, 2019 ~ Alyxwrites ~ Leave a comment

Summary: A human child raised by wolves must face off against a menacing tiger named Shere Khan, as well as his own origins.

Pros:

Cast and Characters. The voice over cast is extremely good. I didn’t know who was in the movie before I watched it so I wasn’t really placing anyone. I then noticed Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett and Benedict Cumberbatch were in the movie and then I figured out who they were lol.

Rohan Chand as Mowgli. First of all, this kid is adorable. Extremely. I thought he did very well in the movie. There were a few times where it wasn’t coming through exactly like in the emotional moments but overall, I thought he managed to push through it. I like the moments where he’s quiet and he’s just watching because he has very expressive eyes. Some of my favorite moments was when he just got into the man village and he was learning everything, the camera would just watch him as he watched and learned and it was really beautiful. I also thought he did very well with reacting to the animals around him, showing his fear, his anger and the emotional bits. As I said, it didn’t always hit but I thought he did very well. He was very sympathetic.
Christian Bale as Bagheera. He is a black panther who finds Mowgli after his family was killed and takes him to the wolves. He becomes one of Mowgli’s mentors and friends. We also learn from him that he was born in human custody. Bagheera is kind and caring and while he believes in Mowgli, he’s also worried about him when it comes to living in the jungle with Shere Khan on the loose. Bagheera often makes choices that would protect Mowgli even if it seems harsh at the time. I knew I recognized his voice when I first started watching the movie, I think Christian Bale is great at voice overs (Howl’s Moving Castle anyone?) and his voice is so soft with honey like tones in the movie that it really works. There’s a great scene where Mowgli and Bagheera are talking about Bagheera’s history and it was a moving scene.

Benedict Cumberbatch as Shere Khan. He is a crippled Bengal tiger and Mowgli’s arch-enemy. He’s ruthless and will do anything to get what he wants. I think with him being crippled (his front right paw is like bent back so he can’t walk on the pad of his paw). Benedict Cumbersnatch is good at voice acting, he’s played many a villain in motion capture. I thought the voice he put on for the character was sinister.

Supporting Characters. There are a lot of side characters, some whose names I didn’t retain but there are a few who might not constantly be in the film but they have important roles.

Cate Blanchett as Kaa. She is a python and a seer. She is the main narrator of the film and it seems that she is on Mowgli’s side. We see her mainly twice, once where she saves Mowgli and then another time when he goes to her and she shows him some important information. I guess she could be a “mentor” but she’s not around enough for me to really say that. Cate Blanchett is always a win and her voice is amazing as always.
Andy Serkis as Baloo. He’s not the Baloo we know from the Disney movies, but a grisly, drill sergeant teacher. His face has a lot of scars showing his life, which was cool, but he looked a little odd. We did get to see him fight a few times which was cool. I don’t think he and Mowgli had a relationship that rivaled what we’ve seen before but the role he played, where he encouraged Mowgli to be at his best. One of my favorite parts was during the Running and he freaked out on Bagheera because of what he did. Andy Serkis is always great in motion capture and he’s great here too.

Dark and Gritty. I’ve never read the book, it’s on my list and I don’t know the tone of the story but this is very different from the Disney versions which director Andy Serkis made clear. For one thing, Baloo is this grisly mentor instead of a happy-go-lucky friend. Also, with the hunter and how Mowgli ends up deciding between the village and the jungle that was pretty intense. The monkey scene as well, there isn’t a King Louis but the monkeys end up knocking him out while dragging him to their hideout, and Shere Khan leaves this giant scar down Mowgli’s arm… I mean it’s also a little bloody. I quite enjoyed it though. I also think there was a little more at stake here in that Shere Khan was doing things that would break jungle law. The Hunter storyline in general and what we learn about Bagheera.

Bagheera and Mowgli. I didn’t want to compare this to Disney’s The Jungle Book (2015) but in this case I kind of have too. In both Disney versions, one of the biggest praises is the friendship that Mowgli has with both Bagheera and Baloo. Obviously, they are on two different levels with Baloo being the fun-loving friend and Bagheera being the protective one, but this movie does it a little differently. Baloo and Mowgli aren’t really friends at all, but he and Bagheera are and I thought the relationship they had was beautiful. Bagheera truly cared about him and did everything he could to protect him even if it came off in the wrong way. The scene by the cage, that is one of my favorite scenes.

The Man-Village. This might be a little spoilery, but meh lol. I really enjoyed the scenes in the man village. Mowgli wakes up in a cage and just watches everything around him and we see how some of the people react to him as he is a little jungle baby. Then when we finally see him out and about in the village, there’s a great scene between him and Frida Pinto as she washes him and teaches him the ways of the village. There’s not a lot of dialogue that goes on while he’s there, mostly because he doesn’t understand their language (though I wonder since he understands the animals, can other humans understand them or how that works. I mean, it’s fine but I’m curious). Then they have a Festival of Colors and I want to go so bad lol, but it was great and to see him fall into it and enjoy himself. It was great. I really liked all of that stuff.

Cons:

Shere Khan’s Motives. I guess he doesn’t really need any but I’ve always thought the idea of him killing humans just to kill them was lame. I mean, sure, it’s a villain move, but he’s so hellbent on getting Mowgli because he missed him the first time without an actual cause? It doesn’t make for a very interesting villain personally. He keeps doing things that breaks the law of the jungle… but why? He didn’t necessarily need to say why, but it would have been nice to discover that.

A Little Too Dark. There were a lot of times in the movie where I couldn’t see what was going on. I shouldn’t have to adjust my TV’s brightness for the movie to be seen. It was really annoying a few times so I just had to shrug it off.

Weird CGI. I don’t think all of the animals looked that great. It was cool that they had scars and battle wounds ya know, they’ve lived in the jungle but some of them looked scary and not in a good way. I think particularly the wolves and Baloo didn’t look great.

Rushed In the Last Act. I prefer the first half definitely because I thought it was pretty well paced but the last half flew through the story. I liked the stuff in the village, especially when he was in the cage, but once he finds that stuff with Lockwood, it just goes so fast that it feels so different from the first half. His standoff with Shere Khan was so quick I was like… meh.

Overall, I quite enjoyed Mowgli: Legend of the Jungleand I tried not to compare it to Disney’s version in 2015 and yes, it’s very different. I thought most of the characters were interesting, particularly Mowgli, Shere Khan and Bagheera. All of the motion capture and voice over acting was handled really well and I thought Christian Bale really portrayed the character of Bagheera in an interesting, compelling and sympathetic way. I will also give Rohan Chand his props for playing Mowgli. This is his first leading role and I thought he handled himself really well, he’s really great to watch. I enjoyed the dark and gritty tone in that it felt like there were actual things at stake, the hunter storyline, the kind of frightening images and of course the monkey stuff lol. I also really loved the storyline between Bagheera and Mowgli, they seemed a lot closer in this version and it allowed them to have a different kind of relationship that was really emotional. The man village scene was beautiful, without the dialogue it really helps just watch Mowgli grow immersed. Now, I did have a problem with how dark the movie looked in that I couldn’t tell what was going on. The CGI wasn’t always the best. The last act was extremely rushed after what I thought was nice pacing in the first two acts. Also, Shere Khan’s motives were kind of meh. I get it but meh. But it’s worth the watch if you love The Jungle Book.

Rating: 3.59 out of 5 stars.

Have you seen Netflix’s Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle? If not, you should check it out, it’s worth the watch especially if you love The Jungle Book. If you have seen it, let me know your thoughts down below and let’s discuss!

Thanks for reading and be sure to like and follow this blog for more movie reviews!

TV Review: Marvel’s Runaways Season 2 (2018)

January 2, 2019January 2, 2019 ~ Alyxwrites ~ Leave a comment

runaways

Marvel’s Runaways has returned! I thoroughly enjoyed season 1. It did start off a little slow, which is fine, it didn’t bother me, I watched it twice. I think if you haven’t seen the show and are curious about watching it, then I think you should. The good thing, it is on Hulu which allows for a complete watch without having to wait each week for an episode. My friend and I watched it in two days and I really liked this season.

I did a review for season one here. I also did a piece where I talked about Alex Wilder from the show and the comics as he is my favorite character in both mediums. I had a lot to say so please check those two pieces out! As I already did a formal review for the show, I’m not particularly going to do that again so this review will be a little different.

On to the review!

The Runaways

I think once again these characters are interesting. They have the makings to be really good characters and I think for the most part, they manage to remain so throughout the season. Instead of going through each like I would normally do, I will hit on the Runaways, giving more emphasis on those I thought stood out.

Alex Wilder (Rhenzy Feliz): I think he is the most layered of the Runaways so far and definitely the stand out this season. I thought he did really well with what he was given in the first season which wasn’t much, but they really dug more into him this season which I appreciated. The season hit the ground running and I think he could tell he wasn’t wanted so he removed himself from the equation (he even says which made me cackle “I’m just the NPC in the MMORG of your lives), and it shows that everyone treats him this way. He even tried to help them have a steady flow of money by working with Darrius. While helping, a romantic relationship started to form between him and Livvie (Ajiona Alexus) who was Darrius’s sister in law type person? They were cute and I liked that he seemed to have moved on from Nico (who doesn’t deserve him anyway!). We got to see him go through a lot this season within himself. He’s been the only Runaway who didn’t give up on the fact that their parents are criminals and have killed teenagers regardless of how much they may love them. It seems to personally affect him the most because he was close with his parents and would never think they would hurt anyone or hurt him. I like that he’s steadfast in that and he’ll do whatever he thinks he can to bring them down. Sure, not all of his plans are fool proof nor is he perfect, which is something he also talked about with Chase. He wants to show the others that his presence is necessary and he wants to do right by them. He may be logical but he’s also emotional in some of his decisions. The fact that he acknowledged that I thought showed tremendous growth. I find it interesting how the others know that he always has a plan but they always talk crap about him. *sighs* I’m trying not to rant but sooo many feelings lol. Rhenzy Feliz continues to do a great job with his character. His emotions play across his face very well and my friend and I always mention his nostril flare lol but I’m glad he had a lot to do and he’s the MVP this season.
Nico Minoru (Lyrica Okano): I like Nico for the most part but she can be soooo judgey. When the season started and she was still being mean to Alex and then we saw his name in her cellphone, I was like *hard eye roll* but she did go to him to express some of her feelings towards him. I don’t think things were fully hashed out between them because I feel like Alex doesn’t stand up for himself enough, so I hope they have a full heart to heart later on. In this season, Nico uses the Staff of One in some pretty dope ways to the point where she makes decisions that affect others and she has to deal with it. It’s easy to tell that she’s afraid of it while also wanting to learn more about it. There are a few moments where it seems like instinct just takes over even when she’s exhausted to help out and I want to see more of that and I want to know where it comes from! I think Lyrica Okano has good chemistry with Virginia Gardner, which is necessary for her relationship with Karolina but I don’t know how I completely feel about it. I mean, it’s cute, but I still think it was pretty left field and that Nico may not feel the same way as Karolina which might blow up in their faces later. I know about her whispered confession when Karolina walked away but that doesn’t mean anything to me right now. I liked that she got a little closure about Amy (now we just need to find out why Alex didn’t go to the funeral), and that she’s a bit more confident in herself now. I think Lyrica is a very good actress and I hope to see her do more physical stuff because that scene with her and her parents was DOPE.
Karolina Dean (Virginia Gardner): In this season, Karolina is learning who she is, what her powers are and how she can use them without limitations. I mean, she still has limitations as she is still learning but I’m glad we got to see a lot more of her using her powers than in the first season. She is kind of the optimist of the group, and still religious even though her religion is a sham. I don’t think we got a ton of growth from her this season as she is still the same person she was, just a bit freer? I guess I would consider her the voice of reason in the group. Now, she does some stupid stuff and I cannot believe she got away with it for the most part, but ya know, she’s nice and stuff. I think anyone could understand her when it comes to her how she reacts around her parents and Jonah. She’s confused so I’ll give her that. I hope in season three, we really get to see her shake it up with her powers. Virginia Gardner is extremely likable as Karolina, even if she’s annoying sometimes.
Gert Yorkes (Ariela Barer): Gert was going through it this season. She has anxiety which was in full force this season, plus she didn’t have her meds to help keep her sane. I felt for her but it also took her out of a lot of action this season. A lot of her storyline was her relationship insecurities with Chase and I was annoyed. I like that Gert is outspoken and will say whatever she wants, but I also don’t want her to just be a typical SJW whose only real conflict is steeped in a boy. There was an interesting storyline where Old Lace got sick which in turn got Gert sick, it was cool to learn just how deep her mental connection to her dinosaur goes. I find Gert likable, I know a lot of people are annoyed with her but she’s okay to me. I just need her to do more things than just sit on the sidelines and talk. Ariela Barer does a very good job with the emotional side of Gert, now I just need to see a bit more layer.
Chase Stein (Gregg Sulkin): I like Chase, I think he’s sweet, especially in the way he treats Molly and Gert. It’s clear he likes Gert and is nowhere near as confused about it as she is. I think it’s clear he wants to have a relationship with her, he’s learning her quirks and how to respond to her. He tries hard to really show her that he’s in her corner but as she continues to do or say things that pushes him away, he’s never really sure how to bounce back. It’s also clear that he’s the one who wants to go back home the most. In the first season, he was the one who often wanted to give their parents the benefit of the doubt, and that doesn’t really change in this season. I do think he’s learned a lot about being on his own. However, I’m not sure what to think of him for the next season. Gregg Sulkin is likable, even when he’s all like “You suck Wilder” lol which makes me do a heavy eye roll but he’s cool and I like Chase, I just need him to not be so naive. He’s so aggressive towards Alex about his decisions and so naive about his own that it actually baffles me but I can’t find myself disliking him.
Molly Hernandez (Allegra Acosta): I continue to love Molly lol. She’s great and I like how she’ll say the stuff that no one else will say. Now, I know in the comics she was a lot younger, which in ways could excuse her behavior or her reactions to things, but she’s supposed to be 14 in the show and she makes some duuumb decisions. It wouldn’t bother me as much if she was younger. The whole thing with Topher, I get it and I get why she was so intent about it but it was also dumb. She is still vastly underused when it comes to her powers and I think she needs to learn how to fight. We don’t need her to succumb to the Superman syndrome where she’s just a powerhouse without any actual fighting ability. Allegra Acosta is great as Molly, she’s likable, I can’t imagine anyone actually disliking her and she just enjoys what she does. My main gripe with her is that I don’t buy it when she’s emotional, it doesn’t fully connect for me. Her best acting was episode 11 “The Last Waltz”.

Character Relationships

A large part of the show banks on how these characters interact with each other. I have a love/hate relationship with how the show handles these as well. I like overall, how they work as a team whenever they allow themselves to be a team and work together. When Topher showed up, they all had a mutual distrust for him, minus Molly, and I loved how they were all on the same page because it just makes sense. Also, when they stand together against something is some of my favorite moments because all of the drama between them falls away because there is something bigger going on than their teenage drama. There were some nice moments they had as a large group, like Molly’s birthday. The last 20 minutes of that episode was one of my favorites, it was super cute and it solidified that they were a family in the end. Alex and Gert had a nice moment. Alex and Karolina had a few nice moments, I even think she was wearing some of his jackets at some point (I saw someone on Tumblr say they don’t like Alex because he hates Karolina, that’s clearly fake news). Alex and Chase have a ton of good moments but their relationship always seems antagonistic so it’s very whiplashy. I don’t mind that they’re not best friends or anything, but I think they would understand each other a bit more. Something I thought was interesting was the fact that everyone went to Alex whenever they needed a one on one talk. Literally EVERYONE.

Gert and Molly had such a great relationship in the first season and it was a bit of a struggle in this season because of Gert’s issues. However, whenever they managed to have their moments it was sweet. Molly and Chase also had a few nice moments this season. They seemed to have gotten close because of their mutual feelings for Gert.

Now on the other hand, I have a major dislike for how the other Runaways treat Alex. I ranted about this in my season one review, I did an entire post dedicated to his character and I have a major problem. I know his storyline in the comics up to a certain point, I know what happens to him and while I don’t condone his actions, I completely get his reasons. As for the show, there hasn’t been any indication that he would do what he did in the comics, or at least something similar to link his fate in the show. He is the smart one and he really tries to think with everyone’s best interest at heart. It may not always work out the way he wants it too, or it may backfire in his face, but at least he has a plan and at least he tries. Nico continued to be mad at him for something that was out of his control to the point where she treated him like crap, even after he made sure to get money for them and brought tents for them to sleep in. Then Chase just loved to bring up the fact that Alex suggested regrouping and returning for Karolina once they had a plan. Alex even SAYS his intention was not to leave her behind but to make sure they knew what they were getting themselves into first. I don’t see the problem with that. Not to mention, when everyone else makes mistakes or dumb decisions, none of them get nearlyas crucified as Alex does. What about in season one when Chase destroyed the computer with the evidence? Not a big deal. What about the lying and sneaking that Karolina did this season? Oh, we’ll be mad at her for like a few minutes. I know Molly is 14 but even when she made her mistake, it’s ‘oh she’s a kid’ but ya know so was Alex when he kept Amy’s secret. I mean, I could go on about this but I won’t because I think the dislike for him is unfounded and I cannot stand the distrust because so far, he has been the only one actively trying to make sure his parents face justice for their crimes. Since he’s always thinking about the others, I don’t think it’s terrible that he wanted to them pay for what they did.

The Action

This season has a bit more action compared to the first season which hardly had any. This season we get the chance to see everyone use their abilities more in different ways and I think everyone kind of gets their chance to shine. Chasecontinues to work on the Fistigons and uses them when he needs to. Nicoworks with the magic/technology of the Staff of One and continues to learn it’s limitations and it’s secrets. Karolina learns how to access her abilities (I just need her to be a bit more active with her powers and be quicker on the draw when using them), Molly is still vastly underused with her abilities, I need her to learn to fight since she’s so strong but when she does use them it’s still pretty cool. Gerthad a lot going on mentally this season, so unfortunately, we didn’t see Old Lace in action that much so I hope moving forward we do. As for Alex, being that he doesn’t have any powers, he continues to try and make the plans and use his computer and nerd skills to be awesome. In episode 10: Hostile Takeover, Alex makes an enemy with this guy who comes to their hideout and it was great, probably one of the best of the season. Nico really got to shine in that episode and Alex got to take the lead with a plan. I don’t know if this meant anything, but Alex did this thing where he thought of a plan and he the camera zoomed in on his face and he kind of moved like his brain was moving 1000 miles a minute. Similar to a Jimmy Neutron Brain Blast. I thought it was cool, I don’t know if it’s an actual thing or not but they should do more of that lol.

Teenage Melodrama/Romance

They are teenagers so goossssh the drama is so annoying sometimes. They’re all stressed because of what they know of their parents, not to mention the stuff with Jonah. I get it, it’s so stressful. But they really need to get some perspective sometimes. Y’all are sixteen. Y’all acting like y’all been living for so long on your own and pay bills and what not… please. Karolina and Nico’s relationship, while cute sometimes, is very annoying. They have become soooo co-dependent it’s ridiculous. I don’t even believe that Nico truly likes Karolina in the same way she likes her. At least at this point. It feels more like she’s exploring, which is fine. Gert and Chase sighs I think they’re cute as well but Gert was so all over the place this season that I don’t even know if want them to even bother right now, that child needs to get her life together first. Alex had this thing with Livvie which was super cute as he got to experience the world his father grew up in while working with Darrius in Compton. I don’t know if we’ll see her in season 3 or not, but I thought she and Alex had great chemistry and I think if things went differently, it would have worked out really well. I just wish we got to see them have a better relationship even while just being friends because it didn’t turn out too well towards the end. I guess he just can’t catch a break.

There was this whole thing with this new guy that showed up Topher and, in the comics, he’s a vampire or whatever, so I was expecting something bad to happen and what we learn is actually kind of tragic. I thought it was a nice little three-episode arc and while it was soooo dramatic, it was handled well.

My hope for season 3 is to focus on them as a family and to really get to the meat of the story instead of focusing so much on the romantic relationships. I know it’s a teen show so that’s going to be a big part, which is fine, but I think the selling point is the characters more than the romance so let’s let these characters really shine in their elements and dial back a little on the melodrama.

The Parents

I remember when I read the first part of the comics, just how intimidating the parents were. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy them in the show but they’re inconsistent in how they come off to the audience, I think. If I had to pick, the most ruthless of the group is Tina Minoru, Victor Stein and The Wilders. In the first season, I would have counted Leslie Dean in that but she goes through it this season which didn’t alleviate my like of her but it made her less “scary”? Annie Wersching makes some of the best faces though.

In this season, we got to see a truly ruthless side of Catherine Wilder, that I think we all knew was there. Now, I am curious to see what happens with them in the third season since Alex was the only one who managed to do what he set out to do and he was so giddy about it lol. I really like The Wilders because they’re the only ones who don’t really have a reason to be in Pride anymore, but since Alex is a runaway, they worked with the others to bring him but they have no reason and they’re still intimidating.

I think overall though, the parents are still interesting with how it ended, I’m very curious to see how things work out. I want Janet and Robert to have more to do. They both got a bit of an upgrade this season, Robert has an awesome fight scene with Tina and Nico and we need more of that kind of stuff. The Yorkes are still quirky and funny, but I’m over the whole “we’re the nicer ones” in the group thing because they can be pretty intense too. I know they all just want their kids back home and what not but they all operate in gray areas which is interesting but let’s see what they can really do because so far, it’s been a lot of standing in a group and talking. The Minorus and The Wilders were really the only ones we see do anything physical. I know like the Steins and Yorkes are scientists but I feel like we can see more in general.

More Character Growth

I liked in this season we got to see a bit of growth from the characters. Some more than others and I hope the momentum continues. I cannot imagine with all that’s going on, our Runaways won’t continue to learn and grow. I think Chase has grown a lot, he’s become more mature, which is something he does mention in an episode. He does make a choice, while dumb, was mature in his reasons. I think both he and Alex have the most growth but Chase the most, especially since he is learning how to deal with Gert and her issues. I just hope we see more from everyone moving forward.

Villains

Obviously, the parents are the villains with Jonah in there as well. He remained this threat throughout both seasons but we didn’t know what he was really up in the first season. Of course, there were theories. It’s different from the comics but it’s not hard to kind of guess what’s going on. I think it’s pretty cool, it’s not completely original but it’s cool. I’m curious to see how things go in the third season as the ending of season two left sooo many questions.

Overall

I really really like Marvel’s Runaways and I think they are doing really well with having these teenage superhero stories told on the small screen. I would love to see them pop onto the big screen at some point but I’m glad they have their debuts on TV. I like all of the characters for the most part and the story has been interesting. I’m curious to see where it goes in the third season and I hope it gets one because there is so much more to tell.

Spoilers Below This Warning

My theory

Soooo basically Jonah is from an alien race “Gibborim” and at the bottom of the hole is his family which was stuck in the ship. Now, Xavin was also there, who is a shape-shifting being who is betrothed to Karolina (which I think they are officially a thing in the comics so I’m very interested to see how this plays out in the show) and it seems like they are on the Runaways side, mostly because of Karolina but also, they know what Jonah plans to do in the end. So, the Runaways and the parents work together to destroy Jonah’s ship as it was going to cause a massive earthquake and knock California into the ocean, so they stopped that. However, Mother, Sister and Brother (and Xavin) managed to escape and find hosts.

It turns out that Jonah is just a host body and the Magistrate (the alien) was inhabiting his body. So, when Nico stabbed through the body with the staff, it only killed Jonah not the alien inside which seems to be just a wisp of light energy. We don’t really know what their true form is yet. It seems that Victor is losing certain moments. He was all intimate with Janet and then was a bit confused about it later and I’m like “oh that’s Jonah then” and Stacy Yorkes has this super cutthroat moments where she takes off her glasses and I’m like “that’s another one of them” and Tina has these almost child-like moments. So, we can assume that three of the parents have been inhabited. We know that Karolina has a brother as Jonah told her she did when he showed her the ship. So, the question remains, who did Brother go into since both the Runaways and their parents were at the site when they exploded the ship? It can’t be another parent because no one acted outside of themselves. So as everyone else on the internet has said, Brother is either in Nico or Alex.

I say Nico because she’s passed out twice now from overexerting herself while using the Staff of One. In “Hostile Takeover”, she had to hold two draining spells for a long time and passed out. She lifted up all possessed like and called the Staff to her and then shouted, “GET OUT!” while the skin around her eyes got like this…

which reminded me of homie from Doctor Strange.

I don’t know if this means anything, it could since Marvel’s Runaways is part of the MCU. However, who knows. This happens twice. The second time is when she fought her parents in an awesome fight and the picture above is from that fight. Now, Brother could be expelling something in her that makes this happen, or it’s just that since now the Staff completely belongs to her, there’s something that Tina didn’t take into consideration when she created it. I’m thinking more along those lines though.

It could be Alex because one the other aliens jumped into hosts that reflect their own gender and Alex is the only male left in the group since Chase has been taken and put into a suspension pod along with Janet and Karolina. Not to mention, outside of his frustration with his parents and the others, he’s been pretty level headed. He doesn’t seem to be forgetting things, or losing time like shown mostly with Victor, nor has his personality completely changed like Stacy’s and Tina’s. However, there was a scene in Hostile Takeover, when AWOL was in their mansion and he has Chase’s fistigons, he’s frustrated and he takes the fistigons and he kind of starts trying to burn the guy and the others around him were shocked. When he snapped out of it, he looked shocked himself and backed off. That could indicate him being inhabited by Brother… or it could just be the ruthlessness from his parents finally coming out. Listen, if they use this Brother thing to try and make Alex do what he does in the comics, fine, but that should not be the end all be all for him. I’ll be upset if so.

That’s all I got for the spoilers as I just had to share my theories! Thanks for reading everyone, I hope you enjoyed it!

Please comment your thoughts on the show and please be sure to like and follow this blog for more reviews!

How I Would Fix: The Darkest Minds

December 29, 2018December 29, 2018 ~ Alyxwrites ~ Leave a comment

How I would FIX The Darkest Minds.

I had a lot of thoughts over the last few days of how I would fix this movie. I think it’s an unfortunate incident and while I have not read the books, I have a few ideas of how I would fix it to make it better just from a film standpoint. I’m sure once I read the books, I’ll have more insight but I will take what I gleamed from the movie.

First of all, I would make it a television show on Netflix. I weighed my options of other channels and I considered Freeform, since they did so well with Marvel’s Cloak and Dagger and Siren is apparently doing well. I also considered the CW because of The 100 and the other shows that have abilities on them. However, I think Netflix would be the best option as they are doing really well with their movies and their YA adaptations.

Casting

I don’t know what the characters look like in the books, so I don’t know if Ruby is black, I doubt it honestly, but I think it was cool to have a YA sci-fi film where the lead was a person of color, so I think it would be imperative to maintain that in the show. So, I would recast Lidya Jewett as young Ruby and bring in a darker-skinned actress to play teenage Ruby. As for the other characters, they can keep Miya Cech and Skylan Brooks as Zu and Chubs because they were fine and don’t seem to be doing anything at the moment film wise. At least nothing serious. As for Liam, well I’m sure it wouldn’t be too hard to find a blue eyed, tall and cute guy.

Episode Set Up

So, I think a big mistake in the film was how quickly it had to brush past the whole kids dying thing to get to teenage Ruby. No matter how quick it was in the book, if it was a TV show, we could spend the first episode getting to know Ruby as a kid and her family so later when she finally returns to them, we feel something for her. Anyway, a nice introduction to the Daly family and then at the end of the first episode, show the first outbreak of the disease by showing that Grace kid die. Boom. Interesting set up.

Next episode, we learn (without narration) about this mysterious disease and we physically see kids, Ruby’s classmates and friends, dying. We should be able to see what this is doing to their parents, to the kids who are surviving. Plus, the fear that Ruby’s parents would have about their own child. I’m not sure, but if all the kids get sick but the ones who don’t die gain powers, then perhaps we should see Ruby get sick and her parents worry for her and then at the end, she gets better. Moving forward, I feel like the first three episodes in a 13-22-episode show should focus on young Ruby for us to see her go to the camps, feel bad for her since her parents turned her in (because reasons) and how she made her strategy to survive. If it’s 13 episodes then obviously maybe leave young Ruby to three episodes and in the fourth time jump to teenage Ruby but if it was longer then take a bit more time.

When she meets Liam, Chubs and Zu, we should see them as a unit and how they work well together and allow us to care about them as we continue to see them.

I would keep Lady Jane around for a little while as well.

Romance and Relationships

In the movie they wanted us to care about Ruby and Liam falling for each other and to care later when she uses her ability to erase herself from his mind, but I didn’t care because I didn’t get the chance to care since it’s forced into my face without real reasons other than their teenagers and teenage love, I guess lol.

In the show, when Ruby joins them, there is a mysterious air about her which Liam would be interested in and she would be drawn to his good looks, passion and leadership skills lol but we would see them work together, survive together, get to know each other which would give the audience the chance to root for them and then later feel sad when she makes her decision at the end of the first season. It was also clear that Zu was pretty close to Liam and later they tried to make it like she was close with Ruby, but in the show, we would see and believe that. She had an older sister which is why she would connect with Ruby, so we’d learn about what she lost and why she gets so attached.

Plus, I would spend an entire episode showcasing Chubs, Liam and Zu’s backgrounds and how they escaped their camp.

Later, when we officially meet Clancy Gray, he’s enigmatic and he’s the only other person who understands Ruby. It happens so fast in the movie that I’m shocked Ruby didn’t pick up on his weirdness quicker. I would have. In the show, we would have time to see this little utopia he made and how quickly the others get ingrained. Liam on the front lines, Zu with the other young kids and Chubs was not into it and I would like to see his distrust grow. As for Ruby, she and Clancy would spend a lot of time together learning her powers where his interest in her makes sense then just his weird looks. He got obsessed and if we got to see them spend a lot of time together, actually, then the audience would be like “Word”.

Action and Climax

The movie was very anticlimactic but the action was handled pretty well. I wish we got to see more of the abilities showcased since it’s such a big part of the story. I would definitely keep their eyes reflecting their abilities, that was cool. The chase scene was pretty dope so definitely have to keep that in the show. The fight at the end between Ruby and Clancy was kind of meh and I think it would have been much more. Not to mention, as I kind of ranted about in my review, Liam’s telekinetic ability should have been showcased way more, with different ways to use it other than to just move things. We saw him destroy a road and bring forth a ton of trees, but we didn’t really see him do anything like that again. He should have been able to create force fields, even if they weren’t large, or move people. We saw that it could happen but Liam never really did it. He should have been able to fly, I mean sheesh lol.

Not to mention, why weren’t any of the other kids fighting? Sure, some of them got under mind control but I would have been fighting if I had the abilities they had. Plus, the Greens with their high intelligence could have been doing more than just… talking lol.

Villains

In the movie, we have three villains. Lady Jane, a bounty hunter who definitely has it out for Liam it seemed. The government. Clancy Grey. The league which was a little ambiguous. The first season could be heavily focused on the first book, which is cool, but I think it would be okay, to split the first book into a season and a half at least. Sooo, I wouldn’t introduce Clancy as a villain until the second season. His name would be around as it was in the movie since he was “cured” and his father was some big shot but the Slip Kid would be a mysterious figure until we meet him. So, Lady Jane would be the main villain as she was an awesome bounty hunter and I think the movie did nothing with her and she was interesting. She said she caught Liam before and now he had an even bigger price on his head, I would have let her catch them and keep them for at least an episode or two just to make it interesting.

The government has its part in the beginning and would remain a threat throughout since they’re looking for Ruby. Then you have the League, who we don’t know if we can trust as a looming threat with Cate and Rob. I think it would be interesting because you never know who might show up while our Runaways are just trying to make it to the Utopia.

Finale

Ideally the first season could end with the first book so the second book could be the second season. Being that this would be on Netflix there wouldn’t be a midseason finale, so the first season could end with Ruby being with the League and doing the whole hand paint thing or whatever. BUUUT if it’s 13 episodes, I would actually end the first season with the Runaways getting to the Utopia and feeling like they finally made it. So that way, the main villain of Clancy would be revealed in the second season. Perhaps after they escape Lady Jane, maybe the government is closing in and they give them the slip and at the skin of their teeth, they find the entrance to Utopia. They would think they have to fight since the Slip Kid’s sentries are standing watch but then they recognize Liam and they take them into the hideout and see all the kids and end the season with them being all like

Play triumphant music and everything. It would be a nice ending for a shit show that will start in season two. I think it would be awesome.

In the End

If The Darkest Minds was a television show, I think it would have allowed for the story to be told the way it should be. As I said before, I’ll probably get a bit more insight once I read the trilogy but it’s very rare that I watch a movie based on a trilogy and think of how I would fix it without really knowing the full story. I had so many thoughts after this one that even without that extra knowledge, I believe it could be done.

I think it should have another chance, but as a Netflix Original.

What do you think of this plan? Let me know your thoughts!

What other YA novels should have a television show? What YA movies should have been television shows?

Thanks for reading and be sure to like and follow this blog for more posts like this!