Sorry this one is late, real life got in the way.
Still, I would like to make an addendum to Part 1 of this list. If you recall, I put both "Dream On" and "Path of Genocide" in the number 9 spot, mainly due to Will being the core reason as to why I checked out Undertale to begin with, as I simply could not get those songs out of my head. However, I did neglect to mention one other little gem that he made:
Much like how "Dream On" seemed reflective of Asriel's cycle of grief and "Path of Genocide" was more of a story piece for the games Genocide route, "I Stay Determined" could easily be seen as a P.O.V piece from Frisk's perspective during the Pacifist route. Lyrics like "So you can be not a foe, but a friend" help support that idea. Otherwise, this is probably my favourite Undertale song due to the guitar riffs and Will's vocals ranging from soft and calm to loud and rugged, which compliment the instrumentals perfectly. As far as I'm concerned, this is also on the first part of the list. I only neglected to mention it as I hadn't heard it at the time.
With that said, the rules from last time still apply here. Namely; this is all bias and opinion based, I have not heard every song, and I'm not putting entire albums on here.
But otherwise, from here on out, it'll be solely original songs by him, so let's keep the list going with:
5:
I think I enjoyed this song more for the superficial reasons as opposed to what Will might of intended.
While this song captures the idea of a savage beast being taken out of his cage to hunt down his prey in the dark, I can't help but focus more of the absolutely brutal way that the instruments, vocals and lyrical structure work off of each other. The initial slower pace of the lyrics match up perfectly with the louder build created from the guitars and drums, which help to sell the idea that the artist is a predator, searching through the night for his prey to prove their dominance and strength. The aggressive nature of Will's vocals in this number help to sell to the listener this idea that no matter where you run, you'll never be able to escape from your inner demons as they try to hunt you down.
Always leave it to Will to make a song about being an aggressive monster sound amazing. Lord knows, he did it better than Adam Levine did.
4:
A common motif that I have found in Will's original songs is this idea of defiance to compliance... if that makes any sense.
I feel that what this song represents is a tad more obvious with it's message; that no one is going to control what the artist is going to create, and that the corporate craft is what will destroy any sense of identity or uniqueness about the artist, so the artist has to scream louder that they are not their play things or their tools for gain. Once more, this seems to be a common theme throughout plenty of Will's original scores, but each one is given their own unique flavour so that it never feels old.
Or maybe I'm grasping for straws and should just say this song's awesome. Either way, love it!
3:
This song feels more along the lines of a character piece, which is something I greatly appreciate.
"Kings & Queens" tells the story of two people, so different yet so similar to each other, as they fight their way from the deepest, darkest parts of their lives to reclaim something that once belonged to them in another life. They aren't going to just sit back and wait for it to come to them; they are gonna keep fighting and striving for what they believe in just so they can announce to the world that forgotten them that they are back!
What else can you say except; "They're the fucking Kings & Queens!"
2:
And:
Again, putting more than one song on the same spot, though this one feels more justified as... well, it's the same song in different styles.
I intentionally left the opening of the original version in with the song so that people get the idea this isn't just "another Will Ryan song about his defiance". Instead, he makes it clear as crystal. This is Will's most personal song, as it represents his pain of being seen as an object, a toy; something for the audience to play with and demand more when they aren't satisfied. And as soon as he's out of the spotlight, they ignore him until he tries to satisfy them yet again. That spotlight is something that a lot of people like Will go through, in terms of emotional stress. Stuff like that stays with you, even if you can fight it off. It's not something anyone can take lightly, no matter how times you hear stuff like "Man up" or "Get over it". This Will at his most vulnerable and personal, and he's not going to let you look away this time. The simplicity of the song actually helps the listener to understand the complexities of this subject, and the last line of the song speaks more volumes than any kind of gothy, emo "woe, is me, with my million dollar mansion" trash that larger artists put out on a daily basis.
In short, this song is simply a masterpiece.
... Okay, I'll include the "Steamed Hams" version too:
But only because this is the only time I ever found that stupid late meme funny.
And now, without any further delay, let's get to it:
My Number 1 song by DAGames is:
There was never any doubt in my mind that this would be on the list.
I mentioned before that a lot of Will's original songs, along with dealing with his own emotional struggles, are ultimately about defiance against a negative stigma; to keep true to yourself and to always do what you love. Not because anyone told you to do it, but because you WANT to do it. And if they can't see you for who you are, then they can all fuck off, as you'll never need them again if they continue to stand in your way of growing.
This song captures that idea PERFECTLY, while still showing that no matter what comes his way, no matter what shit people may say about him and his music, Will is not going to stand there and take it any longer, so neither should you. So, simply stand up and shout "Fuck them all"!
But more than that, this song is number 1 on the list for a more personal reason, and this is what I meant when I said this list would become more serious. Know that not a word of this is hyperbolic.
In May earlier this year, I was going through an emotional state of decay. It was the final semester of University in my second year, and I was completely swamped by constant assignment after assignment, task after task. I was struggling just to get started on otherwise relatively simple essays, because of all of these other things just weighing down on my mind. Add on the fact that I was trying to balance that along with time I wanted to spend with my mum and baby brother, as well the fact that I was due for maxillofacial surgery in a few weeks time, and I felt my life just spiralling out of control. I was honestly considering just finishing the second year, dropping out and getting a 9 to 5 job, if only because I didn't want to confront the reality around me as my confidence was falling apart.
What ultimately stopped me from going down that road were two major factors. Firstly, a talk with my mum. She noticed that I was getting into slump and wanted to talk to me, to just allow me to let out any aggression or sense of doubt I had been feeling at that time. Talking with her has always what kept me down to Earth and allowed me to think more rationally. She is the rock that I needed in my time of desperation.
Secondly, this song. Hearing this song telling me that I was worth something, and that if I stand in defiance of my own demons, I will come stronger. So, that's what I did. I pushed those awful thoughts out of my head through sheer anger and kept striving forward to finish my year. And never had I felt more relieved when it was all over. Which is why "Heart of An Artist" will always be my number 1 DAGames song of all time.
And that wouldn't have been possible were it not for my mum and Will Ryan. And so; mum, Will, from the bottom of my heart:
Thank you. For everything.
I hope those of you who are still reading enjoyed the list. You have any other DAGames song that you feel should be on the list? Well, comment below and let me know.
But until next time; this is Callum Lewis, the Media Hood, signing off!
PEACE OUT!!
Sunday, 11 November 2018
How to fix Kamen Rider Zi-O.
(SPOILER WARNING!!)
I had said previously that I was dropping Kamen Rider Zi-O after 6 episodes due to how insultingly bad the series was getting. However, I found myself going back to it and watching the next 3 episodes (as episode 10 inexplicably has not popped up on any website yet). The show is still gutter trash, but it hasn't reached the same level of insulting that we got in episode 6.
Still, looking back, I started think of how exactly the show could've been improved from it's inception and how the story (or lack thereof) has progressed thus far. I'm not gonna just say "have Riku Sanjou or Naruhisa Awakawa write it", as that was pretty obvious to me from day one. Those two actually KNOW how to write a good story with likeable protagonists. Instead, I will divide this into two categories and mark down how each could be improved immensely with simple revisions or difference in perspective.
With that said, let's begin where I feel the series suffers the most:
The Story:
On top of being derisive of Den-O's basis of a guy that helps some random lady as they travel through time to stop monsters from massively rewriting history, Zi-O's story has virtually nothing going for it thus far, with the exception of Sougo potentially becoming the evil overlord that Geiz and Woz believe he will end up as. But even then, it still feels derisive of other stories that have done this idea far better; the possibility of the protagonist becoming the villain due to both external and internal circumstances that forces them into that role. Hell, that was a major plot-point with Decade and how Tsukasa was trying to deny the idea that he is the Rider that will destroy all the others. Instead, he tried his hardest to earn the trust of his seniors and discover for himself what it means to be a Kamen Rider.
Zi-O, on the other hand, as just focused on the same damn thing with each episode:
Geiz: This guy is gonna ruin the world, so why don't we just stop him here and now?
Everyone else: Here's a stupid reason that stops you from completing your end goal and is used to say you're wrong when all evidence suggests that you're in the right.
Geiz: Oh, okay. I'll just accept it until I inexplicably don't.
Lather, rinse, repeat for every fucking episode.
On top of that, the subplots in each "arc" for the series has incredibly dumb and wrecks any appreciation one may have for it. The episodes focused on stopping Another Wizard, for instance, has said Kaijin do everything he does just to impress a random lady who will never love him the same way in return. And when he learns that lady is going to get married to his rival, he flips out and starts causing actual havoc instead of using his powers for a magic show. Appreciation for it is then ruined with how Zi-O has the guy talk to his past self to stop him for ever becoming Another Wizard, thus rendering the episodes focused on Another Wizard entirely pointless. Nothing was learned and nothing was achieved. Fan-fucking-tastic.
This could easily be remedied if it's not stated directly that Sougo will become Oma Zi-O, but instead leave it as a mystery for the characters to discover who their evil overlord is and how he came to power. Thus, necessitating the Time Jackers involvement with them creating the Another Riders to try and stop Zi-O and Geiz from fixing the timelines, which then allows for the original Riders to still exist without much in the way of narrative contradictions. Hell, the whole "Sougo becomes Oma Zi-O" thing could be a narrative red herring created by Woz as a means of sewing discord and mistrust in the team, along with Sougo questioning if his future is set in stone or if he can change it for the better. Automatically, you have a much more interesting character journey instead of "i WaNnA bE kInG!"
And on that note, that brings me to point number two:
The Characters:
Be honest with yourself, readers; the characters in this show are either one dimensional planks of wood or unlikable morons. Granted, there is more of the former category, but the latter is prevalent with it's lead "hero": Sougo Tokiwa. Sougo is, in every sense, an awful protagonist, on par with the likes of ToQger's Wrong Suzuki, Ninninger's Bakaharu Igasaki, and Kyuranger's Dumb-Luck with how horribly his characterisation is fucked up. At best, he's just an idiot, one with baseless aspirations to become a king (despite that fact that a majority of countries, including Japan, has abandoned that type of monarchy) and has no idea what the fuck he's even doing. At worst, he is a selfish, narcissistic, destructive, god-modding sociopath with no consideration of what other people may be feeling and completely ignorant of the consequences of his actions. He doesn't care if he destroys the future, so long as he gets to become a king.
I'd play the "Our Hero, ladies and gentlemen" clip, but I couldn't find one good enough nor short enough for this blog. Besides, I'm sure you're all thinking it already.
If he was more along the lines of a history savant and admired the stories of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, that would actually make sense for him to model himself after that. Not in the sense that he would want to rule over a country, but be more of a modern day knight errand tasking himself with the duty to protect others in the name of hope. After all, Arthur was challenged by Merlin himself to oppose the whole "Might makes right" deposition, and instead decided the idea of "Might FOR right". That more aligns with the traditional ideals of a Kamen Rider; a person who uses the power that they wield, be forced or chosen, to save people simply because it's the right thing to do and it's how they hold on to what makes them human.
But of course, this being a Shinichiro Shurakura production and a Kento Shimoyama script, we don't get that. Instead, we get the bare bone minimum for the side characters, whilst the main character is a moron with delusions of grandeur who the story says is right when everything presented suggests that they should be wrong. Which is why Sougo is a horrible protagonist; he's not a character, he's a mouthpiece for the Shimoyama to project his own idiocy and hypocrisy onto other people. Combine that with Shurakura's lack of understanding of the merits of the franchise (to the point where he admits he has no clue of what heroism is), and you have a disaster of a main hero.
If more time was focused on actually giving the other characters, namely Tsukuyomi and Geiz, more time to flesh themselves as characters and actually allowing interaction between Sougo and the past Riders (who are little more than footnotes in the series, as half of them haven't even shown up), then maybe the cast could be stronger. And of course, it would help if the main "hero" wasn't a colossal douchebag with stupid aspirations.
Still, that's just how I would personally have fixed the series as it has been thus far. Other stuff like the integration of the gimmicks or the acknowledgement of previous canon could easily be handled by other experts, as I will admit that I have yet to see everything in the early Heisei run (specifically; Agito, Ryuki, Blade and Hibiki).
If you have any suggestions on how the series could be fixed, please let me know and I'd be happy to hear it.
So until next time; this is Callum Lewis, the newly christened Media Hood, signing off!
I had said previously that I was dropping Kamen Rider Zi-O after 6 episodes due to how insultingly bad the series was getting. However, I found myself going back to it and watching the next 3 episodes (as episode 10 inexplicably has not popped up on any website yet). The show is still gutter trash, but it hasn't reached the same level of insulting that we got in episode 6.
Still, looking back, I started think of how exactly the show could've been improved from it's inception and how the story (or lack thereof) has progressed thus far. I'm not gonna just say "have Riku Sanjou or Naruhisa Awakawa write it", as that was pretty obvious to me from day one. Those two actually KNOW how to write a good story with likeable protagonists. Instead, I will divide this into two categories and mark down how each could be improved immensely with simple revisions or difference in perspective.
With that said, let's begin where I feel the series suffers the most:
The Story:
On top of being derisive of Den-O's basis of a guy that helps some random lady as they travel through time to stop monsters from massively rewriting history, Zi-O's story has virtually nothing going for it thus far, with the exception of Sougo potentially becoming the evil overlord that Geiz and Woz believe he will end up as. But even then, it still feels derisive of other stories that have done this idea far better; the possibility of the protagonist becoming the villain due to both external and internal circumstances that forces them into that role. Hell, that was a major plot-point with Decade and how Tsukasa was trying to deny the idea that he is the Rider that will destroy all the others. Instead, he tried his hardest to earn the trust of his seniors and discover for himself what it means to be a Kamen Rider.
Zi-O, on the other hand, as just focused on the same damn thing with each episode:
Geiz: This guy is gonna ruin the world, so why don't we just stop him here and now?
Everyone else: Here's a stupid reason that stops you from completing your end goal and is used to say you're wrong when all evidence suggests that you're in the right.
Geiz: Oh, okay. I'll just accept it until I inexplicably don't.
Lather, rinse, repeat for every fucking episode.
On top of that, the subplots in each "arc" for the series has incredibly dumb and wrecks any appreciation one may have for it. The episodes focused on stopping Another Wizard, for instance, has said Kaijin do everything he does just to impress a random lady who will never love him the same way in return. And when he learns that lady is going to get married to his rival, he flips out and starts causing actual havoc instead of using his powers for a magic show. Appreciation for it is then ruined with how Zi-O has the guy talk to his past self to stop him for ever becoming Another Wizard, thus rendering the episodes focused on Another Wizard entirely pointless. Nothing was learned and nothing was achieved. Fan-fucking-tastic.
This could easily be remedied if it's not stated directly that Sougo will become Oma Zi-O, but instead leave it as a mystery for the characters to discover who their evil overlord is and how he came to power. Thus, necessitating the Time Jackers involvement with them creating the Another Riders to try and stop Zi-O and Geiz from fixing the timelines, which then allows for the original Riders to still exist without much in the way of narrative contradictions. Hell, the whole "Sougo becomes Oma Zi-O" thing could be a narrative red herring created by Woz as a means of sewing discord and mistrust in the team, along with Sougo questioning if his future is set in stone or if he can change it for the better. Automatically, you have a much more interesting character journey instead of "i WaNnA bE kInG!"
And on that note, that brings me to point number two:
The Characters:
Be honest with yourself, readers; the characters in this show are either one dimensional planks of wood or unlikable morons. Granted, there is more of the former category, but the latter is prevalent with it's lead "hero": Sougo Tokiwa. Sougo is, in every sense, an awful protagonist, on par with the likes of ToQger's Wrong Suzuki, Ninninger's Bakaharu Igasaki, and Kyuranger's Dumb-Luck with how horribly his characterisation is fucked up. At best, he's just an idiot, one with baseless aspirations to become a king (despite that fact that a majority of countries, including Japan, has abandoned that type of monarchy) and has no idea what the fuck he's even doing. At worst, he is a selfish, narcissistic, destructive, god-modding sociopath with no consideration of what other people may be feeling and completely ignorant of the consequences of his actions. He doesn't care if he destroys the future, so long as he gets to become a king.
I'd play the "Our Hero, ladies and gentlemen" clip, but I couldn't find one good enough nor short enough for this blog. Besides, I'm sure you're all thinking it already.
If he was more along the lines of a history savant and admired the stories of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, that would actually make sense for him to model himself after that. Not in the sense that he would want to rule over a country, but be more of a modern day knight errand tasking himself with the duty to protect others in the name of hope. After all, Arthur was challenged by Merlin himself to oppose the whole "Might makes right" deposition, and instead decided the idea of "Might FOR right". That more aligns with the traditional ideals of a Kamen Rider; a person who uses the power that they wield, be forced or chosen, to save people simply because it's the right thing to do and it's how they hold on to what makes them human.
But of course, this being a Shinichiro Shurakura production and a Kento Shimoyama script, we don't get that. Instead, we get the bare bone minimum for the side characters, whilst the main character is a moron with delusions of grandeur who the story says is right when everything presented suggests that they should be wrong. Which is why Sougo is a horrible protagonist; he's not a character, he's a mouthpiece for the Shimoyama to project his own idiocy and hypocrisy onto other people. Combine that with Shurakura's lack of understanding of the merits of the franchise (to the point where he admits he has no clue of what heroism is), and you have a disaster of a main hero.
If more time was focused on actually giving the other characters, namely Tsukuyomi and Geiz, more time to flesh themselves as characters and actually allowing interaction between Sougo and the past Riders (who are little more than footnotes in the series, as half of them haven't even shown up), then maybe the cast could be stronger. And of course, it would help if the main "hero" wasn't a colossal douchebag with stupid aspirations.
Still, that's just how I would personally have fixed the series as it has been thus far. Other stuff like the integration of the gimmicks or the acknowledgement of previous canon could easily be handled by other experts, as I will admit that I have yet to see everything in the early Heisei run (specifically; Agito, Ryuki, Blade and Hibiki).
If you have any suggestions on how the series could be fixed, please let me know and I'd be happy to hear it.
So until next time; this is Callum Lewis, the newly christened Media Hood, signing off!
Monday, 8 October 2018
Here's why I'm dropping Kamen Rider Zi-O.
(SPOILER WARNING!!)
6 episodes in and I'm going cold turkey with current Kamen Rider. Not even Ghost made me do this.
Kamen Rider Zi-O has been nothing short of an unmitigated disaster, despite the 6th episode just recently airing. The characters are either one dimensional planks of wood or despicable, sociopathic idiots. The story is derivative of other Kamen Rider seasons that told it's story far better. The action scenes are a drag and never involve any creativity or narrative flow. The constant power ups in each episode and the reasons for those power up are either idiotic or not very well explained.
But it's the most recent episodes that have pissed me off the most.
To summarise, our "heroes" are investigating a series of disappearances at the Amanogawa High School (the setting for Kamen Rider Fourze), in the year of 2016, the common link between the victims being 18 year old girls born as Libras. The last of these girls, Karin, has a connection to the Another Rider of these episodes, Another Fourze, in that it's her friend from different high school in 2003... when they were both 18. As revealed later, Karin originally died in 2003, and her friend has been trying to keep her alive by stealing the life force of other 18 year girls born as Libras. As such, Sougo and Geiz try to stop him in both timelines, as he has the powers of both Faiz and Fourze.
So, why do these episodes piss me off? Because they completely piss over the continuity of Faiz's story, as two of the central players (Takumi Inui/Faiz and his enemy Masato Kusaka/ Kaixa) are in this episode. Masato, keeping in character, tries to kill Karin to stop the Another Fourze, whereas Takumi is trying to save her.
The problem, however, comes down to this; near the end of episode 6, where they finally beat the Another Rider and Karin is allowed to pass on, Takumi, when he SAVES Masato from having his neck snapped by the Another Fourze, says that the two of them... are friends.
THAT FUCKING DOES IT!! NO MORE BEING CALM!!
Never, EVER, would Takumi or Masato consider either their friend! Why? Because in Faiz's storyline, THEY WERE TRYING TO KILL EACH OTHER SEVERAL TIMES!! At best, the two just had a mutual disdain for each other, at worst full on hatred! Throughout the series, we saw Masato try to undermine every single step that Takumi had taken to be a better person; Masato would lie, cheat and manipulate the facts just so he could forcefully take the affections of Mari, a woman who would NEVER see him as more than a petty twat! Masato would kill anyone who stood in his way, just because it was fun, and if given the chance that would also include Takumi! I think the ONLY reason Masato never got the chance to kill Takumi is because Kiba/The Horse Orphenoch snapped Masato's neck first! And in these episodes, we see Masato trying to kill Karin time and again just to stop the monster, which is perfectly in character for someone who tried to kill a KID to stop a bunch of monsters!
And now, 15 years after all of that, Takumi is suddenly deciding that he and Masato are life long best friends just because of the connection to Fourze, a series wherein one of the core things that brought the team together was the power of friendship?!
Nostalgia Critc, would you mind?
This is not only out of character for Takumi, but it doesn't even make any sense in the episode's context! When, at any point, was it established that Takumi or Masato had any respect for each other? Hell, I thought Masato was gonna be revealed to be Another Faiz, as that would be a perfect means for Masato to try one last "fuck you" to Takumi and the rest of the Faiz cast, and this would also fit thematically with Faiz's story as the Rider Belts in that series were passed around more than a game of Chinese Whispers!
Fuck, I just thought of something that could've in-story justified Masato going after some random girl he otherwise wouldn't care about, if there was one thing changed; MAKE KARIN AN ORPHENOCH!! That would've been the PERFECT justification to see Takumi and Masato go at it again, as Masato has an unfiltered hatred for Orphenochs, bordering on racism, and Takumi himself is the Wolf Orphenoch! Excise this stupid subplot of a guy killing some random girls to keep Karin alive, which by proxy excises the entire involvement of Another Fourze and the Amanogawa High School, and just have it be Masato being brought back from the dead and granted the power to kill indiscriminately with Takumi teaming up with the Zi-O team to stop him! Automatically, you fix EVERY continuity issue with the episode, and you make the story more personal and actually respecting Faiz's story! How hard was that?!
In short, fuck these episodes! It's this and the Build "arc" that convinced me this will be an awful series and I'm better off skipping it. I'm gonna wait until the recently announced Kishiryu Sentai Ryusouger to come out before I get back into Tokusatsu. I just need a break from this awful series; maybe I'll finally check out Garo. The new Jinga series has just started.
So until next time; this is Callum Lewis, the Media Man, signing off!
6 episodes in and I'm going cold turkey with current Kamen Rider. Not even Ghost made me do this.
Kamen Rider Zi-O has been nothing short of an unmitigated disaster, despite the 6th episode just recently airing. The characters are either one dimensional planks of wood or despicable, sociopathic idiots. The story is derivative of other Kamen Rider seasons that told it's story far better. The action scenes are a drag and never involve any creativity or narrative flow. The constant power ups in each episode and the reasons for those power up are either idiotic or not very well explained.
But it's the most recent episodes that have pissed me off the most.
To summarise, our "heroes" are investigating a series of disappearances at the Amanogawa High School (the setting for Kamen Rider Fourze), in the year of 2016, the common link between the victims being 18 year old girls born as Libras. The last of these girls, Karin, has a connection to the Another Rider of these episodes, Another Fourze, in that it's her friend from different high school in 2003... when they were both 18. As revealed later, Karin originally died in 2003, and her friend has been trying to keep her alive by stealing the life force of other 18 year girls born as Libras. As such, Sougo and Geiz try to stop him in both timelines, as he has the powers of both Faiz and Fourze.
So, why do these episodes piss me off? Because they completely piss over the continuity of Faiz's story, as two of the central players (Takumi Inui/Faiz and his enemy Masato Kusaka/ Kaixa) are in this episode. Masato, keeping in character, tries to kill Karin to stop the Another Fourze, whereas Takumi is trying to save her.
The problem, however, comes down to this; near the end of episode 6, where they finally beat the Another Rider and Karin is allowed to pass on, Takumi, when he SAVES Masato from having his neck snapped by the Another Fourze, says that the two of them... are friends.
THAT FUCKING DOES IT!! NO MORE BEING CALM!!
Never, EVER, would Takumi or Masato consider either their friend! Why? Because in Faiz's storyline, THEY WERE TRYING TO KILL EACH OTHER SEVERAL TIMES!! At best, the two just had a mutual disdain for each other, at worst full on hatred! Throughout the series, we saw Masato try to undermine every single step that Takumi had taken to be a better person; Masato would lie, cheat and manipulate the facts just so he could forcefully take the affections of Mari, a woman who would NEVER see him as more than a petty twat! Masato would kill anyone who stood in his way, just because it was fun, and if given the chance that would also include Takumi! I think the ONLY reason Masato never got the chance to kill Takumi is because Kiba/The Horse Orphenoch snapped Masato's neck first! And in these episodes, we see Masato trying to kill Karin time and again just to stop the monster, which is perfectly in character for someone who tried to kill a KID to stop a bunch of monsters!
And now, 15 years after all of that, Takumi is suddenly deciding that he and Masato are life long best friends just because of the connection to Fourze, a series wherein one of the core things that brought the team together was the power of friendship?!
Nostalgia Critc, would you mind?
This is not only out of character for Takumi, but it doesn't even make any sense in the episode's context! When, at any point, was it established that Takumi or Masato had any respect for each other? Hell, I thought Masato was gonna be revealed to be Another Faiz, as that would be a perfect means for Masato to try one last "fuck you" to Takumi and the rest of the Faiz cast, and this would also fit thematically with Faiz's story as the Rider Belts in that series were passed around more than a game of Chinese Whispers!
Fuck, I just thought of something that could've in-story justified Masato going after some random girl he otherwise wouldn't care about, if there was one thing changed; MAKE KARIN AN ORPHENOCH!! That would've been the PERFECT justification to see Takumi and Masato go at it again, as Masato has an unfiltered hatred for Orphenochs, bordering on racism, and Takumi himself is the Wolf Orphenoch! Excise this stupid subplot of a guy killing some random girls to keep Karin alive, which by proxy excises the entire involvement of Another Fourze and the Amanogawa High School, and just have it be Masato being brought back from the dead and granted the power to kill indiscriminately with Takumi teaming up with the Zi-O team to stop him! Automatically, you fix EVERY continuity issue with the episode, and you make the story more personal and actually respecting Faiz's story! How hard was that?!
In short, fuck these episodes! It's this and the Build "arc" that convinced me this will be an awful series and I'm better off skipping it. I'm gonna wait until the recently announced Kishiryu Sentai Ryusouger to come out before I get back into Tokusatsu. I just need a break from this awful series; maybe I'll finally check out Garo. The new Jinga series has just started.
So until next time; this is Callum Lewis, the Media Man, signing off!
Sunday, 7 October 2018
Top 10 Best DAGames Songs (Part 1)
I think that it's fair to say that the art of YouTube musicians have come a long way since the website's inception. We go from basic song covers and lyric videos, to talented individuals bringing their all to create new, original content that is reflective of the stages of their lives. Channels like Random Encounters, CG5 and Kyle Allen Music; each of them bringing their own spin and identity to the group.
I may not be a FNaF fan (thus by proxy, not a fan of other games that follow a similar formula), but I'll be damned if I can't admit that there are kickass tie in songs because of them, and Will has made plenty.
Frankly, I think "Flumpty's Jam" has a bit of an advantage over other FNaF parody songs, because it's based on an already existing parody that doesn't take itself seriously. ONaF is meant to be a silly one and done that is still entertaining despite it's short lived lifespan, thus this is the perfect song to accompany it. It's fun, it's bonkers, it's amazingly energetic; there's not much else I can really say, aside from the fact that it's a hilarious anthem for something that, were it done by anyone else, would be quickly forgotten. But Will's energy and lyrical creativity helps keep the song stuck in my head and firmly on my Spotify list.
Not much else to say really; just a fun song by a fun artist.
9:
And:
I had only more recently gotten into "Undertale", though I doubt I'll ever play the Genocide route due to my love for the characters (especially Alphys, Undyne, sans and he, the great Papyrus). And honestly, were it not for Will's songs on this game, I likely never would've checked it out to begin.
I know it's cheating to put two songs in one spot,... but fuck off, it's my list and I'll do what I want!
"Dream On" works perfectly as a character piece for Asriel Dreemurr, a person who was so broken apart at the experience of seeing someone they care about die; someone who was stuck in the cycle of grief because they had never truly accepted that person's death and who's judgement is clouded by that grief. Will captures that character down to a T, with lyrics like "We played our very own games, Our choices left our marks, We reunite and I, Can't afford to leave you again" hitting the nail on the head while still having this poetic synergy with every line.
"Path of Genocide", on the other hand, is sheer brutality encapsulated in an excellent guitar riff and heavy drums that automatically grab your attention, the lyrics warning you of the choices you make having massive ramifications on everyone. The song essentially says "No matter what, your actions will be judged despite their intentions and you can't escape from that. Just keep your heart as strong as stone, and no judgement can ever harm you". I am going to assume, having not played the Genocide route which this is named after, that this is the ultimate message that this song is trying to spread.
Always leave it to Will to get you invested in a great game that you otherwise would've ignored.
8:
Part of the appeal with Will's video game songs is that they don't necessarily have to be tied back to their source material, which is great for someone like me given that I have never played a majority of the games that Will has made songs for.
"Bonds From The Grave" is, every sense, a DAGames song. The heart pounding beat, the intense guitar chords, the powerful vocals; all of it is distinctive and no-one else could replicate it. While with most modern rock artists, that could be seen as criticism, it helps to cement Will as a proper, consistently good artist with an amazing range of talents.
Frankly, without the "Resident Evil" connection, I can't think of much else I can say. It's just another great song from a great artist. Soooooooo,.... next one.
7:
"Cuphead" is another is the almost never ending list of games I seriously need to play, but won't either due to a lack of time or general laziness.
One of the skills that Will has is his ability to work with multiple genres, despite mainly working with rock and metal. And whenever he delves into... whatever genre this song fits into, it's a real treat.
The catchy, frenetic energy helps to keep this song in your head, and Will's differing vocals for both Cuphead and Mugman sells "Brothers in Arms" of not just a fight song, but a song expressing the importance of working together to resolve a common problem, their greatest strengths helping them overcome anything.
Once I get the time, I'll definitely check the game out, but only if I get to play this song over the rest of the soundtrack.
6:
And:
I know, cheating again, but I don't give a shit; THESE SONGS ARE AWESOME!
Even if these weren't his most popular songs (to the point where some irrational jackasses would demand him to do a Chapter 4 song before Chapter 3 even came out with no regard to his mental health. Seriously, not cool guys), these would still be up here because of how simultaneously different yet similar they are.
"Build Our Machine" is very much a storytelling song from Bendy's perspective; the recounting of the monstrosities that the characters have experienced at the hands of (presumably) a psychopath and how they have been used and abused for the sake of someone else's gain. All under the guise of an otherwise upbeat and catchy funk tune.
"Gospel of Dismay" continues the trend of a subtle horror story, this time with a perspective of not just Bendy, but Boris and Sammy as well, with Will given one of the best vocal performances of his entire music career as Boris. I can't tell you how many times I've tried doing his Boris voice with objective failure, and yet Will is able to do it naturally and with grace. It also helps that, as the title implies, there is more a gospel choir, which helps to sell the idea of the people who summoned Bendy and the other Ink Creatures being a fanatic cult.
Which, of course, leaves "Instruments of Cyanide", which I'm debating whether it's this or "Gospel of Dismay" as the best ones. This one is much more of a darker theme, with elements of fear and agony showing through in not just Will's performance, but also that of his colleagues; Caleb Hyles as the Projectionist and Chi-Chi as Susie Campbell. Their distinctive voices and vocal talents are what hold the song together and give it it's own unique flavour, complimenting by the background chants and brilliant chord progression.
Now if only some people would've gotten off of Will's back and let him take a breather, for fuck's sake.
Still, join me next time, as the list becomes a bit more personal. See you there!
Thus enter, Will "DAGames" Ryan. Starting off on Newsground under the pseudonym "Diamond Armada" with small animations, he later expanded on to YouTube with his hilarious video style, contagious enthusiasm and all around likeable attitude. Even during the times where he was going through emotional stress either to the workload or more personal issues, he has always been driven to strive for quality in his work. This is especially evident in both his gameplay vids and his music, whether it was an original song or one tied to a video game.
So, in honour of Will's accomplishments as an artist and just for being a generally awesome bloke, I am her today to count down my top 10 favourite songs of his.
That, and I actually need to make a top 10 list eventually.
A couple of ground rules before we begin:
1. This list is purely objective, and is thus my opinion being displayed in this text. If you feel that one of your favourites should be on here, comment below and let me know. Otherwise, this is strictly bias and opinion based.
2. I'm not counting songs where Will made a guest verse. This list is concerning the songs made by him and his new band "Iris". Thus, sadly, songs like "Devil's Swing", "Classic Kids Show Theme Song Medley" or others will not be on the list. Nor will Will's own song medley that he had made almost a year ago.
3. I have not heard every single song that Will has released, thus stuff like "Follow, Greet, Wait and Repeat" or "United We Stand" will not be one the list nor will this list be revised, even after I listen to those songs.
4. I won't include entire albums, as that would just clog up the whole list.
5. This will be split into two parts. It just will. The first five for this blog and the other five in the next.
3. I have not heard every single song that Will has released, thus stuff like "Follow, Greet, Wait and Repeat" or "United We Stand" will not be one the list nor will this list be revised, even after I listen to those songs.
4. I won't include entire albums, as that would just clog up the whole list.
5. This will be split into two parts. It just will. The first five for this blog and the other five in the next.
With that said, let's delay this no longer; PRESS START TO BEGIN!!
10:
I may not be a FNaF fan (thus by proxy, not a fan of other games that follow a similar formula), but I'll be damned if I can't admit that there are kickass tie in songs because of them, and Will has made plenty.
Frankly, I think "Flumpty's Jam" has a bit of an advantage over other FNaF parody songs, because it's based on an already existing parody that doesn't take itself seriously. ONaF is meant to be a silly one and done that is still entertaining despite it's short lived lifespan, thus this is the perfect song to accompany it. It's fun, it's bonkers, it's amazingly energetic; there's not much else I can really say, aside from the fact that it's a hilarious anthem for something that, were it done by anyone else, would be quickly forgotten. But Will's energy and lyrical creativity helps keep the song stuck in my head and firmly on my Spotify list.
Not much else to say really; just a fun song by a fun artist.
9:
And:
I had only more recently gotten into "Undertale", though I doubt I'll ever play the Genocide route due to my love for the characters (especially Alphys, Undyne, sans and he, the great Papyrus). And honestly, were it not for Will's songs on this game, I likely never would've checked it out to begin.
I know it's cheating to put two songs in one spot,... but fuck off, it's my list and I'll do what I want!
"Dream On" works perfectly as a character piece for Asriel Dreemurr, a person who was so broken apart at the experience of seeing someone they care about die; someone who was stuck in the cycle of grief because they had never truly accepted that person's death and who's judgement is clouded by that grief. Will captures that character down to a T, with lyrics like "We played our very own games, Our choices left our marks, We reunite and I, Can't afford to leave you again" hitting the nail on the head while still having this poetic synergy with every line.
"Path of Genocide", on the other hand, is sheer brutality encapsulated in an excellent guitar riff and heavy drums that automatically grab your attention, the lyrics warning you of the choices you make having massive ramifications on everyone. The song essentially says "No matter what, your actions will be judged despite their intentions and you can't escape from that. Just keep your heart as strong as stone, and no judgement can ever harm you". I am going to assume, having not played the Genocide route which this is named after, that this is the ultimate message that this song is trying to spread.
Always leave it to Will to get you invested in a great game that you otherwise would've ignored.
8:
Part of the appeal with Will's video game songs is that they don't necessarily have to be tied back to their source material, which is great for someone like me given that I have never played a majority of the games that Will has made songs for.
"Bonds From The Grave" is, every sense, a DAGames song. The heart pounding beat, the intense guitar chords, the powerful vocals; all of it is distinctive and no-one else could replicate it. While with most modern rock artists, that could be seen as criticism, it helps to cement Will as a proper, consistently good artist with an amazing range of talents.
Frankly, without the "Resident Evil" connection, I can't think of much else I can say. It's just another great song from a great artist. Soooooooo,.... next one.
7:
"Cuphead" is another is the almost never ending list of games I seriously need to play, but won't either due to a lack of time or general laziness.
One of the skills that Will has is his ability to work with multiple genres, despite mainly working with rock and metal. And whenever he delves into... whatever genre this song fits into, it's a real treat.
The catchy, frenetic energy helps to keep this song in your head, and Will's differing vocals for both Cuphead and Mugman sells "Brothers in Arms" of not just a fight song, but a song expressing the importance of working together to resolve a common problem, their greatest strengths helping them overcome anything.
Once I get the time, I'll definitely check the game out, but only if I get to play this song over the rest of the soundtrack.
6:
And:
I know, cheating again, but I don't give a shit; THESE SONGS ARE AWESOME!
Even if these weren't his most popular songs (to the point where some irrational jackasses would demand him to do a Chapter 4 song before Chapter 3 even came out with no regard to his mental health. Seriously, not cool guys), these would still be up here because of how simultaneously different yet similar they are.
"Build Our Machine" is very much a storytelling song from Bendy's perspective; the recounting of the monstrosities that the characters have experienced at the hands of (presumably) a psychopath and how they have been used and abused for the sake of someone else's gain. All under the guise of an otherwise upbeat and catchy funk tune.
"Gospel of Dismay" continues the trend of a subtle horror story, this time with a perspective of not just Bendy, but Boris and Sammy as well, with Will given one of the best vocal performances of his entire music career as Boris. I can't tell you how many times I've tried doing his Boris voice with objective failure, and yet Will is able to do it naturally and with grace. It also helps that, as the title implies, there is more a gospel choir, which helps to sell the idea of the people who summoned Bendy and the other Ink Creatures being a fanatic cult.
Which, of course, leaves "Instruments of Cyanide", which I'm debating whether it's this or "Gospel of Dismay" as the best ones. This one is much more of a darker theme, with elements of fear and agony showing through in not just Will's performance, but also that of his colleagues; Caleb Hyles as the Projectionist and Chi-Chi as Susie Campbell. Their distinctive voices and vocal talents are what hold the song together and give it it's own unique flavour, complimenting by the background chants and brilliant chord progression.
Now if only some people would've gotten off of Will's back and let him take a breather, for fuck's sake.
Still, join me next time, as the list becomes a bit more personal. See you there!
Friday, 5 October 2018
Venom (2018)
(SPOILER WARNING!!)
I'm gonna start this off by the giving the film the faintest form of praise; any, and I do mean ANY, other depiction of this character is better than what was seen in "Spider-Man 3".
After the, shall we say, heated reactions to the film from fans, especially with it's bastardised depiction of the character of Eddie Brock/Venom, it became clear that Avi Arad, the producer most responsible for forcing the character into the story, could not be trusted to helm any project regarding everyone's favourite red and blue web-head. His, and Sony's, mandates and revisions are ultimately what lead to the film being he worst of any Spider-Man movie as hardly any of it was actually Sam Raimi's vision, especially as Raimi didn't want Venom in the film due to hating the character.
Thus when I had heard that Arad assigned himself as the producer for a future spin-off film, I was pissed! This idiot was more concerned with just holding on to the rights to the character and wanting to bank off of having him in his own movie, despite the fact that he apparently wanted to do it without Spider-Man involved. Even when actual talent was brought on to the film, namely the main star Tom Hardy and director Ruben Fleischer of "Zombieland", I had very little hope that this film would succeed. And initially, that seems to be the case, with a current 31% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and most critics giving the film slanderous reviews.
And yes, I'm aware of the whole ""A Star is Born" fans writing fake reviews on "Venom"" fiasco. It's honestly on par with the "Disney paid critics to hate "Suicide Squad"" thing on how ridiculously stupid it is.
But with that said, likely due to my lowered expectations, I actually ended up having a fun time with this film. Now, does that make it good?
But I honestly think that the critics are over reacting with this one.
Anyways, plot synopsis; Tom Hardy plays our protagonist Eddie Brock, an investigative reporter who uncovers conspiracies for his news station, and is happily engaged to attorney Anne Weying (played by Michelle Williams). That is until one day, he is given the task to interview Life Foundation CEO Carlton Drake (played by Riz Ahmed) concerning the companies expanses to space travel. However, Eddie steers the conversation to claims of illegal human experimentation on the homeless which ends up getting both him and Anne fired from their jobs, breaking off the engagement.
Cut to 6 months later, and Eddie is on his last rope when he is approached by Dr Dora Skirth (played by Jenny Slate), who warns Eddie that the rumours were true; Drake has been using the homeless in a series of tests to perfect symbiosis between humans and alien creatures that have been brought back on the Life Foundation's latest space exploration. Eddie investigates, only to get infected with one of the three remaining creatures, nicknamed symbiotes. This symbiote, calling itself Venom, bonds with Eddie in order to savour it's hunger for flesh, and Eddie has to find a way to balance that, as well as stop whatever bullshit plan Drake wants to pull with the symbiotes.
When you get down to it, the plot is fairly straight forward. Which, really, is part of the problem.
With this essentially being the kickstart to a new series of Sony movies with what little Marvel properties they have left, you'd expect them to do something more that what was already seen in not 1, not 2, but all 3 "Iron Man" movies! This is almost note for note the same plan we got from the likes of Obadiah Stane, or Justin Hammer, or Aldrich Killian; a random asshole in a business suit with little to no charisma who wants money, or to take over the world, or... actually, what DOES Drake want?
At least with the "Iron Man" villains, I know what they want; the first two want money and Tony out of the picture, whereas the third wants revenge and to spread fear and chaos. Carlton Drake? He has no real end goal, and thus is a pathetic villain on par with the likes of Malekith from "Thor: The Dark World" and Ronan the Accuser from "Guardians of the Galaxy". As such, we ultimately don't feel threatened when he eventually bonds with the symbiotes leader, Riot, to go back into space. To summarise; shit villains.
Which is a shame, as I feel that the rest of the cast gave legitimately good performances, even with the film having some pretty shitty dialogue at points. And this is especially true for Tom Hardy, who I felt was the perfect casting choice for Eddie Brock. I certainly see more of Eddie's character in Hardy's portrayal than what we got from Topher Grace's. For one, he and the symbiote have a great dynamic between the two, their interactions really helping to the sell the dialogue that, were it anyone else, wouldn't have worked as well as it does. That's not to say that it's PERFECT, mind you;
Who the fuck talks like that?!
But I honestly do enjoy watching Eddie and the symbiote interact, thus making it the best part of the movie.
Also, I don't care what anyone else says; Venom looks fucking awesome in this film. Even with the absence of the spider logo, he still looks like he jumped right off of the panel and into live action.
Sadly, the same can't be said for the rest of the cast, as despite giving good performances (bar Riz Ahmed practically sleepwalking through the scripts), none of the side characters ever feel important or have any real chemistry with Eddie. Some of this may be because of dialogue, or maybe it was in the 40 minutes of the film that was cut before release, but this film really could of used more interaction between the cast to help make the characters feel real.
Even the action, despite it being creative in some spots, feels a bit disjointed, namely due to the rapid fire editing that makes it harder to make out what's happening on screen, and Venom and Riot in the final fight have practically identical designs aside from Riot being slightly bulkier. It integrates the CGI fine for what it's worth and there is some impressive choreography that keeps the energy going, but it's otherwise worthless if we can't see most of it due to the close-ups and shotgun editing.
At the end of the day, I can best describe this film like this; it's not bad enough to be offensive to fans of the character, but it also isn't good enough to truly stand out from other mediocre stand-alone superhero films. Had this film NOT had Avi Arad as producer and put in the hands of more competent script writers, it may have had a better shake of things. But as is, the film itself is just a general shoulder shrug. I don't hate it, but it could of been more.
Although there is one thing that I absolutely love about this film; the end credits song by Eminem! Seriously, Eminem's "Venom" is so dumb and doesn't fit the films already confusing tone, but it is fucking amazing! Go on, give it a listen!
Overall rating: 5/10 (Perfectly serviceable).
Next time, we'll finally be doing a top 10 list for this little gig of mine. So until then; this is Callum Lewis, the Media Man, signing off!
I'm gonna start this off by the giving the film the faintest form of praise; any, and I do mean ANY, other depiction of this character is better than what was seen in "Spider-Man 3".
After the, shall we say, heated reactions to the film from fans, especially with it's bastardised depiction of the character of Eddie Brock/Venom, it became clear that Avi Arad, the producer most responsible for forcing the character into the story, could not be trusted to helm any project regarding everyone's favourite red and blue web-head. His, and Sony's, mandates and revisions are ultimately what lead to the film being he worst of any Spider-Man movie as hardly any of it was actually Sam Raimi's vision, especially as Raimi didn't want Venom in the film due to hating the character.
Thus when I had heard that Arad assigned himself as the producer for a future spin-off film, I was pissed! This idiot was more concerned with just holding on to the rights to the character and wanting to bank off of having him in his own movie, despite the fact that he apparently wanted to do it without Spider-Man involved. Even when actual talent was brought on to the film, namely the main star Tom Hardy and director Ruben Fleischer of "Zombieland", I had very little hope that this film would succeed. And initially, that seems to be the case, with a current 31% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and most critics giving the film slanderous reviews.
And yes, I'm aware of the whole ""A Star is Born" fans writing fake reviews on "Venom"" fiasco. It's honestly on par with the "Disney paid critics to hate "Suicide Squad"" thing on how ridiculously stupid it is.
But with that said, likely due to my lowered expectations, I actually ended up having a fun time with this film. Now, does that make it good?
But I honestly think that the critics are over reacting with this one.
Anyways, plot synopsis; Tom Hardy plays our protagonist Eddie Brock, an investigative reporter who uncovers conspiracies for his news station, and is happily engaged to attorney Anne Weying (played by Michelle Williams). That is until one day, he is given the task to interview Life Foundation CEO Carlton Drake (played by Riz Ahmed) concerning the companies expanses to space travel. However, Eddie steers the conversation to claims of illegal human experimentation on the homeless which ends up getting both him and Anne fired from their jobs, breaking off the engagement.
Cut to 6 months later, and Eddie is on his last rope when he is approached by Dr Dora Skirth (played by Jenny Slate), who warns Eddie that the rumours were true; Drake has been using the homeless in a series of tests to perfect symbiosis between humans and alien creatures that have been brought back on the Life Foundation's latest space exploration. Eddie investigates, only to get infected with one of the three remaining creatures, nicknamed symbiotes. This symbiote, calling itself Venom, bonds with Eddie in order to savour it's hunger for flesh, and Eddie has to find a way to balance that, as well as stop whatever bullshit plan Drake wants to pull with the symbiotes.
When you get down to it, the plot is fairly straight forward. Which, really, is part of the problem.
With this essentially being the kickstart to a new series of Sony movies with what little Marvel properties they have left, you'd expect them to do something more that what was already seen in not 1, not 2, but all 3 "Iron Man" movies! This is almost note for note the same plan we got from the likes of Obadiah Stane, or Justin Hammer, or Aldrich Killian; a random asshole in a business suit with little to no charisma who wants money, or to take over the world, or... actually, what DOES Drake want?
At least with the "Iron Man" villains, I know what they want; the first two want money and Tony out of the picture, whereas the third wants revenge and to spread fear and chaos. Carlton Drake? He has no real end goal, and thus is a pathetic villain on par with the likes of Malekith from "Thor: The Dark World" and Ronan the Accuser from "Guardians of the Galaxy". As such, we ultimately don't feel threatened when he eventually bonds with the symbiotes leader, Riot, to go back into space. To summarise; shit villains.
Which is a shame, as I feel that the rest of the cast gave legitimately good performances, even with the film having some pretty shitty dialogue at points. And this is especially true for Tom Hardy, who I felt was the perfect casting choice for Eddie Brock. I certainly see more of Eddie's character in Hardy's portrayal than what we got from Topher Grace's. For one, he and the symbiote have a great dynamic between the two, their interactions really helping to the sell the dialogue that, were it anyone else, wouldn't have worked as well as it does. That's not to say that it's PERFECT, mind you;
Who the fuck talks like that?!
But I honestly do enjoy watching Eddie and the symbiote interact, thus making it the best part of the movie.
Also, I don't care what anyone else says; Venom looks fucking awesome in this film. Even with the absence of the spider logo, he still looks like he jumped right off of the panel and into live action.
Sadly, the same can't be said for the rest of the cast, as despite giving good performances (bar Riz Ahmed practically sleepwalking through the scripts), none of the side characters ever feel important or have any real chemistry with Eddie. Some of this may be because of dialogue, or maybe it was in the 40 minutes of the film that was cut before release, but this film really could of used more interaction between the cast to help make the characters feel real.
Even the action, despite it being creative in some spots, feels a bit disjointed, namely due to the rapid fire editing that makes it harder to make out what's happening on screen, and Venom and Riot in the final fight have practically identical designs aside from Riot being slightly bulkier. It integrates the CGI fine for what it's worth and there is some impressive choreography that keeps the energy going, but it's otherwise worthless if we can't see most of it due to the close-ups and shotgun editing.
At the end of the day, I can best describe this film like this; it's not bad enough to be offensive to fans of the character, but it also isn't good enough to truly stand out from other mediocre stand-alone superhero films. Had this film NOT had Avi Arad as producer and put in the hands of more competent script writers, it may have had a better shake of things. But as is, the film itself is just a general shoulder shrug. I don't hate it, but it could of been more.
Although there is one thing that I absolutely love about this film; the end credits song by Eminem! Seriously, Eminem's "Venom" is so dumb and doesn't fit the films already confusing tone, but it is fucking amazing! Go on, give it a listen!
Overall rating: 5/10 (Perfectly serviceable).
Next time, we'll finally be doing a top 10 list for this little gig of mine. So until then; this is Callum Lewis, the Media Man, signing off!
Friday, 24 August 2018
Ant-Man and The Wasp (2018)
(SPOILER WARNING!!)
While I wait for my pre-ordered copy of "Infinity War" to arrive from Amazon, and while I take a break from reviewing Steven Universe, I guess I can take the time to review what can technically be considered it's interim story; "Ant-Man and The Wasp".
Just to give a brief context, I thought the first "Ant-Man" film in 2015 was perfectly fine. It was an entertaining ride with likeable characters and inventive action scenes, but was otherwise unremarkable in the long run, especially with how little of an impact the ant sized hero has had on the MCU. That's not to say I didn't like the movie, but it did feel like a bit generic and it's comedy rarely hit bulls-eye for me, especially with the annoying comic relief that was Michael Pena as Luis.
That said, I still wanted to see how it's sequel, which finally allowed Evangeline Lily's Hope van Dyne shine as the titular Wasp, would play out, especially since they had the perfect set up for the journey of saving her mother; Janet, the original Wasp.
And how did it turn out? Well, before going into spoilers, I can definitely say this; if you liked the first film, then you'll like it's sequel just fine.
As for the story itself, Scott Lang, played again by Paul Rudd, has been on house arrest for the last couple of years due to his actions in "Captain America: Civil War", which also painted a target on the backs on Hope and her father Hank Pym, played again by Michael Douglas. He is just two days away from finally being able to step out of the house, only to receive a vision of Janet's mother, who years ago had shrunk herself to the sub-atomic level in order to stop a nuke from hitting America, with the cost of her being stuck in the Quantum Realm with seemingly no way to come back.
This vision prompts Hope to basically kidnap Scott and have him help her and Hank in finishing the machine that could guide them to bring back Janet, necessitating Hope involve herself as the Wasp in order to find the parts they need. Of course, this also results in a whole bunch of other stuff happening at roughly the same time in order to fill out the length of the film; namely, a masked woman who seems to basically "ghost" herself in and out of the physical quantum field, which also has her being able to avoid being hit by most things, but with the side effect of slowly killing her. Thus, the race is on to save Janet, stop Ghost and get Scott home on time to finally get taken off of house arrest. Oh, and something about a business man wanting the part, but that hardly matters.
Much like the first film, despite several plot threads all happening concurrently, the film knows which one to focus on and how long to focus on it. When it needs to focus on Scott and Hope as our titular heroes, they're the focus. When they need some comedic levity, it brings said levity and doesn't just solely rely on Luis. And when the emotional stuff is needed, it lets it play out long enough for the audience to care.
Ghost, played by Hannah John-Kamen, makes for a fairly unique antagonist, as she's not strictly a full on villain in this film. In fact, her entire goal is focused around finding a way to stabilise her condition as it's only serving to cause her more pain and suffering. What helps is her contrast to scientist and former friend of Hank, Bill Foster, played by Lawrence Fishburne. Foster basically treats Ghost, or Ava, as something of a daughter, while Ava mainly sees him as a tool to fix her condition. While there isn't as much time focused on the relationship between the two, there is just enough for the audience to understand and somewhat sympathise with their plight, even if their plan to use Janet's Quantum Realm energy may end up killing her. Ghost may seem underwhelming in comparison to the likes of Loki, Ego, or even Thanos, but I doubt she was really ever meant to be on that same tier as those God-like entities, especially as the "Ant-Man" films are more focused on smaller adventures to help sell the MCU as a full universe. Thus, Ghost actually fits in perfectly with this kind of setting.
And surprisingly, the effects of "Infinity War" are still felt as this film seems to take place at roughly the same time of that film's events. Namely, the mid-credit scene. Again, this is where we head into spoiler territory, so you have been warned.
After they bring back Janet, she, Hank and Hope plan to use Scott to go into the Quantum Realm to gather energy that could be used to help people like Ava. Scott goes and collects the energy, but can't get a response from the outside. Why?
...Goddammit, Thanos!
That said, this is where we start my critiques. Namely, with this mid credit scene, doesn't it kind of render most of the film completely worthless? Rescuing Janet, Hope becoming the Wasp, the fiasco with Ghost; almost all of it was pointless as two of those characters, along with Hank, have been reduced to dust. And yes, I know, there's the whole "everyone is in the Soul Stone" theory, but most regular movie goers won't automatically pick up on that, especially when no one actually knows what the Soul Stone does! On top of that, because we hardly know anything about Janet, we don't have much reason to care when we see her turned into a pile of dust. Thus, the emotional impact of seeing her dead is lost when compared to Hope and Hank, the characters we DO care about.
Then again, that might also be because the film, while still entertaining in it's own right, also has a very predictable and underwhelming story. We know what they're doing with most of the story and can tell when something will happen almost to the minute. There are still some legitimately cool additions such as actually seeing the Quantum Realm for more than two minutes, and Fishburne was great as always, but we otherwise have to sit through a bland and predictable story in the interim.
In a sense, "Ant-Man and The Wasp" is better than the first film due to trying new things and having an interesting idea for the main "antagonist", and I did like how it addressed the aftermath of "Infinity War" even if it was during the mid credits sequence. And I definitely appreciate how they downplayed Michael Pena's role in this film as he is pretty much the only character in this film I don't like. However, it still has the similar issue as the first film of generally playing it save and having an emphasis on comedy which, while expected for the MCU, doesn't really make it stand out from other "down to Earth" superhero stories like "Spider-Man:Homecoming" or even Netflix's "Luke Cage". I might be alone on this, but I ultimately think that this film is about on par with the first one; it's really serviceable.
Overall Rating: 6.5/10 (It's fine).
I hope you enjoyed this review and, 'til next time; This is Callum Lewis, the Media Man, signing off!
While I wait for my pre-ordered copy of "Infinity War" to arrive from Amazon, and while I take a break from reviewing Steven Universe, I guess I can take the time to review what can technically be considered it's interim story; "Ant-Man and The Wasp".
Just to give a brief context, I thought the first "Ant-Man" film in 2015 was perfectly fine. It was an entertaining ride with likeable characters and inventive action scenes, but was otherwise unremarkable in the long run, especially with how little of an impact the ant sized hero has had on the MCU. That's not to say I didn't like the movie, but it did feel like a bit generic and it's comedy rarely hit bulls-eye for me, especially with the annoying comic relief that was Michael Pena as Luis.
That said, I still wanted to see how it's sequel, which finally allowed Evangeline Lily's Hope van Dyne shine as the titular Wasp, would play out, especially since they had the perfect set up for the journey of saving her mother; Janet, the original Wasp.
And how did it turn out? Well, before going into spoilers, I can definitely say this; if you liked the first film, then you'll like it's sequel just fine.
As for the story itself, Scott Lang, played again by Paul Rudd, has been on house arrest for the last couple of years due to his actions in "Captain America: Civil War", which also painted a target on the backs on Hope and her father Hank Pym, played again by Michael Douglas. He is just two days away from finally being able to step out of the house, only to receive a vision of Janet's mother, who years ago had shrunk herself to the sub-atomic level in order to stop a nuke from hitting America, with the cost of her being stuck in the Quantum Realm with seemingly no way to come back.
This vision prompts Hope to basically kidnap Scott and have him help her and Hank in finishing the machine that could guide them to bring back Janet, necessitating Hope involve herself as the Wasp in order to find the parts they need. Of course, this also results in a whole bunch of other stuff happening at roughly the same time in order to fill out the length of the film; namely, a masked woman who seems to basically "ghost" herself in and out of the physical quantum field, which also has her being able to avoid being hit by most things, but with the side effect of slowly killing her. Thus, the race is on to save Janet, stop Ghost and get Scott home on time to finally get taken off of house arrest. Oh, and something about a business man wanting the part, but that hardly matters.
Much like the first film, despite several plot threads all happening concurrently, the film knows which one to focus on and how long to focus on it. When it needs to focus on Scott and Hope as our titular heroes, they're the focus. When they need some comedic levity, it brings said levity and doesn't just solely rely on Luis. And when the emotional stuff is needed, it lets it play out long enough for the audience to care.
Ghost, played by Hannah John-Kamen, makes for a fairly unique antagonist, as she's not strictly a full on villain in this film. In fact, her entire goal is focused around finding a way to stabilise her condition as it's only serving to cause her more pain and suffering. What helps is her contrast to scientist and former friend of Hank, Bill Foster, played by Lawrence Fishburne. Foster basically treats Ghost, or Ava, as something of a daughter, while Ava mainly sees him as a tool to fix her condition. While there isn't as much time focused on the relationship between the two, there is just enough for the audience to understand and somewhat sympathise with their plight, even if their plan to use Janet's Quantum Realm energy may end up killing her. Ghost may seem underwhelming in comparison to the likes of Loki, Ego, or even Thanos, but I doubt she was really ever meant to be on that same tier as those God-like entities, especially as the "Ant-Man" films are more focused on smaller adventures to help sell the MCU as a full universe. Thus, Ghost actually fits in perfectly with this kind of setting.
And surprisingly, the effects of "Infinity War" are still felt as this film seems to take place at roughly the same time of that film's events. Namely, the mid-credit scene. Again, this is where we head into spoiler territory, so you have been warned.
After they bring back Janet, she, Hank and Hope plan to use Scott to go into the Quantum Realm to gather energy that could be used to help people like Ava. Scott goes and collects the energy, but can't get a response from the outside. Why?
...Goddammit, Thanos!
That said, this is where we start my critiques. Namely, with this mid credit scene, doesn't it kind of render most of the film completely worthless? Rescuing Janet, Hope becoming the Wasp, the fiasco with Ghost; almost all of it was pointless as two of those characters, along with Hank, have been reduced to dust. And yes, I know, there's the whole "everyone is in the Soul Stone" theory, but most regular movie goers won't automatically pick up on that, especially when no one actually knows what the Soul Stone does! On top of that, because we hardly know anything about Janet, we don't have much reason to care when we see her turned into a pile of dust. Thus, the emotional impact of seeing her dead is lost when compared to Hope and Hank, the characters we DO care about.
Then again, that might also be because the film, while still entertaining in it's own right, also has a very predictable and underwhelming story. We know what they're doing with most of the story and can tell when something will happen almost to the minute. There are still some legitimately cool additions such as actually seeing the Quantum Realm for more than two minutes, and Fishburne was great as always, but we otherwise have to sit through a bland and predictable story in the interim.
In a sense, "Ant-Man and The Wasp" is better than the first film due to trying new things and having an interesting idea for the main "antagonist", and I did like how it addressed the aftermath of "Infinity War" even if it was during the mid credits sequence. And I definitely appreciate how they downplayed Michael Pena's role in this film as he is pretty much the only character in this film I don't like. However, it still has the similar issue as the first film of generally playing it save and having an emphasis on comedy which, while expected for the MCU, doesn't really make it stand out from other "down to Earth" superhero stories like "Spider-Man:Homecoming" or even Netflix's "Luke Cage". I might be alone on this, but I ultimately think that this film is about on par with the first one; it's really serviceable.
Overall Rating: 6.5/10 (It's fine).
I hope you enjoyed this review and, 'til next time; This is Callum Lewis, the Media Man, signing off!
Thursday, 23 August 2018
Steven Universe Season 3 (Part 2)
(SPOILER WARNING!!)
Sorry I cut that off last time; where were we?
Oh, right... that.
Yeah, Homeworld isn't completely ignorant about what's happening on Earth, and has thus sent out this scout ship filled with a team of Rubies. Just for simplicity, I'll call them by the names Steven gives them all in a later episode based on the placement of their Gems. So, we have Eyeball, Army, Navy, Leggy, and Doc. And the thing most of them have in common?
Well, to put it simply, they're morons. Doc can't keep track of the number of her team, Navy is exceedingly flighty, Army tries to punch everything she sees and Leggy is generally lost. At least they're acknowledged in-story as idiots.
And so, in this episode, "Hit the Diamond", the Crystal Gems pretend to be humans and trick them into a game of baseball, which they hope to win. There's just one little problem with that:
The Gems' initial plan was to supplant Ruby amongst the team and just stop them from searching the barn, thinking they're here for Peridot for insulting Yellow Diamond. But of course, that failed, and now Ruby and Sapphire are forced to be separated to keep up the trick. This would work if the two would just stop flirting with each other.
To once again borrow Des Shinta's unofficial (but slowly becoming official) catchphrase: Because, damn it, everything is gay about this!
And really, that's what makes this episode work for me; just seeing Ruby and Sapphire flirt with each other is nothing short of endearing or adorkable, which also helps with rounding out their personalities more. Even if I generally don't care for sports-themed episodes (as I never cared for sports, period), this was still really charming. Even Steven, when he's asking them to concentrate in order to win the last round of the game, can't help but admit they're cuteness personified.
But in the end, this whole venture was pointless, because when the Gems win the game and inadvertently reveal their identities, Peridot runs out and tells them to stop, only for the Rubies to reveal they weren't looking for her, but Jasper. They trick the Rubies into thinking that Jasper is on Neptune (again, because they're idiots) and they leave, with Eyeball...
Remember this!
So, which episode is next?
Oh yeah, Steven flying. Almost forgo-- Wait, what?
Steven has been a little homesick, so he's more than happy to back at the beach house. However, this seems to trigger his ability to float. To summarise, positive thoughts help him fly, but negative thoughts make him fall quicker. The entire predicament is basically just getting Steven back down to the ground without hurting him... and that's about all there is to it. Nothing special, but still a fun episode.
Sadly, however, we enter the ever so brief period of mediocrity with the next episode, "Dead Beat Dad"... though, this requires a bit of explanation before we do so.
Due to reviewing this show in a different style, there are some things I have missed in my previous reviews. For instance, there are episodes dedicated to showing more of Greg's past as an amateur rock star who gave up his dreams of success to stay with Rose, who was pretty much the only person to come to his poorly put together gigs, as well as expanding on Pearl's jealousy with how Greg so easily wooed Rose with just his guitar and a dated haircut.
Why am I bringing this up now? It's because of this guy:
Marty, the character first introduced in the Season 1 episode "Story for Steven", was Greg's manager in his early days as an upcoming rock star. He is also, as you could guess, an arrogant douchebag, using Greg as a means of pushing his own career up and looking down on everyone around him. This, of course, did not end well when Greg pushed him out of the van in the middle of the road for insulting Rose. As Greg so eloquently put it:
I'm bringing up Marty now, as he's actually part of the focus for this episode, wherein he's proceeding to do the exact same thing as before, this time using his "accident" of a son, Sour Cream, who has aspirations as a DJ. Marty, however, is using this as a means of forcing people to try out a new promotional soda, Guacacola. A.K.A: guacamole flavoured soda.
Well said, Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen.
Anyways, there is also this subplot focused around Sour Cream and his issues with his stepfather, Yellowtail, with how the latter would rather his stepson follow in his footsteps as a fisherman. Sour Cream is, of course, indignant about all of this, but comes to realise that Yellowtail just wants the best for him and stands up to Marty for his stepdad.
And frankly, as I previously had a strained relationship with my father due to learning of things that happened between him and my mum, I can say that patching up said relationships is not as simple as saying "Oh, they just wanted something different for me, that totally makes up for him looking down on my career choices". Because what was ultimately missing from this was a sense that Sour Cream hated Yellowtail, as opposed to the two just simply having different points of view. I admire the episode for tackling issues regarding fatherhood and what it means to really be a dad, but I felt that this was already done better with seeing Greg and how he earnestly and honestly tries to be a good influence for Steven, even when the two don't always see each other. Here, with Sour Cream, his stepdad is just a bit overzealous and his real dad is a general dick. I'm grateful that other side characters are getting more focus as opposed to just Connie and Greg, but there also has to be a solid foundation for their growth as characters in order for the audience to become invested. That's not the case here, as not much else is revealed about Sour Cream's character for us to really care.
Still, there ultimately is a patching between Yellowtail and Sour Cream, which at least still settles the issue that came between them, and there is one last thing that also sets up other episodes down the line.
Yeah, apparently Marty, due to being Greg's manager, still had rights to his song and re-branded it for a commercial for a Taco restaurant chain. As such, Greg has been given a share of the royalty fees (though I don't think that's how that works), making him obscenely rich. And this is the focus (of sorts) with "Mr Greg", where he and Steven decide to take a trip to Empire City, the show's equivalent to New York, and go all out with the money. One little problem with that:
Steven has noticed quickly that, while they don't seem to outright hate each other, there is an uneasy tension between Pearl and Greg, most likely due to Rose being gone and Pearl's feelings for her not being returned. As such, Steven uses this as the chance to help build a stronger bond between them.
And he does this, with musical numbers!... That's not a joke.
The Crewniverse really went all out with their songwriters in this episode, creating fun and memorable songs that give the feeling that we're watching an animated Broadway musical. Even right down to being set in a busy city with a wealthy man spending his money on his kid; it's practically straight out of "Chicago" or "Burlesque" with how colourful and imaginative it is. It also helps that the cast is comprised of really good singers. I especially love both "Don't Cost Nothing" and it's reprisal at the end of the episode.
The first thing Greg wanted to spend money on was Steven's college education. That is why he is best dad.
However, despite Pearl slowly warming up to the class and luxury, it eventually backfires:
As soon shown in the episode, Pearl's hesitance to even talk to Greg is out of regret for not being able to truly be the love of Rose's life, especially once Greg enters the picture and sooner or later, Steven turns up. Pearl is angry at herself for feeling so petty as to let her feelings for Rose fester into a hatred for Greg. And while her anger is somewhat deserved, she hasn't fully acknowledged that it was ultimately Rose's choice to have Steven. And through another touching musical number, Steven helps both Greg and Pearl realise something that they have in common: their love for Steven.
And with that, plus a no doubt massive bill to the hotel, the three head home, the friendship between Greg and Pearl finally allowed to grow.
Beautiful, just beautiful... anyone up for jokes about Peridot's height?
Sorry I cut that off last time; where were we?
Oh, right... that.
Yeah, Homeworld isn't completely ignorant about what's happening on Earth, and has thus sent out this scout ship filled with a team of Rubies. Just for simplicity, I'll call them by the names Steven gives them all in a later episode based on the placement of their Gems. So, we have Eyeball, Army, Navy, Leggy, and Doc. And the thing most of them have in common?
Well, to put it simply, they're morons. Doc can't keep track of the number of her team, Navy is exceedingly flighty, Army tries to punch everything she sees and Leggy is generally lost. At least they're acknowledged in-story as idiots.
And so, in this episode, "Hit the Diamond", the Crystal Gems pretend to be humans and trick them into a game of baseball, which they hope to win. There's just one little problem with that:
The Gems' initial plan was to supplant Ruby amongst the team and just stop them from searching the barn, thinking they're here for Peridot for insulting Yellow Diamond. But of course, that failed, and now Ruby and Sapphire are forced to be separated to keep up the trick. This would work if the two would just stop flirting with each other.
To once again borrow Des Shinta's unofficial (but slowly becoming official) catchphrase: Because, damn it, everything is gay about this!
And really, that's what makes this episode work for me; just seeing Ruby and Sapphire flirt with each other is nothing short of endearing or adorkable, which also helps with rounding out their personalities more. Even if I generally don't care for sports-themed episodes (as I never cared for sports, period), this was still really charming. Even Steven, when he's asking them to concentrate in order to win the last round of the game, can't help but admit they're cuteness personified.
But in the end, this whole venture was pointless, because when the Gems win the game and inadvertently reveal their identities, Peridot runs out and tells them to stop, only for the Rubies to reveal they weren't looking for her, but Jasper. They trick the Rubies into thinking that Jasper is on Neptune (again, because they're idiots) and they leave, with Eyeball...
Remember this!
So, which episode is next?
Oh yeah, Steven flying. Almost forgo-- Wait, what?
Steven has been a little homesick, so he's more than happy to back at the beach house. However, this seems to trigger his ability to float. To summarise, positive thoughts help him fly, but negative thoughts make him fall quicker. The entire predicament is basically just getting Steven back down to the ground without hurting him... and that's about all there is to it. Nothing special, but still a fun episode.
Sadly, however, we enter the ever so brief period of mediocrity with the next episode, "Dead Beat Dad"... though, this requires a bit of explanation before we do so.
Due to reviewing this show in a different style, there are some things I have missed in my previous reviews. For instance, there are episodes dedicated to showing more of Greg's past as an amateur rock star who gave up his dreams of success to stay with Rose, who was pretty much the only person to come to his poorly put together gigs, as well as expanding on Pearl's jealousy with how Greg so easily wooed Rose with just his guitar and a dated haircut.
Why am I bringing this up now? It's because of this guy:
Marty, the character first introduced in the Season 1 episode "Story for Steven", was Greg's manager in his early days as an upcoming rock star. He is also, as you could guess, an arrogant douchebag, using Greg as a means of pushing his own career up and looking down on everyone around him. This, of course, did not end well when Greg pushed him out of the van in the middle of the road for insulting Rose. As Greg so eloquently put it:
I'm bringing up Marty now, as he's actually part of the focus for this episode, wherein he's proceeding to do the exact same thing as before, this time using his "accident" of a son, Sour Cream, who has aspirations as a DJ. Marty, however, is using this as a means of forcing people to try out a new promotional soda, Guacacola. A.K.A: guacamole flavoured soda.
Well said, Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen.
Anyways, there is also this subplot focused around Sour Cream and his issues with his stepfather, Yellowtail, with how the latter would rather his stepson follow in his footsteps as a fisherman. Sour Cream is, of course, indignant about all of this, but comes to realise that Yellowtail just wants the best for him and stands up to Marty for his stepdad.
And frankly, as I previously had a strained relationship with my father due to learning of things that happened between him and my mum, I can say that patching up said relationships is not as simple as saying "Oh, they just wanted something different for me, that totally makes up for him looking down on my career choices". Because what was ultimately missing from this was a sense that Sour Cream hated Yellowtail, as opposed to the two just simply having different points of view. I admire the episode for tackling issues regarding fatherhood and what it means to really be a dad, but I felt that this was already done better with seeing Greg and how he earnestly and honestly tries to be a good influence for Steven, even when the two don't always see each other. Here, with Sour Cream, his stepdad is just a bit overzealous and his real dad is a general dick. I'm grateful that other side characters are getting more focus as opposed to just Connie and Greg, but there also has to be a solid foundation for their growth as characters in order for the audience to become invested. That's not the case here, as not much else is revealed about Sour Cream's character for us to really care.
Still, there ultimately is a patching between Yellowtail and Sour Cream, which at least still settles the issue that came between them, and there is one last thing that also sets up other episodes down the line.
Yeah, apparently Marty, due to being Greg's manager, still had rights to his song and re-branded it for a commercial for a Taco restaurant chain. As such, Greg has been given a share of the royalty fees (though I don't think that's how that works), making him obscenely rich. And this is the focus (of sorts) with "Mr Greg", where he and Steven decide to take a trip to Empire City, the show's equivalent to New York, and go all out with the money. One little problem with that:
Steven has noticed quickly that, while they don't seem to outright hate each other, there is an uneasy tension between Pearl and Greg, most likely due to Rose being gone and Pearl's feelings for her not being returned. As such, Steven uses this as the chance to help build a stronger bond between them.
And he does this, with musical numbers!... That's not a joke.
The Crewniverse really went all out with their songwriters in this episode, creating fun and memorable songs that give the feeling that we're watching an animated Broadway musical. Even right down to being set in a busy city with a wealthy man spending his money on his kid; it's practically straight out of "Chicago" or "Burlesque" with how colourful and imaginative it is. It also helps that the cast is comprised of really good singers. I especially love both "Don't Cost Nothing" and it's reprisal at the end of the episode.
The first thing Greg wanted to spend money on was Steven's college education. That is why he is best dad.
However, despite Pearl slowly warming up to the class and luxury, it eventually backfires:
As soon shown in the episode, Pearl's hesitance to even talk to Greg is out of regret for not being able to truly be the love of Rose's life, especially once Greg enters the picture and sooner or later, Steven turns up. Pearl is angry at herself for feeling so petty as to let her feelings for Rose fester into a hatred for Greg. And while her anger is somewhat deserved, she hasn't fully acknowledged that it was ultimately Rose's choice to have Steven. And through another touching musical number, Steven helps both Greg and Pearl realise something that they have in common: their love for Steven.
And with that, plus a no doubt massive bill to the hotel, the three head home, the friendship between Greg and Pearl finally allowed to grow.
Beautiful, just beautiful... anyone up for jokes about Peridot's height?
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