1. #21661
    JUST DO IT?!?! Postmania's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nik Hasta View Post
    I feel like this succinctly describes my issue with pretty much the whole MCU.

    Spectacle is good and they are entertaining but it all, with some minor exceptions, feels a bit weightless and empty to me.

    But then, as friends of mine whom I have grumbled about this to have pointed out, Disney is in this to make tons of money and actually engaging with complicated ideas isn't profitable as it lowers the number of potential viewers. It's not really fair to condemn them for failing on a metric they aren't trying to pursue at all. They want broad appeal and, ultimately, a lot of people just want fun, entertaining, ultimately kind of disposable superhero stuff. They don't really want to be directly confronted by scary real issues like systemic racism or the poisonous history of American politics and the like.

    And, to be clear, that's not me condemning anyone for that. Nothing wrong with wanting some escapist fluff for your brain in these extremely trying times.

    But, when your stories are kind of about nothing... and when it's all effectively tied to a representation of the status quo, it tends to put strict limits on what you can say or do creatively.
    I agree with all of this.

    At least after WandaVision I knew not to get my hopes up. Plus I have Invincible for a comics show that might actually try to say something atm.
    “The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried.”
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  2. #21662
    Legendary God of Pirates Nik Hasta's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Postmania View Post
    I agree with all of this.

    At least after WandaVision I knew not to get my hopes up. Plus I have Invincible for a comics show that might actually try to say something atm.
    I'm really impressed with the Invincible series.

    Like, I have all the comics and like it well enough but I feel like it didn't really start to find itself until a bit of a way in; certainly well past where we are in the narrative in the series. There were cool moments but it didn't feel completely solid for a bit. They've made a lot of clever edits, expanding some characters, shuffling some events around, extending the suspense and playing really well with mood.

    It's a great adaptation in that it elevates the source material and does new and interesting things with it.

    My only concern, which is pure theorycrafting on my part is:

    spoilers:
    They've done such a great job of humanising and expanding Amber as a character, way beyond what she was in the comic. My worry is that she's going to die in the ensuing chaos when the big reveal happens. This would happen so she's taken out of the narrative to make room for Eve as primary love interest and maybe motivate Mark to properly face down his dad or something.
    end of spoilers

    Now, I don't /know/ that they are going to do that but I would not be surprised if it happened and I would not care for it.

    But that's my only real concern at the moment. Show is very well done.

  3. #21663
    Extraordinary Member Hiromi's Avatar
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    taking all bets folks, does Big Mom end this arc as a face or a heel, she's on transition number three by my count

    in One Punch Man I'm thinking it's finally built up to Saitama's big damn heroes moment spoilers:
    given that it looks like Tatsumaki has finally run out of gas
    end of spoilers
    Last edited by Hiromi; 04-23-2021 at 06:37 AM.

  4. #21664
    Legendary God of Pirates Nik Hasta's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hiromi View Post
    taking all bets folks, does Big Mom end this arc as a face or a heel, she's on transition number three by my count
    Hoo hoo, well that's a bit of a question.

    My view would be she's still heel. Lest we forget she is a sociopathic, power hungry, occasional-cannibal who rules an empire wherein people literally give up their life force to strengthen her armies in exchange for living there.

    She's got a soft spot for children and isn't above some form of honour but she's too greedy and cruel to truly be a good guy.

  5. #21665

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  6. #21666
    She/Her Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nik Hasta View Post
    I feel like this succinctly describes my issue with pretty much the whole MCU.

    Spectacle is good and they are entertaining but it all, with some minor exceptions, feels a bit weightless and empty to me.

    But then, as friends of mine whom I have grumbled about this to have pointed out, Disney is in this to make tons of money and actually engaging with complicated ideas isn't profitable as it lowers the number of potential viewers. It's not really fair to condemn them for failing on a metric they aren't trying to pursue at all. They want broad appeal and, ultimately, a lot of people just want fun, entertaining, ultimately kind of disposable superhero stuff. They don't really want to be directly confronted by scary real issues like systemic racism or the poisonous history of American politics and the like.

    And, to be clear, that's not me condemning anyone for that. Nothing wrong with wanting some escapist fluff for your brain in these extremely trying times.

    But, when your stories are kind of about nothing... and when it's all effectively tied to a representation of the status quo, it tends to put strict limits on what you can say or do creatively.
    So I largely agree here...

    Save for the fact that they are attaching complicated ideas to their shows as a way to court the people looking for it, and in my opinion that's worse than not touching on those themes at all.

    I'll admit that on that front, DC has me curious. The next Superman movie is going to be written by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Though I can't say I'm too hopeful... J.J Abrams is directing.
    Yeah, but if you... man, we're getting into weird analogy territory, like if you disintegrated Superman's arms he wouldn't be able to go "fool! Little did you know that my arms and I are one and can be remade from me!" and will his arms back into being from pure nothingness. - Pendaran

    Arx Inosaan

  7. #21667
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nik Hasta View Post
    Hoo hoo, well that's a bit of a question.

    My view would be she's still heel. Lest we forget she is a sociopathic, power hungry, occasional-cannibal who rules an empire wherein people literally give up their life force to strengthen her armies in exchange for living there.

    She's got a soft spot for children and isn't above some form of honour but she's too greedy and cruel to truly be a good guy.
    This is a triple threat with one face and two heels.

    (Does this make Luffy Daniel Bryan?)

  8. #21668
    Extraordinary Member Hiromi's Avatar
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    just going to say that heel/face doesn't necessarily mean good/bad so much as who we cheer/boo, a heel in wrestling can turn face on a dime regardless of how much a heel he'd been(see Hollywood/Hulk Hogan when he returned to WWE). In this case face or heel is solely dependent on whether you're fighting for or against Luffy's faction. In my personnel opinion spoilers:
    I think learning about Okobore town
    end of spoilershas permanently soured her on Kaido and any alliance with him meaning at the absolute worst she's a completely independent third party now

    also found out that cheer is descended from the French word chiere which actually translates to face

    Quote Originally Posted by Nik Hasta View Post
    spoilers:
    They've done such a great job of humanising and expanding Amber as a character, way beyond what she was in the comic. My worry is that she's going to die in the ensuing chaos when the big reveal happens. This would happen so she's taken out of the narrative to make room for Eve as primary love interest and maybe motivate Mark to properly face down his dad or something.
    end of spoilers

    Now, I don't /know/ that they are going to do that but I would not be surprised if it happened and I would not care for it.
    eh, given the latest episode I think you're good
    spoilers:
    the most obvious reason being that they're no where near the same vicinity and with the season finale next week there probably simply isn't enough time, also while they're changing lots of details here and there it feels strongly like they're keeping to the same general plot of the comics if with a quicker pacing, and I'd wager the breakup from last week will be permanent what with the reveal that she knew he was a super hero the whole time
    end of spoilers
    Last edited by Hiromi; 04-23-2021 at 11:06 AM.

  9. #21669
    Extraordinary Member Hiromi's Avatar
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    I think my biggest surprise with FatWS was the direction they went with John Walker/USAgent ultimately
    spoilers:
    I thought he'd pursue Carley and his revenge over trying to save the van, instead he did the opposite and ironically did what Captain America would have done, also his new costume rocks, impressed how close they kept it to the comics, also liked the bait and switch with the rounded up flag smashers, Zemo winning in the end again was a nice little bit of icing on the show.
    end of spoilers

    now for the show I've probably been looking forward to more than any other of this phase, bring on Loki

  10. #21670
    Rumbles Moderator Guy1's Avatar
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    Mortal Kombat Movie

    spoilers:

    I think it needs to be said how useless Raiden in this version. Because damn man.

    Cole meanwhile is basically Alice from the Resident Evil Movies.
    end of spoilers
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  11. #21671
    JUST DO IT?!?! Postmania's Avatar
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    Speaking of Falcon + Winter Soldier, at least he'll never be subject to an interview like this



    good times
    “The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried.”
    -Stephen McCranie

  12. #21672
    Prince of Duckness Beadle's Avatar
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    ^ Exactly what I was talking about around 19 or 20 posts above.

  13. #21673
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    Quote Originally Posted by Postmania View Post
    Speaking of Falcon + Winter Soldier, at least he'll never be subject to an interview like this



    good times
    Oh, Sally Floyd's big "reason you suck" spiel has aged like milk, and it was produced by a sickly cow to begin with.
    Critics who treat adult as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence.
    - C.S. Lewis

  14. #21674
    Rumbles Moderator Guy1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Postmania View Post
    Speaking of Falcon + Winter Soldier, at least he'll never be subject to an interview like this



    good times
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  15. #21675
    Lin Kuei Grandmaster Sub-Zero MKA's Avatar
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    New MK sucks ass. Acting, except for Kano and kinda Kung Lao, sucks. Fight scenes suck. Story moves along at warp speed with entirely too much exposition. Cole spoilers:
    has literal plot armor, as in he grows armor when he needs it, along with tonfas
    end of spoilers and was completely unnecessary.

    The only highlight was my boi and Kano. The opening scene was the best scene in the movie and they gave that away for free.

    If you're an MK fan, watch the '95 version. This new version has none of the charm and fun of the original, but has vastly better graphics. Just like the games.
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