A combination of technical difficulties and general busyness forced me to keep this one on the back burner for a while. Thankfully, I'm in a position to get back to this series. It's especially fortuitous as the second season has started (and streaming on Hulu, which works out well for me) and I'd like to be up to speed so that I can cover new episodes when they land. In the meantime, though, let's move ever closer to the end of season one.
The plot hook for this one is simple enough. An expedition squad is sent out to go to Eren's house and retrieve whatever information may be there. I'd think they'd want a small squad to just make a B-line for the target location, but they send out a large group that fans out in multiple directions.
There is some benefit to this, as they can mark where titans are with signal flares telling other groups to go the other way.
At first, I found it odd that people were talking as if they had never confronted titans before. It is somewhat justified, though, as the humans no longer have the buildings to use for maneuvering or stealth. A wide open field puts them at a serious disadvantage.
Credit to some of the scouts, though, they still do pretty well. They don't use the trees like I thought they would. Rather, they use the titans themselves as targets for their grappling hooks. One pair succeeds by having one troop slash a titan's Achilles' tendon, bringing it to the ground so that the other can strike at the monster's weak spot.
The first half of this episode is a mixed bag. It's kinetic and fast paced enough, and there are titan encounters for some extra flavor, but there are still long stretches of time where you're just watching people riding on horseback across a plain.
The real crux of the episode comes into play later, when a new female titan appears. It's fast, smart, and straight up kills people when it wants to. Oddly enough, she also has the will to avoid the urge when it suits her. This stands in stark contrast to most titans who are purely driven to eat people. It even knows about its weak spot, so when people try to attack it, she can take measures to counter. Whether it's simply covering the back of her neck with her hand or grabbing the wires and tossing the scouts around, she is able to keep any offensive maneuvers in check.
It made for a great adversary as we see that it is capable of taking out groups on its own, but also seems to be able to organize the other titans. Suffice it to say, it results in the scouts getting largely destroyed. Granted, that's off screen and we see no proof, but it is strongly implied at the very least.
Much like L before him, Armin is able to show his smarts by pulling information out of thin air. He comes to the conclusion that this is another human-turned-titan and even deduces her motive: find Eren, just because.
I guess the fact that she didn't kill him when she had the chance lends some credence to his theory, but it still seems like he's able to put pieces together when he doesn't have many pieces to work with.
The fact that this episode focuses on a small group of people works to its benefit. We see Sasha get into some antics, but the focus is largely on Armin. Heck, neither Eren nor Mikasa make any sort of real appearance. The prior is somewhat justified as his location becomes a mystery that will likely be the focus of the next episode.
All in all, this was a solid entry. It made for a nice re-jumping on point, being entertaining without relying too much on past continuity. There were a couple of parts where it dragged and, early on, it seemed like this would be an episode where the plot didn't move forward all that much. Luckily, that didn't turn out to be the case as we got a game changer in the new titan.
While we are moving closer to the end of the season, there's still plenty of time. It'll be interesting to see how things play out as we move forward.
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Friday, April 7, 2017
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
'Legends of Tomorrow' season 2, episode 17: 'Aruba'
Thus, the second season of 'Legends of Tomorrow' comes to its conclusion. Right off the bat, the episode starts strong by setting its season recap to a piece of classic rock. Sure, "Supernatural" did it first, but it works really well and I'm all for more shows doing it.
Thankfully, the finale doesn't peak there as we're given an entertaining conclusion to the season's story arc.
The stakes are still high, as time hangs in the balance, but the show still manages to deliver a healthy dose of humor throughout. The tiny Waverider gets some laughs, but the future team's efforts to infiltrate their own group, as well as their inevitable interactions with their past selves, also bring the funny.
That's not to say that there isn't character growth as well. Nate, Mick, and Sara all gain some insight as a result of the timey-wimey antics. I know the Arrowverse has had the "character meets or converses with someone close who was previously dead" scene done before, both on other shows and on this one, but it still seems to work well. You really felt for Nate when he first sees past-Amaya and finds himself stammering over his words.
You'd think that having two copies of the main cast running around would result in confusion on the viewer's part, but the episode does a pretty decent job of distinguishing the different teams. Either through clothing or dialogue, the viewer is able to keep up with which version of the character we're seeing. Having them operating separately for the first half of the episode also helped keep the confusion to a minimum.
Any confusion you may have during the climax is also addressed, as the ones that die are from the future. It's made clear that they were already going to be erased anyway, and knew it going in, so it makes sense that they'd throw themselves in as meat shields to keep their past selves alive.
Said climax is a mixed bag. It seems like the more powerful characters are handed the idiot ball We finally get to see Firestorm and Atom cut loose and both are taken down surprisingly easily by Snart and Malcolm. I know the villains have to get the upper hand for the sake of tension, but that seemed like a stretch.
This extends to the Legion as well. Thawne summons an army of himself from different time periods, yet despite superior numbers and an ability that allows him to single-handedly dominate this team, he's unable to get the spear back from Sara. I guess Nate and Ray deserve some credit for faring as well as they do fighting multiple speedsters, but Sara had way more time than she really should have gotten to succeed in setting things right.
I do wonder about Amaya's decision to stay on the ship. It's sweet that she wants to be with Nate, though his offer to go with her to 1942 seems like the more reasonable route, keeping history intact and allowing the two to be together. I guess she's taking a Doctor Who-esque thought process in assuming that her being on a time machine means that she can hang around a while and return to her destiny later. I get the logic, but given that her future self died not too long ago, it seems like a bit of a gamble.
Conversely, I was surprised and kind of sad to see Rip go. It seems like we just got him back. I'm also not sure why he feels he can't just be a part of the team. His whole "the team is better under Sara's command" thing was already covered and it seemed clear that he still had a place and ways to contribute even if he wasn't in charge. The farewell between him and Sara was a nice scene, so it succeeded on that front, but it's still a strange decision.
We see Thawne erased by Black Flash, though I'm skeptical as to whether or not it'll stick. For one, we saw him get erased before. On top of that, with all the talk from other characters on "The Flash" about how he's one of Barry's greatest enemies, taking him out this early in Barry's superhero career makes no sense. Honestly, even kinda sorta keeping Zoom around in this new form raises questions as to why characters keep referencing him as if he were the villain that we saw on Flash's second season. That newspaper article about the crisis also name drops Reverse Flash, though I suppose they could bring in new Reverse Flashes to keep that aspect intact.
While the cliffhanger made for a decent wham moment, I'm far more interested to see how this affects 'Flash' and 'Arrow' for the remainder of the season. It's not likely that there will be any reference, though considering the change made in 'Flashpoint' was small potatoes in comparison, it seems like it would be hard to ignore. Will we see Arrow/Vigilante showdowns get interrupted by a velociraptor randomly leaping into frame and pouncing one of the two? Honestly, I kind of hope so. Or maybe have Prometheus get eaten by a T-Rex. That would be one of the most awesomely anti-climactic ways to end the season if you ask me.
As for this season's end, as noted, it was a fun and satisfying ride. It managed to balance all of the elements that make this show so entertaining. It tied up several loose ends and left us with a decent plot hook for season 3. Really, that's all you can ask for from a season finale.
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Thankfully, the finale doesn't peak there as we're given an entertaining conclusion to the season's story arc.
The stakes are still high, as time hangs in the balance, but the show still manages to deliver a healthy dose of humor throughout. The tiny Waverider gets some laughs, but the future team's efforts to infiltrate their own group, as well as their inevitable interactions with their past selves, also bring the funny.
That's not to say that there isn't character growth as well. Nate, Mick, and Sara all gain some insight as a result of the timey-wimey antics. I know the Arrowverse has had the "character meets or converses with someone close who was previously dead" scene done before, both on other shows and on this one, but it still seems to work well. You really felt for Nate when he first sees past-Amaya and finds himself stammering over his words.
You'd think that having two copies of the main cast running around would result in confusion on the viewer's part, but the episode does a pretty decent job of distinguishing the different teams. Either through clothing or dialogue, the viewer is able to keep up with which version of the character we're seeing. Having them operating separately for the first half of the episode also helped keep the confusion to a minimum.
Any confusion you may have during the climax is also addressed, as the ones that die are from the future. It's made clear that they were already going to be erased anyway, and knew it going in, so it makes sense that they'd throw themselves in as meat shields to keep their past selves alive.
Said climax is a mixed bag. It seems like the more powerful characters are handed the idiot ball We finally get to see Firestorm and Atom cut loose and both are taken down surprisingly easily by Snart and Malcolm. I know the villains have to get the upper hand for the sake of tension, but that seemed like a stretch.
This extends to the Legion as well. Thawne summons an army of himself from different time periods, yet despite superior numbers and an ability that allows him to single-handedly dominate this team, he's unable to get the spear back from Sara. I guess Nate and Ray deserve some credit for faring as well as they do fighting multiple speedsters, but Sara had way more time than she really should have gotten to succeed in setting things right.
I do wonder about Amaya's decision to stay on the ship. It's sweet that she wants to be with Nate, though his offer to go with her to 1942 seems like the more reasonable route, keeping history intact and allowing the two to be together. I guess she's taking a Doctor Who-esque thought process in assuming that her being on a time machine means that she can hang around a while and return to her destiny later. I get the logic, but given that her future self died not too long ago, it seems like a bit of a gamble.
Conversely, I was surprised and kind of sad to see Rip go. It seems like we just got him back. I'm also not sure why he feels he can't just be a part of the team. His whole "the team is better under Sara's command" thing was already covered and it seemed clear that he still had a place and ways to contribute even if he wasn't in charge. The farewell between him and Sara was a nice scene, so it succeeded on that front, but it's still a strange decision.
We see Thawne erased by Black Flash, though I'm skeptical as to whether or not it'll stick. For one, we saw him get erased before. On top of that, with all the talk from other characters on "The Flash" about how he's one of Barry's greatest enemies, taking him out this early in Barry's superhero career makes no sense. Honestly, even kinda sorta keeping Zoom around in this new form raises questions as to why characters keep referencing him as if he were the villain that we saw on Flash's second season. That newspaper article about the crisis also name drops Reverse Flash, though I suppose they could bring in new Reverse Flashes to keep that aspect intact.
While the cliffhanger made for a decent wham moment, I'm far more interested to see how this affects 'Flash' and 'Arrow' for the remainder of the season. It's not likely that there will be any reference, though considering the change made in 'Flashpoint' was small potatoes in comparison, it seems like it would be hard to ignore. Will we see Arrow/Vigilante showdowns get interrupted by a velociraptor randomly leaping into frame and pouncing one of the two? Honestly, I kind of hope so. Or maybe have Prometheus get eaten by a T-Rex. That would be one of the most awesomely anti-climactic ways to end the season if you ask me.
As for this season's end, as noted, it was a fun and satisfying ride. It managed to balance all of the elements that make this show so entertaining. It tied up several loose ends and left us with a decent plot hook for season 3. Really, that's all you can ask for from a season finale.
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Monday, April 3, 2017
'Iron Fist' episode 3: 'Rolling Thunder Cannon Punch'
Slowly, but surely, this show is starting to get itself together. This episode still displays some of the flaws that permeated the last two episodes, but we are, at least getting some momentum.
As Danny is now out of the hospital, he is able to put his charm and good nature to use, as he did back in the pilot. He has some good interactions with various characters, notably Colleen and Jeri Hogarth.
On the downside, his flaws are becoming more apparent. He's starting to show a self centered side and he takes martial arts waaaaay too seriously. His refusal to leave the dojo when Colleen told him to did initially come off as a bit obnoxious, but at least he acknowledged the fact and offered some recompense for the inconvenience. Of course, he continues to be a nuisance, which doesn't help build sympathy. He does, at least, leave this time when told, so there's that, I guess.
As to the Meachums, they are starting to form layers, though they still don't make for particularly compelling villains. Ward and Joy do start to play off each other like siblings, which helps connect with them. The latter even gets to channel her inner Victoria Newman using manipulative tactics in order to secure some sort of real estate deal.
I think the episode wants us to feel like the rivalry has weight due to their childhood friendship, but it really hasn't been working as well as the producers might have hoped. Danny is shocked by what the two are doing, but as we don't have any real investment in the relationship yet, it falls flat.
Even Harold doesn't get much of a showing. We get a better understanding of his role in regards to The Hand and I think we're supposed to feel sorry for the tough position he's in, but I'd rather just see them continue building up the organization itself as opposed to dallying about with the corporate soap opera stuff.
The scene where Madame Gao shows up was probably one of the better parts of the episode. It's odd that she's now part of The Hand, but maybe she joined officially sometime between the second season of Daredevil and now? I mean, she was in league with them, so it's probably splitting hairs. I think the writers are trying to streamline things. Having a bunch of villainous organizations working together probably sounds great on paper, but dealing with just the one seems like enough to challenge the Defenders so doing that is the simpler way to go.
There's a fair bit of action, though some of it does seem forced. The cage fight with Colleen was impressive, but again, I'm not sure how necessary it was.
Danny, alas, doesn't fare so well. We see him get the better of Colleen in a Daredevil-esque sparring match, but then some two bit goon gets the drop on him? I can buy Colleen having a tough go of it with the gigantic cage fight opponent, but you'd think Danny would be more than capable of fighting off some nameless thug.
Oddly, names become a prominent plot point as Danny refuses to be bought off. His efforts to regain his company and name make sense, but it doesn't make for compelling television. I think the writers also shot themselves in the foot by removing the more common methods of establishing identity. Because all of the conventional ways were shut down early on, they have had to come up with rather ridiculous methods like M&M's or a fingerprint on a clay sculpture that Danny made for Joy when he was a kid. It gets it out of the way, which is nice, but if they were going to do it so poorly, why do it?
For me, though, the most nagging aspect of this episode was the lighting. A lot of it takes place in the dark, which would be fine, but if you're watching it on a device, it creates a significant amount of glare, rendering the screen essentially pitch black. I honestly wasn't sure who fell off the ledge at the episode's end. It was only due to looking at the recap page on TvTropes that I was able to confirm that it was Danny.
This, like the hospital fight, is another instance of Danny not being very good at what he does. In the first episode he was parkouring all over and it worked fine. I don't get the sudden drop in competence all of a sudden. He can't blame the drugs anymore, so what else does he have?
From what I've seen of preview material, Danny is the one most eager to put the team together. The idea may have been to have him as the idealist, but if this is supposed to indicate what the Iron Fist can do, it would explain why he'd be the one most interested in having more people around to address the looming problem.
It's a slow process, but the show is finally starting to put the pieces in place and get some momentum going. Alas, the problems are still there. I do maintain that it doesn't quite warrant the backlash that it's been getting, but given that this is prelude to "The Defenders", I can understand why the fandom is generally whelmed.
With the issues of Danny's identity and his struggle to regain his company more or less wrapped up, one would hope that the show can move on to bigger matters.
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As Danny is now out of the hospital, he is able to put his charm and good nature to use, as he did back in the pilot. He has some good interactions with various characters, notably Colleen and Jeri Hogarth.
On the downside, his flaws are becoming more apparent. He's starting to show a self centered side and he takes martial arts waaaaay too seriously. His refusal to leave the dojo when Colleen told him to did initially come off as a bit obnoxious, but at least he acknowledged the fact and offered some recompense for the inconvenience. Of course, he continues to be a nuisance, which doesn't help build sympathy. He does, at least, leave this time when told, so there's that, I guess.
As to the Meachums, they are starting to form layers, though they still don't make for particularly compelling villains. Ward and Joy do start to play off each other like siblings, which helps connect with them. The latter even gets to channel her inner Victoria Newman using manipulative tactics in order to secure some sort of real estate deal.
I think the episode wants us to feel like the rivalry has weight due to their childhood friendship, but it really hasn't been working as well as the producers might have hoped. Danny is shocked by what the two are doing, but as we don't have any real investment in the relationship yet, it falls flat.
Even Harold doesn't get much of a showing. We get a better understanding of his role in regards to The Hand and I think we're supposed to feel sorry for the tough position he's in, but I'd rather just see them continue building up the organization itself as opposed to dallying about with the corporate soap opera stuff.
The scene where Madame Gao shows up was probably one of the better parts of the episode. It's odd that she's now part of The Hand, but maybe she joined officially sometime between the second season of Daredevil and now? I mean, she was in league with them, so it's probably splitting hairs. I think the writers are trying to streamline things. Having a bunch of villainous organizations working together probably sounds great on paper, but dealing with just the one seems like enough to challenge the Defenders so doing that is the simpler way to go.
There's a fair bit of action, though some of it does seem forced. The cage fight with Colleen was impressive, but again, I'm not sure how necessary it was.
Danny, alas, doesn't fare so well. We see him get the better of Colleen in a Daredevil-esque sparring match, but then some two bit goon gets the drop on him? I can buy Colleen having a tough go of it with the gigantic cage fight opponent, but you'd think Danny would be more than capable of fighting off some nameless thug.
Oddly, names become a prominent plot point as Danny refuses to be bought off. His efforts to regain his company and name make sense, but it doesn't make for compelling television. I think the writers also shot themselves in the foot by removing the more common methods of establishing identity. Because all of the conventional ways were shut down early on, they have had to come up with rather ridiculous methods like M&M's or a fingerprint on a clay sculpture that Danny made for Joy when he was a kid. It gets it out of the way, which is nice, but if they were going to do it so poorly, why do it?
For me, though, the most nagging aspect of this episode was the lighting. A lot of it takes place in the dark, which would be fine, but if you're watching it on a device, it creates a significant amount of glare, rendering the screen essentially pitch black. I honestly wasn't sure who fell off the ledge at the episode's end. It was only due to looking at the recap page on TvTropes that I was able to confirm that it was Danny.
This, like the hospital fight, is another instance of Danny not being very good at what he does. In the first episode he was parkouring all over and it worked fine. I don't get the sudden drop in competence all of a sudden. He can't blame the drugs anymore, so what else does he have?
From what I've seen of preview material, Danny is the one most eager to put the team together. The idea may have been to have him as the idealist, but if this is supposed to indicate what the Iron Fist can do, it would explain why he'd be the one most interested in having more people around to address the looming problem.
It's a slow process, but the show is finally starting to put the pieces in place and get some momentum going. Alas, the problems are still there. I do maintain that it doesn't quite warrant the backlash that it's been getting, but given that this is prelude to "The Defenders", I can understand why the fandom is generally whelmed.
With the issues of Danny's identity and his struggle to regain his company more or less wrapped up, one would hope that the show can move on to bigger matters.
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Sunday, April 2, 2017
'Dragon Ball Super' episode 84: 'Son Goku the Recruiter Invites Krillin and No. 18'
With no time to spare, Goku and Gohan begin their quest to rally their selected fighters to participate in the tournament of power. Their first stop is to Krillin's to ask him and 18 to join the team.
Knowing who the roster is already is a mixed bag. The last episode actually turned it into a strength, by showing us Yamcha's eagerness and expectation to be invited. The fact that we know he won't made an otherwise played straight moment quite hilarious. Here, however, it isn't the case as we know from the get go that both are going to join.
The episode doesn't spend a terrible amount of time on the "convincing" portion, though the fact that the whole episode centers on this group could be seen as wheel spinning. Krillin is on board right off the bat, though 18 does take some convincing. While she does play the "I have a kid to tend to" card, it ultimately boils down to wanting money. When Goku offers her a large sum, she agrees. I'm guessing this is entirely a bluff on his part, but he could probably just give her her "cut" out of his own pocket if she does eventually call them on it.
It was nice to see her start to pick up on the fact that the pieces aren't adding up. Like Vegeta before her, she questions Goku's actions and rhetoric when it comes to the upcoming tournament. She doesn't put all the pieces together yet, but it's clear that she's paying attention and knows that something is amiss.
From there, the episode is largely sparring matches. First, Gohan faces off against Krillin because he wants to gauge Krillin's power. You can't fault Gohan for being skeptical about whether or not Krillin would be able to hold his own, but it also makes sense to know what his teammates can do given the way the tournament is structured.
Surprisingly enough, Krillin emerges victorious. This is largely due to a fast invocation of the solar flare technique. We also learn that Krillin can now amplify the effect 100 fold, in case the regular technique doesn't cut it. Gohan notes that even with his eyes blocked and closed, it's still having an effect on him.
Amusingly enough, we see 18, Goku, and Marron casually watching with sunglasses. Does the gag make a lot of sense? Eh, not really, but I still thought it was amusing and that seems to be the primary motivator for including it.
With Gohan blinded, Krillin is able to incapacitate Gohan in such a way that he essentially earns the win. Remember, they are trying to simulate the tournament format and that works to Krillin's advantage as he has more experience in that arena... pun somewhat intended. Much like with the imagined fight vs. Basil, it isn't so much raw power that wins Krillin the day, but quick thinking and effective tactics. It's a good way to believably keep him in the fight and, I have to admit, it is fun to watch.
Seeing what Krillin can do, Goku gets excited and offers to engage in a sparring match. It seems like a lot, but Krillin has no problem with it.
Again, Krillin is able to use tactics to his advantage, launching several destructo discs in rapid succession. Sure, they all miss, but he can control them, which keeps Goku on the defensive. Even when it seems like that doesn't work, we see Krillin thinking ahead and slicing the floor out from under Goku when he was distracted. Even the saiyan is impressed with how well Krillin is holding up.
It's at this point where Goku stops warming up and goes Blue. I'm a little torn on this. On the one hand, Krillin is able to hold his own in a beam o war via dueling kamehameha waves. It's nice, but at the same time, I'm not sure I buy it. You could argue that Goku would have won eventually, but you'd still think that the gap between the two is big enough where it shouldn't have been a struggle to begin with.
Ultimately, 18 is the one who jumps in and breaks up the skirmish. She notes that this is a battle royale and Goku can't think in terms of straight one on one fights all the time. She offers to join in and resume the sparring match, but Goku stands down and notes that he'll have to take that information to heart.
I'm not going to lie, it would have been nice to see the 2 on 1 fight. For one thing, seeing 18 fight period would have been a welcome sight, but having husband and wife fighting side by side and seeing what sort of coordinated attack patterns they have against the ascended saiyan would have been really cool to see. I guess that just gives us something else to look forward to in regards to the tournament.
This episode was all about giving Krillin a chance to shine and it did it quite well. We see him succeed at his job (which was nice after many sequences of him botching it) and we see him hold his own in what should be one sided matches in a somewhat believable fashion. It shows that even with super-powered aliens and gods, a well trained human can still bring something to the table and deserve a spot on a team in a tournament such as this.
I think the real highlight is seeing Krillin's connection with the others. His bonds with Gohan, Goku, and 18 are apparent and they all get chances to shine. It's another instance of the show thriving on heart over merely having fights for the sake of it.
It was nice to see Krillin offer to train with Gohan. The two do have assets that complement the other's weakness, so it makes sense and it shows what good terms they're on. And that fist bump with Goku...I mean, come on. I know that "bro-like" is often used as an insult nowadays, but this was a positive instance of that vibe. These two have been friends since childhood and you can feel that bond. The brief flashback to their first tournament as rivals was a nice touch and added to the overall..ambiance?
As to downsides, one could accuse this of padding out the run time. It isn't helped by the fact that the next episode appears to center on recruiting 17. I think that will work due to the fact that we haven't seen him in a while, but I doubt people are going to want to sit through a half dozen episodes where Goku and Gohan go through more or less the same routine with the other fighters who we already know are going to get involved.
Still, this one worked for what it was. It balanced out combat, humor, and heart effectively; making for a solid entry overall.
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Knowing who the roster is already is a mixed bag. The last episode actually turned it into a strength, by showing us Yamcha's eagerness and expectation to be invited. The fact that we know he won't made an otherwise played straight moment quite hilarious. Here, however, it isn't the case as we know from the get go that both are going to join.
The episode doesn't spend a terrible amount of time on the "convincing" portion, though the fact that the whole episode centers on this group could be seen as wheel spinning. Krillin is on board right off the bat, though 18 does take some convincing. While she does play the "I have a kid to tend to" card, it ultimately boils down to wanting money. When Goku offers her a large sum, she agrees. I'm guessing this is entirely a bluff on his part, but he could probably just give her her "cut" out of his own pocket if she does eventually call them on it.
It was nice to see her start to pick up on the fact that the pieces aren't adding up. Like Vegeta before her, she questions Goku's actions and rhetoric when it comes to the upcoming tournament. She doesn't put all the pieces together yet, but it's clear that she's paying attention and knows that something is amiss.
From there, the episode is largely sparring matches. First, Gohan faces off against Krillin because he wants to gauge Krillin's power. You can't fault Gohan for being skeptical about whether or not Krillin would be able to hold his own, but it also makes sense to know what his teammates can do given the way the tournament is structured.
Surprisingly enough, Krillin emerges victorious. This is largely due to a fast invocation of the solar flare technique. We also learn that Krillin can now amplify the effect 100 fold, in case the regular technique doesn't cut it. Gohan notes that even with his eyes blocked and closed, it's still having an effect on him.
Amusingly enough, we see 18, Goku, and Marron casually watching with sunglasses. Does the gag make a lot of sense? Eh, not really, but I still thought it was amusing and that seems to be the primary motivator for including it.
With Gohan blinded, Krillin is able to incapacitate Gohan in such a way that he essentially earns the win. Remember, they are trying to simulate the tournament format and that works to Krillin's advantage as he has more experience in that arena... pun somewhat intended. Much like with the imagined fight vs. Basil, it isn't so much raw power that wins Krillin the day, but quick thinking and effective tactics. It's a good way to believably keep him in the fight and, I have to admit, it is fun to watch.
Seeing what Krillin can do, Goku gets excited and offers to engage in a sparring match. It seems like a lot, but Krillin has no problem with it.
Again, Krillin is able to use tactics to his advantage, launching several destructo discs in rapid succession. Sure, they all miss, but he can control them, which keeps Goku on the defensive. Even when it seems like that doesn't work, we see Krillin thinking ahead and slicing the floor out from under Goku when he was distracted. Even the saiyan is impressed with how well Krillin is holding up.
It's at this point where Goku stops warming up and goes Blue. I'm a little torn on this. On the one hand, Krillin is able to hold his own in a beam o war via dueling kamehameha waves. It's nice, but at the same time, I'm not sure I buy it. You could argue that Goku would have won eventually, but you'd still think that the gap between the two is big enough where it shouldn't have been a struggle to begin with.
Ultimately, 18 is the one who jumps in and breaks up the skirmish. She notes that this is a battle royale and Goku can't think in terms of straight one on one fights all the time. She offers to join in and resume the sparring match, but Goku stands down and notes that he'll have to take that information to heart.
I'm not going to lie, it would have been nice to see the 2 on 1 fight. For one thing, seeing 18 fight period would have been a welcome sight, but having husband and wife fighting side by side and seeing what sort of coordinated attack patterns they have against the ascended saiyan would have been really cool to see. I guess that just gives us something else to look forward to in regards to the tournament.
This episode was all about giving Krillin a chance to shine and it did it quite well. We see him succeed at his job (which was nice after many sequences of him botching it) and we see him hold his own in what should be one sided matches in a somewhat believable fashion. It shows that even with super-powered aliens and gods, a well trained human can still bring something to the table and deserve a spot on a team in a tournament such as this.
I think the real highlight is seeing Krillin's connection with the others. His bonds with Gohan, Goku, and 18 are apparent and they all get chances to shine. It's another instance of the show thriving on heart over merely having fights for the sake of it.
It was nice to see Krillin offer to train with Gohan. The two do have assets that complement the other's weakness, so it makes sense and it shows what good terms they're on. And that fist bump with Goku...I mean, come on. I know that "bro-like" is often used as an insult nowadays, but this was a positive instance of that vibe. These two have been friends since childhood and you can feel that bond. The brief flashback to their first tournament as rivals was a nice touch and added to the overall..ambiance?
As to downsides, one could accuse this of padding out the run time. It isn't helped by the fact that the next episode appears to center on recruiting 17. I think that will work due to the fact that we haven't seen him in a while, but I doubt people are going to want to sit through a half dozen episodes where Goku and Gohan go through more or less the same routine with the other fighters who we already know are going to get involved.
Still, this one worked for what it was. It balanced out combat, humor, and heart effectively; making for a solid entry overall.
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Thursday, March 30, 2017
'IT' (2017 movie) Trailer Reaction
Trailer reactions are generally a Youtube thing. I do have a channel and one of these days I'm going to use it for something, but right now, we'll stick to text.
I'll admit my Stephen King coverage hasn't been what it was back in the Examiner days. I am working my way through "Bag of Bones", so it hasn't been completely forgotten, but I've been broadening my content into other areas of pop culture.
With the trailer for the new cinematic adaptation of "IT" hitting the internet yesterday, I figured this would be a good way to touch base and weigh in on some current Stephen King related news.
Right off the bat, you can tell that this adaptation won't be as narm-y as the 1990 TV miniseries. There is a much darker and more serious tone that I think fans of the book will appreciate.
It does have a bit of a "Stranger Things" vibe (I still need to check that series out, now that I mention it.) I have to think that it was unintentional given how production schedules work. At the very least, it's understandable, as the Netflix series was frequently compared to a Stephen King work. On top of that, both center on a group of kids in the 80's dealing with supernatural elements.
It is kind of interesting how there's no mention of the adult iterations of the Loser's Club. This is probably simpler. I do wonder if the "flashback" element will remain in place or whether it will just be a straight, linear telling of the events. At the very least, doing it this way will allow viewers to understand the characters' fear when they first get that call decades later.
Oddly enough, the most memorable part was the weakest element and that's Georgie. Seeing him run face first into that roadblock was funny and gives us at least one moment of levity, so credit for that. I wonder if this is going to be used to help explain his poor judgment when confronted by a clown lurking in the sewers. You could either argue that this is to indicate that he's kind of dumb or they could say that he's still woozy from the blow to the head, thus is disoriented and not thinking straight. Given how the trailer plays out, the latter is unlikely. I think it would have been an interesting angle, regardless.
"Spirit" Georgie, though, didn't work for me. His attempt to be scary fell flat. That's a subjective thing, so it's possible others are chilled by it. I just wasn't.
By and large, though, it seems like the child cast is on point. Granted, the trailer is more horror-centric, so we don't get to see the individual personalities or the bond all that much; but based on what we've seen here, I still have a good feeling about the cast.
Considering how thick the book is, I get why they're doing this as two movies. At the same time, people's tolerance for multi-part movies has diminished a lot in recent years. Couple that with the fact that the child portion of the story is generally stronger and it seems like part II will have an uphill battle. That's a bridge to cross later.
All in all, I thought that this was a strong trailer. It got the atmosphere down pat and gave us a hint as to what sort of Pennywise we're in for. It would have been nice to hear him talk. I don't think his voice is something that warrants saving for the theater. All we get is that shriek near the end and, alas, that fell more on the side of silly as opposed to scary. His face in that shot didn't help matters. Thankfully, the other shots present a more menacing figure.
We do, at least, get acknowledgement that Pennywise has more than clown and giant spider. Pennywise was meant to be every monster rolled into one and he does feed on fear, so seeing that made more prominent is a plus.
There are some weak spots, but the positive response is warranted. It's a shame that we have to wait until September (I do wonder why they picked that release date) but that's the way of things. I have a good feeling about this and, at the very least, I have to admit that I'm more excited to see what they do with this than I was before I saw the trailer.
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Wednesday, March 29, 2017
'Legends of Tomorrow' season 2, episode 16: 'Doomworld'
With the Legion of Doom having acquired possession of the spear, we're thrown into an alternate reality of their own design.
It's not as bad as you might think. True, the other heroes are all dead, sans the Legends. In comparison to Star City 2046, though, things were looking alright. Heck, Thawne even used his scientific prowess and STAR Labs resources to develop clean energy, bringing an end to global warming/climate change/pollution/whatever you want to call it.
The Legion are still villains through and through. Darkh even gave himself his magic back, but I thought that it certainly could have been worse all things considered.
You might be wondering why the Legends exist at all. Heck, Malcolm even calls Thawne out on this. Considering it's another instance of hubris causing problems later on down the line, he's right to bring it up, but still, you can't fault Thawne. The Legends are depowered, dispersed, and have no memory of what came before. You could see why he'd get a kick out of having his adversaries in subservient roles. Even Damien looks like he's having some fun with it.
If the episode has one problem, it's that the Legends get their memories back too quickly and too easily. I'm not sure how you avoid that. We're at the penultimate episode of the season and have only a 43 minute run time. There had to be some way to get them back in the game, but Ray's "oh I built this thing because...I dunno I felt like it" didn't really fly for me.
I did like the call back, with Nate's barging into STAR Labs asking Thawne for help mirroring his initial appearance recruiting Oliver back at the beginning of the season.
As much of a problem as I had with Nate being able to find changes to history (as it was history, thus already happened, thus that's what he should think of as the actual events) it's even more difficult to buy him detecting changes to reality itself. They try to address it, painting him as more of a kook, saying that his subconscious remembered things; and again, rule of plot dictates that the heroes get thrown some bone in order to turn the tables, but it was still hard to buy.
The new reality did put Mick in an interesting situation. He's the only team member to have his memories and, in many ways, that ends up biting him as he comes to regret his decision over the course of the episode.
I don't know if it was an intentional nod or not, but the whole heist scene, with Mick acknowledging how pointless it is to rob banks if there's no resistance or challenge, was very "Twilight Zone". Of course, that's only a fraction of what eventually leads to him trying to make amends.
I'm not sure why, but I was expecting this episode to be a one-off, with the status quo restored by episode's end. On the contrary, in keeping with the general plot hook for the episode being the bad guys winning, Thawne succeeds in destroying the spear, making it appear impossible to restore things.
It's a great, dour note to end on, though the heroes do have another plan. It also gave Thawne a chance to bask in the glory and rub his success, not to mention the futility of resistance from here on out, in everyone else's faces.
Speaking of dour notes, Amaya gets killed. Credit to the scene, it worked well enough that you felt that hit. At the same time, though, it seems a little cheap as it's pretty clear that she's coming back. For one thing, they have to put her back in her time for present day Vixen to exist, but even putting that aside, seeing as the Legends go back to WW1 in the next episode means that Amaya is still going to exist in some capacity.
That's not to say that there wasn't levity. On the contrary, the episode delivered all kinds of humorous highlights throughout. Seeing the Legion of Doom headquarters from "Superfriends" was a nice touch, as was seeing ray blasting dominators on some unnamed computer game. The character exchanges and dialogue were what really carried it, though. Who would have thought we'd see the day where Nate and Damien almost give each other a high five?
All in all, this episode was quite enjoyable. Sure, the characters' powers are gone, but they still managed to give the Legion a solid, climactic fight in the end. Besides, more often than not, the more powerful characters get sidelined anyway, so there wasn't that much of a difference in the grand scheme of things.
We're down to the final episode. It'll be sad to see it go, but it'll be interesting to see how things wrap up. I do wonder if this will be like Flashpoint, where we'll see ripples that affect the other shows even after everything is seemingly restored. It might be too soon to pull that trick, though it would be a logical effect.
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It's not as bad as you might think. True, the other heroes are all dead, sans the Legends. In comparison to Star City 2046, though, things were looking alright. Heck, Thawne even used his scientific prowess and STAR Labs resources to develop clean energy, bringing an end to global warming/climate change/pollution/whatever you want to call it.
The Legion are still villains through and through. Darkh even gave himself his magic back, but I thought that it certainly could have been worse all things considered.
You might be wondering why the Legends exist at all. Heck, Malcolm even calls Thawne out on this. Considering it's another instance of hubris causing problems later on down the line, he's right to bring it up, but still, you can't fault Thawne. The Legends are depowered, dispersed, and have no memory of what came before. You could see why he'd get a kick out of having his adversaries in subservient roles. Even Damien looks like he's having some fun with it.
If the episode has one problem, it's that the Legends get their memories back too quickly and too easily. I'm not sure how you avoid that. We're at the penultimate episode of the season and have only a 43 minute run time. There had to be some way to get them back in the game, but Ray's "oh I built this thing because...I dunno I felt like it" didn't really fly for me.
I did like the call back, with Nate's barging into STAR Labs asking Thawne for help mirroring his initial appearance recruiting Oliver back at the beginning of the season.
As much of a problem as I had with Nate being able to find changes to history (as it was history, thus already happened, thus that's what he should think of as the actual events) it's even more difficult to buy him detecting changes to reality itself. They try to address it, painting him as more of a kook, saying that his subconscious remembered things; and again, rule of plot dictates that the heroes get thrown some bone in order to turn the tables, but it was still hard to buy.
The new reality did put Mick in an interesting situation. He's the only team member to have his memories and, in many ways, that ends up biting him as he comes to regret his decision over the course of the episode.
I don't know if it was an intentional nod or not, but the whole heist scene, with Mick acknowledging how pointless it is to rob banks if there's no resistance or challenge, was very "Twilight Zone". Of course, that's only a fraction of what eventually leads to him trying to make amends.
I'm not sure why, but I was expecting this episode to be a one-off, with the status quo restored by episode's end. On the contrary, in keeping with the general plot hook for the episode being the bad guys winning, Thawne succeeds in destroying the spear, making it appear impossible to restore things.
It's a great, dour note to end on, though the heroes do have another plan. It also gave Thawne a chance to bask in the glory and rub his success, not to mention the futility of resistance from here on out, in everyone else's faces.
Speaking of dour notes, Amaya gets killed. Credit to the scene, it worked well enough that you felt that hit. At the same time, though, it seems a little cheap as it's pretty clear that she's coming back. For one thing, they have to put her back in her time for present day Vixen to exist, but even putting that aside, seeing as the Legends go back to WW1 in the next episode means that Amaya is still going to exist in some capacity.
That's not to say that there wasn't levity. On the contrary, the episode delivered all kinds of humorous highlights throughout. Seeing the Legion of Doom headquarters from "Superfriends" was a nice touch, as was seeing ray blasting dominators on some unnamed computer game. The character exchanges and dialogue were what really carried it, though. Who would have thought we'd see the day where Nate and Damien almost give each other a high five?
All in all, this episode was quite enjoyable. Sure, the characters' powers are gone, but they still managed to give the Legion a solid, climactic fight in the end. Besides, more often than not, the more powerful characters get sidelined anyway, so there wasn't that much of a difference in the grand scheme of things.
We're down to the final episode. It'll be sad to see it go, but it'll be interesting to see how things wrap up. I do wonder if this will be like Flashpoint, where we'll see ripples that affect the other shows even after everything is seemingly restored. It might be too soon to pull that trick, though it would be a logical effect.
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Sunday, March 26, 2017
'Iron Fist' episode 2: 'Shadow Hawk Takes Flight'
At first, I assumed that this episode was going to follow a similar structure to Luke Cage's 'Step in the Arena', with Rand's being incapacitated at a mental hospital being the pretense to flashback to those missing 15 years. Such is not the case. On the one hand, you could argue that's a good thing as it would just come off as a rehash. At the same time, focusing on Danny being held prisoner doesn't make for the most compelling hour of television.
We do get smidgeons of character development here and there. Danny's origin is essentially told to us during his interviews with doctors. It's quicker, I'll give it that; and Finn does what he can with the material, but it doesn't feel like there's a whole lot of momentum.
Things do start to pick up a little later on, as Danny starts noting specific details that help confirm he is who he says he is. Even the doctor seems to be more than willing to acknowledge the truth. It probably would have been easy to just have the hospital be on the Meachum's payroll, thus hell bound to keep Danny there by any means necessary; but showing that the institution is legit does make for a more compelling dilemma. While the doctors keeping him there is a negative from a meta-perspective, you can't fault them for thinking that Danny's nuts and their desire to help him is genuine.
Harold Meachum, the believed to be dead patriarch of that particular clan, also gets some layers added to him. He still pales in comparison to previous Netflix rogues, but this episode pushes him in the right direction. Just giving David Wenham things to do helped, but he develops a memorable dynamic with his put-upon assistant, Kyle; and also takes an interest in Danny's past, especially concerning The Hand.
The revelation that Danny is a sworn enemy to the organization was the real whammy for the episode. It helps to set up "Defenders", of course, but it also makes the conflict more complex, as apparently the cult is warring with more than one faction. Alas, no mention is made of the Chaste, but it's still early. The show could tie it all together later.
For his part, Meachum knows who they are. I'm not sure if he plans to turn Danny over to them in exchange for some manner of protection from their agenda, but that seems to be the likely route. Maybe he's not so nefarious, but we'll have to see.
Overall, though, it seems like the show took a step backward in characterization. It seems like the last episode did a better job showcasing the main cast and their personalities. Colleen Wing starts to connect a little with Danny, but we still don't know too much about her. Where Danny was quirky and pleasant, here, he's just dour. Given the circumstances, I guess you can't blame him, but it robs the show of the lighter tone that the last episode seemed to establish.
Also, for a show about a martial arts based superhero, there are surprisingly few martial arts on display. They try to justify it as the drugs messing with Danny's chi, but you'd think he'd still be able to stealth his way out or use his hand to hand combat abilities (which he still has as seen when a patient tries to attack him).
Having the episode culminate with Iron Fist receiving a power boost Goku Black style (something established via a Chekhov's Gun line of dialogue) and getting his groove back in order to beat up some thugs and chi punch his way out was satisfying and made for a nice end to the episode. It still seems like this was a problem that didn't need to take this long to solve, but I don't know how else you'd go about it.
The only other action beat is the Pink Panther style staged attack with Colleen Wing. It's an odd teaching strategy to say the least. It did seem a bit on the forced side. I have to admit, though, given how stylized that sequence was, her assertion that this was a real world application did come off as kind of funny to me. It's possible that was the desired reaction, but I honestly couldn't tell you.
I could see what this episode was trying to do, but there were flaws in the execution. There's some character development, but not enough to carry the full hour. There's still stuff to like here, so it does seem like some of the critics are blowing it out of proportion. The show still has kinks to work out, but it does seem like it's at least beginning that process.
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We do get smidgeons of character development here and there. Danny's origin is essentially told to us during his interviews with doctors. It's quicker, I'll give it that; and Finn does what he can with the material, but it doesn't feel like there's a whole lot of momentum.
Things do start to pick up a little later on, as Danny starts noting specific details that help confirm he is who he says he is. Even the doctor seems to be more than willing to acknowledge the truth. It probably would have been easy to just have the hospital be on the Meachum's payroll, thus hell bound to keep Danny there by any means necessary; but showing that the institution is legit does make for a more compelling dilemma. While the doctors keeping him there is a negative from a meta-perspective, you can't fault them for thinking that Danny's nuts and their desire to help him is genuine.
Harold Meachum, the believed to be dead patriarch of that particular clan, also gets some layers added to him. He still pales in comparison to previous Netflix rogues, but this episode pushes him in the right direction. Just giving David Wenham things to do helped, but he develops a memorable dynamic with his put-upon assistant, Kyle; and also takes an interest in Danny's past, especially concerning The Hand.
The revelation that Danny is a sworn enemy to the organization was the real whammy for the episode. It helps to set up "Defenders", of course, but it also makes the conflict more complex, as apparently the cult is warring with more than one faction. Alas, no mention is made of the Chaste, but it's still early. The show could tie it all together later.
For his part, Meachum knows who they are. I'm not sure if he plans to turn Danny over to them in exchange for some manner of protection from their agenda, but that seems to be the likely route. Maybe he's not so nefarious, but we'll have to see.
Overall, though, it seems like the show took a step backward in characterization. It seems like the last episode did a better job showcasing the main cast and their personalities. Colleen Wing starts to connect a little with Danny, but we still don't know too much about her. Where Danny was quirky and pleasant, here, he's just dour. Given the circumstances, I guess you can't blame him, but it robs the show of the lighter tone that the last episode seemed to establish.
Also, for a show about a martial arts based superhero, there are surprisingly few martial arts on display. They try to justify it as the drugs messing with Danny's chi, but you'd think he'd still be able to stealth his way out or use his hand to hand combat abilities (which he still has as seen when a patient tries to attack him).
Having the episode culminate with Iron Fist receiving a power boost Goku Black style (something established via a Chekhov's Gun line of dialogue) and getting his groove back in order to beat up some thugs and chi punch his way out was satisfying and made for a nice end to the episode. It still seems like this was a problem that didn't need to take this long to solve, but I don't know how else you'd go about it.
The only other action beat is the Pink Panther style staged attack with Colleen Wing. It's an odd teaching strategy to say the least. It did seem a bit on the forced side. I have to admit, though, given how stylized that sequence was, her assertion that this was a real world application did come off as kind of funny to me. It's possible that was the desired reaction, but I honestly couldn't tell you.
I could see what this episode was trying to do, but there were flaws in the execution. There's some character development, but not enough to carry the full hour. There's still stuff to like here, so it does seem like some of the critics are blowing it out of proportion. The show still has kinks to work out, but it does seem like it's at least beginning that process.
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