Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

 

I hope you manage to take this day and reflect on what you are thankful for! Myself, I am thankful for my family, my friends, my cats, all my readers here and all my followers on social media. Thanks so much for it!

I hope you get to have a delicious meal, and spend time with your loved ones! Enjoy some football, if that's your thing, and enjoy your day!

Ghost in the Shell Trailer, My Thoughts

Well, it's arrived! A long time after it got announced, The Ghost in the Shell trailer is here!

Casting controversy aside, I have to admit, I have not given a lot of thought to this movie. To be honest, I...I never really saw a point to this film being made. I don't really have a lot of interest in seeing it. And it's not like I don't enjoy anything from this particular franchise.

I have seen some of the original 1995 film, and I did enjoy Stand Alone Complex, so I do have SOME familiarity with the franchise. Anyway, let's take a look at this thing.

The trailer begins with a shot of a geisha. Okay. Then we see a brief shot of Major Motoko Kusanagi and a city. I'm guessing the city is somewhere in Japan, but I notice a tiny detail. There's a red 5-pointed star/flower symbol on one of the buildings, so I'm think maybe it's Hong Kong? I don't know. Now, from what I have heard, Scarlett Johansson's character is simply referred to as "The Major". Okay.

Then there's a dinner, a drink overflows, some guy gets angry at the geisha, the geisha I think goes nuts and attacks the guy, and then there's a bunch of guys appearing and shooting guns. Okay.

Scarlett Johansson's in a tight white bodysuit. She smashes into a building, and slowly jumps in the air shooting some guys. I really want to see a solo Black Widow movie now.

A scientist says that the Major is the first of her kind, and reminds her she's not invulnerable. Okay, so in this movie's universe, is the Major a prototype? Are her cybernetic enhancements experimental? Or is she an actual robot?

The rest of the trailer is rather interesting. There is a scene with the Major and another woman that made me take notice. They appear to share a brief kiss. Now, in the original manga, Major Kusanagi was openly bisexual. I think that would be nice if that was preserved in the movie.

The visuals are...rather trippy. Definitely not something what I expected. I almost expected something more in the vein of film noir. I don't know why.

We do get to see Batou briefly as well. Based on the scenes we see, I'm guessing in this film, we see him get the eye lenses he is known for in this movie as well. I guess he somehow loses his eyes at some point, and gets the robotic ones put in. I wonder what the Tachikomas will look like in this film.

The Major's dialogue in this film makes me consider why Major Kusanagi is only going by "The Major" in this film. I think it can be assumed that the Major may be amnesiac. She may have no idea who she actually is. It would explain why she's only going by "The Major".

The end of the trailer shows what may be the villain of this film. Now he claims that someone "stole" the Major's life, that she may have been made into a cyborg against her will. I did talk about this with a friend of mine who had seen this trailer before. He suggested the idea that the villain may be lying. That would make for a nice twist.

The concern I have for this film is that...well, one of the big things about GitS was that it dealt with themes regarding technology and humanity. When most of your flesh is gone, can you still be considered human? My concern is that this film will overly downplay, if not outright ignore these themes just to make it more of a standard action film.

This is a well-made trailer. It was neat to watch, but I still don't really have much interest in seeing this movie.

Doctor Strange, My Thoughts

It is here! The 14th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has finally arrived! Doctor Strange has cast his spell on theaters! Was the film a fun trip through alternate dimension, or was it a bad spell blowing up in a sorcerer's face? Let's find out.

For those not in the know, Doctor Strange first appeared in the comic book Strange Tales #110 (July 1963). Co created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Stephen Strange was a brilliant but arrogant neurosurgeon. When he lost the use of his hands in a car accident, his search for a cure led him to the Ancient One. The Ancient One, a powerful sorcerer, tutors Strange in magic, and the lessons also give the arrogant doctor a bit of humility pie. Now, as Earth's Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange protects the world from a variety of mystic threats, from the Dark Dimension's Dormammu, to Baron Karl Mordo, a rival sorcerer who went down a darker path.

There have been attempts to make a Doctor Strange film since the 1980s, and the character did appear in a notorious 1970s TV movie. However, it has only been with the success with the MCU has Marvel Studios been able to introduce Stephen Strange, and with it, the MCU reveals its mystical side. So, what did I like about it?

First the visuals. Seriously, the visuals of this film were...well, with lack of anything else to describe it, they were out of this world. Seeing the scenery twist, shift, and fold throughout the movie, it was like Inception on steroids. I seriously asked myself if I got slipped some LSD before I entered the theater. It felt like this film dropped a gallon of the stuff, and it was amazing to watch.

Another was the casting. Yeah, I have heard complaints about the casting of the Ancient One (in my opinion, they should have shown that the Ancient One's appearance differed depending on who gazed upon them, but it may have ended up too confusing if badly handled), I liked the cast, and I felt they did well with their roles and what they had been giving. I also loved their portrayal of the Dark Dimension, one could tell they were trying to capture Ditko's drawings.

The Stan Lee cameo was funny and very clever. Minor spoiler, he appears on a bus reading a book called The Doors of Perception. It was a book Aldous Huxley wrote about a trip he took on mescaline. Nice little touch there.

I also got some great laughs during this film. I know some may complain about the humor in the MCU movies, but I like it. The MCU is fun. Let heroes be fun.

My only complaint about the film was the villain, Kaecilius. I thought Mads Mikkelsen did do a good job, and he looked pretty cool, but I did feel his motivation was a bit Final Fantasy-emo. However, it didn't ruin the film for me. Kaecilius was a minor obscure character from the comics, so it was nice to see a minor character get a major role. Shows that these people did their research, and dug deep into Strange's mythos. I like that.

Doctor Strange was a fun film. Whether you are a fan of the MCU or not, give it a look. It's an entertaining couple of hours, and there's a ton of razzle-dazzle in it. It's a great ride from beginning to end.

Pokemon Sun/Moon Starter Z-Move Trailer, My Thoughts

One more day until Pokemon Sun and Moon finally arrive! And with that announcement comes one last trailer, this one focusing on the starters and their own unique Z-Moves!

Yup, the Starters of Alola, when they get fully evolved, will get unique Z-Moves of their own. That's really neat. I do like the idea of fully-evolved Starter Pokémon getting their own Z-Moves.

Decidueye's is called Sinister Arrow Raid. The Z-Move does keep with the whole archer/Robin Hood theme of the Pokemon, which is nice. Basically, it takes to the skies, summons a ring of arrows, divebombs onto the opponent, and then drops its arrows around them, which explode. It's a cool-looking Z-Move. I like it a lot.

Incineroar's Z-Move keeps with the pro wrestling theme for the Pokémon. Called the Malicious Moonsault, it conjures up a wrestling ring made of...fire? energy? I don't know, it's a glowing red ring. Incineroar jumps on a turnbuckle and...does what looks like a 450 Splash on steroids.The impact makes one heck of an explosion. I do like the name of the Z-Move. Malicious Moonsault is an awesome name for a Z-Move, and it rolls right off the tongue. However, I wish that Incineroar actually did a moonsault. The move Incineroar does more resembles a 450 Splash. This is a moonsault:

THAT is what the Incineroar's Z-Move should be like. As a wrestling fan, it does bother me a little bit that they call its Z-Move the Malicious Moonsault, but not have it do an actual moonsault. But that's my only complaint about it.

Finally, Primarina's Z-Move is revealed to be called the Oceanic Operetta. Another Z-Move name that rolls off the tongue, very nice. It's a good name for a Z-Move for a Pokémon that kind of reminds one of a mermaid or siren. A spotlight is on Primarina, and it sings its heart out, summoning a big ball of blue energy. It then guides the big ball of energy over the opponent's head, and sings, bringing it down on the opponent's head. I have heard comparisons to Goku's Genki Dama/Spirit Bomb, and I can see it. If that was the intention, nice subtle shout-out. I like that Primarina takes a bow at the end. Nice touch there.

As a bonus, we also get to meet some more Ultra Beasts! The new one introduced is UB-03, Lighting. No, that's not a typo. It's not Lightning, it's Lighting. I have to admit, when I first saw this thing, I thought it looked like a roll of Christmas lights had evolved into a sentient lifeform. The bizarre look of this thing really does give me the idea that this thing is not a Pokémon. Well, not a "normal" one, at the very least.

The next one we meet is UB-05 Glutton. "Glutton" is the right name for this thing, as it essentially is a mouth. A mouth with crab-like claws. It's like a Gulpin was mutated by the same radiation that created Godzilla.

More regional variants revealed! Diglett and Dugtrio's Alolan cousins are Ground/Steel, and...they have hair. Alolan Dugtrio has already been seen thanks to the demo, and it is already the object of boy band jokes because of its hair on its heads. It's an odd way or altering the Diglett line's design. What would they need with hair? I would've just given them a more metallic color scheme, personally. Still the Alolan Diglett line is chuckle-worthy.

The trailer ends with a reminder to pick up some stuff from the demo.

With so many trailers revealing so much about the games, I hope there are some surprises still waiting for us when we actually get to purchase and play the games. Anyway, this trailer was pretty neat. I can't wait to get these games.

Hacksaw Ridge, My Thoughts

Today, I went out and saw a film called Hacksaw Ridge. Directed by Mel Gibson, it's based on the real story of Desmond Doss, the only conscientious objector to get the Medal of Honor during World War II. Doss refused to carry a weapon or kill enemy soldiers due to his Seventy-day Adventist beliefs. Despite his lack of armament, Doss saved 75 wounded men during the Battle of Okinawa.

Doss's story is quite fascinating, so it makes sense that someone would want to tell his story of his heroism in WWII. After many years of attempting to make a film about Doss's story, this film has materialized. How will it stand up?

The first thing I began to notice was that the film was...rather gory in the war scenes. I am rather...of mixed mind about this. I do get the reason for it, it's a war film, showing that War is Hell, I get it. However, a part of me also thinks that maybe it didn't quite need all that gore. I'm mixed on it. I certainly was surprised to see a couple bring a child to this movie in the theater.

Andrew Garfield portrays Doss, and I have to admit, he does come off as a cornfed West Virginia boy. Hugo Weaving portrays Tom Doss, who served in WWI, and the film shows he is haunted by PTSD from it. His performance is haunting and tragic. Teresa Palmer portrays Dolores Schutte, Doss's girlfriend and eventual wife. She is a gorgeous woman, and she was great to watch.

The casting choice that surprised me was Vince Vaughn as Doss's drill sergeant. I never imagined casting Vaughn in that kind of role. He does do a surprisingly good job in the role.

The story basically tells how Doss got to war, got to serve with carrying a weapon, and his time as a medic in Okinawa, focusing on his heroic rescue of wounded soldiers on the top of Hacksaw Ridge. It was extraordinary seeing how he pulled it off.

The end of the film had a clip of the real Desmond Doss talking about his actions at Hacksaw Ridge, and I thought it was wonderful that we got to see the real man who inspired the film.

Hacksaw Ridge was quite an experience to watch. It's a pretty good film, give it a watch.

Happy Veterans Day!

 

Happy Veterans Day, everyone!

Veterans Day is an important day to me, as I have military in my blood. My father served in the United States Air Force, and my late paternal grandfather served in the Marines during WWII. He was a cook in Guam. My father was a lab technician. I like to think they did important jobs during their service, my grandfather keeping the fighting men fed, and my dad helped keep them healthy. I'm proud of them and love them very much.

This day is about something I think we should be doing more often: Thanking those who served who are still with us. It's the least we can do for them.

Have a wonderful day, and for those who served, thank you so much.

Oliver Harper's Retrospectives

Lately, I've become a bit of a fan of Oliver Harper on YouTube. He does retrospectives and reviews of classic films. He does great work, and he's reviewed a lot of movies I enjoyed growing up.

Here's one of my favorite episodes he's done: The review of For Your Eyes Only, Roger Moore's fifth film as James Bond, and one of my favorite Bond films. Hope you like it!

Give his channel a look  His videos are fantastic. Personally, I've watched his review of The Black Cauldron, I do hope he does review more of the Disney Animated Canon...

Wonder Woman Trailer, My Thoughts

The DC Cinematic Universe marches on! We've had a teaser, but now here's a trailer! Enjoy!

The trailer begins with Diana walking by what appears to be the Louvre in Paris, France. Her dialogue here seems to indicate that Diana has become somewhat disillusioned. I have wondered why the film was set in World War I instead of World War II, and now I think I understand why now. WWI was called "The War to End All Wars", heck Chris Pine's Steve Trevor outright says it. Perhaps with witnessing the rise of the Third Reich and World War II, Diana grew somewhat disillusioned with humanity, and went into hiding. That certainly would explain why she didn't give Superman a hand against the Kryptonians in Man of Steel.

The trailer then shows Diana rescuing Steve Trevor, and some soldiers fighting Amazons. I think it could be possibly these soldiers are after Trevor, somehow following him to Themyscira.

I will be honest, Themyscira as it's being presented here has not really grown on me. It doesn't seem like Themyscira. It looks like they were going for a dark fantasy vibe. I was hoping to see things like Greek columns and statues of Athena and Aphrodite.

The trailer hints about fantastic weapons being developed, one of them being what looks like a gas than can destroy gas masks. Based on this, I'm guessing that Dr. Poison is going to be a villain of the movie. Poisons and such chemical weapons are her forte. I doubt she'll be the main villain, as she isn't the most powerful or high-profile villain in the Amazing Amazon's rogues gallery.

I wonder one thing about Diana's voice here. Is that Gal Gadot's real voice, or is that some kind of accent she's going for?

There is a really cool scene with Diana using her bulletproof bracelets. Nice to see them in action. Hoping the Lasso of Truth gets used as a lie detector.

We then get a montage of action moments, and a nice little scene with Diana expressing confusion about a dress with Etta Candy. I like Etta. Etta's neat.

I do like the trailer. It does its job. It gives us a nice idea of what we're in for. I just hope this movie ends up being really good. DC needs a really good movie. Wonder Woman needs a good movie. PLEASE let this be a good movie.