Tag: Fantasy

Spoiler-Free Reviews of Four 2023 Series

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Happy New Year to my FAB readers!

Don’t forget to follow (by subscribing to the RSS feed), IF you haven’t done so before. 

What shows do y’all recommend from this past yr?

Take care,

EMMA

Beef (Neflix) starring Steven Yeun & Ali Wong

A road rage incident in SoCal entwines the lives of a struggling motel owner, Danny Cho (Yeun), and a wealthy art gallery owner, Amy Lau (Wong). This unique/thought-provoking series (renewed for S2) was created by Lee Sung Jin, a Korean-American young man who worked his way up in Hollywood. We get a look into the lives of characters who are NOT often seen in (mainstream) series/movies. There are several supporting players who get their own scenes to shine; they aren’t any “model minority” stereotypes. The role of religion (Christianity- in this case) is delved into; it is treated in a sensitive/nuanced manner. There are hilarious moments, as well as serious ones (I don’t want to give anything away)). IF you’re an immigrant or 1st gen in the US, you’ll be esp. able to relate to this show! I was V impressed by Yeun (who is now 40); I’ve seen him in a few (supporting) roles in recent yrs.

Full Circle (MAX) starring Zazie Beetz, Claire Danes, Jim Gaffigan, Timothy Olyphant, & CCH Pounder

This is a limited series (6 eps) dir. by Steven Soderbergh; he also operates the camera (as is his method). The show was inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 film High and Low, which in turn was based on the novel King’s Ransom by Evan Hunter (pen name of Ed McBain), part of McBain’s 87th Precinct series. However, this is NOT a typical police show; it’s a mix of crime/mystery/social drama. Danes and Olyphant play a wealthy Manhattan couple w/ secrets which come back to affect them after their teen son is kidnapped. Beetz is getting a LOT of roles lately; here she plays a postal inspector who is battling emotional issues. As her boss, Gaffigan gets to do a (rare) dramatic/Everyman role. Pounder plays a powerful/soft-spoken crime leader w/in the Guyanese community of Queens. There are several (young/newcomer) actors who are part of the ensemble; they all do a good job. We get to see neighborhoods of Queens which are NOT often shown in the media. I didn’t know much re: Guyana (a small country in South America where English is spoken) until the semester I worked at an afterschool program in Ozone Park, Queens. As we gather from this series, Guyana’s population is diverse; ethnic groups originated from India, Africa, Europe, China, and incl. indigenous peoples.

The Last of Us (MAX) starring Pedro Pascal & Bella Ramsay

This is probably one of the most talked about series of 2023; it’s based on a V popular video game! Pascal became one of the most searched celebs online (“internet’s boyfriend”). He and Ramsay (British; non-binary) BOTH worked on Game of Thrones. Here is a brief synopsis: 20 yrs after modern civilization is been destroyed, Joel (Pascal), a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie (Ramsay), a 14 y.o. girl, out of a quarantine zone. It becomes a brutal/heartbreaking journey, as they cross the US, depending on ea. other for survival. I was a BIT skeptical of this show, BUT I enjoyed it V much! There are some gruesome elements, incl. blood, fighting, other types of violence (could bother sensitive viewers). We meet a variety of characters; some appear for one ep, others have a wider arc.

Shadow and Bone: Season 2 (Netflix) starring Jessie Mei Li, Ben Barnes, Archie Renaux, Freddy Carter, Amita Suman, & Kit Young

In most fantasy, darkness is metaphorical; it’s just a way of talking about evil: darkness falls across the land, a dark age is coming, etc. I wanted to take something figurative and make it literal. So the question became: what if darkness was a place? What if the monsters lurking there were real and more horrible than anything you’d ever imagined beneath your bed or behind the closet door? What if you had to fight them on their own territory, blind and helpless in the dark? These ideas eventually became the Shadow Fold. -Leigh Bardugo, author

I know what some of y’all are thinking: I’m TOO old for this show! LOL… I’d have to agree, after seeing the hot mess that was S2. Like some other Netflix shows, there are a LOT of cute/diverse/young characters, BUT w/ little development. Some eps are slow, while others go by SO fast, the viewer is left confused. As for S1, I found it interesting (incl. the unique production design and SFX). I was curious b/c SO many (Twitter) gal pals were discussing it. Of course, some are fans of British actor Ben Barnes (Gen. Kirigan); I suggest seeing S1 of Westworld instead (where he also plays a baddie). As for the (main) romance, I didn’t see much chemistry btwn Alina (Mei Li) and Mal (Renaux); I’d have preferred to see more of another couple (who barely got screen time in S2). Young (Jesper) has a LOT of charisma and screen presence; I think he’ll be the breakout among The Crows. I haven’t read the books, though found them at my local Little Free Library.

Spoiler-Free Review: “Barbie” (2023) starring Margot Robbie & Ryan Gosling

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Barbie suffers a crisis that leads her to question her world and her existence. -Synopsis

She’s everything. He’s just Ken. -Tagline

Summer has (traditionally) been the season for family-friendly/crowd-pleasing movies. As you may know, both Barbie and Oppenheimer were released on the same day (July 21) of this yr. I went to see Barbie w/ a big group of (mostly) women during its 2nd wknd at AMC (Ballston Quarter). One of my friends was esp. excited; she purchased 10 tickets (limit per person) several wks. ahead of our screening. I was somewhat curious, b/c I really liked the work of director/co-writer Greta Gerwig (who turned 40 y.o. last wk) and Noah Baumbach (co-writer); they’re also partners IRL and have a baby together. Gerwig and Baumbach are also close friends/collaborators w/ Adam Driver. Some skeptical critics wondered: “Who is the audience for this movie?” As I expected, my theater was full w/ (mostly) women in their 20s-40s; many were wearing pink (in various shades).

The production design is V cool; you feel immersed in the material/colorful world of Mattell toys where “Stereotypical Barbie” (Robbie), her love interest, Ken (Gosling), and all their friends live. As we saw in the trailers/ads, there are Barbies and Kens of diverse backgrounds (Issa Rae, Simu Liu, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Kate McKinnon. etc.) Alan (Michael Cera), Midge, and a few other (NOT so well-known) dolls are also there. Women are the ones who hold ALL the important jobs in this (make-believe) world! Of course, there are several human characters (played by America Ferrera, Ariana Greenblatt, Will Ferrell, etc. ) A much younger Greenblatt (now 15 y.o.) was Driver’s co-star in the action movie 65 (2023). The eclectic music suits the story well; I was NOT familiar w/ all the songs. Yes, this movie has a feminist take (as I’m sure many are aware). It also includes singing and dancing (which reminded me of technicolor musicals). There are many LOL moments, yet there are emotional/touching ones also. I hadn’t seen much of Gosling’s acting; I was surprised by how funny he could be! I do think this movie was a BIT too long; this is a common problem today. There are also a few speeches; they are NOT all effective IMO. I think a wide audience (IF they keep an open mind) can enjoy this movie; it already passed the $1B mark worldwide – wow! Two of my (mid-20s; male and female) co-workers really liked the movie; they went on opening wknd.

“House of the Dragon” (Episode 2: “The Rogue Prince”)

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SPOILER ALERT: Don’t read this post if you haven’t seen, or don’t want to know, details from Episode 2 of House of the Dragon.

Rhaenyra oversteps at the Small Council. Viserys is urged to secure the succession through marriage. Daemon announces his intentions. -Synopsis from HBO

The events of this ep (which involves diplomacy and matchmaking) take place 6 mos. after the pilot ep. Surprisingly, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock), is still the royal cupbearer (though she was officially made the heir to the king). Wow, can y’all believe it- a death in this world from old age!? The Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Ryam Redwyne, recently passed away peacefully in his sleep. Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) bursts into the Small Council w/ news of his recent losses at the hands of the Triarchy. This is a group under the leadership of the Crabfeeder, who lets crabs feed upon the flesh of his victims (yikes)! When Rhaenyra offers her opinion on the matter, she’s quickly shut down by the Hand, Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans).

Rhaenyra is sent off to help choose a new member of the Kingsguard; this knight will be protecting her also. Ser Harrold Westerling (Graham McTavish) starts presenting the handful of candidates to her. Rhaenyra learns that ONLY one of these knights has experience in battle- Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel). When she chooses him, Otto pulls her aside and explains that the other knights come from important houses (so it’d be politically advantageous to pick one of them). Rhaenyra sticks to her decision, as she wants the best fighter to protect her father. I never considered that choosing a bodyguard could be political; I don’t think I’d last a day in King’s Landing- LOL!

In the sept, we have a touching/emotional scene btwn Alicent (Emily Carey), who seems to be more religious, and Rhaenyra (unsure of how to pray). Rhaenyra and her father have NOT been communicating much lately. Both girls are missing their mothers; Rhaenyra even cries a BIT. They kneel before a statue and light votive candles. This statue is The Mother, who represents one aspect of in the Faith of the Seven. Of course, Rhaenyra has NO idea that Alicent and her father have been meeting and growing closer.

Corlys: To elude a storm, you can either sail into it or around it. But you must never await its coming.

King Viserys (Paddy Considine) meets w/ Corlys and Rhaenys (Eve Best) in the royal garden; they propose that the he marry their daughter, Laena. Toussaint and Best have great chemistry; you can believe that these characters been married a long time. When the king discusses this w/ Ser Otto and Maester Mellos, they exchange some (scheming) looks. Otto’s comments reveal that the king should take more time to grieve. Notice that one of Viserys’ pinky fingers is infected; he puts his hand into a bowl filled w/ maggots- yuck! Later that night, Viserys meets w/ Lord Lyonel Strong (Gavin Spokes), in the Small Council chamber re: his remarriage. Strong thinks that his marrying Laena (though she is V young) is a good idea.

Rhaenys: Here is the hard truth, which no one else has the heart to tell you. Men would sooner put the realm to the torch than see a woman ascend the Iron Throne.

We have perhaps the MOST cringe-worthy scene (of this show) when Viserys takes a walk w/ Laena (12 y.o.) in the garden. He’s NOT comfortable w/ this at all. Being a kid, Laena’s interested in dragons. FYI: Viserys was a dragon rider; he was the last Targaryen to ride Balerion (AKA The Black Dread). Balerion (who died of old age after living 200 yrs) was ridden by Aegon The Conqueror during the Targaryen conquest of Westeros. In a balcony high above the garden, Rhaenyra and Rhaenys have a serious convo re: women and leadership. Y’all, it’s TOO real (though this is fantasy show)!

Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) sends a letter to the king, saying that he’s getting married and going to have a child. We also learn from one of the keepers that Daemon snuck into the dragon pits and stole an egg- wow! Now, this was the same dragon egg that lay in the cradle of Viserys’ dead baby son. Viserys declares that he will face Daemon and get that egg back, BUT Otto stops him (saying it’s TOO dangerous). Daemon was banished by Viserys from court in the 1st ep; he has taken over Dragonstone (protected by 2,000 men formerly of the City Watch). Instead of going back to his wife, he’s living w/ his foreign-born mistress, Mysaria (Sonoyo Mizuno).

Otto (wearing armor), Ser Criston, and a group of soldiers travel by ship to Dragonstone; they face Daemon and his Gold Cloaks on a high bridge near the castle. Suddenly, Rhaenyra flies up on her dragon (Syrax), and gracefully lands on the bridge behind her father’s men! Otto is stunned for a moment, then tells Ser Criston to take her to safety. Rhaenyra is NOT deterred; she talks to Daemon (in High Valerian). She dares him to kill her now, BUT (of course) he wouldn’t hurt his niece. Daemon tosses the dragon egg back to Rhaenyra, like it’s NO big deal- LOL! Rhaenyra can get stuff done, though she is young/impulsive!

Inside the castle, in the same room where Stannis and Melisandre plotted on GoT, we get a look into Daemon’s relationship w/ Mysaria. I’m NOT a fan of the (odd) accent chosen for Mysaria; it sounds like a mix of Chinese and French (to my ears). Some other viewers said it sounded Jamaican and French. Mysaria has a sense of mystery about her; I loved her dress/cape here. The wedding and baby were made-up by Daemon; he wants his brother’s attention and love! Mysaria is (obviously) angry, as his lies could put her life in danger. She doesn’t come from privilege like him; she was taken from her homeland and bought/sold many times. Also, Mysaria made sure that she can’t get pregnant (as Daemon assumed would eventually happen).

Back in King’s Landing, Viserys gathers his Small Council and takes a few moments to ready himself for his big decision. Aside from the usual men and Rhaenyra, we see that Alicent is also present. The king announces that he will marry… Alicent! Otto looks pleased beyond words; he’d urged his daughter to spend time w/ the king. Corlys is shocked/angry; he protests and then storms out of the room. Rhaenyra has a V hurt expression on her face, while Alicent looks apologetic. Before Viserys can say anything to her, Rhaenyra nearly runs out of the room, too.

Corlys: If those shipping lanes fall, my house will be crippled. And I will not have Driftmark beggared while our King idles himself with feasts, and balls, and tourneys.

Daemon: I will speak of my brother as I wish. You will not.

I liked how the tension/mystery was built up in the scene btwn Corlys and Daemon. They meet in Corlys’ castle (Driftmark) and discuss going to fight in the Stepstones; by going around the king, this would be called treasonous! When Corlys insults Viserys, Daemon shuts him down (as he’s the ONLY one who can cut down his brother). Yeah, he’s a fascinating guy!

Spoiler-Free Review: “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” (Episodes 1 & 2)

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Epic drama set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-Earth. -Synopsis from Amazon Prime

Episode 1: A Shadow of the Past

Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) is disturbed by signs of an ancient evil’s return. Arondir (Ismael Cruz Cordova) makes an unsettling discovery. Elrond (Robert Aramayo) is presented with an intriguing new venture. Nori Brandyfoot (Markella Kavenagh) breaks a deeply held community rule. -Synopsis from Amazon Prime

This show (which started streaming on SEPT 1st on Amazon Prime) is the MOST expensive ever made! Much money was spent on getting the rights to some appendices written by J.R.R. Tolkien. The showrunners (J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay) are relative newcomers to Hollywood; they’re long-time friends (and fans of Tolkien) who grew up in religious households in the DC suburbs. J.A. Bayona is a Spanish film director who made the films: The Orphanage (2007), The Impossible (2012), A Monster Calls (2016), and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. He directed the 1st 2 eps of this show. There will be other directors also at the helm of future eps. I’m a BIT of a “late bloomer” when it comes to the fantasy genre. I loved the LOTR movies (which I was re-watched recently) and think The Hobbit trilogy had some good parts, too.

The story starts out w/ a narration of past events, NOT unlike what was heard in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. In Middle-Earth, an evil being, Morgoth, was defeated before the current time period (the Second Age). Sauron (briefly seen in that spiky helmet/imposing armor, as in Peter Jackson’s trilogy) is somewhere out there. As most creatures don’t live as long as elves, they’ve come to forget Sauron/his dark magic. As a child, Galadriel looks up to her older brother, Finrod (Will Fletcher). Years later, she is a “commander” leading a group of elves as they hunt for Sauron (after a long war which left MANY elves dead). Galadriel explains that she has searched for hundreds of yrs; those under her command are almost ready to give up. The High King, Gil-galad (Benjamin Walker), calls Galadriel back from the North; he declares that it’s time for peace. Galadriel tells Elrond (now in role of a “herald”) that she is NOT ready to stop fighting. Elrond cares for Galadriel; they have friendly banter.

We meet several original characters (OCs) who are NOT in Tolkien’s works. The Harfoots (meaning “hard of foot”) are ancient Hobbits; they’re migratory creatures who believe in community and staying out of the concerns of others. Eleanor “Nori” Brandyfoot and her friend Poppy Proudfellow (Megan Richards) come upon a Stranger (Daniel Weyman). The characters seen in the Southlands are also OCs. A Sylvan elf, Arondir (Ismael Cruz Cordova), and his company of elves have been in this region for MANY yrs. There are several types of elves (as some of you may’ve recalled from LOTR). Legolas is a Sindarin Elf from the Woodland Realm of Northern Mirkwood. His father, Thranduil, is the King of the Silvan Elves living in that realm, making Legolas the Prince of Mirkwood. Haldir is guard of the borders of Lothlórien and guides the Fellowship while they are in his forest. We also meet a single mom/healer, Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi) and her teen son, Theo (Tyro Muhafidin). The people of this community are NOT friendly to elves; we will learn why that is so.

This ep was quite slow, which will put off those viewers who were expecting the show to start out w/ a bang. There is one action scene, BUT it happens quickly (and some viewers thought it was unrealistic). I thought that the scenery (S1 was shot in New Zealand), CGI, music, and costumes were interesting. I wasn’t blown away w/ any aspect, BUT will continue to watch. I really hope the dialogue gets a LOT better! Some viewers (active on Twitter, YT, or on podcasts) are discussing who the Stranger could be.

Episode 2: Adrift

Galadriel finds a new ally. Elrond faces a cold reception from an old friend. Nori endeavors to help a Stranger. Arondir searches for answers while Bronwyn warns her people of a threat. -Synopsis from Amazon Prime

Elrond travels to another region (Eregion) and meets w/ Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards), a master smith among the High Elves. In the near future, Celebrimbor plans to “create something great,” BUT needs help to build a giant forge. Elrond goes to Khazad-Dun and meets w/ an old friend, Prince Durin IV (Owain Arthur), thinking that perhaps dwarves can contribute. The music used for the dwarves is really cool! We get to see the kingdom of the dwarves at its height (unlike the ruin that it was in LOTR). We see how the relationship is between elves and dwarves. We learn that Durin’s wife, Princess Disa (Sophia Nomvette), has a bubbly personality. King Durin III (Peter Mullan- a Scottish veteran character actor) appears briefly; I’m curious to know more about him.

The Southlands could be facing a great threat; Arondir goes to check out a nearby town (and Bronwyn joins him). Theo had found a broken weapon under his house, from which comes whispers (maybe Black Speech); he keeps it hidden from his mom. There MAY be other dangers lurking! This ep raises the action; there are 2 action-oriented scenes which MAY be scary for younger audiences.

Galadriel ends up in the middle of the ocean; she had decided NOT to go to Valinor (Heaven for the elves). She comes upon a rickety raft w/ a small group of humans who are dirty, tired, and angry. They’d recently been attacked- we soon see from what exactly. After facing more threats on the water, Galadriel and one man, Halbrand (Charlie Vickers), come out as survivors. They will have to trust and rely on each other now; they face a violent storm! Some viewers think that Halbrand will turn out to be Sauron (in disguise); others think he’ll be like Aragorn (a reluctant hero and future king). Hmmm… keep on watching to find out more!